This review may contain spoilers
When childhood friends trope WORKS
Let`s not delude ourselves. The plot of this drama is not original nor new in any way. We`ve all seen these tropes before. Childhood friends grow into adulthood without figuring out their feelings for each other and when they do, new problems arise. Yes, the synopsis is nothing new or never seen before. Does that then, mean that this story is not worth a watch?Absolutely NOT.
I`ve been thinking about this for days now, in preparation for this review. What makes this drama so appealing to me, when I cannot relate to it in the slightest, nor am I floored by its originality. It`s not overly deep, profound nor that insightful in the long run. Oh, but is it enjoyable. This drama is like that cup of hot chocolate on a cold winter day, which you didn`t even know you were craving. So just what makes this once a hit?
First of all, the cast works wonders with each other, especially Park Seo-joon. These kind of roles really suit him and dare I say, he`s better here than in "What`s Wrong With Secretary Kim?". He`s a likeable goof and a definite comic relief throughout, though Choi Ae Ra, doesn`t fall far behind. I got to admit that I do love the childhood friends to lovers trope a lot. No matter how many times I see it, if it`s done right. And here it is done exactly right and feels organic. You get that feeling of romantic excitement, but it`s comfortably sweet and interesting and not at all on the nose or jumping out for attention. Now, this drama is far, far from realistic. But does that make it bad?Heck no!We all need that feel good drama from time to time and this just about scratches that itch. When it comes to these kind of stories, you NEED good chemistry and likeable characters to keep the viewers engaged. And they knew exactly what they were doing with this one. I do have some drawbacks to this one, like the whole Ae Ra`s mother plot and Seol-hee and Joo-man`s story. They shouldn`t have stayed together in the end I think. Or at least, they should`ve had an open ending prepared for them, giving them an actual opportunity to get used to their new life roles. For Ae Ra and Dong Man it felt right and spontaneous to give them a clear happy ending, but for the secondary couple I`m a bit iffy. Also Dong Man`s mixed martial arts storyline is the best out of all of them and I found myself rooting for him the most, he`s just a riot. Another little complaint that I have to add is that, even though I like the characters from the start, I do feel like at the end, they don`t grow a whole lot, despite having them go through hard stuff. Which isn`t bad in it of itself but I would`ve liked some development in that department.
Soundtrack is okay, nothing spectacular really and the villains are subpar at best, but despite that, there are no clichéd love triangles nor amnesia so I am glad for that.
Is this a drama masterpiece? No, but it excels and succeeds in what it`s trying to be, so it`s good in my book.
I`ve been thinking about this for days now, in preparation for this review. What makes this drama so appealing to me, when I cannot relate to it in the slightest, nor am I floored by its originality. It`s not overly deep, profound nor that insightful in the long run. Oh, but is it enjoyable. This drama is like that cup of hot chocolate on a cold winter day, which you didn`t even know you were craving. So just what makes this once a hit?
First of all, the cast works wonders with each other, especially Park Seo-joon. These kind of roles really suit him and dare I say, he`s better here than in "What`s Wrong With Secretary Kim?". He`s a likeable goof and a definite comic relief throughout, though Choi Ae Ra, doesn`t fall far behind. I got to admit that I do love the childhood friends to lovers trope a lot. No matter how many times I see it, if it`s done right. And here it is done exactly right and feels organic. You get that feeling of romantic excitement, but it`s comfortably sweet and interesting and not at all on the nose or jumping out for attention. Now, this drama is far, far from realistic. But does that make it bad?Heck no!We all need that feel good drama from time to time and this just about scratches that itch. When it comes to these kind of stories, you NEED good chemistry and likeable characters to keep the viewers engaged. And they knew exactly what they were doing with this one. I do have some drawbacks to this one, like the whole Ae Ra`s mother plot and Seol-hee and Joo-man`s story. They shouldn`t have stayed together in the end I think. Or at least, they should`ve had an open ending prepared for them, giving them an actual opportunity to get used to their new life roles. For Ae Ra and Dong Man it felt right and spontaneous to give them a clear happy ending, but for the secondary couple I`m a bit iffy. Also Dong Man`s mixed martial arts storyline is the best out of all of them and I found myself rooting for him the most, he`s just a riot. Another little complaint that I have to add is that, even though I like the characters from the start, I do feel like at the end, they don`t grow a whole lot, despite having them go through hard stuff. Which isn`t bad in it of itself but I would`ve liked some development in that department.
Soundtrack is okay, nothing spectacular really and the villains are subpar at best, but despite that, there are no clichéd love triangles nor amnesia so I am glad for that.
Is this a drama masterpiece? No, but it excels and succeeds in what it`s trying to be, so it`s good in my book.
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