Penelope79
Italy
Wonderfully acted (and the roles, especially the lead ones, are far from being easy), solid plot, very much mature.
If you're more into things like Playful Kiss, this drama may disappoint you because it's clearly thought for an adult audience. No cheesy lines, no barely there kisses, this a real thing with characters with real pains who interact in realistic ways in hard, realistic circumstances.
Prepare your tissues but please, stay till the end, because it deserves it! 10!
Loved the OST, too.
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This review may contain spoilers
When this show ended, the first thing I thought was: "Bummer". And no, not because I was sorry it was finished, but because it was the clear example of a missed opportunity to make a good drama.This show was very promising at the beginning (the first 2/3 episodes were very funny, mature, even a bit spicy, with some sort of Sex And The City vibe) but, IMHO, it loses its sense of humour along the way, to the point that I started to find it really boring: too repetitive and the story drags itself out too much, particularly towards the end.
The two leads, for me. were the only saving grace. especially Jang Nara: she is definitively one of my favourite Korean actresses. Love her!
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The all-star cast is incredible, too (even secondary characters are played by popular actors).
MVP, though, in my humble opinion is Jun Ji Hyun, an amazing actress: beautiful, classy and, most of all, capable of giving great performances regardless of the material she's given, from drama to comedy in a bit!
Strongly suggested to whoever is looking for something funny, deep and romantic at the same time, with a supernatural touch.
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I liked this show quite a lot. The plot is not 100% captivating per se (specially the subplots), which is the reason I can't give a 10.
But what is really engaging is the acting (and chemistry) of the two leads, a strong supporting cast (second lead syndrome alert, here!) and most of all:
1) the portrayal of a real relationship, the best and worst moments included, between two adults who have spent almost their whole life together, no sugar coating;
2) these people share believable kisses and love scenes, which is kind of refreshing considering most of the k-dramas show people over 30 acting like they're 12, as far as sex is concerned. That's what I wish more k-dramas could have: can you see, writers? You can show believable love scenes without turning your drama into a porn movie! It can be done! :)
Lovely OST too.
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The show is overall lovely, although in my humble opinion it drags itself out too much.
So Ji-Sub and Gong Hyo Jin are simply amazing together, all my stars are for them. They really have great chemistry but, most of all, they're so good. The same story acted by someone else could've been much worse, but they can make any plot believable and enjoyable.
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First show for me with Park Bo Geum, while I already had the chance to appreciate Seo In Guk's performance in Reply 1997. As for Jang Na Ra, she's one of my favourite Korean actresses, here in a quite different role.
They definitively left the door open for another season, but I don't think there's going to be a season 2, unfortunately,
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This is an excellent, very deep drama. Great acting and a great plot.
Even though it is set in high-school this is far from being a "Playful Kiss" kind of drama (romance is absent here), as it's definitively a thriller/legal drama, and a very good one. It's never lame and the final meaning is touching.
Probably the only flaw (but flaw it's definitively not the right term) is that I don't think it has a high rewatch value, once the mystery is unveiled.
100% recommended if you want to watch something different.
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However, there's still something good:
1) the cast
2) the fact this k-drama belongs to a new "era", where characters can finally have real physical interactions according to their age, which still surprises me. It's quite refreshing.
To sum up: it's ok as a filler drama, maybe not too much if you're looking for something that will catch your interest more.
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Very well written, this show manages to never be boring and always unexpected.
On a side note, this is the second show I watch with Lee Jong Suk (after W) and I liked him a lot here. At the same time, this is the first show, for me, with Park Shin Hye, and I love her! She's really, really good, so much so that I'm definitely looking forward to watch more shows with her! 100% recommended.
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The plot is simple, but it's so funny and moving at the same time.
The cast is overall great (although I didn't care that much about some of the subplots to be honest, imho the only weak parts) but, most of all, Lee Sung Kyung and Nam Joo Hyuk's chemistry is off the charts! No wonder they were dating in real life, back then. They're both so good in their roles and soooo cute! Lee Sung Kyung manages to be more boyish than what she usually is (i.e. a beautiful, very feminine woman), which speaks volumes about how great she is here. If you're looking for a show that will make you smile and feel good, then look no further!
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This show is quite cute. Though it drags itself out a bit (maybe 32 episodes are too much), the characters are lovely, it is overall well acted and everyone's got their happy ending, which may be a cliché but I like it anyway.The character of Ji Won is adorable from the beginning to the end and I appreciated how he and Jin Jin managed their relationship, their strong friendship even when it was already obvious they had feelings for each other. I loved the side characters, too.
But what I liked the most about this show it's the overall message: it is ok if you're 35 and have yet to be married or have children even if, according to society, that's what you're supposed to. Because everyone needs to feel free to take such important decisions if and when they are ready, not because you're forced to by the context you grew up in. This should be a general rule, but I guess it's particularly important in a Korean show (and I am writing this just because in almost all k-dramas marriage seems to be the main goal in life, something you should start worrying about when you're still in your 20s or, specially if you're a woman, you will end up an old maid).
I didn't give a 10 because of some plot holes (why, exactly, Jin Jin's sister abandoned her family and disappeared for 10 years? I understand she fell in love with someone, but why on Earth loving someone prevents you to still be a member of your family? I don't think it was made clear at all) and because, as I mentioned , it drags itself out a bit, with obvious attempts to fill the plot with random things just because writers needed to reach 32 episodes (such as Ji Won's ex fianceé suddenly popping out with the shoes issue).
But even so, I recommend it.
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I can't give a 10 though, for 2 reasons:
1. The first show, for me, with Lee Jong Suk. At the beginning, I simply thought that I didn't like his acting choices most of the times. However, I saw him in other shows after this one and he grew up on me a lot, as an actor, therefore I guess that the problem lies in the way he's been directed in certain scenes. The same goes for Han Hyo Joo.
2. While absolutely captivating in the beginning, the plot gets quite convoluted towards the final episodes, and not always organically. It's like writers felt the need to make it pointlessly complicated.
Even so, I recommend it because it's something really uncommon to watch.
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Their chemistry is off the charts and you can't help but love their characters, rooting for them and finding them incredibly funny. Yes, because this show will make you laugh out loud (this show is funny in a way that reminded me a bit Marriage, Not Dating), in spite of the dramatic experience the lead characters shared as children. It's very well written (comedy and drama are perfectly balanced, and there are no filler episodes) and extremely well acted, even by the children actors (seriously, how good are those little kids???)
I also need to reserve a very special mention to the supporting cast. I confess that, on many shows, I skipped the scenes with the secondary characters because most of the time they were not interesting enough and were basically "sucking" the screen time of the main leads. This is NOT what happens here. ALL the secondary characters, ALL of them, are so well written that even their storylines are engaging. They're three dimensional, not just there as fillers. Kudos to all the actors and characters (particularly the adorable President Park and his amazing bromance with Lee Yeong Joon).
Finally, this k-drama has the most beautiful kisses/love scenes I've ever seen in a Korean show, yay!!!
It's officially one of my favourite shows ever that I need to watch all over again! 100% recommended!
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