jeanfiles
a really cool premise with refreshing characters, but extremely poor writing.
Let's not play pretend and acknowledge that this drama is one of the mid-tier range ones that does not shy away from cheesy dialogues and kdrama stereotypes. (eg: What's Wrong w secretary Kim, Weightlifting fairy) It is not one with cool and sophisticated storylines- it does not try to appear like that. So once you treat it as just a Mid-Tier Drama, it really becomes much more enjoyable as it lifts off the pressure of expecting anything life-changing from it.
This drama is definitely not everyone's cup of tea and a disclaimer of it being a really ordinary and typical drama should be made. With that being said, I still found myself getting hooked in it really fast and thoroughly enjoying it! Esp the leads' rship.
But firstly, here are some major blind spots and weak points that caused this drama to be less enjoyable.
1. The relationship dynamic between Hye-Jun and Jeong-Ha was not developed enough to start a dating relationship so early on in the series. It is definitely a tendency for kdramas to drag on the “should-we-date” phase, forcing you to watch more eps of their flirtations- so it is definitely something to applaud that they did not waste time on this and simply cut to the chase that they were dating. But sadly their relationship dynamic was not stable enough as a couple, it felt so sudden and forced. I really really enjoyed their friendship dynamic in the first few eps (that’s what got me binge-watching). It’s such a waste to quickly jump into a dating rship, they had such a strong friendship going on. With that being said, it was not about starting the relationship per se that ruined the show - it’s how they completely changed So Dam’s character after they started dating!
2. Bad character writing for Jeong-Ha (Park So Dam)
I think this is the weakest point of the drama. As mentioned, what really drew me into the series was their friendship dynamic, and this is largely due to the character of Jeong-Ha. She’s ordinary, hardworking, and witty. When she was in scenes with Bo Gum, her character shined even brighter. But right when they started dating, she instantly became this flat character- nonchalant, apathetic, and just overall stupid??? It made their relationship looked super weak and one-dimensional. The lines they said also felt super scripted. I saw a lot of comments saying this as well, but I think the root problem is actually the bad character development for So Dam. Which I’m so mad, bcs she is the freaking actress from Parasite. Like, Parasite. Like the one that just won an Oscar??? She was so amazing in Parasite, so it’s impossible to say that the problem is her acting skills. It’s definitely the character writing- why didn’t they milk her acting chops more??
3. Really, really, really unnecessary sub-plots. (as with many kdramas....) Even if they were necessary, they always just left it hanging with so many loose ends left untied.
Most reviews commented on this as well, specifically directing it to the scenes with the leads' family. But I actually enjoyed Hye Jun and his family’s sub-plot especially when they showed how Hye Jun is faced with opposition within his home. That was a really interesting topic to cover in a k-drama, but as they went on...it felt kinda confusing...and unnecessary. Like the scenes about the father’s work, or the scenes about the brother’s work, or the scenes about the grandad’s modelling job (necessary, but they gave TOO MUCH screen time for that small plot). They should’ve just streamlined and stuck to the dynamic between Hye Jun’s acting dream and the rest of the family.
Then there are the extremely unnecessary characters just to fill screen time and to create more “noise”. Like the ms.Kim reporter? Like who tf? The ex-manager Tae-Su and bitchy actor Park Do Ha? lol.
Like Charlie Jung? I think first few episodes context was already enough, idk why they brought him back later lol and included a very weird sub-plot about gay rumours...yeah it’s not gonna age well. And Hye-Jun’s ex LOL, like we literally do not care. As well as the sub-plot of Jin-U and Hae Na's rship... I might even dare say that the scenes w Hae-Hyo and Jin-u became more and more unnecessary, couldn't feel their bromance at all. Just really bad momentum overall in these sub-plots.
——————--------------------------
Overall, it’s still 8/10 for me, even with all these weak points.
Here's why you SHOULD still watch it:
1. You should definitely watch if you like Park Bo Gum, his character is the one that was maintained well throughout. A few were saying how this is somewhat biographical to his story, so you would definitely love him more after watching this. This is also his last show before he got enlisted into military!! (tbh i suspect that's one of the reasons why the plots felt ao rushed haha, cos they have to rush for his enlistment maybe??? who knows)
2. I also really appreciate the relationship between the leads, despite point no.2 above^. It’s really mature and easy to relate to. Esp the part where they portrayed consent in their kissing haha. It's also somewhat unique and a fun arena to explore, with the whole fan-and-bias rship.
3. Make sure to not rush this show. It's a slow watch and that's the way it should be. The first time I watched it I binged 4eps in a row and I would feel so queasy after that. But when my brother was watching (in a much slower pace), I found myself re-watching really enjoyably and finding a deeper appreciation for some scenes I deemed unnecessary at first.
4. A really cool premise to explore! With the whole modelling and acting and part-time gigs that PBG had to do, it was so fun to have a glimpse on how the K-entertainment industry looks like (even though it might not be that realistic). I actually wished that spent more time to flesh out this aspect of the drama- instead of so many unnecessary sub-plots- this is after all that made this show stood out.
5. Also,,, ad-placements were not too bad. So that’s a good thing. Unlike The King ??
This drama is definitely not everyone's cup of tea and a disclaimer of it being a really ordinary and typical drama should be made. With that being said, I still found myself getting hooked in it really fast and thoroughly enjoying it! Esp the leads' rship.
But firstly, here are some major blind spots and weak points that caused this drama to be less enjoyable.
1. The relationship dynamic between Hye-Jun and Jeong-Ha was not developed enough to start a dating relationship so early on in the series. It is definitely a tendency for kdramas to drag on the “should-we-date” phase, forcing you to watch more eps of their flirtations- so it is definitely something to applaud that they did not waste time on this and simply cut to the chase that they were dating. But sadly their relationship dynamic was not stable enough as a couple, it felt so sudden and forced. I really really enjoyed their friendship dynamic in the first few eps (that’s what got me binge-watching). It’s such a waste to quickly jump into a dating rship, they had such a strong friendship going on. With that being said, it was not about starting the relationship per se that ruined the show - it’s how they completely changed So Dam’s character after they started dating!
2. Bad character writing for Jeong-Ha (Park So Dam)
I think this is the weakest point of the drama. As mentioned, what really drew me into the series was their friendship dynamic, and this is largely due to the character of Jeong-Ha. She’s ordinary, hardworking, and witty. When she was in scenes with Bo Gum, her character shined even brighter. But right when they started dating, she instantly became this flat character- nonchalant, apathetic, and just overall stupid??? It made their relationship looked super weak and one-dimensional. The lines they said also felt super scripted. I saw a lot of comments saying this as well, but I think the root problem is actually the bad character development for So Dam. Which I’m so mad, bcs she is the freaking actress from Parasite. Like, Parasite. Like the one that just won an Oscar??? She was so amazing in Parasite, so it’s impossible to say that the problem is her acting skills. It’s definitely the character writing- why didn’t they milk her acting chops more??
3. Really, really, really unnecessary sub-plots. (as with many kdramas....) Even if they were necessary, they always just left it hanging with so many loose ends left untied.
Most reviews commented on this as well, specifically directing it to the scenes with the leads' family. But I actually enjoyed Hye Jun and his family’s sub-plot especially when they showed how Hye Jun is faced with opposition within his home. That was a really interesting topic to cover in a k-drama, but as they went on...it felt kinda confusing...and unnecessary. Like the scenes about the father’s work, or the scenes about the brother’s work, or the scenes about the grandad’s modelling job (necessary, but they gave TOO MUCH screen time for that small plot). They should’ve just streamlined and stuck to the dynamic between Hye Jun’s acting dream and the rest of the family.
Then there are the extremely unnecessary characters just to fill screen time and to create more “noise”. Like the ms.Kim reporter? Like who tf? The ex-manager Tae-Su and bitchy actor Park Do Ha? lol.
Like Charlie Jung? I think first few episodes context was already enough, idk why they brought him back later lol and included a very weird sub-plot about gay rumours...yeah it’s not gonna age well. And Hye-Jun’s ex LOL, like we literally do not care. As well as the sub-plot of Jin-U and Hae Na's rship... I might even dare say that the scenes w Hae-Hyo and Jin-u became more and more unnecessary, couldn't feel their bromance at all. Just really bad momentum overall in these sub-plots.
——————--------------------------
Overall, it’s still 8/10 for me, even with all these weak points.
Here's why you SHOULD still watch it:
1. You should definitely watch if you like Park Bo Gum, his character is the one that was maintained well throughout. A few were saying how this is somewhat biographical to his story, so you would definitely love him more after watching this. This is also his last show before he got enlisted into military!! (tbh i suspect that's one of the reasons why the plots felt ao rushed haha, cos they have to rush for his enlistment maybe??? who knows)
2. I also really appreciate the relationship between the leads, despite point no.2 above^. It’s really mature and easy to relate to. Esp the part where they portrayed consent in their kissing haha. It's also somewhat unique and a fun arena to explore, with the whole fan-and-bias rship.
3. Make sure to not rush this show. It's a slow watch and that's the way it should be. The first time I watched it I binged 4eps in a row and I would feel so queasy after that. But when my brother was watching (in a much slower pace), I found myself re-watching really enjoyably and finding a deeper appreciation for some scenes I deemed unnecessary at first.
4. A really cool premise to explore! With the whole modelling and acting and part-time gigs that PBG had to do, it was so fun to have a glimpse on how the K-entertainment industry looks like (even though it might not be that realistic). I actually wished that spent more time to flesh out this aspect of the drama- instead of so many unnecessary sub-plots- this is after all that made this show stood out.
5. Also,,, ad-placements were not too bad. So that’s a good thing. Unlike The King ??
Was this review helpful to you?
