Asp
chilling under the foliage
When it comes to story, it's nothing new, but it's done in a proper way. The romance flows so naturally that at one point I stopped to think, 'Okay, when did that happen?', because it was realistic to that extent of making me fully aware of it, without overreacting the scenes and adding unnecessary angst into the cart.
The acting is superb, I can't point out any person from the crew that failed to bring the game. I also grew to love Wang Ji Hye in this drama, because she made her character so cute and likable that I'm painstakingly relieved she wasn't yet another generic second female lead.
Music was interesting, it didn't disturb the scenes, although it didn't make much of an impact either.
Now, I'd like to make note of the shortcomings... such as lack of thrill to the episodes, since there wasn't enough happening for the viewer to be enthralled with the plot, so it was a tiny bit too contained for me. Not saying that it's bad, it's a change for this drama type, but it could've been a bit more exciting to watch. With that being said, it also made the drama a bit longer than it should've been, 2-3 episodes less maybe?
I highly recommend it.
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The story is nothing unusual, although it's not taken in typical naivety of hurdling obvious scenes in a linear row, just to latch the main pairing to one another. In fact, the order is jumbled so it mostly wasn't annoying to watch.
Acting was really good, it felt very realistic to watch, but the crying scenes were done too excessively at times, though nothing too terrible.
Music isn't anything memorable for me here, but I have to admit that the opening song is damn good. I've enjoyed it every episode, so it felt weird not to skip the opening sequences like usually.
I don't think I would rewatch this, because there's but a few moments I might find interesting, and a mmv would suffice enough.
Why a seven? Despite the great acting, good atmosphere and somewhat comical scenes in the second half, it was just too long. The beginning took a lot from the rating of this drama, because first few episodes you'll drag through and when it finally becomes interesting enough, most of it will be done and you'll be left with a couple of episodes to watch. And that makes me angry, because this is a good drama and it should've been planned out a bit more carefully.
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The story barely made any sense and even when it did, it left you wondering if perhaps they wrote a little bit of the script and then realized how many plot holes it has and then added onto it, which made it very weirdly paced and mostly mellowed out and too chill for what this was originally supposed to be.
Kudos to Im Joo Hwan, I'm pretty sure that during the airing time of this drama the commentary that I've read both on MDL and other websites pointed out how fond the viewers were of his character and how much we've all been invested in his story from the very start. The other characters, however, were quite bland and felt a little bit like stand-in cardboards for Twilight-ish kinda roles, definitely not that appealing. I did root for the secondary couples, since the main ship had zero chemistry and even the romantic scenes felt awkward to watch most of the time.
The saving grace of this drama is its OST, which I'm sure we'll all remember for quite awhile, it greatly helped in a few moments in the plot where the acting was terrible and the overall musical background to the scenes was well-thought out.
To be honest, the only reason I could watch this through all of its episodes was because I watched only one episode in awhile, and took it as a slow-paced but consistent messy drama that it is. I would definitely never watch it again, but it was surprisingly such a miss in so many aspects that everything lacking did lower its level to a very linear-feeling experience which was, due to its comfortingly non-changing nature, strangely watchable.
If you're here for a supernatural romantic story, go watch something else from the genre. If you're here for a slow-paced, not so serious, modern-setting varation of the original manhwa that you're not gonna binge watch, you might want to try it. It would be very dishonest to recommend this as anything else, so if you want to experience this kind of a story in a proper way and to enjoy some beautiful art and writing in the process, opt for the manhwa instead.
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In story department, it was rather realistic and not off-putting by any means, I actually cared about every character in this story and not that much about the main relationship, because it was more of a background to everything that was going on in the story.
The cast is interesting, there's a lot of chemistry going on between Song Ji Hyo and Choi Jin Hye, and their scenes were quite funny, especially at the beginning of the drama. I think the character I was most concerned about was Kook Cheon Soo, because he seemed a lot like an average person lost in a giant white world and in himself at the same time; simply an individual who can't connect himself with others - more of a good book character that you grow fond of after awhile, rather than an actual drama character. I also loved Shim Ji Hye's character, she depicts a role model to look up to, and Lee Sung Min was classy as well.
There's a few songs from what I recall, and the usual dramatic tones of ER are there, so I have no complaints about it...but oh, Choi Jin Hyuk can sing quite well? It was an interesting input to a certain episode.
There's a solid rewatch value to this drama, maybe not for these 2-3 episodes that I found quite redundant and filler-like, but the entirety gives much to see even second time around.
Now, for the roundup, I'll admit I watched this in two days, and I think that tells a lot about just how indulging and interesting this drama turned out to be. I'm not usually hyped over hospital dramas or couples been-there-and-back, but the final overall of the drama made it so much more than a rekindled romance with a hospital as its back setting. I'm sure all other reviewers have noticed that as well, seeing as there's much of positive feedback this drama has received. There is, simply, so many aspects of life contained here to relate to.
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I had to watch this over the span of two months because from the fifth episode on it just wasn't interesting enough; the plot was dragged and all over the place, most of the character actions didn't make any logical sense and the fact that they took a different setting just to force the typical couple dynamic of hot and then cold jerk and understanding and annoyingly forgiving woman just makes all of this feel like you're watching the same old thing all over again.
With these things in mind, I suggest completely letting your logic and reason fall asleep and then settling down to watch this because this isn't a show that can really be taken seriously...otherwise it would get offensive.
The story brings absolutely nothing new to the table except for the appearance of the third male lead. That's it; we have the cool-headed, cold-hearted male psychiatrist who doesn't believe in love and decides to use that in his actual work in an experiment that frankly insults the profession of a psychologist. Enter the main female who has some super powers given to her by the late Austrian queen (not the historical version of course, because that wouldn't be romantic and in the dipshit Korean drama heroine fashion, she needs to be ignorant), and uses them to help people overcome their hurdles in life. There were times when you could glimpse at how smart her character could've been but somewhere around the middle of the show that was all thrown to the wind and consistently dragged out so as to get to the 16 episodes cap.
The supporting characters very quite funny and entertaining to watch, especially the scenes of the other two ships but there was also problematic writing that made some genuinely lovable characters insensitive and dumb. The plot is also intertwined with a few cases that were there to announce that it's a psychology drama but all of that disappeared in the second half where I could see many commenters on Viki asking 'What happened to [insert character name]' because both the story and the writing were quite frustrating and lost at that point.
In regards to acting, I think everyone did a pretty good job. It's only due to reusing the same old K-drama type of characters which made the entire cast unbalanced at times and the script generally had an issue with character development.
The musical background was neat, I don't recall songs being out of sync with the overall feeling of the scenes but neither was there a particularly memorable tune.
I personally won't rewatch this drama, the draggy plot is simply not worth it.
There was a great chemistry between the leads in the kissing scenes (quite hot at that), but it fell short in the other ones; as much as they have tried to carry across this 'sizzling' romance. That is, of course, to be blamed on badly timed scenes coupled with immature ones. Sung Joon did some incredible acting but his character is built on layers upon layers of mistrust, deceit and lies, while on the other side, Go Hye Rim is gullible to the point of stupid which makes for a lot of lovely episodes that will make your blood boil. I also feel that a lot of key points of the plot were rushed or simply passed over as if nothing happened, they crammed a few cliches near the end and some characters who were important were never heard from again.
Truthfully, there is so much wrong with this drama that it would take a long time to summarize and I don't think it's worth it to take it so seriously. This is neither 'Kill me, heal me' nor is it 'It's okay, that's love' and I think it shouldn't be taken that way at all. With a lighthearted approach, this can be watched as a cute albeit cliched drama with a few steamier kissing scenes. Anything other than that is just pulling at the leg.
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Story's likable, it has sufficient amount of plot twists that will make you interested enough to watch every episode. It, however, has a few rather naive explanations for the later buildup and will seem a well-cooked, but messily decorated dish.
Acting made me immersed into the plot straight away from first episode; there's mild chemistry between the leads but NO awkwardness, which is to compliment, since there's ten years of age difference between them. Moreover, Ryu Deok Hwan and Park Se Young were adorable in their roles, especially their on-scene relationship. The baddies have done considerably well too, and I especially put accent on General's army bunch, since they gave me that tiny bit of amusement I needed to go through whole 24 episodes.
The music was good, it was tailored to the scenes and not overly high-pitched and bothersome. Commendable.
I am torn when it comes to rewatching aspect. Mainly, it's because while I did love the story, acting and the numerous paths that the plot took, the second time around it will be extensively less interesting since the suspense of plot resolve will just not be there anymore. And that takes a huge slice of attractiveness about it.
This is a well-crafted drama, that's plainly obvious. From the plot, actors to musical background, the flow was impressive and welcome. However, there are a few problems I'd like to point out; such as too many episodes (it should've had around 18 at most), skyrocketing angst that piled up in the second part to the point where it was nearly unbearable (maybe it's gonna be a plus for other reviewers, but I found it to be way over the top), and the weak resolve at the end. I did understand what they were going for, but it sounded so loopholed that it barely passed as a viable answer.
Without further ado, I recommend Faith as a worthy sample of historical romantic tale.
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For those who love the original Star Trek series, they will notice a similarity between Mister Spock and the main fella, with all of these quite troublesome feelings you get because Do Min Joon has different lifespan from everyone else and you start watching this show knowing how many people he'll lose down the road. Which is very terrifying to think about and might make it hard to watch in later episodes. That aside, don't worry, he is nothing like Mister Spock because he has executed his own character well, and frankly, he made his extraterrestial background very visible throughout the series. On the other side, Chun Song Yi was hilarious. I think she might be the most fun female lead in any series that I've seen so far, because she's not afraid of expressing herself fully in any given scene. As a couple, they complement each other in every sense, their chemistry is completely functional and the comedy relief scenes are up to the task in most parts.
Jeon Ji Hyeon and Kim Soo Hyun have done very well in their roles, I think that KSH is growing to be a great actor and I'm looking forward to both their new dramas/movies. From the other cast, Lee Jae Kyung was an incredible character up until last few episodes, I hate how small they made him in the end, he had the skills to pull off an entirely different, more impactful, lasting version of himself. I also liked Oh Sang Jin as he reminded me of classy old detectives and he was very cute while doing so.
Music is okay, nothing too memorable but nothing too awful either, the main ost is very heartfelt and nice to listen to, and the overall musical background has been timed well with the scenes.
As for the rewatch value, it's definitely a drama I'd watch again after some time, it has all the needed elements for it. However, I'm not a fan of overly angsty plots so this takes quite the score from the rewatching for me.
I loved this drama. There was an abundance of romance all around, bittersweet chunks that left the tissues wet, hilarious parts where I would rewind just to see them again. I watched the last few episodes slowly just to prolong the experience, which serves to show how enjoyable it was to watch. However, the score is 8.5 because of the immense angst toll from the second part, it completely faded out everything else. I also disliked how DMJ was tasking everyone with protecting CSY! In last two episodes it made me very irritated how jumpy the others were around her, she's a woman of her own, for cat's sake! And Lee Hui Kyung, you'll never move on? It's been twenty years man, come on! But aside from these two things, I liked the ending. I find that it was the most proper way of saying goodbye to this drama.
Recommended.
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Story packs a few common clichés, but the acting is very good and I wanted to give it a nine, but because of one person (which you will notice in their particular scenes) I could not do that.
When it comes to music I shall be generous, you hear three or two songs the entire time, and it gets annoying after a while, especially if it's awkwardly splattered on the not-so-suited-for-it scene. Still, it's cute and gives its colour to the flow.
Originally, I wanted to give this drama a seven, but when it comes to putting down all the good and bad points, I cannot be so forgiving. Mostly, the problem is the amount of unnecessary plot drop halfway in, which made the rest a chore to watch. And the cheesiness, oh yes, there is a lot of that thrown in too. I am really sad to say it this way, because there is a lot to love in this drama; since it puts accent on family love and different romantic relationships, the value of friendship, naive understanding and an attempt to breach into business ethics when it comes to love.
Nevertheless, everyone perceives the show they see a bit differently, and I think that you should give it a try.
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The story is original, contains plenty humorous and loving scenes and most importantly doesn't fall into traphole of kdrama cliches which want to make you pull your hair out in each episode. Every wondering question is answered at the beginning of an episode in a flashback of scenes you have not yet seen which also greatly helps both main and support characters with overall development.
When it comes to the cast, I must say I found the entirety of them hilarious and well-matched, especially the main couple dynamic and second male lead's relation towards them that did not in any way infringe on the special kind of bond that the main couple has, which I've found to be a problem whenever there is a love triangle in a drama. Yoo Sang Hyun's character was eccentric to the point that I was glad whenever there was a scene with him because he was such a sarcastic drama queen in any given situation.
This drama does have mostly subtle musical background, but some of the heavier scenes have inappropriate choices of soundtracks that takes away from the supposedly dramatical scene and instead makes it comical, which I'm beginning to suspect was intentional by the producers.
It is, without a question, the warmest drama you could see this year so stray no further; the melo tag is overshadowed by the well-written plot and characters, the romance stands out on its own as the centre point of the story intertwined with grand ideas of connecting everyone into one big family and supporting each other. However, in that aspect it also did tend to go too far into the fairytale concept with some scenes so I did find it naive, but it is not meant to be anything else than a story that will leave you with the best kind of feelings after you're done watching it.
Highly recommended.
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When it comes to the story, it was quite the interesting premise with decent amounts of romance, comedy and murder. However, whereas in the first ten episodes it flowed well, in the last few it just got so hasty and rushed that they've accumulated gaping plot holes that just blew my mind with how stupid they are. It's kind of disappointing if you figure out the ending few weeks before the drama is over. Writers, come on. We're not that slow.
The acting was good, I liked Park Yoo Chun in this role, nothing too stellar about it, but his character had a cute personality. Shin Se Kyung did okay, albeit a bit bland but I guess she had to fit into the confining outlines of her very limited character. I liked Yoon Jin Seo's acting and especially her character because she executed her well. But, all of these pale in comparison to the main antagonist because his acting is very chilly and I'm kind of disappointed that they didn't him enough justice, I think he was far more complex than the few scenes they gave him as a form of character exploration. The supporting cast was good, though I mostly didn't get the point of the comedian unit...it just faded off into background at some point and I forgot about it until the end of the show.
Music was okay, nothing was timed too awkwardly and I liked the dangerous undertones of the serial killer scenes, though I think it was a bit showy in the dun dun dun way.
Personally, I would not watch this again, "mystery" has been resolved pretty soon and since that was the main point of this drama I don't see anything I'd like to rewatch here.
There's few commendable things to point out here, from a great villain to a pretty fast and natural romance, quick murder case solving, comedy breaks; it really had a great mixture of things to offer. But, it also has a lot of writing mistakes. They undervalued the antagonist, especially in last few episodes; it felt like they suddenly dumbed him down. The police unit was far too lax about everything and relied on unarmed civilians to complete stuff for them while getting them in danger too. Main couple had little chemistry and was far too cheesy, especially in last two episodes...I kind of caught myself thinking if it's the sama drama or have they changed the script writer because that was really weird to watch.
I was really conflicted while watching the last episode because I found myself thinking that a show that I happily waited for each week suddenly felt like a chore that I had to complete. Bearing all of this in mind, the rating is as it is mostly because of first ten episodes and though they very obviously rushed the ending I generally enjoyed this drama.
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Funny? Check.
Hints of playful romance? Check.
Mystery and flashy meat? Check.
The beginning may seem a bit repetitive, but it'll eventually grow on you. Don't expect something of Poirot's caliber, but it's just the right mix of small things we tend to love in dramas. Recommended.
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The story is very complex; it's a lovely, bittersweet, bloody tale that makes you experience wide range of emotions during it's progress (I went from being downright furious at one character's behaviour to loving him)! As such, it will not be very easy to watch, and at times, it'll maybe make you question watching the rest, but I would recommend holding on, because this is a drama that everyone should see.
Actors are great, I like the supporting cast, the main villan is a well-written character (for a change) and even Lee Yong Suk, whom I have never seen in a drama before, has done a pretty damn good job and his acting is very believable. Loved Yoon Sang Hyun in this one, partly because of his wonderful character, but even more so for the life he gave to him.
I like the main OST, it fits the drama well, and the overall music was not that bothersome, not even in saddest scenes.
Also, this is one of the rare dramas I would recommend watching again, because there is much to be reminded of when seeing it; this special set of humane values that we may often misplace when throwing a fit in anger or being disheartened by daily happenings.
I think the biggest proof of a good drama or simply, a well-executed story, is when it just makes you feel so much; regardless of it being bit too long, having a few fillers (1-2 episodes), or giving a somewhat naive plot (there were plot holes which did NOT have justification)...But, the overall carried me into this world that I am glad I've met, and though there is a significent age difference between Lee Boo Young and Lee Yong Suk, hell, I didn't even care. This just serves as an example that some other dramas and movies with this kind of couple could've done a lot better.
Recommended.
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Decent romcom ruined by clichés
I would've originally rated this a 6.5 and left it at that, but the scriptwriter made me quite angry with the last ten episodes of the drama so I will share why because I need to vent my grievances.If you want to watch a drama about a young romantic couple that's lighthearted and heartwarming, then you should watch the first twenty episodes of this show. Anything beyond that has sadly fallen into the trap of lazy, cliché Cdrama writing that was insulting to watch and then even more so insulting to realize that it will drag on for another ten to twelve episodes for no reason other than stretching out the number of episodes for the views.
The very characters that seemed to have some salt in their heads would go on to make the dumbest suggestions that allowed the plot development to regress into what every Cdrama viewer hates - a misunderstanding blown out of proportions and characters acting completely differently from how they were originally presented in order to fit the dumbed-down narrative. If I wanted to watch women battling it out in a royal harem, I would go and watch shows that have done that in a much smarter manner. They could have added practically any other plot device to extend the show and it would have made the story more believable and less unbearable to watch. Also, excusing some criminal behavior that puts people at risk of their lives just for the sake of making everyone friends? Why? I have seen it time and time again in Cdramas but I certainly don't like the message they're pushing to the viewers and that kind of a character getting a good ending after seeing their screentime mostly consisting of pushing people off metaphorical cliffs. And it's not even one character but a few of them, utterly ridiculous.
Of course, this show also falls apart when it comes to the second male lead, who comes out as a genuinely pitiful, kindhearted person that deserved much, much better than what he was given. At one point in the plot, it seemed he would be given a good story of his own, only for the plot to kick back in and make him miserable again.
Everything good about any of these characters is ignored by the third part of the drama for no reason whatsoever; the plotlines and relationships that were developing thus far have been abandoned for the sake of dragging unnecessary conflict between the main couple, which to my horror, didn't finish until the very last episode. Otherwise, if the show did end at twenty episodes this would have been a very enjoyable watching experience.
All in all, it was a watchable drama until the last third, which I consider to have been a fever dream anyway.
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