addicted2dramas
India
Kim Tae Ri does it again!
I'm reeling from the ending of this drama. I rarely post reviews of dramas anymore but here's the first one in 2023 that made me want to sit and type this out. This drama had times I was seriously creeped out, laughing, frustrated, lost and even sad. It's main theme is about greed and ultimately the price we pay for this deadly sin.PLOT:
I didn't quite get the synopsis of the drama and even the first episode made little sense to me. What attracted me to it was Kim Tae Ri and the reason why I stuck around was much more than that. The plot is investigative, creepy and very complex. While once we get to the climax, everything makes sense a lot of times I doubted whether the writer even knew what they wanted to ultimately write about or how they would go about resolving this absolutely intricate plot. The backstories seem frustrating in the beginning but ultimately that was the favourite part of the plot for me.
CHARACTERS:
This is a character-driven story. What happens in it from the beginning to the end are all choices that characters are actively making. It also makes you question about morals, sacrifices and what ultimately humanity is. What I love about the drama is that ultimately it shows that human beings are selfish to the core and the price we pay for our actions. At the same time, it contrasts with the fact that we - as selfish and scheming we are, are also creatures longing for love and acceptance. Sometimes we make choices for love or desire or sometimes we are aimlessly chasing the material world and fail to recognize the beauty of life around us.
ACTING:
Not much to say here. Kim Tae Ri absolutely nailed her role and I also loved the supporting cast. The actresses in the flashbacks did wonderful jobs as well. However what holds the drama together is surely Kim Tae Ri's performance and I am proud of the diversity in the projects she picks for herself.
ENDING:
A rather simple but realistic ending. All's not always well even if it ends well. We still carry the pain and trauma we went through. We should be brave enough to carry on living rather than just surviving.
SPECIAL MENTION: I usually find knocking sounds quite scary and this drama just amplifies that. The props, set and the special effects were really impressive for a 12-episode drama.
OVERALL:
It's a must-watch. This drama goes beyond darkness and horror- it's ultimately about the story of humans and the way we live life. I must say it also says to appreciate the life we have and be more conscious of the way we continue to live in it. Kindness and peace goes a long way.
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Is this worth the hype? I say YES!
'The Glory' has been sitting on my to-watch list since it was announced and the synopsis wasn't too clear to me. There were only hate comments and trolls commenting on yet another age-gap drama that Song Hye Kyo was going to star in. That too a Kim Eun Sook drama! I'm so glad this drama is so good that it rocked everyone's socks off and no one will talk crap anymore because this is the type of drama that leaves one speechless.PLOT (+trigger warning: bullying):
I thought this drama would be filled with bullying scenes but thankfully majority were restricted to ep 1 with snippets every other episode. I know how brutal bullying can get in Korean dramas / films and don't always have the stomach for it. But since I heard the incident in this was based on a real-life victim, I decided to sit through it. I must say nothing felt forced or exaggerated. It was very realistic and the writers have done an amazing job of building up the story and the characters.
ACTING:
I must say this is the best stuff I have seen from Song Hye Kyo. This is a nice, mature role she chose and seems to be more challenging than some of her previous works. I am not very familiar with the supporting cast but so far all of them have entertained me with their acting - especially the crazy bully adults.
OVERALL:
Since we are just 8 episodes in, I am invested but also doubtful of how this drama will pan for rest of the series / Season 2. My experience with Korean dramas has always been great build ups leading to unsatisfying endings (Penthouse & Reborn Rich - I'm looking at you). I hope justice prevails and the main protagonist gets her revenge and happy ending. It would be unfair to let the bullies get away.
If you're looking for an intense, gripping watch then look no further.
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PLOT:
Initially it was challenging for me to get invested in the drama. I have no prior knowledge of Chinese history nor had any interest in it before I watched this drama. The set-up was a huge bore for me but with good storytelling and a compelling cast, it managed to lure me in and I am glad I stuck with it. The premise is a little basic and in some ways - senseless. However, being a weakling for cross-dressing plots, I wanted to watch it. I usually forgo of my intelligence when it comes watching such dramas. With this drama I found myself relating to these characters who were fighting for the independence / against an enemy ruler as it was very similar to some incidents from my home country's struggle in the past. I also appreciated that the drama was really funny and didn't bore me of with independence/revolt talks all the time. The action / violence was well-balanced and only towards the end did it become a little bloody and messy.
CHARACTERS:
The characters are all their own individuals and very well-rounded. What also stands out in this drama is the friendship and bond between our main characters. Gu Yanzhen, Liancheng, Huang Song, Qu Man Ting, Xiaojun and Shen Junshuan will always remain memorable to me. They were excellent characters and their friendship was very deep. It was really nice to see strong females who stood up for themselves and the free-spirited attitude of Qu Man Ting really stole the show for me. Apart from this Gu Yanzhen was unbelievably funny and cute - he was mostly playful but displayed a badass side when it came to protecting his loved ones in the need of the hour. Plus,Xu Kai is pure eye candy which helps. Junshuan was the typical uptight guy but I loved his portrayal by Toby Lee. He was very handsome. I had a hard time connecting with Liang Chen because there were times her actions made sense and at times she frustrated me. In fact the weakest part of the story was her. There's also a few villains who were okay but Xianrong was nicely done on her part.
ROMANCE + ACTING:
Now let me get to the ranting. Xu Kai and Toby Lee steal the show. I can't decide who was better because they were both that good and convincing. However as I am a Xu Kai fangirl, I'll just praise him some more. I couldn't get enough of his cute moments. He was the typical playful yet jealous boyfriend who is ready to do anything to get the attention of the girl. There was moments which had me laughing like crazy and some where I was sad when his heart was breaking. What frustrated me here was the lack of reciprocation from our female lead. The love triangle/quadrangle is long drawn and I am not sure if I am fully in agreement with it. Liang Chen seemed more invested in the 2nd ML and frankly, they were better suited. I also felt super bad for Qu Man Ting as I believe that she sincerely loved our ML and they also good chemistry with each other. It's just my heart kept breaking for Yanzhen (thanks to Xu Kai) repeatedly and I honestly would have written a hate review if the FL handn't woken up. Thankfully I knew of its happy ending, else my patience would have run out. She doesn't show much emotion towards him till the last few episodes which was frankly a long wait (although she did show some feelings in the middle). I wonder if it was the script or Bai Lu's weak sides of acting showing through as she was outperformed by her other cast members. I was sad to know that most of the romance was edited out and the slight LGBTQ+ tones were also smoothed out.
OST:
The opening theme is quite cool.
REWATCH VALUE:
Maybe one day I'll watch it again. The funny Xu Kai scenes are 100% rewatchable lol.
OVERALL:
In its essence, this drama is about people- friendship and love really does endure all. It also has some great messages about appreciating the sacrifices of our older generation and being loyal to one's own country. The cast did a solid job and this drama is one of the best C-dramas I have watched till date. It was well made with the only lacking things being the editing of some romance scenes and Bai Lu's acting not being at par with the others, which was forgivable. At least we get a female lead who can fight and hold her own. She didn't need to be rescued at every step. The cast is quite nice and the story fits in as well. The ending was a bit average but I was glad to see most of my favourites make it through.
I recommend watching this drama if you can get past the era it is set in. The cast will compel you to stay and the moments of frienship and humour won't make you regret picking it up.
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PLOT:
The plot is basic. It is inspired by Reply series and revolves around 5 childhood friends who grew up in the same neighbourhood block. They all attend school, are all unique in their ways and it follows their adventures during high school. I honestly loved all five of them - they were unique, loyal and funny as heck. Arguing with families, struggling with studies and finances, the interactions between parent-child, the hope of youth, fangirling, skipping class, falling in love - they do all of this in the drama. There is no negativity anywhere and it showed how real people are. I am sure everyone can find something relatable in this drama. As for me - this resonated a lot with my own childhood. It reminded me of some of my stupid classmates and my own school crushes. This drama couldn't have done it better.
CHARACTERS:
Tan Song and Cheng Zi are cute as eff. Tan Song is a playful, jealous boy that the actor did an amazing job of. Cheng Zi took some time to grow on me but she was very cute and innocent. Their friends Jinxiao and Jinzhaoa re hilariously opposite and Zui(? - i forgot his name) was too cute for words. They reminded me of Reply characters and the way Song and Cheng Zi bicker was very similar to Shi Won and Yoon Jae's bickering in Reply 1997. Their parents are also portrayed as hard-working and supportive which I terribly liked. The romance was lacking but I wasn't missing out on that since their friendship made up for any lack of it.
REWATCH VALUE:
Surely, I'd love to watch this again a few months or year from now on. Maybe I'll see more sides to the characters which I might have missed the first time around. This drama is very re-watchable.
OVERALL:
I highly recommend this. It's not a fancy drama nor does it portray glam lives like Gossip Girl. However, it perfectly captures the innocence of teenage years and will leave you highly nostalgic. It's a bit slow - so if you don't like the characters then you won't enjoy it all. However, if you stick around - I promise it would be an enjoyable one. Every friend is unique and have strong personalities. I am up for a 2nd Season if they ever got around to making one.
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Mamma mia, I liked Untamed. It's been ages since I have been so happy, sad, frustrated, joyed and had butterflies all at the same time. I feel like I have found a new happy place to be in for some time. All us Wangxiao shippers love the boys to bits and this is something that unites us all.
I want to thank whoever decided to adapt this novel into a series. I also want to thank all the fans for hyping the series up and bringing it to my notice. If this series hadn't existed, I wouldn't have found my happy place and this gem. I probably sound like a deluded fangirl but this pair made me go crazy. Now, onto the review:
STORY:
It's a wonderful story. Has its ups and downs and highs and lows. Sometimes it ripped my heart out, sometimes it made me laugh and other times made me want to throw a shoe at the screen. I disagree with whoever that says it is flawless. It's flawed but has perfect moments and Wangxiao made it perfect. I wished Wu Xian wasn't a frigging damn, selfless twit all the time. The writer really loved making him suffer and making sure his life was hell. He was always the most pitiful character which was also annoying at times.
THE SHIP/BROMANCE:
I noticed it at around ep 2/3 when Lan Zhan recognizes Wu Xian -that STARE. Their plot started off light, I started developing interest and then it disappeared for a while. When it came back, I realized it was why I was in all along. Seriously all the best moments are there after ep 33. <3 Heck, it's so epic that even the Chinese censorship can't contain its awesomeness. The boys are delightful to LOOK at, act well and had amazing chemistry together. I have never seen a better-looking pair, regardless of gender in any drama. What I also loved was the relationship between the characters was pure and it was about the connection they had. The best part of it all was how it was all regardless of the gender. It was something two human beings shared- you may call it love, friendship or brotherhood.
WHAT SUCKED:
1) Making Wu Xian into a pitiful character who always has to be the one giving and having stones thrown at him in return, being kicked, humiliated and trashed
2) Killing off so many characters - all the good ones that mattered in Wu Xian's life ; it was TOO much
3) The sufferings laid on Wen Ning - WHYYYYYYYYYYY????????
4) The censorship where things were obvious anyway
5) The idiotic sleazy bad guys
6) Jiang Cheng's stupidity was unforgivable and he was never worth Wu Xian's sacrifices
WHAT WORKED:
1) Lan Zhan x Wu Xian
2) Awesome stares from Lan Zhan
3) The good looks of the boys
4) Some kind of justice being served
5) Sparing Wen Ning - seriously this drama would have been rated lower by me if he also didn't survive
6) I loved Wen Qing - such a good, interesting character!
MUSIC:
It's interesting. Apparently the Chinese also praised it for the use of traditional instruments
REWATCH VALUE:
Heck yes, a 100%
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I expected so much more from this show! While the acting and the chemistry between the lead pair is very good, it falls flat on so many levels. The character of Kim Boong Do is funny and different, but Hee Jin is just a pretty girl. However, I am a fan of Yoo In Na so I found her adorable. Even Ji Hyun Woo is pretty impressive as an actor. He carried out both the Joseon era and the modern avatar very well at the same time. So that was probably the best thing about the show.
However, at times it seemed too clumsy. The Joseon settings weren't that impressive and there were so many plotholes in the story. While the last episode was difficult to stand, the episodes between 10-15 were simply brilliant. I was very impressed by the executed sub plots within these episodes. But the last one was simply atrocious. I would like to pretend that it didn't exist. It hardly served any purpose and the way he comes back passed as laughable. The story had set me with soaring expectations with the way it was being written until the very end. See- writing a good story is only successful when the ending is just as good as rest of the show. In this case, the hilarity of the last episode ruins the show for me. I would have rated it much higher if they had ended it just as well as they had set me up for. Also, I feel frustrated that all my questions weren't answered until the end. With the constant time shifts, the writers tried to leave out some things unresolved.
So, its rewatch value is very low. I am probably never going to watch this show again entirely. Only good parts were those between In Na and Hyun Woo because they were so adorable together. But I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys cute romance because this show has plenty of that and it does feel fresh compared to other dramas.
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One of the better Chinese dramas this year
Storm Eye has been an awaited drama for many fans of Yang Mi and Zhang Bin Bin. Let's be honest that it isn't the kind of genre one would watch without being a fan of the leads. I was waiting for this for the longest time and glad that I got to watch it- as most "awaited" ones never even premiere.STORY/PLOT:
The idea of Storm Eye is cool. I like FBI/National Intelligence Agency kind of dramas- where the leads are cool and smart. There is always a thrill in chasing the bad guy and the main characters getting to act out interesting scenarios like spies/leading double lives. This drama is somehow different. It wasn't really thrilling- the bad guys were ok, the main plot of some technology being stolen from China was sort of meh (and highly ironic), the leads characters were just okay and so was the team. The interesting bad guy was awfully under-utilized and the real ones were sort of satirical.
WHAT WORKS:
The leads and the main cast- Yang Mi, Zhang Bin Bin, the guy who played Qiao Xiuchan(?) and Daisy Dai were wonderful in their roles. They really kept me interested and kept the story going. I would have to say Bin Bin did amazing and Daisy was just beautiful. Yang Mi's role was nice and suited her pretty well. Some plots of the story were fun and the violence or thriller side never got too overwhelming. Even the direction was pretty decent.
WHAT DIDN'T WORK:
The plot about the ores, company secrets and technology being on the threat of "getting stolen" was unconvincing. Most of it sounded make-belief and I wished the main "threat" itself was stronger. The bad guys were fun until they weren't and the pacing of the drama was very inconsistent. I also got tired of the Miao sisters getting deceived and crying all the time. Also, ironically I thought the Intelligence guys were pretty incompetent. All they did was theorize and depend on the surveillance guys and what I found funniest was them sucking at fights. Perhaps I am used to Hollywood, but this was just a mild version in comparison,
ROMANCE:
I liked the little touch of the romance. Yang Mi and Bin Bin have very good, believable chemistry and their interactions were fun. I didn't expect this at all so I won't complain about the lack of it.
ACTING:
Very decent. ZBB steals the show.
OVERALL:
I can see a lot of episodes were cut and some scenes often felt rushed / incomplete. I wished we dedicated more time to certain plots more than the others. The ending scene was okay but I felt like there was more scope and it even left things open for a Season 2. I will watch if they ever made it.
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At first, it felt like the sub plots and other characters would get interesting eventually but it never happened. But the saving grace of the show was the character of Han Gyul portrayed excellently by Gong Yoo. I have no problems with the actress who played Eun Chan but I just didn't like her character. She seemed innocent and adorable in the beginning but turned downright selfish after that. However, when does admit she was wrong for lying to the Han Gyul, I appreciated her in that moment. But after the revelation of her being a girl to him, the story became boring. I felt like there was nothing left in it after that. Their relationship kind of became lackluster for my taste. I only enjoyed the homosexual angle of their relationship and that too got dragged unnecessarily.
I don't feel like it was a well written show. The characterizations were also lazy. Only good direction and great performances by the cast makes a practically terrible show into an almost very good one. Apart from the main lead pair, I didn't care for anyone. But they have some very strong emotional moments.I felt like Yoo Joo's character was underused and they kind of made her annoying by the end. Min Yeop provided with hilarity and I kind of found his acts cute.
And I don't know what to make of the rest of the show or even its ending. There is hardly anything there for me to say about it.
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The story is a very good one. It is pretty captivating right from the beginning. No problems there.
The whole cast is fairly good looking and they all gave good performances. The drama had all your typical moments of love, sadness, anxiety, anger and what-not. It was fast paced up till the fourteenth episode or so and after that it kind of deteriorated. It dragged on for way longer than was necessary. I would have probably lost interest if it wasn't for Gu Jun Pyo aka Lee Min Ho. I was not very fond of the actress who plays Guem Jan Di but she grew on me as the series progressed. They could have hired someone who Lee Min Ho had better chemistry with, but that actress gave a good performance throughout so I am not going to criticize her unfairly just because she wasn't pretty enough. I actually found her friend much prettier and better dressed than she was, but in the end it was Guem Jan Di who stole the show. The character of Ji Hoo was also lovable although his whole grandfather's plot wasn't that interesting. I feel like he should have had been given a better plot because his character had tremendous potential.
Gu Jun Pyo is of course the one who steals the spotlight in the end because of his impeccable performance and a very strong characterization. A typical rich, hot, "bad" boy who loves unconditionally can win over any girl.
The show had pretty solid dramatization and the complications never fell weak. It reminded me of Bollywood movies almost all through it.
However, it is a show I can enjoy any other time and would strongly recommend it to everyone who enjoys strong characters, good romance, glamour, drama and cute boys. It has everything in it.
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A forgettable "epic" story
I have never seen any of prior Novoland installments but heard that one can watch these without much knowledge of the universe so I picked this up anyway. Of course, my biggest attraction towards the drama was due to William Chan and Yang Mi. They are both good looking actors and I'm a big fan of William Chan's acting in whatever capacity I've seen him. Plus, I am still waiting for Yang Mi's next TMOPB successor drama. Alas, this drama falls short of what could have been and ends up being a skippable one if one asks for my opinion.PLOT:
I understood their world but there wasn't enough fantasy and magic for me to be intrigued to check out any other Novoland dramas. The first episode was solid but the rest of the drama was a compilation of highs, lows and very frustrating hair pulling / facepalm moments. I have to say that the main couple had a lot of potential but the slow burn just dragged on and on till the spark was almost on the verge of extinguishing out. The secondary couple however, are much more complex and interesting than the main one. But if I had to be honest I gave enough crap about Shifu-disciple and evil emperor-abused wife plots to hang around. The court drama was also written well but for me the two couples always overshadowed the true purpose of the plot.
CAST:
I have to say that I was very much pleased with William Chan's performance. His character was like a mute wooden statue and he ended up pulling even that. I liked Yang Mi's portrayal till it got super boring with her as a crossdresser and she was just flat most of the times. Xu Kaicheng played the emperor well and I'd love to see him and Tilan in another drama in the future. I think with a bit of improvement, XKC can become one of the better actors in China. The rest of the supporting cast was also fine but I didn't give much heed to them.
WHAT WORKED:
-Performances of William Chan and Xu Kaicheng along with the Tilan actress
-Slow burn of will-they / won't they
-Baixi and the poison plot
WHAT SUCKED:
-Yang Mi's crossdressing
-Poor communication between main leads
-The abuse emperor posed upon Tilan till he did a 180 degree
-The Ending
OVERALL:
I liked this drama and was always looking forward to the next episode. I liked the mermaid and war-talk but the ending just didn't work for me. This drama was too brutal and isn't even a real story so I fail to see why the writer couldn't have written a better ending. The ones who suffered were doomed from the start and it was like there was nothing to look forward to anymore. Some plots dragged on forever and the fantastical and romantic elements that could've been explored more just underused. I swear this shows that in spite of S+ class budget, Cdramas need better scripts and do some fanservice at the same time. This drama has too many shortcomings to make it to my list of favourites from this year like The Long Ballad (which was much, much better).
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Don't get me wrong everything is great about the drama- the cast, its characters and the introduction. The only thing it did not have was a plot. Actually it did. The sad thing was that the writer tried to fit an excellent 10-episode plot into 20 episodes. That ends up making it 10 episodes of absolute filler and no sense of purpose or direction. It's a shame because it could have been a great drama but resulted in being boring and skippable.
I started this drama knowing about the age gap but I ended up wanting an awesome sunbae-hoobae relationship instead. To me the lead pair weren't very shippable and most of their romantic scenes were cringe. I also found them unbelievable because their back story isn't as strong as it is usually in Kdramas.
To me the second leads were a complete waste. Yoon Gyun Sang and Lee Sung Kyung are both devastatingly attractive people and decent actors who deserved more than they got. Park Shin Hye was at her best in this role. I do not think she is capable of acting better than she did here. Kim Rae Won always leaves something to desire and I am yet to see him in something that impresses me.
There is a chance this drama may end up appealing to some people- fans of the cast, fans of medical dramas or fans of dramas that have lesser makjang than usual. The first four episodes were a lot of makjang but later on it was more of an everyday hospital setup than a revenge drama, which it set out to be initially.
This drama has one of the most forgettable soundtracks I have seen listened to. There is not a single memorable track from this.
To me this is one of the tens of other forgettable dramas I've watched. However give it a chance if you are looking for something where things are not too serious and characters are kidding around. Get through the first few tearjerking episodes and you are in for a mostly light ride with a number of likable characters. Not to mention attractive people. :D
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The plot is funny and never bores you. There is one absolutely hilarious moment every episode and almost most of the other times also it makes you laugh. It is pretty lighthearted and the cast is very likable. Although I don't think Young-Jae was a very nice guy, it seemed like Ji-eun's love for him was true and unshakable. It did drag longer than required but the cast was good enough to make me stick to it.
I particularly found Ji-Eun, Hae-Won and Min-Hyuk to be very beautiful people. Their dressing style and the shooting locations were pretty eye-catching. I also like their house a lot.
It's just one of those dramas where you can grab a bowl of popcorn and watch it without worrying about too much drama. It will definitely not fail to make you laugh.
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This review may contain spoilers
Wasn't Worth the time
I went into this drama not expecting much. However the initial few episodes were quite cute and funny. However by the end somehow the writer managed to ruin it all.PLOT:
It was alright for a cute watch but some of the writing is the laziest and most pointless ever. The female lead is cute and male lead is a typical tsundere. Had it been just a plain romance drama without any crazy drama like it was initially- it would have become my favourite. However with the introduction of the stalker, weird ass 2nd leads, insufferable side characters, cancer plot and time separation - I would have rated it higher. I thought the beginning made no sense but the last few episodes got worse. The ending was downright horrible and all of it was crazy writing. I wonder why the production companies can't cut the dramas shorter or make some side story episodes if they ran out of things to write in the story instead of this mess I watched?
ACTING:
If it wasn't for the leads the drama would be annoying to no end. Go Ara somehow passes off well as a young female in her 20's and manages to look pretty throughout. The character suited her better than some of her older roles. Not the biggest fan of Lee Jae Wook but he is quite promising. I think given he's so young, he is a good actor and can surely mature in the future. He has a bright future given he chooses the right projects. My favourite was Shin Eun Soo who blew me away with her cuteness. I would kill to see her in more school/college type of dramas as she is so young and cute too. Rest of the side characters were forgettable.
OST:
It has some nice songs but none that became my fave yet.
REWATCH VALUE:
This doesn't exist for an already-difficult-to-watch-once type of drama. Next.
OVERALL:
I won't be recommending this drama unless you are a diehard stan of either of the leads. If you are looking for a good story, maybe look elsewhere. If you just want the fuzzies and don't care about the actual plot then dive right in at your own discretion. I am giving it a pity 6 just for the few laughs I got in the beginning episodes.
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STORY + CHARACTERS:
Nothing special - it's a cliche done multiple times before. However, I felt like this version had a charm that maybe the older versions lacked. The story isn't ground-breaking by any means but it kept me entertained enough. It has a fresh cast that pulled me in, with a beautiful summer backdrop (what a BEAUTIFUL house and LOCATION it was) and some cute scenes. Our leads are young and blend well. The heroine is sweet and stays innocently so till the end. The male lead is a bit immature but he was more likable than other version leads. What I liked was that the story wasn't replicated 100% but still retained the charm that Full House series has to offer. They did away with some infuriating plots and added other annoying ones - which leads me to rate it lower than my enjoyment factor.
The story drags in places and in some places the pacing was fine. I had a SLS syndrome in this version although the childhood angle was cheesy as heck. I wish they the main leads had more romance but I liked that the male lead was sincere towards the female lead more than the previous versions. He was always respectful to her, which I liked (original version had yelling all the time). There was no female childhood love interest which he pined after which was a PLUS. The unexpected amnesia plot and the ending made no sense to me otherwise I would have rated it higher.
CAST:
I don't think the cast were great at acting. However they were charming - especially the main leads and the 2nd male lead. The actors were what kept me glued till the end and I was unable to drop this drama. Even the female lead's friends were well-casted and were very good-looking. I must admit the visuals of the cast added to the overall likability of the drama. The parents and grandma were all likable as well which I enjoyed.
MUSIC:
I skipped the music scenes. I barely ever make out the OST of C-dramas because I always turn down the volume and watch as I can't stand the dubbing much.
OVERALL:
I'd recommend to watch this if you have nothing to do. I happened to have a bit of free time and patience hence I rolled with it. It wasn't a memorable drama but it was worth my time and I enjoyed giving this a chance.
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STORY:
Childhood tragedies, misunderstandings, "cold" CEO, mistreated heroine, annoying second leads - this drama has it all. What sets this drama apart are the lovely main couple and the awesome male lead. The cliches are not too overbearing but it could have done with less focus on these plots. Misunderstandings are there but the main couple sails through everything. I couldn't get too invested in the 2nd leads. The side couple was also cute and the heroine's family was simply horrible.
CHARACTERS:
The male is very awesome. He seems like a control freak in regards to his honesty and lack of understanding when it came to people lying. I wouldn't say the reason behind it all made sense to me. The heroine was cute and had slow growth which I like. With the support of the male lead she grows a backbone and learns to stand up for herself. Her friend and the friend's boyfriend were super cute. However I hated her family. They were cartoonishly wicked and I couldn't forgive anyone till the end. I did love the main female lead's loyalty and friendship with her best friend. A special mention to the male lead's sister - extremely cute and smart kid. She made me smile every single time she appeared on the screen and turned the mood around.
ROMANCE:
If there is a reason to watch this drama - it's the romance. The leads have very good chemistry and their skinship seemed very real and mature. The hero's devotion to the main girl won me over and the actor won me over too. They seemed like a real couple to me at times! The kisses and hugs were all very cute and warm. The secondary couple was also sweet although their development was a bit slow. I couldn't care enough for the chasing second leads and their actions in trying to force the couple apart were a bit pathetic at times.
OVERALL:
I would recommend this drama for a few characters. A lot of annoying plots and twists are also there but you can always skip those scenes/characters. Heroine's "revenge" on her evil family was satisfying to watch and her cousin remained pathetic till the end. Thankfully, the good parts outweighed the bad parts but it could have been shorter.
REWATCH VALUE:
YES. Yes to all those butterfly-inducing kisses between the leads. I will watch them again and also keep an eye for the main actor's future works.
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