Harriet Ho
London
Inspiring and engaging
After reading an enticing plot about the lives of the main characters, I knew I had to give this a go as a friendship-development story had to be brewing somewhere. With that being said, I found myself giving this drama a meaningful place in my heart due to its immense impact on me. I enjoyed everything from the personal insight to the characters, the plot, and sub-plots, to the never-ending life lessons that this drama provided.The story centers around the foundation and development of The Windchasers Club, an athletics club whose main goal is to develop a team of resilient and persistent runners who can overcome challenges and face obstacles together. It also tells the lives of young adults/adults and shares their ups and downs as they move through this ambiguous world. Most of the plots offered a realistic perspective on things which I particularly enjoyed as I do not watch these kinds of dramas often. There were a vast amount of sub-plots that kept the viewer engaged. I never grasped the concept of how athletics training can build one's character, but this show proved to me that running and sports bring many nurturing concepts. As hinted earlier, this drama does bring a lot of life lessons that fitted in with the story quite well and were natural when being said. it can be a bit too much where there is a sudden stream of life advice coming at you from around the corner, but I can understand how it is there to complement the show's purpose.
Romance is not the strongest point of this series. The romance, for some, took a whole series to develop. Whilst I do believe that relationships take time to develop, it should not take a whole series to get it going. This would be my only downside to the show.
Every character in this show deserves notable praise for their character development, especially Ho Ka Yan, Nik Sir, and Franco. Each character delivers a personal hardship but gives us insight into how they overcome it, which is very empowering and inspiring to watch. I believe that the drama did well in enabling the viewer to feel connected to the characters as they deliver real-life issues and feelings that resonate with the audience.
Although there is only one song that accompanies the drama, the opening and closing theme song was very fitting for the drama.
To conclude, if you are feeling down and need something that can inspire and uplift you, or you are a casual watcher of dramas and is looking for something to watch, this is the drama that is worth investing your time in. I do not usually review HK dramas, but this is an exception as I could not miss the opportunity to write a review on this.
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Light-hearted and adorable watch
A light-hearted and adorable watch, it is definitely a drama that is recommended if you need something quick to watch during a time where you need unwind. Judging by the plot, I believe that this drama does give a sense of empathy towards the characters. it is a story that is based on the highlights of 5 young adults but also has their own individual struggles that range from family dysfunctions, juggling part-time jobs, past dysfunctional relationships, military enlistment, and the unknowns of an individual's goals and dreams. It is a typical story about cohabitation between college students and their lives.The story progressed at a very steady pace which is what I loved, because it gives time for us viewers to get to know more of the characters' feelings and stories. The romance progressed at a satisfying pace as we get to see more of the relationship development that goes on between the main characters. The love-triangle was bearable to watch with a warming ending. I feel like they wrapped up the drama nicely with 12 episodes.
I loved all of the cast and each character brought some sort of dynamic to them. I think the character I loved the most was Yunho. He was shown to be the rebel type at first, but it turned out he has a real soft and child-like personality.
Since this is quite a short series, I would say this is rewatchable and I will for sure watch this again if I am in need of something to watch again
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Heartwarming with an incredible and touching story
Every single part of this series was enjoyable, valuable, and fulfilling to watch and it is one of the best dramas I have ever seen. Everything from the characters, stories, and the musical elements, is definitely worth a watch. This drama was quite simple to follow with not much medical jargon and it's definitely a drama that will tug on your heartstrings. They also showed us how we should all value the small intricate things that life brings us and that we should treasure these moments. Due to this, I believe that this drama feels very different from other shows I've watched in the past. The series made me laugh, cry, smile, and feel sentimental - with a hint of longing to eat some delicious food.Story
The story itself was quite interesting. I wasn't immediately hooked on the series, but I decided to go ahead with it due to how they would add the musical element into their lives. Medical dramas are not the typical genre I would yearn for watching, but I particularly enjoyed the aspect of the doctors enjoying the company of each other and enjoying every aspect of free time that they individually have. The slice of life drama gives us insight into how important friendship really is and balancing life and work. All of the patient stories were very touching and realistic; also the inspiring stories that followed with it. Everything was executed well and the progress of the drama was extraordinary. This drama paints a realistic depiction of what the life of being in the medical field and working in a hospital setting really is, such as communication amongst patients and their guardians, incompetent and impolite staff, being on-call 24/7, and dealing with the emotional, mental and physical challenges of patient conditions
Although the romance isn't the centre of this drama, I do have to mention that the romance was sweet, mature, and realistic, with no cliche moments
Acting/Cast
Ik Jun - Shown to be the humorous and the 'mood maker' of the bunch, you will definitely favour him for his lighthearted, kind, extroverted and sweet personality. He's known as the 'crazy' one, but that all ties in with his bubbly demeanour I have huge admiration for his character role in this drama series as he balances the life of being a surgeon and a single Father. It was very sweet to see his moments with U-Ju.
Jeong Won - His love, passion, and care for kids was definitely a favourable characteristic of Jeong Won. His caring and compassionate side towards his patients and his subtle caring exterior towards his loved ones were very moving and gave me butterflies. But among that, he's also emotionally sensitive which was quite refreshing to see
Jun Wan - He has a cold, mundane, and outspoken personality that made him slightly intimidating, but as the show progressed, we get to understand more of his tough-love personality and his wish for the best to the ones he cares about. He definitely has a straightforward approach to his relationships as well as his soft side.
Song Hwa - Highly intelligent, tough, and competent, she is the character that we would all admire and feel inspired by. She is the one that holds the group together and ensures the best out of all of them. Her compassion and love for her job are truly amazing and her intuition is remarkable. Although her emotions are not shown much in this drama, I think it made her character more relatable.
Seok-Hyung - Introverted, awkward but also considerate, his non-materialistic and humbleness is what drives me to like his character. His love and value for the small and intricate things in life really moved me. It is quite evident that he treasures the time he has with his best friends from office meals, evening dinners, karaoke nights, and band practices.
I think that each character was loveable in their own ways and thus, I don't have a favourite, because they all shine respectfully. Their friendship goes above and beyond of goals and shows how we should all treasure the moments we have with our friends and look out for those who are really genuine and caring towards us. The selection for the cast was amazing and the actors did an amazing job in depicting the emotions and hardships that they individually portray. This is my first time watching the main cast act so I can't really make a comment on their previous work, but I must say they did exceptionally well
I loved that each supporting role had their moments and stories to share in this series. The relationships that they have with their professors, as well as each other, were memorable and cherishing.
Music
Throughout the show, the cast delivered some great songs that were good. There were some songs that I really found catchy and would listen to again, but others, not so much.
Rewatch value
Again, I am the type that is reluctant to watch a series again, but I would have to watch this again to catch some details of the drama again as I wasn't quite familiar with the drama a few episodes in. This series is deemed as rewatchable to watch the hilarious and valuable experiences that the characters go through.
Overall, I believe that this is one of my favourite slice of life dramas to watch. It's realistic and touching with some amazing chemistry between the characters of the show. Definitely would recommend it if you need something to watch to take a break away from love-triangle dramas, which is what I did.
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Truly relatable and remarkable
After stumbling across a video of this drama that had the title 'Introverted...' plus a steamy kissing scene included, I knew I had to give this a go. This drama centers around a CEO who finds it extremely strenuous to be in large groups and expressing his words that he often retreats. His monotonous life has been turned around upon meeting the new hire, Chae Ro Woon, but does she come with good intentions? Where her boast of taking revenge on the boss who killed her sister suddenly turns into a sweet crush who has the desire to see the best in him and show that to the world, she becomes bewildered. It was a difficult watch, however, I found it to be fulfilling.
The main plot of the story was compelling, mysterious, and momentous in how this incident affects the lives of four individuals coincidently, but it lacked a backstory to the character involved; ultimately ruining the suspense of what the drama was going for. The first episode did well in delivering the mystery that would carry the rest of the show, but the progression was quite slow and, in my opinion, that suspense diminished overtime for me. I loved how they portray a shy boss working their way through life being severely misunderstood and isolated from the world around them. The writers showed an accurate representation of what goes on in the mind of a socially anxious person, which I will credit them for. The aspect of having that one person who is there to listen, encourage them to not change and find the best communication method that works for them was sweet and touching. The idea of having polar opposite main characters for the romance part of the drama has been made to be endearing, but quite chaotic, frustrating, and complicated, but I suppose this is the reality of it.
My main downside to the series is that they delivered the comedy scenes with the serious scenes together which did not work out. One minute I am in a pit of laughter, the next minute, I had to switch up my mood which ruins the momentum of what the scene was going for in the first place. Nevertheless, the drama did deliver great plot twists that took me by surprise and I overall enjoyed this drama for its great meaning and the adorable scenes that came with it.
Characters
Each character had their part in character development, which was what I loved.
Eun Hwan Gi - For his relatable, caring, and lovable nature, he is my favourite character from the series. His competency in his job and determination to step out of his comfort zone on multiple occasions to express his ideas and feelings with others was admirable that you will cheer him on as the drama progresses. His character development and relationship development with his staff in the series is definitely remarkable.
Chae Ro Woon - It is understandable that her character is unlikeable at the beginning with her obnoxious, immature, and energetic personality. But, her character development was absolutely amazing. Though with that being said, there was not anything that made her stood out to me, meaning I did not see a unique trait that differed her from the other characters which were quite disappointing. Despite that, I can easily understand the nature of her character, as she was the type of character that just needed a big hug.
Kang Woo Il - Portrayed as the idealistic character with his confident personality paired with his ability to articulate himself through public speaking, he is the character that everybody dreams of being. But beneath all of that lays a melancholic and controlling life of being under his father-in-law's company and working hard to ensure he gets the spot in the electoral election. I liked the depth we see in his character that goes beyond being a co-CEO of Brain.
Eun Yi Soo - Her character was quite bland and I found her to be unlikeable in some way, but as the story unravels, I found that she had a lot more depth to her than meets the eye as we see more of her vulnerabilities and scars.
Silent Monster staff - In particular, I loved the relationship that Gyo Ri, Se Jeong, Yoo Hee, and Sun-Bong had developed with one another and with Hwan Gi and Ro Woon. It was very lovely to see their relationship develop from being awkward to family-like. It is definitely a highlight of this show which I will miss the most.
The acting was well-executed and incredible.
Music
Each song complimented every scene immaculately. There was no song I disliked. I love Memoery as it is a song you can imagine yourself listening to on a walk to the park and thinking about life.
Rewatch value
Although I do not tend to watch a series again, there are more moments in this series that I would happily watch again, but overall, I would not sit and watch the whole drama again.
To conclude, I found this drama to be a great watch and one that I will treasure the most due to how I could resonate with the struggles and feelings that the characters went through. This series is about forgiving yourself, accepting and being comfortable with who you are and your style of doing things, and developing confidence in expressing how you think and feel. Pair this with a complicated, but heartfelt romance, it is definitely worth investing in if you are a fan of romcoms and melodramas.
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The Temperature of Language: Our Nineteen
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Phenomenal, must watch
The Temperature of Language has really made it to my all-time favourite high school web drama. At first, it didn't grab much of my attention, but as the drama slowly progressed, it took a grasp on my heart that when it ended, I felt as though I was missing an important piece of my life. This drama feels like you're really connected to the cast that no drama that I've ever watched thus far has made me feel. it is a meaningful and well-written story that delves into the deep struggles, mistakes, battles, and learnings that the youth would experience at the crippling ages of 18/19. Each character has their own story and every single one of them brought something to the table. I loved every single character and eventually, I felt so connected to them that I wished to have given them a huge bear hug through the screen. I learned a lot from each character, resonated in some way with each of them - especially Kim Doyon - and wished something like this came out back when I was in secondary school because it would have given me so much comfort and reassurance as a vulnerable 13-16-year-old who was felt very lost in one's self. My heartfelt broken now that the journey has come to the end. Additionally, this drama has made me reflect on myself and myself back in my years of schooling. I deeply related to this drama as a 19-year-old and feel the pressures of education and choosing my life course every single day. The main focus of the drama was: friendship, education and the pressures of society; I'm glad that they drove the attention away from the romance side of things for once.To conclude, if you want to drama with a meaningful and phenomenal storyline with top-notch acting, and a hint of romance on the side, then this would be a great drama to start off with
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This review may contain spoilers
This was also another drama that I happened to stumble across on whilst investing my time into KDramas and so I really wanted to watch it. I do not regret watching this drama at all. I do like to invest my time in high school dramas as well because I can relate to them in some way which makes it more of a special drama to watch.The story was captivating. I found myself anticipating in fear of what is going to happen next and it for sure was a gripping story. The story was well planned out and was quite strategic. There was so much mystery between Eun Bi and Eun Byul. However, I did find the ending anticlimactic, I was expecting more from the So Young and Eun Bi case, I think it's because they focussed on the love triangle more than the main point of the drama. In my opinion, I would of preferred something a bit more dramatic than that, but then again am I expecting too much from a high school drama?
The other thing I found a bit strange to process was the fact that Han Yi An ended up liking Eun Bi instead of Eun Byul. He always has liked Eun Byul, like he said, a one-sided love, but since the transition and him finding out Eun Byul was in fact Eun Bi all that time, he started liking his childhood best friend's sister. It did take some time to gather his feelings about the whole situation, but I did find it odd how he swiftly move on from Eun Byul to Eun Bi.
The ending made me frustrated and upset that the writers didn't do much of a good job on the love story for the ending. I loved the chemistry between Tae Kwang and Eun Bi, but don't get me wrong, the Han Yi An and Eun Bi moments were cute too, however, Eun Bi was better meant to be with Tae Kwang and even though it was a one-sided love with Yi An and Eun Byul, they were meant to be in the first place.
I loved the cast. I was in awe of how brilliant Kim So Hyun's acting was, she portrayed the personalities of the twins really well and you can definitely tell the difference with the twins at a glance, for that I applaud her.
Jo Soo Hyang did very well in portraying Kang So Young as the very mean and abusive bully, I literally hate her out of all characters in KDrama history.
Yook Sungjae as Gong Tae Kwang was lovable and made me want to hug him so much. He became so lovable, I also started loving Sungjae himself. I definitely had second lead syndrome and I so badly wanted Eun Bi to look at him for once.
Kim Joon Seok was the most lovable and funny teacher I ever saw in any drama, I loved his relationship towards his students.
And lastly, I wanna mention Cha Song Joo, she was an amazing character as well as a friend and I admire her as a character.
The music was good, loved all of the songs. I do have to say when the emotional scenes came on and the sad music cued, I shed a tear or two (maybe more).
Overall, I loved every aspect of the drama, except for the things I mentioned earlier, but generally, it was good. I cried at the emotional scenes and even when the drama was teaching us valuable lessons, I cried at those moments too. this drama can be relatable to everyone who is within high school age and so this drama is special to me. I love Class 3, everyone got along and they had a special bond towards each other.
I don't think I would rewatch this whole drama again the whole way through, at least not anytime soon. I think I would only rewatch again to relive the cute and adorable moments with Tae Kwang X Eun Bi, but also Yi An X Eun Bi as well
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I loved all the members of F4, I loved how we get a small aspect of their past life as we get to know them more as individuals as if they were our own friends. I do wish that they showed more of Wubin and his past, I have come to love him as a character as he was the friendliest out of the bunch when he was first introduced. One thing that pulled on my heartstrings is how they developed a really good friendship with Jandi. Typically the way it goes is that the guys that are always on their friends' side with everything, in this case, I was expecting Jihoo, Yijeong, and Wubin to always be on Jun Pyo's side, but both of them knew when he pushing it at times and both of them accepted Jan Di as their good friend. All in all, all of them were portrayed beautifully and I loved all of them.
Coming to Jun Pyo, I loved him and the way Lee Min Ho has portrayed him, he is a hottie then and now. He was a douche bag at first (I didn't hate him) and a bully to other students and made life difficult for Jandi in the beginning, but I loved his character development, he can still be a tease and wants attention when he needs it, but that all comes with his child sincerity. I could understand his actions clearly and it really made me melancholy when Shinwa and his own mother were in his way in chasing his true love.
The kawaii and sweet JiHoo. He is DEFINITELY my favorite character out of the whole drama. There is such huge remorse I have towards his character when he didn't end up with the girl that he wanted, it broke my heart to a thousand pieces. Jihoo really is a gift from the heavens as Jandi says. He has such radiating care and love towards Jandi with the sweetest and brightest smile that melted me every time when he was around her. Again, I loved his character development, although it was a massive development compared to Jun Pyo's, it made me happy when he became much of a brighter and optimistic person with greater care to offer. I really fell in love with him as a character made me love Kim Hyung Joon as a person (despite his past). He remained loyal and caring character from the beginning to the end, he's just the type of guy I wished to have in my life, ugh!
Question is if Jihoo fell in love with her before Jun Pyo did, would things have turned out differently?
Geum Jandi. A lot of people found her annoying and I did read comments about the way she acted, from my perspective she had a reason to, she isn't expected to cry all day and night because of others bringing crap onto her, especially Jun Pyo's mother. She was a loud and bubbly character with a soft heart. But I love her! her resilience and strong character who doesn't tolerate anyone's bullcrap is my strongest points for her. Despite the odds of her not fitting in at Shinwa highschool, she continued to be herself physically and mentally. She isn't the standard Korean Beauty in the drama, she had that tomboy side and I am glad that they made her that way because it can make her more relatable to us viewers. Jandi retained her cool image and that is whar I like about her.
I definitely shipped Ji Hoo and Jan Di 100% more than I did with Jan Di and Jun Pyo. Once I started transitioning from a JanPyo shipper to a JanHoo shipper, I was very convinced that the drama was not going to change my mind. I loved the chemistry between JanPyo throughout the drama, but when Jun Pyo kept hurting her (which I know wasn't his fault most of the time) it did put me off a little bit, other than that, I did appreciate the effort and affectionate things that Jun Pyo did to express his love for her.
JiHoo was a different story, they were soulmates, he treated her well, she treated him well. He gave her every inch of love and care that he had for her. As well as that, they were each other's shoulder to lean on during their times of darkness and he took care of her when he knew Jun Pyo was the one hurting her. Jihoo was so patient to not do anything with her whilst he was with Jun Pyo, it was saddening to see he really had to relinquish her for Jun Pyo. I wish Jihoo did express his feelings properly and more openly to her before it was too late as well as Jandi knowing more of how he felt about her
The music is soo damn goood! All of the songs have a correlation with the drama. I can't pick out favorites cause most of them are my favorites.
Overall I would give this drama a 10 cause I experienced all the emotions and loved every single character. I would definitely watch this drama again someday, but not anytime soon as I still need to recover from my shattered heart and wouldn't want another one anytime soon either ;P
Sorry that it is a bit of a long-winded review, but this was all my thoughts and feelings I had about the drama. Thank you to those who created this drama and made it a phenomenal one, despite my thoughts and feelings about the couples. But thank you for providing us with all the JanHoo scenes as well as the good JanPyo ones
JanHoo= Forever in my heart <3
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A few bumpy roads, but overall I enjoyed it
It comes as no surprise for many that when the second installment of Love Alarm only having 6 episodes was announced, it made me feel discouraged about how they can wrap this story up in a manner that is appropriate in conjunction with season 1. However, I think the writers did a splendid job wrapping the story up within this short amount of time, with a few bumpy roads along the way. The latter of the series had been unexpectedly impactful for me and I thoroughly found this season to be quite frustrating, but also enjoyable to watch. It is a series that will have you on the edge of your seat, wants to reach out to the other end of your screen and shake the characters to wake them up, get you scratching your head from the characters, and have your stomach flutter a little.If we go beyond the love story in this drama for a moment, this season we see the development of Kim Jojo’s story from her childhood trauma and how that, in turn, affected her actions and behaviours as a young adult: how our thoughts drive us to want to push away others and spend our lives in solitude in the fear of hurting them, the fears of others becoming knowledgeable about our dark pasts to the point it’ll drive them to leave, and the consequences of running away from your problems and feelings. This season will get you agitated over Jojo’s actions and behaviours throughout this drama, but it will also enable you to empathise and understand more of her as a character which is what I thoroughly enjoyed. The insight into how wealthy families can live and how being born to a father that you have never met was quite insightful and powerful. To summarise, this series had some really deep, meaningful, and beautiful messages for us viewers that go beyond the app Love Alarm and how love cannot be conformed to technology.
The romance was cute and warm at times, but it was not anything extraordinary. I felt as if they rushed the romance at the start by having the two leads officially date, that for me, ruined the momentum of what the series was going for. There was not much closure with the gap between the end of season 1 and the start of season 2 which left me feeling bewildered over the relationship between the two. And there was not much closure for some parts like the sudden change in the relationship between Jojo’s family. What I particularly liked here was the unveiling of Hye Yeong’s story which we did not get to see in the previous installment. To conclude, I found the love-triangle story to be overall compelling as it is slightly different from the atypical love story.
I was quite dubious over the character development that this series was going to have, especially when the cast mentioned that in the trailer, thus I was anticipating something marvelous. It took some time, but I saw a few subtle significant changes with all the characters. It can be argued that all the characters can be deemed as frustrating in their own ways, but I think this drama really gets you to analyse and think deeply beyond what the story tells us about each character’s behaviours. The outcomes for each character were definitely satisfying. I think that this second installment was something that I enjoyed because of the nature of where the characters stood in their lives. As they all develop into adults, i found this to be more comfortable to watch
Overall, some may be disgruntled over the outcomes of this drama, but I believe that this was a brilliant way to end this series. If you are that person that needs closure on any series that you watch, I would highly recommend you watch this to soothe your hearts. Would I recommend you watch this drama overall? To be quite frank. if you were able to skip to season 2 and not watch season 1, then yes. Realistically speaking here, I wouldn't recommend it, despite thinking highly of this season. Albeit saying this, if you are looking for something interesting and unique to watch, then it can be worth giving it a go. It is worth noting that you should watch this - not only for the love triangle - but the depictions of reality this drama holds. The trauma, miscommunications, family dysfunctions, romance, and mental health
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Different, yet memorable and remarkable
SummaryTrue Beauty is an adaption from the popular webtoon series that goes by the same name. It is quite evident to point out - if you're not a webtoon reader - that this story follows a completely different path. This drama follows some of the same events, however, the outcomes are vastly different. Overall, I found this drama to be quite enjoyable to watch, especially during these times. The comedy is astounding and there were several memorable moments that will go down in K-Drama history. I think this drama did bring out some of the best in all the characters that cannot be easily interpreted and felt from the comic but undermined some of the feelings and struggles that some of the characters did go through. Some may argue that they were saddened by the approach that the directors took with changing some of the scenes and characters, but I think I liked their approach in which I'll explain why further down the line. The sub-plots were quite interesting and the romance itself was satisfactory. Albeit saying this, having to aid my broken heart, I will probably not touch another love-triangle drama anytime soon.
Disclaimer: I believe that from this drama, I became a Hwang In Yeop fan and I have grown to love his character. This review has no intent to be biased towards any of the characters as I love them all overall. I will try to be unbiased as much as I can whilst still giving my honest opinions. As much of the love story I value, character/character development is a big element for me in what is defined as a good drama or not.
Storyline/plot
The story itself was quite mediocre. The drama mainly revolves around a girl who gets bullied for her indifferences in her looks, until she discovered the wonders of make-up and transforms herself. She moves to another school and upon starting a new life there, she gets immediate attention. It focusses on her journey in accepting and loving herself as well as finding a support system that truly accepts her for the way she is. The overall story itself is quite a cliche, but as the drama develops, the story does deepen and becomes meaningful and cherish-able.
It delves into serious real-life issues that are prevalent in our society that include: suicide, the life of being in the idol scene - the good and the bad, mental health, trauma, insecurities; family dysfunctions, and disparities. The sub-plots were quite interesting, but I didn't feel like there was enough closure or explanation behind some of the plots.
What enticed me to like this drama was how thought-provoking it was. The character's actions, decisions, and attitudes really made you think beyond what the story is telling you and encourages you to analyse and build an understanding behind each of the characters behaviours and intentions.
The reason why I like the direction the story was going for was because it made the audience have something to look forward to, rather than following the original story which will defeat the suspense that was building up for the ending of the show. Arguably, this is meant to be an adaption so if they weren't going to follow the original storyline, then they should have given this drama a different title.
The romance for me, was satisfactory, I loved the relationship that had some cute moments and developments, but when it comes down to chemistry, I didn't feel much of that, in my opinion. I think the chemistry was more directed to the friendship. But still, the bond for the three characters was remarkable and unforgettable.
Let me mention the comedy that this drama brought. I loved all the scenes that included some comedic value in them. It made this drama light-hearted that balanced out the more serious scenes that it entails.
The downsides to this series, however, is how the story did divert the attention away from the original storyline and decided to include a love-triangle. Whilst I do believe that it made the show more entertaining and kept the viewers engaged, the execution was quite anti-climactic. I think they should have focussed more on the female narrative with the love-triangle coming after; that way it could stick to the storyline's true intent. Another critic I would make is how some of the serious scenes were quite exaggerated to the extent where it became more humorous rather than emotional which really deflated the emotions that were behind that scenes in the first place. Lastly, the ending felt a bit too rushed with a time jump, it would have been better to have at least two more episodes to really wrap-up the whole series
Cast/Acting
Suho
Suho is known as the top-student and is quite taciturn, mundane, and has a cold-like exterior. Throughout this drama, we get to see the story of his dysfunctional relationship with his Father and the constant battle with his mental health due to unfortunate events that are revealed later. As the drama progresses, we get to see more of his caring side as he opens himself up a little bit more to the world. This drama brought justice to his character and how his emotions and past traumas manifest into his actions. He had his effortlessly humorous moments. I particularly liked his character development in how he handled tough situations over-time, for example with how he dealt with his unhealthy behaviours. His story overall is quite touching, and you'd feel like you want to reach into your screen and give him an immense hug amidst it all.
However, the one thing I don't like was how they made him look 'creepy' in some scenes, this isn't something that bothers me immensely, but I wanted to point that out because whilst it brought a bit of comedy into it, I did find it a bit uncomfortable if I was put into the character's shoes, but that's just my personal opinion.
Knowing Cha Eunwoo from Astro, I had no prior knowledge of his acting skills. For the first drama I've watched that Eunwoo starred in, I am thoroughly impressed by his acting and his portrayal as Suho. He executed the emotions of his character outstandingly that really got the audience to feel for his character. Overall, Suho's cold demeanour towards others, except for the very few people he cares about definitely swayed the viewers, but as time went by, he came out of his shell. His growth is worth mentioning and as a viewer, I felt proud like he was my friend as well.
Jugyeong
Jugyeong is the 'angel' of Saebom High school with her beautiful looks that attracts attention across the school, but underneath that mask lies deep struggles in self-love, self-acceptance, and trauma that shaped her into the person she is known as. She also has a dysfunctional family which was shown more in the webtoon. Jugyeong is a selfless and kind-hearted character that never fails to be there for others and empathises with those around her very deeply. She is the most memorable character for her dorkiness, clumsy and child-like personality. I loved her character development the most as it shows her overcoming her struggles with assertiveness and confidence. Her story is very empowering and inspiring that I could resonate with some of the feelings that she felt throughout the drama and it made me want to hug her as well. I especially loved the relationship development between herself and her family which was touching, indeed, the message behind her story is heartfelt and something that I wish I had known when I was a teenager. To some, her character can be very unlikeable due to her naive-ness and clueless traits, but that can be justified.
This prompts me onto my next point that I did find her character unlikeable at times due to her being portrayed as naive and her somewhat selfish acts that took place, though these were subtle and didn't cause me to dislike her overall. Again, the character was well portrayed I really did feel connected to her as an individual.
Watching Moon Ga Young from her previous role in 'Tempted', I was amazed at how vastly different these characters are and Moon Ga Young was competent in showing the goofy, but emotional side to Jugyeong. She is one of my favourite actors out there.
Seojun
Seojun, shown to be the badass; unlikeable; presumptuous character in the early stages of the drama, stole the hearts of many viewers out there, including myself. Seojun has a very baddie and somewhat intimidating exterior, but later, shows his caring and soft side. He has a very dorky, goofy, and selfless demeanour and is a family-orientated person. It is fair to say that he created one of the most iconic moments for the drama with his humour. At first, it showed his overarching responsibility as the older brother, but that kind of faded away over time. We first see him being stirred into trouble with a group of guys from a different high school. However, this subplot wasn'twell executed because we never saw the events that led up to the incident and Seojun's relationship with them. This drama touched upon Seojun's trauma against the idol scene and his mental health towards his past unfortunate events. We later see that his self-blame and handling of the situation was expressed very negatively that caused a detrimental effect on someone that he cared for. The reasonings were later revealed. As a result, his character development was very touching, and he is the true epitome of holding accountability for his actions. As the drama progressed, we saw a much softer side to him towards the one he liked. It is quite true to say that out of the events, it broke the hearts of many and made us feel truly hurt with every scene he was in, but out of that, more love for the character was developed. Overall, I particularly loved the dynamics to his character that made him more realistic and relatable. I'll repeat for the other two characters, he was a character that I also wanted to give an immense hug for.
I do have to say that Seojun was kind of treated like a side-line character that did not have much background to him as the drama went on. The drama didn't do justice to Seojun's feelings compared to the webtoon and didn't show much of his life story which I was quite saddened about.
Watching Hwang In Yeop in previous roles like the 'Tale of Nokdu' and 'W.H. Y', I think he did an outstanding job in portraying Han Seojun with the character's dynamic personality and displayed his emotions brilliantly. I'm glad he was able to play this character as I wouldn't be able to imagine anyone else playing Han Seojun the way Hwang In Yeop did
Sujin
Another top-student and was known as the 'strong female lead' for her amazing skill in martial arts and the protector of her friends. Sujin is shown to be quite competitive in life with a strong and powerful demeanour. Although she is shown in that way, we do get to see her more vulnerable side which is where her story comes in. I liked the approach the writers took with the disparities of her character as it leaves the audience feeling for her much more. I especially love her character development.
Park Yoo Na does an incredible job in showing the two sides of Sujin and my love for her as an actor has really grown from 'Sky Castle', she's amazing.
Extra points on Seojun and Suho
I feel like it's worth talking about Seojun and Suho as individual characters side-by-side because, from my perspective, I do believe that this drama kind of sheds light on the contrasting situations between these two.
I firmly believe that these two characters portrayed their struggles in different ways. Suho, having nobody by his side to support him emotionally, he was left alone with tackling his inner demons. He felt loneliness because of having nobody. This left him to deal with events that came up in his life in an unhealthy way.
On the other hand, Seojun had friends and family by his side, this means that he was able to deal with the events that occurred in his life in a slightly healthier way. However, with that being said, Seojun never had anyone he was able to confide in. He had people that were there for him to fill in that space of emptiness, but he did not have anyone that he could truly relate to and be himself with.
The moral of the story is, I believe that one can struggle in different ways. You can feel lonely with or without people and that solely depends on who you have around you. Therefore, I value the friendship that the three main leads have. Jugyeong was able to fill in that space and change their lives as well as them changing hers. Thus, I think this show was meaningful to watch for the development of the three and their individual stories.
Honourable mentions
The supporting cast have been heavily involved in the story, bringing depth towards each character. The show doesn't just present the story of the main characters, but also shines a light on the supporting cast and their personalities. They included everybody that brought together this drama and made it 'True Beauty'. Tae Hoon, Hyun Gyu, and Soo Ah are definitely supportive friends that you'd want in your life, HeeKyung is one of those independent and strong female characters that play opposite gender roles in a relationship, Mr. Han is the supportive teacher we all need in life with his cute, clumsy and innocent personality; Cho Rong with his funny and relatable personality traits, Juyoung and his hilarious, cocky and dorky personality, Go Woon with her adorable and strong exterior and Jugyeong's hilarious and supportive parents. And lastly, Se Mi. Although she is the antagonist of the show, it wouldn't be 'True Beauty' without mentioning how her relationship with Jugyeong brought this story together I loved how all the individual characters that contributed to the value of this drama with memorable moments that we will all cherish.
Music
The music was quite fitting to the drama with my favourite song 'Missing You' and 'it Starts Today'. There wasn't one song that really stood out to me and the one that was deemed as the number one song for the drama. I think that every song was good in its own ways.
Rewatch value
I'm not really the one to watch an entire series again, I would only watch the highlights, however, I would rewatch this drama to relive the moments that this show has brought and understand more things on a deeper level. On the contrary, I wouldn't want to because of the emotional rollercoaster that the show put us through. But on a serious note, there were some happy, laughable, and treasuring moments this show had that made the audience connect with the cast and the story more, so I would deem this as rewatchable.
Conclusion
I would recommend you watch this to get the best of both worlds, if you're a webtoon fan and if you want to see the story being brought to life. Would I say I'd prefer this over the webtoon? It's not a straightforward question to answer as both have their pros and cons. As I said, you would have more connection with the characters like if they were your friends that you don't feel much in the webtoon.
If you're not a webtoon fan, then I would say it's a light-hearted, sweet series that is fun to watch. But that's all down to your personal tastes.
To conclude, I was undermining the story at first and was doubtful of the direction of where this drama was going, but I turned out to like this drama more than I'd thought with a few beautiful messages behind it. It's worth a watch. You can delve deeper into the other topics that are included in the story that's not just about the romance. The most integral thing out of the series I would mention is the chemistry between the actors behind the scenes. It was touching and cute, very family-like. Also, to mention individual efforts that were made towards the series. I believe these are a crucial element in bringing together a memorable and well-executed drama.
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First of all, I would like to give credits to the writers for such an incredible storyline. I'm not really into watching stuff about supernatural creatures, but this drama made me very intrigued about the supernatural beings and it was for sure interesting to learn about Goblins and Grim Reapers. The writers did a splendid job with connecting the stories of the characters with their past lifetimes and their strategic plans of piecing everything together. From my perspective, it is a very original storyline.
Gong Yoo playing as Kim Shin/Goblin was mesmerising. Since watching this drama, I have developed a crush on him. He's got such a tender smile that could light up the entire universe. Every scene was such a treat. Every piece of happiness he got, the sadness and the laughs, all of those were portrayed so well for his character. So sweet, loveable, yet a past that was so unfortunate. It's also worth mentioning that I also fell in love with him because of his boyfriend/husband material: classy in style, funny, cute and a bit of a goofball.
Kim Go Eun as Ji Eun Tak was super cute and adorable. A lot of people found her annoying, but I found her behavior justifiable, but it really depends on how you look from it. Her character didn't really bother me at all, I loved her character and her development.
Lee Dong Wook as Grim Reaper/Wang Yeo was a bit frightening due to his lack of expression haha, but I was really drawn into his character. I have never sympathise with a character just as much as him. Such a huge puppy in this drama and the best 'crier' I have seen yet.
I loved all the cast, they portrayed their characters really well, amazing acting and I never wished for anyone different.
The story is amazing. The love stories were phenomenal and story. Not only that, but the bromance between the Goblin and Grim Reaper was epic, I found myself shipping them more than the real lovers at times aha. The story will definitely leave you drowning in your own tears, but will certainly make your heart flutter and internally scream. It's funny, sad, beautiful, romantic, tragic, heartbreaking...
The music for this drama was good, some of the songs were not really my cup of tea, but all of them were perfect for this drama. I'm glad that they used Round and Round for the intro, dramatic, yet so mysterious. Beautiful by Crush, Stay with Me and Round and Round are my main favourites.
I find myself pondering on if I should rewatch this series again even though I just finished watching it. This is the first KDrama where I had thoughts on rewatching every single episode again from the very beginning. I am going to hold back for now, but I will certainly rewatch this again to relive those moments and find the time frames at where certain scenes happened.
Definitely recommend this drama, it is worth watching. You know when a drama is good when you feel every emotion that the characters are feeling.
It will certainly take me a long while to move on from this drama, if not I don't think I ever will
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