Penelope79
Italy
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All my stars are for Seo Hyun Jin, because I really really love her as an actress. The overall acting was quite good, but... I spent most of the time hating the story and where it was obviously heading to. Many reviews already mentioned the issue about the lack of self-respect of the main female character, OHY. I would also add that, personally, I don't find either romantic nor forgivable the fact that the male lead basically destroyed the lives of OHY and her fiancé and, regardless, he did even manage to get the girl. I didn't like the male lead character AT ALL, and hated that she fell in love with a such a douchebag. This fact distracted me and made me forget about the funny moments in this drama, to the point that I will never watch it again, because it really gets on my nerves.
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Too long to be enjoyable, unless you're a fan of Mary and Gary Sue characters.
Oh my, where should I start?PROS
The actors playing ML and FL are really good looking, I was glad to find out they are husband and wife in real life! They’re also overall good - considering the material they’re given - along with a few others. Costumes and makeup are gorgeous, as well as the set locations and the score.
CONS
This show is unbelievable, and not in a positive way.
54 episodes are waaaaay too much for a story that could be told in… 10/15 episodes? The others are just very little variations of the same storyline over and over again.
Screenplay is ridiculous and dumb, saying that it’s repetitive is an understatement.
The lovely FL (but the ML is not different) is written as the epitome of the Mary Sue: she can do no wrong. She is the most beautiful, the most brilliant, the smartest, funniest… but also capable of healing just with her breath and her tears (I kid you not… that’s how she heals Jun’er once, and also by massaging his fingers, something she’s “very experienced with” according to the Royal Doctor… of course! :D) she’s the greatest detective ever, she can foresee every little detail, she’s “the only one who can make the Emperor laugh” (I guess she’s a comedian as well), she’s also some kind of an immortal - she easily survives literally EVERYTHING - and either everyone is in love with her or hate her and blame her for anything… for no real reason. ^^'
On Mondays, she’s usually framed for something, on Tuesdays, someone attempts to kill her, on Wednesdays, she and her love interest fight because someone else got in the middle, on Thursdays, she’s sentenced to death… the list can go on! o_O
Villains have no dimension, they’re villain because screenplay says so, not because there’s an actual reason (they tried to give some background only to the Nan’an Prince character, which is probably the most interesting one). Also, whenever something bad happens, you should know that is Li Wei Yang’s fault. Bad weather? Someone mutters: “Li Wei Yang!” You had a bad night sleep? Yes, that’s probably Li Wei Yang’s fault too. :D
Generally speaking, characters are not well written, and honestly even acting is disappointing with very few exceptions.
However, for some reasons, you’ll find yourselves watching till the end. Probably just because you’re curious to count how many times Li Wei Yang is framed (not sure, but I think more than 20 times o_O) but you’ll watch. I know I did, just to feel finally relieved it ended! :D
Also, skip opening and closing credits: they’re VERY spoilerish!
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In my opinion, though, it has a few flaws which prevented me to give it a 10.
Mostly, while at the beginning I didn't pay too much attention to it, it started to become a bit too ridiculous in certain occasions: in fact, whenever one side had the bigger hand, it couldn't help but basically brag with the other side, telling them exactly what and why they were about to do something.
Of course, this enabled the other side to react accordingly, but they started to brag and telling everything, too. This happens over and over again. Why, on Earth, nobody can't keep their mouth shut? Just because doing it would've ended the show much earlier than 16 episodes? I really think so. And for me, when characters begin to act like idiots, it's beyond annoying. I couldn't wait for it to end. Bummer.
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Long story short, I didn't like it very much. I found it very sad and boring at the same time, which is a weird mix. I didn't feel any chemistry between the two leads, but probably because I found out I don't like Suzy as an actress (it's been the first show I watched with her and I had high expectations... now I'm disappointed).
The only saving grace it's Kim Woo-Bin whose acting, though a bit over the top in a few instances, is far better than Suzy's. Finally, the unhappy ending is unfulfilling too but, to be fair, they tell you what is going to happen since episode #1.
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One of my favourite K-Drama ever.Marriage Not Dating is basically a pure rom-com (yes, there are a couple of sad moments, but only towards the end and they get solved very quickly), which is great.
The acting is very good. The plot, though simple, will engage you thanks to its peculiar way to develop (each episode begins with a certain scene that will lead you to believe into something, but as the episode unfold it will turn out to be something entirely different), and it will make you laugh out loud on many occasions.
Considering it's been filmed in 2014, I found surprising that it also shows real physical interactions between two adults, making them act according to their age.
I personally loved the OST, too.
100% recommended!
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I loved this show for many reasons: because the plot was well done and convincing; because the cast is amazing; because all relationships are believable; because it's been very funny and moving at the same time; because even though they used some sort of "How I Met Your Mother" narration, they didn't ruin the ending as HIMYM did and yes, because I was 18 too, back in the 1997, and I miss the 90s so much! The show's vibe made me feel nostalgic. :)
Great, great show that deserves a re-watch.
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When this show came out, it became immediately super popular, for several reasons: the cast (especially for Song Joon Ki and Song Hye Kyo), the setting, the pre-production. Basically, you couldn't even dare to try to find a flaw without risking to be virtually crucified. In my opinion, it has many good points. Song Joon Ki and Song Hye Kyo have lots of chemistry (no wonder they became a real-life couple afterwards) and are simply perfect. They're also supported by an amazing cast. The setting (aka mostly the Greek island of Zante) is obviously beautiful and cinematography is quite good. All the characters are very much enjoyable. The bromance is adorable.
My biggest complaint, though, is the plot. The show drags itself out quite a lot, sometimes it's even openly boring. If you remove the special effects and all the aforementioned reasons, I agree that what you get is a lame story which, acted and directed by someone else, probably would have never get the same attention.
Overall, a good though overrated show. Nothing that will make you write home about.
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Though the premise is good, in my opinion it has several flaws: lead female character is really pretty but with no backbone at all (which I find really annoying), lead male character is a jerk and I can't stand him nor I understand why on earth she's into him. Finally, the plot drags itself out too much.
Acting is average, too.
Overall, good intentions, mediocre execution.
On a side note: why are there so many shows with characters affected by prosopagnosia?
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I am well aware that Fated To Love You may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it is one of my favourite KDrama, the first one I ever watched and probably the one I'm most attached to.I already watched it twice and, upon second viewing, I was surprised to find many, many funny moments I didn't remember at first.
It can be a be a bit (voluntarily) over the top sometimes, but the truth is that this show has many qualities: a solid plot, amazing acting, two perfect leads (Jang Hyuk and Jang Nara have an incredible chemistry) and comedy and drama are very well balanced.
Last but not least, the score is beautiful, especially "Destino"... it breaks my heart.
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First show for me with the super popular Lee Min Ho: I loved his character and how he played him.
But I absolutely ADORED Jun Ji Hyun: she is probably one of the best actresses I've ever seen and the way she goes from drama to comedy in a bit is unbelievable (though I already had the chance to appreciate her in You Who Came From The Star). Great chemistry between them.
Drama and comedy are quite balanced, too. Probably it could've been a bit shorter, but I don't complain, I liked it a lot.
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At the beginning, it's really really funny, though it turns more into a drama along the way, to the point that the tone changes completely. This is probably due to the fact that 32 episodes were, imo, too much for this story, since it's quite obvious towards the end that a few episodes were basically fillers and a bit repetitive. This, and the fact that the tone could've been better balanced in the final episodes, is the only reason why I can't give a full 10. But it is still a very good show and I recommend it.
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It is sooo hard to write a review about this show. Because I loved several things about it but, at the same time, it has so many flaws really impossible to ignore.PROS
The cast is AMAZING. Lee Sung Kyung and Lee Seong Yoon are perfect in their roles, they have lot of chemistry and, let's face it, they're both so beautiful that just staring at them is fine. The ensemble cast is really, really good too.
The premise is very good and interesting, albeit sad, yet it manages to be funny.
Lovely OST, I specially loved the two main songs "Yesterday" and "Amazing Thing". Mika hopes to become a musical actress , therefore Lee Sang Kyung sings too: I am really impressed by her beautiful voice.
CONS
After a few, very promising episodes, you will slowly realize that the writers of this show have basically no idea of what they're doing. A show that, regardless of its sad premise, managed to be quite funny at the same time, suddenly becomes a tearjerker device: not only Choi Mika's life is about to end, but also the lives of almost everyone she runs into (Lee Do Ha's brother, her actress colleague, her mentor's boyfriend, Lee Do Ha's obsessed ex fiancée): seriously, how many people are supposed to die here, just because the story needs to produce 16 episodes? At the beginning I cried for certain scenes, but later everything was just too ridiculous to be sad.
Many episodes were just repeatedly stating the same concept on and on: Mika will die, but she gains time by sucking Lee Do Ha's time, hence she's so noble that she'd rather die than telling him the truth, and she starts telling lies over lies that shatter his heart in pieces in order to save him. This is what happens in... probably 10 out of 16 episodes. Over and over again. No progression. And, in the end, a very convenient "miracle" gives us the long-awaited happy ending without any real logic explanation. I know it's a fantasy, but I still appreciate some effort from the writers in giving an appropriate resolution and, possibly, with no loose ends. This is NOT what happens here. Which makes anyone's suspension of disbelief basically impossible.
I am really disappointed. With such a great cast and good premise, this show had all the requirements to become a real cult and one of the best. But it wastes its amazing potential along the way and it even looks like who wrote it don't even really care about it. Like: "This is how it ends: it doesn't make much sense, but you'll have to accept it anyway because we're too lazy to put some thought into it". Bummer.
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A cute story, but dragged out too much
I am currently watching this drama for the first time - I know, I'm late to the party - and I can't help but agree with the other reviewers who found the story overall cute but too dragged out.Personally, I liked (most of the time) the two leads and their interactions. It felt quite refreshing, even today. The whole story would have been, in my opinion, adorable if the writers had stuck to the rom-com side of the story. Instead, they decided to ridiculously complicate things with all possible obstacles that might come to mind, especially the two exes. Well, the SML more than the SFL, to be honest. It really gets on my nerves how the two leads run into issues every time they are alone or trying to let their story progress.
But what I really can't understand, for the life of me, is how any woman in her right mind could possibly find the SML a good character or even feel flattered by his constant attentions and find his attitude romantic, which is something I read in several reviews (not here on MDL, luckily). The fact that there are women who would date someone like him makes me really wonder what these women or girls think a safe, healthy relationship really is.
Let's do a short recap:
1. SML was supposed to wait for FL (the way she did wait 5 years for him) and respect her time, but he keeps following her around and running into her on purpose.
2. He often threatens the ML simply because he has reciprocated feelings for the FL.
3. He constantly manipulates the FL by making her feel guilty, unfortunately, successfully.
4. Whenever she tries to keep him at a distance, he manipulates her again with questions like, "Why are you killing me with these words?" These instances where the FL falls into these traps every single time are weird, because she's intelligent most of the time.
5. When he realizes that making her feel guilty is the only way to keep her close, he attempts suicide, pointing out that it was HIM (not the ML) who even tried to keep his own life for her. It was HIM (again not the ML) who protected her father (it doesn't matter if nobody asked him in the first place). And most of all, he wants her to marry him so that he can see her suffer. Yes, you read it right. He "wants" her so bad that he wants her by his side no matter what, even though she doesn't love him and would, therefore, be trapped in an unhappy relationship forever. He believes it's the right punishment for her for basically not loving him anymore.
These are just a few moments that popped into my head, but please, fellow women, if you think this is romantic, you really have some issues for real. Talk to a therapist! This is what a TOXIC relationship is. He's the typical portrait of a man who might kill you to prevent you from leaving him.
Again, women who think those interactions were romantic should question their sanity.
My rating is therefore mostly for the two main characters and some beautifully portrayed relationships (besides FL+ML, I particularly loved FL relationship with her best friend, a character in a wheelchair that did not feel forced at all like some other show currently do; I also loved FL relationship with her father, the President).
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Great lead actors with tons of chemistry, amazing supporting cast, wonderful OST.
It's funny, romantic and deep all at once. It definitively became one of my favourites.
Last but not least, I found refreshing that more and more K-dramas are finally including believable physical interactions, even when they're not actually shown. Apparently, producers are slowly realizing they can have their characters talk about and have sex without being too hypocritical about it or turning the show into a porn. This is one of those (recent) cases and I'm genuinely surprised.
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I loved everything about this show. The plot, the pace, the fantastic cast! This is the second show, for me, with Park Min Young (after What's Wrong With Secretary Kim): Healer confirmed she's an amazing, versatile actress. First time I watched the incredibly handsome Ji Chang Wook and his acting is so good I can't wait to check other shows with him. Loved Yoo Ji Tae, too. Romance, thriller, drama, this show has it all!
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