8392225
This review may contain spoilers
A MDL user called 'Empress' recommended this one among "Sexy Hot steamy Dramas": so I did go to watch it, as that is precisely what I look for in my drama, LOL. (Even if Empress called it 'Love is the Beast' incorrectly, but I think that is even a better title, LOL. )It has many episodes to look forward for all the steaminess, which is not really there (and if it is, it's some kind of awkward/fake kiss attempt) but I liked the lead couple (both the male & female counterpart) tremendously, so I kept on.
Had I not shipped the two of them to be together so much I might have quit watching out of boredom, the story's progress is not satisfying for a long time. By the 2/3 of the drama's length, I repeatedly thought it was long due for the main guy to tell the girl clearly that he loved her. It would have helped things a lot and finally move a bit forward, but instead we watch stagnation at one same point, or her getting closer to another suitor who is his brother (why do we always have to have a brother as a love rival?), which is not necessary as I've mentioned, the main couple is good enough. There's the evil sister too, getting an awful lot of screentime, but it doesn't really matter whether she's there or not.
I don't know what 'Empress' saw in this but I felt like taking imaginary scissors and just cut out the leading guy and girl, then put them into some other story. Hopefully, a story more about the two of them and less about other people. Perhaps that's what the scriptwriters can no longer write and that's why they need the side-characters so much? Or is it a production thing. They always need to employ more cast. Be it whatever, I'm starting to get frustrated.
And the steamy hot bits? Somehow I even forgot to watch out for those. As the series progressed, it was clear we won't easily get to anything much for quite some time. There's lot of repetitive background music that is dated. There's lot of repetitive scenes, for that matter. 31 episodes is a bit much if nothing is happening (MDL lists 33 episodes, even... but I watched 31 and I'm pretty sure the 31st was final).
It's like the main couple is forbidden to simply talk things out and get some real story, instead we watch LONG string of misunderstandings and half-finished conversations that lead nowhere. Both sides of the main couple are never able to say the 1 sentence they really need to say. While the side-characters never fail to give lengthy speeches. Or something outside happens, so that the lead cannot speak. If that's the way to keep "drama" going, then my aunt could probably write better dramas.
When the lead heroine got kidnapped in episode 24, I tuned out completely... Is there going to be a rape and amnesia, too? So, I fastforwarded a bit, she was already free and talking to the brother ("great", the brother again). I skipped again. There simply is nothing watchable except the scenes featuring both the male & female lead. I am really watching this for THEM. Literally. Oh, the guy did what he was supposed to at least 10 episodes earlier. It's too late. But the two of them are really hot. I could watch more of the bed scene.
When I got to the phase where he tells her and SHOWS her that he loves her I was happy, I really loved them together. For a moment, it felt like the whole drama was good. It just needed to be decrapified and now we'll have lots of main couple scenes and their interactions, so it's practically perfect... Of course, that was what I just was telling myself:-)
Soon we are back to the cr*p of course, solving still through the last episodes. That INSTEAD of her telling him she loved him too, for once. Telling him about the things he did not know that caused him to misunderstand for so long. Which is what the viewers were waiting for almost 30 episodes! They have the conversation but it's unfinished. Very frustrating... And him attending a TALK SHOW (seriously), was not what I had in mind for the happy last episode, LOL.
Btw, I didn't see improvement in the character of the mean sister till literally the last minute, though I liked the way it happened. But I had to laugh when the final happy end came. Instead of them clearing things out, she just comes up in the wedding gown with the newborn twins, LOL. No need for further talking, heh.
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A Reverse-Harem?
Well, that's what one of the Tags says:-) What is this actually, though? The synopsis says: "Follow Padlom's passionate love story..." There's no way to do that, as 1) the series is light-toned and far from passionate intense story 2) Padlom herself does not know for more than half the series whom should she have her love story WITH (I won't say exactly when she's no longer in the dark so there are no spoilers, but I say anything that lasts more than halfway through the story is substantial). Do you find that romantic? If not, let's get back to the reverse-harem.If any girl is entitled to have a reverse-harem it definitely is Sutatta, one of the hottest thai young actresses, totally beautiful skin... I'm not sure about her makeup in this, but never mind, anyone would look georgeous alongside Ampere, so no worries. The real question what is this kind of "harem" good for.
As this show does not keep a secret, we have 7 boys. Doesn't mean though, that all 7 boys are likeable. That all 7 are available, even. But there should be at least 1 boy who likes Padlom for sure. Because, that is the plot. But there was this point in the story where Padlom decided that she doesn't want to know who it is anonymously courting her: and agreed that I would not want to know, either. In the age of internet, there's enough virtual friends/boyfriends already. A boy should pursue girl all the way. Else it's not romantic. Even if assured it's one of the 7 boys: if they wanted to hide in the dark, then I would make them stay there. Nevertheless, the writers decided that the viewer is suppposed to be thrilled about this and keep looking for clues episode after episode. I busied myself with the 90's thai music, the club activities, side stories... all the entertainment this series had BUT romance. Which simply is not there... yet.
I've read some other reviews. They praise the "potential romance". Well, looks like I still prefer ACTUAL romance, LOL.
For romance, it's just a bit... crowded. I usually complain when there is a love-triangle, but here, as all 7 share the screentime pretty equally, so each of them has little, we don't get to know anyone enough. For me, I'm afraid sometimes I even mistook one for another. For example, if one of them sits on the bench with Sutatta and just talks to her, I can't tell for sure whether it's the one who's rich and buying things for everyone, or the one doing push-ups all the time... And now imagine he says that HE's the secret suitor? How do I even know? LOL. But I certainly won't re-watch whole series this boring just to sort my memory of all the guys in there!:-) So, if I could make 1 wish for any future romance Sutatta plays in, it's this: Please, no more harems.
See, I've been bitching about the series all while long...;-) But I must admit the 90's theme was a nice touch. The fictional "90's romantic music video" the characters made was shown in full. Funny!:-D And the romance... Scatterbrained viewer like me wasn't enjoying it (too many people:) till literally the last episode. Then finally we start asking the opposite question: not who likes Padlom, but is there someone Padlom likes?:-) So, maybe if I paid more attention from the beginning I would enjoy this better, but at least thanks to that last episode I give rating higher than average.
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- supernatural, time travel, NOT technical sci-fi though, it has an enchanted BED:-) imagine you laying on your bed and awaking next to handsome prince in that bed!:-)
- not your usual nang'ek with fresh face in her twenties, she is MARRIED and 8 years older than pra'ek:-)
- focused, not overfilled with loads of completely unrelated side-stories and unnecessary side-cast.
Yet, it kinda... drags.
I remember the wedding procession scene with the drums beating and traditional singing that seemed to never end. The plot also practically goes from nowhere to nowhere and the closer to final the sillier it all gets. Fantasy is never my cup of tea. Chakrit is easy on the eye of course, especially when he takes that thing off his head in the bed scene. And Anuwat Niwatawong is still thin here!! But it's a LONG watch, not worth any re-watch. I wonder why this got re-maked (2017), I'll try what difference that would make.
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This illustrates perfectly why I hate crossdressing...
...and it's even worse than in 'Dok Ruk Rim Tang', because Davika looks so gross as "boy" that I needed to watch SEVERAL other of her lakorns to "unsee" this in my head and actually see that she is NOT ugly.As if that was not enough, we have our WEIRd choice of a pra'ek to pair with her, being 7 years older (it was not as a big issue in their later lakorns together, but here it still is) and quite plain himself (but we are used to that with HIM:)
So, eyecandy this lakorn is NOT.
Unfortunatelly it is also not any fun (I am NOT interested in any of the over-complicated plots in my lakorns) and I rather use this Davika's lakorn for the future reference, when deciding rating on later lakorns. Like: Was it as bad as 'Ngao Kammathep'? No? And then I rate higher, LOL
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This review may contain spoilers
Type: lakornCategory: bad/weird
Kisses: 1 fake and veery awkward
Filled with: messed-up depressed characters, dark mood, stiff dialogues, dragging misunderstandings.
Contains: very young Janie Tienphosuwan
This show was disappointment till the very end for a romance-sucker like me. Quite disturbing how depressing atmosphere this had... And Anne so clearly had a problem to kiss Johnny Anfone.
But I guess one must see lakorns like these to appreciate the other ones that offer you more than dragging drama about 1 letter. Although, now I remember Anne's 'Yah Leum Chan' was not better in that respect:-p
EDiT: Now I see someone actually put 'Yah Leum Chan' into "Recommendations", here:) That's funny. Yeah, that one is with Anne Thongprasom being too old (like here she's too young) to play a nang'ek who got tragically separated from her lover because her mail was not delivered. Enjoy! LOL.
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This review may contain spoilers
There's only 9 years difference between him and her, if we speak about the cast, but well it's the cast we watch in the drama. She's pretty, womanly. His looks are a bit dry, he's very skinny, with hollow cheeks (very skeleton-ish). He kisses main heroine episode 1 and then moves next door to her with his... wife.Being in the dramaland, she does not notice the identity of the male counterpart of the new couple that moved next door, only the wife, who is the kind of overly friendly neighbor. She becomes his lover, though at first she hesitates. The phrase "second virgin" describes a woman who was not with a man for decades. Just to take off her clothes takes courage, now. She concentrated on her worklife, while having no personal life, and became very successful. So much that she now believes that if she falls for a man, her worklife would crumble (which does not make any sense, but it probably feels like that to her). Also she knows the fact that he is married, and that if she falls in love with a younger, married man, it would not put her in the best position. Still, she sleeps with him in episode 3, when abroad. Obviously the point was for her to do that before she realizes that he has moved next door.
Reviews for this drama noted it has the 90s feel and one should watch it to see the soul of jdramas:-) Comments of course inquired whether the ending is a happy one. I guess we do not need one for a drama of this kind, just be advised that SPOILER he even dies. My belief is that the Tag "Death Of Main Character" should be listed on MDL for those viewers who can not handle it. From the hot romance, through divorce drama this show descends into personal tragedy of the man.
Some of my notes... The wife was such a psycho it would be understandable (considering they did NOT have children, yet) he would plain told her he wants divorce the day he met the second virgin. Or BEFORE. Either way she was obviously SO alone in the marriage she talked all her personal life to total strangers so it would not make much a difference to actually separate. (Which they eventually do, yet we keep watching her side-character.) Then there's the big court case we go through. Sometimes, less is more. Ordinary things are more dramatic. Normal wife, normal life. At least (be it thanks to being a real couple also offscreen, or thanks to something else) all main couple's scenes were a treat. You notice the difference immediatelly, especially after watching many dramas with all the "high-schoolers". Only it was bit ridiculous when repeatedly there was a scene with her trying to run from him on a street, but with the far-fetched kind of plots I already mentioned, what can you expect. Last episode is more about surviving women than about anything else... I found myself to care less and less about every character the more the series progressed to the end.
I was kind of at loss as to how to rate this because overall it's good yet it's not a satisfying romance drama, nor a family drama, nor a human drama. Least of all it's "mafia genre" because all that was pretty intermediated. We just read some letter retrospectively, about what happened before. So, I don't know: a career drama, maybe?
I'm not interested in the following movie (marked it as *Not Interested*), after learning what it is about.
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I kept skipping basically all the support characters. They all tried to be attractive and funny, but only the mains were. As for the "story", there wasn't much of it in this one, not that I did miss all the usual "drama" devices such as love triangles or money plots or semi-criminal themes.
So, on one hand I immensely liked the main couple cast & characters. On the other hand, I fastforwarded at least 80% of the series. I never cared whatever happened with any side characters. And sometimes even with the main ones.
It was like a day-time show that runs every single day and each episode contains "daily drama". Like a case at work. Going shopping. Visiting doctor's. Etc. Oh! Looking at the airtime information, that's what this actually was (it aired Monday-Sunday, lol) I don't know why is this called 'Across The Ocean To See You', mostly it's about 2 people working at the same office and living in the same building, lol.
I gotta admit, there were SO many times I considered dropping this. Like, almost every episode:) Not that I would dislike it, but honestly I didn't feel compelled to keep watching it. But then, what would I watch as my next c-drama? It's all mystical wings and long-haired dudes. So, I sticked with this one:D After a looong time of boredom, occasionally I was blessed with super-cute /+ funny scene. Then, another looong time of boredom, lol. Apart from the clothes people wear (well, it's China:) there's not that much fun. Just the main couple. Seriously, this couple did some goofy couple stuff, lolz. Nevertheless, it takes 31 episodes for them to speak about being a couple openly (if you wait for kiss scene, it's the same number: 31 episodes of waiting, then first kiss is epi 32).
It sure was a LONG watch. Like, when I felt like I was watching this for ages, I was still at 1/2 of it, lol. I don't binge, and I don't watch the same shows every day. Like, even if this aired daily all 7 days a week, how they managed to air 44 episodes within 19 days is beyond me ("Aired: Apr 2, 2017 - Apr 21, 2017"). LOL. After completing 44 episodes of this, I was immensely exhausted. And I needed time to decide the next c-drama to watch, if ANY.
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Axed with all the usual possible fillers & road-blocks
Finally! There is not Ken Phongpanu. There is not Alek Teeradetch. There is Ken Theeradeth!:)) Even though he is already 40 (to cast Noom Santisuk though, who is 14 years older, as his dad, is a bit an insult, LOL) I still prefer him over any of the other "Cupids"... As for the two main characters: this is NOT the beginning of their story, actually. That was inserted in between during the previous 7. Episode 1 of this, the guy already wants to confess. I gotta say that what we watched in those time-limited portions here and there during the stories of someone else, was brilliant. The exact moment we get to watch this couple as the mains though, the brilliant writers no longer know what to do. Therefore, the man is suddenly unable to finish 1 sentence. There's everything they were able to think of to prevent him: first, a cell phone rings (a classic), then something happens to disrupt the conversation altogether, and when there's no longer anything else, Tor Thanapob's bratty "blogger" swings by & steals the guys's line on a day 1. I admit that him saying that he's got no problem with the age gap was funny, especially after Tor's previous role on Club Friday, but it was aggravating, too. These two people were working SO well together. They were the rare ones who did NOT need a third wheel.Sadly, now that we finally have all the time for our main couple, it's clear the writers did not trust on it and decided to ax it with all the usual possible fillers & road-blocks. When they were pressed by the limited space within the stories 1-7, they were forced to be creative. Now, no longer. And so the story to which I kept looking forward as the best watch to come, showed me disappointment right in the first episode. Despite that it starts at the top, so to speak, with two already developed characters, who no longer have any stupid "Misunderstanding" and/or Love-triangle going and the female is already close with the guy for it to be believable (though she keeps calling him "boss", despite them being far from office, or english-speaking country) and the male DOES know what he wants, we're suddenly sent back to square one. Where the guy gives up on his confession and throws flowers intended for the girl into trash. Ugh. This is not a high-school drama. This was supposed to be different.
So, this is the first letdown, and then Sara Legge & Louis Scott step in, to add even more triangle-ing. They both are tiring to watch. It becomes rather rare to have the two mains alone for one second. Episode 4 the "boss" announces to Waralee and also to everyone else that he is pursuing Waralee. But, we have to deal with the third (or fourth, or whatever) party, first. LOADS of screentime is dedicated to THEM. Instead of watching the funny ways he would pursue her, finally. Both the main leads use their ex in a stupid "high-school way" to make each other "jealous", while in reality they give a kind of second chance to the people who deserve NONE. Not a single minute of their time. Not only that was a thing I didn't approve of, also it meant secondary characters got too entangled into main story, which is a failure itself.
This might look like a short series as it's 9 episodes only, but the single episode runtime is KILLING the viewer, LOL. After the unlucky beginning, episodes 5-6 are full of antics involving the side-characters, the relationship of the mains only suffers for it. By episode 7-8, it's hateful to see how the things have "progressed"... We then spend another huge chunk of screentime deditacted to a "detective plot" about bad guys trying to destroy the dating company, which is yet another idiocy (and not romantic, either). Yes, this really got lost and strayed far from Romance, just as the other Cupid series (sadly) did. The one I rated the highest so far got 5.5 stars from me, and I did hope this one to BE better. Instead, it felt like dropping the show. It seemed like UFO landing was more likely to happen than the two romantic leads to start dating. After everything, I could understand why Waralee was with another guy. It's somehow typical of thai production: while you open any imdb movie page and you'll find the cast is listed according the amount of screentime they had, in thai lakorn the audience gets exhausted from all the side-cr*p and bewildered where did the original mood and couple's chemistry go to.
I didn't care much for the final, half of which was dedicated to the side characters still, half of it to final union (she keeps calling him "boss" even if speaking a thai sentence, including her love confession), which was perhaps supposed to be romantic, perhaps funny, who knows.
Sadly, I can't recommend this, I can only recommend to watch this couple's scenes in previous Cupid stories. Those are good, in fact ALWAYS better than the main story. Ironically, it's not so good here, where they are the mains.
Apart from the failed 8th romance, we should at least see the conclusion of all the 8 Cupid stories here. Yet we don't get to see all the 8 cupid girls together, again.
Note: Waralee's house looks really pirotesque.
Btw.: Pitty it did not occure to the producers to pair Ken Theeradeth with Cris Horwang️. Neither the generic beauty Chompoo Araya, nor the vampire-stylized Sara Legge (super white makeup & super red lips) does match his kind of sexy.
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Good airport drama/ Bad fantasy melodrama
'Where Stars Land' centers around Incheon Airport. Unfortunatelly, set in some alternative reality.At the airport, we are introduced to many people. They are all professionals (except the main girl, who does not behave professionally), plus even their characters are all really interesting and/or funny. Except the main couple (more about that later). The "ordinary" airport dramatic situations were handled well. It all had good standard until we had to solve the supernatural problem. Then it dropped.
Yes: the airport-drama side of this was actually good. I was NOT enjoying the melodrama-fantasy. Romance was working only for the secondary couple/s of just ordinary humans. As for the characters, the more interesting they actually were, the less screentime they had, and vice versa. Typical episode was like: The main guy is possibly dying and I only find it corny and boring. The completely secondary guy is solving an airport problem and he ROCKS. So, while I do cheer for Chae Soo Bin, who got well noticed by producers in 'Sassy Go Go' and deservedly got main role, as for her 10 years older partner in this, I definitely preferred him crying over unsolved murders through time-travel radio, than being/not being wheelchaired. I'm sorry, but thumps down for the main couple. Girl might as well tried dating her friend Eun Seob, for all I cared.
The added fantasy melodrama actually made the drama less good, not better. Less is more, I say it always. But drama producers never say this to themselves.
It's a pitty because what we can see more and more clearly when dealing with all the "normal" airport problems, is that the whole huge machinery just tries to ensure that all the people get on with their travels peacefully and smoothly. No matter what human emotion rises at the moment, it always follows logic. But then, when dealing with the supernatural, all logic is thrown out of the window, for the sake of the "drama". It's actually a step backwards to dated drama. What's refreshing is to show just how much effort is needed only to maintain peace. No corny villains are actually needed, it's always the simple human recklessness, laziness and folly which is enough to create danger. That would be a modern drama. That could be this drama. Just if the producers deemed it ENOUGH without the "fantasy duo" put in.
I actually cared about many of the airport side-characters and would welcome seeing more glimpse of their fate, but obviously the writer wanted me just to be thrilled whether the main guy does return as the "superhuman" or not. As for the "action final" epi & final scene, I would rate it 3 stars, tops.
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First episodes had potential. Then only 1 solid character got swarmed in a huge sea of garbage...
'Prom Mai Dai Likit'... The last show with Bie Sukrit left on my watchlist, and FINALLY one I liked:) Same goes for Esther Supreeleela. I have watched her in approx. 10 roles already, but this was the first one I liked her in.While I liked the main couple and thought the way they met well thought of (the rich spoilt playboy was in very vulnerable position as a patient:) I honestly anticipated the romantic drama to stretch more, before they started dating. Instead, she affirms that she loves him back in episode 12/27 already (first kiss is episode 10, be careful to not watch the censored version, lol) and instead of more romance progress, we have to watch other things, from Ak Akarat's fellow doctor/suitor's sideline (unnecesary), through more weak side characters portrayed by questionable "actors" (Puifai Natapat & Chin Chinawut), to plain weird/tacky side-storylines (Lily Pansirithanachote & Tack Pharunyoo). I'd think putting Esther's nurse into the high-society mix would suffice enough drama. She is an enjoyable character to watch at any circumstance, because she is firm. But, no.
Esther & Bie make surprisingly good fit. Actually, they make a perfect fit. Unfortunatelly, once again, the drama is not theirs. The greatest importance is given to side-characters. Looks like the writers will never learn. First, Ak Akarat's rejected suitor is pouting, the grown-up man makes such faces I wanted to slap him. He then sacrifices himself for Esther's nang'ek so that it inspires a massive guilt trip which now won't leave our main couple in peace... Apart from that, there's Esther's character's conviction. She sees the relationship with pra'ek quite realistically, pointing out their differences. Her character sure is something else, she tells him to call it quits right after a sweet couple of bedscenes, lol. It's cemented by her marrying the other guy out of pitty (epi 16/27). I said I liked Esther in this role? I ceased to enjoy it.
Ak Akarat's pitiful blind husband starts to exert passive agressive behavior with his wife right away. I was dismayed, because so many episodes were still awaiting. This each-marries-someone-else plot is so tiring when running for 100 episodes within hispanic telenovelas. Did they also have to put it here? I didn't want to watch it even for 10. Basically, Esther's character tries to be more "rational" than just giving into feelings, so she discards love from her decision process, which results in her actually making stupid decision. Nobody is happy. Nobody will be. And it's going to be painful to watch, like ever before. And I mean painful, because episode 18 she sleeps with the other guy out of pitty. Perhaps this lakorn was supposed to be a cautionary tale about how this is wrong (it's GMM, they love to preach) but it's hardly anything new in 2018 this was filmed: actually the source material for this can be dated back to 1980's. So, this is what you get thanks to thai tv continuing to do remakes of remakes... Everybody gets a smartphone in their pocket, else their behaviour is like before, LOL.
Here, I can comment about the quality of skinship scenes:) Esther & Bie's scenes are decent, thanks to them being able to "train" once before ('You're My Destiny'), Esther & Ak Akarat's scenes are plain awful. Also, by this point, I was skipping all scenes of all the side-cast completely. They were all unwatchable in this lakorn. And I was considering skipping ALL the rest, it was not like one would need to keep watching the main line, either. Obviously the big plot is nang'ek still got pregnant with pra'ek, despite each of them being married to someone grossly incompatible. It doesn't really matter whether you watch the 1982, 1986, 1995, or 2018 version. If you like Esther, or Bie Sukrit, HD quality image, and generic soundtrack from the (by now large) tv music library, watch this version. LOL.
It's a painful watch because we get to watch 2 dysfunctional marriages. That's why usually the romance drama has romance most of the screentime and then it ends with the wedding. This is similar to what you can see if you have married neighbours and you can hear them arguing through the wall. Nobody needs to turn on a drama for that, lol. So, it's a dated approach, nevertheless it suits the GMM channell which seem to always prefer teaching the viewers "life lessons" to presenting them with something enjoyable to watch. Mostly, we watch Esther with her child, always potrayed by an onscreen child visibly at least 6 months, or 1-2 years older than the supposed age (we do know we can hardly expect a real newborn on camera, but the child is huge, LOL), acting hateful towards the man who's supposed to be her romantic love interest.
This is what you get with this kind of story. Episode 22/27, I was so wishing it was over already, and there was still 5 more. This is probably the only show I would welcome if there was amnesia, because had the blind husband forget Esther's main girl after his surgery, then he'd finally let her go and we could have the happy ending sooner, LOL. Instead, he just gets his eye sight back. 1st thing he can see, "his" child is looks just like his wife's ex, LOL. Yeah, I wouldn't mind skipping all this kitsch. Ak Akarat's level of acting "skills" was enough to make this a real skip fest. Like, there's LOADS of screentime filled with the unwatchable side-cast scenes as it is. Then he adds to it. I wished Esther would kill him in this drama, LOL. Or Bie, or someone. Anything but more listening to his whines (when the scene requires of him to yell at someone, it's REALLY unwatchable). I would laugh but sadly this was not my 1st experience watching bad acting.
Even watching the main couple alone and blissfully without others, Esther's nang'ek acts real hostile towards her pra'ek. The two are at war. Is that Romance? I admired when she was stern with him in early episodes. But that was about her being nurse and him being irresponsible and spoilt. A bad patient. Her making stone-y face expressions with him (rightfully) demanding what she owed to him as her loved one and her child's father, I could not admire. She wronged 4 people, including her kid. And herself. And then, watching Bie & Esther's scene of them physically fighting for the child (seriously) left me gobsmacked even after Ak Akarat's departure, because I thought we reached the level of garbage for this show already. Nevertheless, after all this passed, I was equally astonished by how well Bie & Esther worked as onscreen couple... They were magic. I didn't care whichever corny way the script would take them to their happyend, as long as it finally did.
It's probably the best to watch just a MV of them in this drama to enjoy the watch: because the drama itself CEASED to be enjoyable.
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A funny and heartwarming melodrama
Okay, first we see both main girl & main boy as 17-year olds. Despite the infamous common practice, they were not portrayed by 30 year old actors. Yoon Chan Young and Park Si Eun were both really 17. Actually, they were both so talented and likeable that at first I worried I will not be able to like the grown-up versions as much, in compare.As for the story: Main girl got robbed of 13 years of her life. Suddenly waking up in a body of a 30-year old, her mind was still 17, without the time to allow her grow up and evolve, develop her personality, adjust to her body change... Or completing her education and gaining working skill, to mention the practical. First thing I thought was that along with physiotherapy she'll require a psychologist, and some support. But her family was nowhere to be seen. As for main guy, at the tender age of 17, when he liked a certain pretty girl and first tried to approach her, she obeyed his advice to get off on a different bus stop, which (in his mind) caused her to die in following accident. After this, he decided to live alone in woods. Okay, maybe not so extreme. Basically, he keeps a long beard and a dog:) That way he maintains his distance from females, while pouring all emotional attachment onto the small creature.
Shin Hye Sun had interesting acting task, here. Her 30 year old face was now supposed to wear expressions a 17 would make. Same with her manner of speech, and general behavior...
First episodes, the girl struggles with physio for a while and with seeing her own face and hearing her own voice for long. We don't see her getting any visits, the facility staff keeps avoiding her questions. The guy maintains slightly antisocial behavior. I had to smile. I personally could relate, it's the same whenever I attempt to act like that. In our society, you practically cannot get through 1 day, if you'd just purely attempt to not interact with any people around you. You unavoidably end up perceived as rude, mean even. Nobody would ever understand you'd like 1 single day of social "cleanse" from all the communicating. You really need to lock yourself alone for that:) Main girl and guy mirror each other when she seeks after company while he tries to avoid it.
Episode 2 ends up in crazy confusing situation where I was equally confused while I was the audience, lol. But actually, it was kind of tragic... Main girl was still recognized by her old dog, else, her house got new owner and her family members were gone. She was told to go to the police. Yeah, I indeed thought the story of a young girl having woken up in a strange adult body, in a strange world where she had no one, was not very cheerful. I would understand if she started to cry. The scene where even police refuses to help her is especially weird. Apparently before the accident, she was not legal age enough to receive ID card, but her appearance was older now, so the police just refused to help her. I was confused, why nobody in the facility having her medical record didn't provide her assistance with such matters, or why did all of her family members disappeared. But, perhaps the writer needed to create situation where she'd have only the main guy to provide help to her.
Main guy looses his long hair episode 3, unfortunatelly he gets that weird helmet-shaped haircut they sometimes do to guys in Korea so I actually did not find it that much of an improvement. Who needed his hair shorter was the main girl (well, woman). Anyways. The following episodes, she continues staying in main guy's house, who grudgingly allowed it for 1 month. I couldn't help but thinking she'd be better off had he not. She was a grown-up looking woman acting like a 17-year old, which was not always looked kindly upon. She kept going around for job interviews with completely empty resume, as she haven't even finished high school. She was not able to play violin with her new hands. She actually needed lot of help, unfortunatelly the writer's plot made it so that she left the only place where she could be found to receive it. It was frustrating to watch. The main guy needed to learn about her identity to start treating her better and also to start healing. But that was obviously also something the writer wanted to happen way later...
I kept watching, because I agreed it was more important for the girl to meet her right guy, after all:) She was stuck in being seventeen, he was also stuck in the past, so that way they suited each other. It was right for them to meet (again). They started to develop a connection, to realize and address important things, just everything but him realizing who she was. That was always conveniently swept under a rug. Apart from these obvious flaws, soon it all comes together, even with such characters like too noisy friends or too weird a housekeeper, it somehow clicks and the drama works: it's enjoyable, funny and heartwarming.
ML knows about FL's identity since epi 14/16. Better late than later. By that point, FL's got 3 suitors (counting ML in). There is still yet the Mystery about her family & about the housekeeper, and mysterious man in a baseball cap. Despite all these corny elements, I liked the humble quality the main girl had. She knew grattitude, not just attitude, like all them leading ladies:) It's actually easier for people of this kind to find happiness, and I liked the drama did mention that. Romance is very satisfying, the romantic conclusion comes earlier than the final and really is quite romantic. Then there's more heavy drama about the family stuff. I didn't enjoy watching main girl going through even more pain, but at least by then she had her guy by her side. Luckilly, some more cute moments follow.
And questions about their future. But the girl was younger than her age, so I didn't see why she should not study if she wanted to. And the guy was used to being uprooted. The way I saw it, nothing prevented the guys from getting married and going to Germany together for one or two years, even with the dog:) Then they could return to their korean home and she could complete her degree. I didn't see a problem, no matter how many years it all should take (so what if you get your degree at 38 or 40 years old? if it's the craft you long to practice till you're whitehaired:) Life is long. No need to rush your journey WHEN you already have the right person to walk hand in hand with. The writer tried a to make bit of final drama out of it and we had a couple of separations and reunions of the characters, so the ending was a bit zigzagging but the emphasis was on friendship and love.
Overall, it was a good melodrama.
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Classic, oldchool, annoying... With cute & sexy mains
Watched for the sexy Cee Siwat (wearing glasses in this role, very cute lol), certainly not for Aum Patcharapa, his not very compatible partner, she's older than him, nearing thirty, but stylized into "mousey" servant wearing mostly pigtails (doesn't make her look younger) and stuff. As other secret occupation, she's host on a radio show, which is a bit better (more funny, too). Soon, Cee Siwat's pra'ek keeps calling her nonstop and she teases him and some of his expressions are priceless:)So, she is a housemaid during a day, radio-host at night, plus she does study. Nang'ek sure has a busy schedule. She's got completely messy hair as a servant, as a student she has it half-messy, only working in the radio she's normal, but there pra'ek can't see her. There are such scenes as pra'ek spanking her (seriously) as she prefers that to being kicked out of his house, which she came into with some hidden motive of course, which is something birth secret-y, just like it's supposed to be in oldschool lakorn, lol. It's full of the usual annoyances so one needs to fastforward half the scenes, it's like, classic.
Episode 13, I was glad the identity charade was finally over, how can a proper romance start, when there's still a mess about who is who? After he learns the truth, he's refusing to talk to her for 1 minute... So, we then have to wait THAT out. SO annoying, these hidden identity plots. When everything gets fully revealed only then it's finally interesting, as the story actually moves forward. But it's like episode 17 of 18. Because before that, basically we only had a lot of screaming. Like I said, classic.
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Who is unwatchable is Pete Thongchua (no surprise there), who perhaps belongs on some plastic-surgery advertisement poster but not into acting. Who owns his acting is Tao Sattaphong of course, but somehow he looked... really gay in this. I didn't even wish for romance in between him and Fern. After just 5 episodes, this started to drag for me, the screaming, the plot, all the characters. Even after the relationships started evolving, I didn't really care for it. In the end, Tao Sattaphong's character in this could really be gay, I would have not problem with it.
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Not single 1 kiss in this*
In "Missions Of Love", out of all the missions, mission number 3 is kiss already. So, things looked like this movie should be cool and no waiting for number of episodes for nothing like in dramas, but! It doesn't happen. Then, what were missions 4 an on about? Nothing happens with the lead boy or any other boy.. (Like the lead from 'Mischievous Kiss'!)The ending was probably intended to be moving, but it didn't work on me really, it kind of lost the spark a long while along:) It was just funny there was not much about which she could write "a novel".
*I'm not counting the ending credits kiss & I think they kissed each other right above/below the mouth anyways:)
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I love myself fluffy girly romance thing like this...:)
It's funny & cute (GEORGEOUS drawings at each episode opening), all episodes have funny "epilogues"... The only problems are exactly the same like in 'Noble, My Love'.While I appreciate that they kept the funny male secretary from 'Noble', I'm having the same problems. Firstly, I don't like Sung Hoon (the girl is cute, cuter than most korean female leads). Secondly, I don't even like the kind of main character that he portrays. Again, it's a rich guy who has to gradually blackmail the main girl into being his gf.
The 1st episode is skippable until they hook up in the car, then the proper fun starts. She then meets him again, meets the funny male asistant... But then, it's all about him being her overbearing boss. That's kind of uncomfortable. I didn't like when the lead girl was constantly strained by his demands, while he was actually making a move on her (just because they once met years ago?). It was all so artificial. While the guy she SHOULD really get close to by now naturally (the one from the book store/cafe) got completely side-lined (friend-zoned).
Basically, what I didn't like was: Sung Hoon, Sung Hoon's haircut, his male character who after a one-night-stand acted morelike girls act after them, and also the fact that he became her boss. (Throughout the romance drama, she keeps calling him "director"... idiotic.)
What I liked: It was funny, it was cute, nobody was a virgin or sexually clueless, no one fake/stiff kissed (well, mostly) and nobody yelled on the top of their lungs just during regular conversation (mostly). Wow, k-dramas seem to have improved, lol.
Some moments are SO goofy. Like the kiddie playground in epi 9... I really did regret that I didn't like Sung Hoon. It would be perfect if I did:-) Epi 9/13 main guy also makes his confession. It's not very believable one even for a dramaland. I can't help it: I am used to seeing that after the two characters get to know each other, spend time together, go through things together, they get closer, and relationship develops. This drama, we are supposed to believe that after two random strangers spend a couple of moments together and then don't see each other for years, relationship develops. Why not, right? As long as it's cute... Which brings me back to the problem that Sung Hoon is not my type of eye candy. Else I might enjoy this more. Either way, when his main guy misunderstands that he's got a kid, he embraces it immediatelly, which is really sweet. When the girl left though, I didn't feel sorry for the guy. He LET her leave.
The viewer should be in understanding with the fact that k-dramas ALWAYS tend to overdrag, so this one, having 13 episodes only and not 16, means it REALLY had no other plot or reason for further angst, lol. Last 3 episodes, even the "epilogues" went draggy... We watch scenes like: Main Girl & Main Guy Both Travel On The Same Street But Fail To Notice One Another, And Therefore Fail To Meet. On one hand, this was draggy, but the truth also was that I even didn't particularly mind it that they didn't meet, lol. (And I'll let you guess if such scene then also gets "epilogued".) Then, there's like 1 minute with the funny male assistant... Nice. This is why I rated 'Noble, My Love' 9 stars, though it was basically similar: TIME SAVING, lol.
Near the end, among flashback scenes providing the runtime filler (like, you don't even need to go on youtube to watch this show's MVs, those are already included), they end up at the same place in the same car and that oddly reminded me of another k-drama called 'Witch's Romance', where the couple also had 1 great moment in the beginning and then after many episodes of suffering we watched an actual repeat of that scene. I didn't give that show very high rating... I know wievers were supposed to find the reminiscing montage moving, but something nasty in me wished for the girl to REPEAT her previous behavior, then:) Meaning, leave the car before the guy wakes up and not contact him for years. Who cares about the happy ending, LOL. But, we do get happy ending, and it's like 58 minutes long, so my rating is still generous, considering.
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