STORY + CHARACTERS:
There was no story. It's just about a ditzy, vain actress who falls for an icy doctor. Yes, the leads were cute but I never got invested in them. It felt like watching a compilation of scenes where I felt like I missed the initial build up. Because there was NONE. They fell in love out of nowhere and I wanted to smack the main girl because she annoyed me to no end. Her dumbness wasn't cute after a few episodes. There was no growth in her nor the male lead's character, What didn't help was the annoying sister of the male lead. She was infuriating to no end. There is a secondary couple in the drama as well who got the majority screentime, a below average story and no chemistry. I didn't like anyone.
ACTING:
Here is where I feel bad. The actors did the best they could. Ryan Ding and Zhang Yu Xi are decent and watchable. It wasn't their fault that the script was lacking, there were no challenging scenes nor that there was no character growth. Entire drama seemed like a teenage girl's fantasy being adapted on screen. I liked Jiawei and the male lead's friend. They were both quite good at their roles.
MUSIC:
Didn't notice any. Meh.
OVERALL:
I like turning off my brain and watching cheesy romance films/dramas. However this one tread on boring and disappointing category for me. I felt like it was an insult to my intelligence had I kept on watching this story that started nowhere and ended no where. It should've been a middle-school drama instead of unrealistically portraying all adults as ditzy and shallow. I wish I could have liked this because it was a waste of the main leads' potential. I don't recommend this drama unless you have nothing to watch.
Was this review helpful to you?
The story isn't special nor is it different. It's like a generic Bollywood movie plot blended into Korean style. Yes, there's a Bollywood movie of a similar premise which I happen to dislike but this drama is way better. A drama which was a strong 9, the rating went down to an 8 because of a few issues which I couldn't overlook- the revelation happens too late and the last episode was downright awful.
Anyway, thanks to this drama I discovered Park Seo Joon and he is so handsome! I was skeptical about the drama as I didn't know the cast very well but they managed to make me like them a lot. Hwang Jung Eum has been on a roll since Secret. Seems like she's an actress whose works can be trusted. She seems to pick good dramas most of the times. She acted well in this drama as well. Also, Siwon was wonderful. He was cute and I managed to have Second Lead Syndrome a lot of times in spite of Park Seo Joon being there. :D
This plot may or may not be for everyone but I really like cute stories based on childhood love. Plus it had a good soundtrack. A couple of songs really stood out for me and I have them on my playlist for more than a month now.
These days romcoms themselves are rare and watchable ones are even rarer. I am glad I decided to give this drama a go because it was definitely worth all the time. Sadly, for me hardly any drama possesses rewatch value so I am gonna rate it low on that.
Was this review helpful to you?
The cast is quite likable. I felt like they all fit their roles really well and the characters weren't hard to like either. I really enjoyed the characters of Chief and the interns in the ER department. Although the main guy Oh Chang Min lacked depth, the humour made up for the lack of it. For me he was the main love interest just for the sake of it and Oh Jin Hee wasn't special either. I must say, though- having an attractive cast helps. Some of the side actors were so cute that every time they came on screen I welcomed their presence.
The best parts of the drama were the romantic scenes. I enjoyed those- especially the jealousy scenes. I also enjoyed the scenes between the Chief and Oh Jin Hee. They were so cute together and the Chief was all cool, manly, cute and all that. I would have given this drama a 10 if it weren't obvious who she would end up with. Plus I am prone to the second-lead syndrome, you know. Not always but some times.
I liked the OST but didn't love it. The medical aspects of the drama were cool but after a while I wasn't interested in their cases anymore.
Overall this drama has a good entertainment factor and watch it for some mindless fun. If you dislike immature characters, stay away from it as you might end up hating the main pair itself. But you might like the supporting characters so you may never know. :)
Was this review helpful to you?
The story is hardly anything new or different. Yet, it does something to suck you in. The cast is amazing and they make their characters very likable. It's a love triangle and there was sweet romance in it. My complain is that there should have been more time devoted to the romance between leads. There was some very boring office politics stuff after episode 16 that I had no interest in. Be prepared to skip a lot of boring parts in the drama after it runs half its course.
I have to say I love Xiao Jie. She is a strong woman and very grounded. I liked how she gave importance to her professional life over her personal problems. She never sat around moping because her life sucked. Joe Chen's wardrobe was also nice and she looked very pretty in this. My favorite guy was Tang Jun. I have a thing for silent lovers who play Daddy Long Legs to the girl because it's so sweet. Plus, he and Xiao Jie had an actual build up from strangers to friends to lovers. It was long and tiring but worth it in the end. Although Godfrey Gao is very hot, his acting was stiff and his character didn't impress me much, counting out the last episode where I liked him a lot.
In some ways this story reminded me of Hana Yori Dango. In both the dramas the main couple has to go through lots of obstacles to get together. I've just not seen a drama with so much makjang in a while. :D
The Queen of SOP is a happy and relaxing drama. It is a bit slow compared to Korean dramas and such but it has things in it that makes it so cute. At times a bit realistic and at times a bit too dramatic- this drama had it all. The best thing was the absence of melodrama. Seriously. No depressing stuff in a drama is like sunshine on a cold day for me. That alone is a reason to not let this pass up. Watch this drama and give it a chance. :)
Was this review helpful to you?
It has a very unique and original story. The 'himomo-onna' concept was hilarious and witty on the writer's part. Also, this show proves that a drama can do fine without cliches like crazy ex-girlfriends, psychotic family members or someone getting amnesia. It has a very different female character and male character as its leads.
Hotaru is a lazy, young woman who is ignorant of the world outside her house and office and oblivious to matters of love. She has never been in love nor ever thought about changing her way of living. But, in spite of being naive and behaving immaturely at times she has a mind of her own. When she is told that she is being bothersome, she snaps back and when she wishes to change herself- she does. I like that she did everything according to how she pleased even if she always didn't succeed in her goals. And though Hotaru's character is imperfect, Ayase Haruka played her part perfectly. She can look good, act very well and can tickle your funny bone too. I was surprised at how good she was with the comedy parts. I was tearing up with laughter during most of those scenes.
I have to mention the Manager. He is a nice and mature guy. He is the opposite of almost all regular heroes in dramas. In spite of the age difference between him and Hotaru, they managed to look cute and have chemistry together. My heart broke for him all the way till the end. He touched me and now I want a mature guy like him. I love the contrast in his and Hotaru's personalities. Not just that, he always supports her during all her times and accepts her just for who she is. This drama will keep you wondering whether he is the main lead or the second lead.
I also liked Teshima's character in the beginning but he became redundant towards the end. But he was crucial in order for Hotaru to grow up. He earned my respect. Actually, even he was pretty nice to her mostly but there's a time where it becomes apparent who was better among him and the Manager.
I loved how this show had no melodramatic moments. The best part definitely was the absence of interfering family members and bad villains. Nobody is the bad guy in this drama- maybe Hotaru herself is! This drama's romantic aspects were so different that it almost seemed like it was poking fun at all other dramas I have watched in a nonchalant way.
This is definitely one of the best and deep-without-seeming-deep dramas I have seen till date. You'll know what I mean after you watch this. ;)
Was this review helpful to you?
The drama has a good story and the build-up is pretty great. In spite of the simplicity of the plot, I was amazed at the depth it possessed otherwise. The feelings in the drama are very tangible and they left me feeling warm- much like its name. This is the happiest and lightest of all melodramas I have seen in spite of its sad elements. The plot isn't too heavy and is very smooth flowing until the very end. Only emotions drive the drama and keep you invested in them. The characters are likable (minus the 2nd leads) and I loved the chemistry the main characters had.
The otherwise robotic Song Seung Hoon surprisingly did a good job here. I suppose his looks were an added advantage in spite of his terrible hairstyle but he very well managed to put across the emotions his character was going through. Although he doesn't have an impressive range, I forgive him for that. I am not a very big fan of Son Ye Jin but she was downright lovely in this drama and acted with great poise.
Lately I have been a fan of stories having to do with fate and destiny and this one has that majorly. This drama treats love like fate and serendipity. It's about the inevitable and how something will happen if it has to. I loved the tone of the entire drama and it uses summer in an appealing way. You can see the beautiful backdrops and they are always quite in sync with the theme of summer. I love the cinematography and often dreamy, melancholic moments in the drama.
Although it has its sad parts, it isn't heavy or depressing. Another great thing about it is that it is not too majkang-tastic which often ruins most melodramas. I would like to compare it to Love Rain and say they have a lot in common- in a good way except this drama is better. This drama isn't too romantic but the feelings with which it is driven is fantastic. I also love one song from the OST which I will put on repeat till I get bored. I couldn't connect with some parts in the last episode and the ending isn't really satisfying but I liked how they filmed it. It at least didn't leave out the main question unanswered.
I would recommend this drama to hopeless romantics or those who don't mind a slow drama. This now goes down in my favourites list and I can say this is the best Season drama hands down with a memorable cast.
Was this review helpful to you?
This drama started out very promising. I loved the whole scenario and the way they teased the main couple's relationship kept me glued to my seat. But after a while, it kind of got lost or maybe I did. I have no idea what went wrong but I found my interest disappearing into thin air all of a sudden.
The main things happened too soon and there was nothing left in the story after that. I loved Rainie and Mike's scenes together, but it wasn't enough for me. All secondary characters were dreadful and none of them were able to reignite the interest that I had developed in this show.
Mostly, I decided to put it on-hold but I was afraid it would never come off that list so I fast forwarded through all episodes. It was boring, pointless and bland. The only good thing about this drama was the Devil himself. Mostly, I would call this as a wastage of time. I believe there are much better dramas that I can give my time to.
I'm done here. Now you can either call this as 'Helpful' or 'Not Helpful'.
Was this review helpful to you?
I liked the story. While the movie plays with the 'pure love' concept, its outtake on the whole thing is quite different. It's about a young art student who has a girlfriend. One day out of the blue he meets an attractive girl on the subway train and becomes fascinated with her. He seeks artistic inspiration from her and starts drawing her images. The next time he meets her he finds out she is the older sister of his girlfriend (Ouch!). In spite of that, he can't help but fall for her. Then the rest of the movie focuses on events that bring these two people together.
I think this movie makes you question a lot of things. As stated in the synopsis it makes you question- 'Is the person who stands next to you, is the person that gives you true comfort and love? Can you say that you love him/her from the bottom of your heart?'. In the end, you will have a very interesting answer. What I loved about this movie was how you can interpret it in so many ways. The behaviour of the characters can be perceived in a different way by every one who watches it. It raises the whole question of whether love can be used as an excuse to please your own self in spite of the fact that you are hurting someone else during the process?
I had a love-hate relationship with Ayuta's character and his actions. While the movie is slow without much action, it is shown in a melancholic way and has some tragedy attached to it. I loved the way it was shot- with nice locations and a steady camera. I've seen enough tragic movies and over here it plays out very abruptly which sort of makes the ending unsatisfactory.
It was made poorly otherwise it could have been so much better.
Was this review helpful to you?
While the story is cliche in all aspects, it has a certain charm to it. Rainie and Show both played their parts very well. I loved their chemistry and they were fun to watch together. I would say the last episode was a bit cheesy for my taste but the rest of it was fine. I particularly liked Rainie Yang. I've never been a fan of hers before but she seems quite different from her 'Devil Beside You' days. I liked her acting as well. Show also looked hot in this.
Anyway- if nothing, this show is worth watching just for the amazing camera work. I have to say whosoever the director was did a great job of it. He actually made me want to visit Australia. I think mentioning this is relevant since this movie seemed like a big promotion for Australian tourism. LOL.
Worth a watch and maybe some time in the future, a rewatch. Definitely recommended for Rainie and Show fans!
Was this review helpful to you?
This is a heavily character-driven drama rather than one driven by tears, cliches, tragedy and your usual makjang. It isn't one of those dramas that is set out to be depressing just so that it can be depressing. I hate it when horrible things happen to just one character in the whole drama without making sense *cough* SECRET *cough*. This drama is a psychological, dark and tormenting story of revenge with very unusual outcomes. Of course, you do have the common Kdrama cliches but they aren't as overbearing minus the last few episodes.
This drama will drain you but it is hands down the most addictive melodrama I've ever seen. After each episode, it left me wanting to find out what happens next. I finished watching it one single day. Yeah! It was THAT addictive.
I would like to call this as the most underrated melodrama ever. Perhaps because it's an older drama that it doesn't get the recognition it deserves. Anyway, the biggest conflict of the whole story is how can a guy that is out to seek revenge on a girl ever fall in love with her? Their story is quite unusual and you would definitely find yourself rooting for them.
Shin Min Ah and Rain are both wonderful in their roles and had good chemistry with each other. Their characters, interactions, body language- everything just worked naturally, along with their unforgettable romance. I kept jumping up and down with excitement and anticipation every scene they were in together.
I was happy because even though this drama was depressing on one hand, it gave me the right amount of romance to balance out the whole thing. I loved how the mood from the beginning to the end remains the same. Though it did get tiresome and repetitive towards, the last episode was great minus the last 10 minutes or so.
I felt like for the ending the writer tried too hard to make it 'deep' or 'romantic'. It was handled stupidly even though there was plenty of foreshadowing about what was going to happen so it wasn't a surprise for me at all. What happened to them is what I WANTED to happen. This is one of those dramas where you'd wish for a peaceful ending.
The soundtrack of the drama is pretty good too. I got tired of listening to one song in particular which sprouted up rather frequently, but it was okay.
Watch the drama for its acting and romance. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. :D
Was this review helpful to you?
I don't know how to rate the story since the idols shared their real-life experiences. Everyone had a different thing to tell. Some interested me and some did not.
I love the music! SNSD, Super Junior, f(x), BoA, TVXQ and SHINee are all among my favorites. That's the reason I gave the music full score. Their tunes are all catchy and addictive.
At times their confessions got a bit boring and slow for my taste because it was totally scripted. I am sure what they said was the truth but trying to make me believe that they cried during the recording was something I couldn't buy. LOL. The thing is that these people are telling their stories to make money which may or may not be a bad thing.
Anyway, I'd say this documentry-concert is good as a one-time watch. Only for SM fans though. I'd recommend the rest to only look up clips of their favorite idols instead of watching the whole thing which could otherwise seem boring.
Was this review helpful to you?
I kept waiting for something great to take place between the main leads and it never did. Sure, there were some moments here and there but after a few episodes you realize that the plot doesn't necessarily need romance. The story does fine without using romance as a driving factor. What we get is the stuff you can expect taking place in an office in a very Social Network kind of a way. Still, the story wins points because it was shown very well.
As for the cast, I liked everyone in their roles. Satomi playing the cute Natsui won me over initially but her character was stagnant till the end. I didn't like the way she was written. While I didn't ever like Oguri Shun before I thought he did a good job here. The supporting cast was also fine.
While the workings and challenges about the company kept me interested in the beginning, after halfway through I got bored. If I had known before that this was was primarily about the corporate world, I would have skipped it. Anyhow, I made my way towards to the ending episode.
This drama serves fine as a one time watch. I will doze off if I ever saw it again because it's not my thing. It was actually good and interesting if you think you can enjoy this genre. Don't let my personal views keep you from watching this drama. I hope everyone else enjoys it.
Was this review helpful to you?
I LOVED this movie. The relationship between the main characters is shown so differently and was so cute! Most of all, the complexity of their characters is what intrigued me. The way they fell for each other was quite enjoyable. I liked that this wasn't one of those love-at-first-sight stories. It is about two very socially awkward people getting to know each other and accepting each other's flaws while falling in love. It is more about the journey than anything else.
I have to say the role of Shizuru was beyond awesome. I became a fan of Miyazaki Aoi. She is a wonderful actress. I thought she was alright in Nana, but here she completely stole the spotlight. Tamaki Hiroshi is an okay actor according to me. He didn't blow me away like Aoi did. But in spite of this, they were adorable together! And Shizuru's character lights up the screen every time she is in a scene.
And of course- I have to mention the camera work. Great editing and exquisite shooting locations. At times it gave me an artsy feel to the whole thing. Plus, I liked how various things were tied up together. The movie didn't feel like a random collection of scenes thrown together to make a movie.
Alright, now the ending wasn't that great but I am willing to overlook that part. Shizuru was definitely twisted and you could say that love made her do a crazy thing in the end. She had her reasons. It was quite sad. Her action kind of infuriated me but at the same time, I can't help but feel sorry for her character. All in all, a bittersweet ending and an overall great movie.
This movie is worth every second (yes, even the dull parts). Definitely recommended.
Was this review helpful to you?
Simply put, this is the worst drama I have seen so far. I have seen Shut Up Flower Boy Band (one of my utter favourites) so I thought its predecessor would also be good. Oh, how wrong I was! I think I have never been this wrong in expecting something from a drama before. With an impressive actor like Jung Il Woo this is the least I could have expected.
This drama is like the worst ramyun recipe you can come up with. It is about a downright obnoxious boy and an older childish woman who fall in love. With that, insert as many terrible sub plots you can think of a horde of boring characters. And tada! Your ramyun recipe is ready! *insert sarcasm*.
I knew I wouldn't be able to stand the woman right from the first episode itself. She has no pride whatsoever. And not to mention zero self control. There's a part where her dad has just passed away, and she is sad. The hero comes and gives her "condolence money" and says this is my way of comforting you. Okay, she did sort of throw the money back in his face. But can you EVER imagine falling for someone after they treated you like that after your DAD PASSED AWAY??? Beyond outrageous, if you ask me. So, my conclusion is that this is the worst pairing of all dramas I have seen till now. Whatever happens after that hardly redeems the main guy. He doesn't know how to change. And what is up with a 26-year-old behaving like a teen girl who is attracted to a student of hers. Need I say more? You got the point- I hated their love story.
The only character I liked remotely was her friend. She was more entertaining than the heroine ever was. Plus, their ramyun shop was such a snoozefest.
I struggled to reach the ending- which was again crappy. Plus, the slapstick comedy and hints of anime humour throughout the show was overdone and so not my thing. I regret watching this waste of a show. Unless you can bear with brainless comedies, watch it else save yourself and skip it.
Was this review helpful to you?
This drama is no masterpiece. Some might even call it bad. However it's one of those crazy dramas which are so bad that they are good. LOL. Does that make sense? Okay, let me sum it up for you shortly: it is basically a story about unlikable people- the kinds we avoid at all costs in real life but prove to be fun to watch in a drama. I can never imagine myself falling for a guy like the main lead or befriending a girl like the main heroine. Actually, that's what makes this drama such a compelling watch. It's fictitious and realistic at the same time which I thought was an applause-worthy aspect of it. Just a word of caution though- it can prove depressing to some.
The writer actually created a very clever story using the standard K-drama recipe but managed to inject doses of reality in it. It's a story about greed, desire, love, betrayal, obsession and more at its core. It constantly plays with these realistic aspects of day-to-day life in a very entertaining way. The drama is highly addictive, such that once you find yourself even a bit invested in it- it becomes difficult to let go.
While I enjoyed the drama as a whole, I also hated parts of it. Its characters were frustrating and made me want to throw things at them. I wanted to shake them out of their stupidity or shake them into being smart. The characters were unlikable at best- especially Soo Jung, Jae Min and Young Joo. In Wook was the only "normal" character in this crazy drama.
Apart from that the casting choice was excellent. Jo In Sung (*drool*), Ha Ji Won and So Ji Sub (*drool*) all together in a single drama was like a dream cast come true. They did fantastic jobs of their characters and really made them believable. The cast was what held the drama in place and they never let go even till the very last scene.
That brings me to the best aspect of the drama- the ending. SERIOUSLY. Just watch the whole drama for its ending if you're into something dark and melodramatic. If you think you like out of the box or 'different' endings- this one's for you. I appreciate creativity any given day and I am glad the writer took a chance to deliver just that. I can think of so many ways this drama could have ended but this one fits well. It really left me clapping out loud. I could see why the finale reached almost up to 40% ratings in those days. Obviously the whole country would want to turn on their tv to catch the finale if it were drama like this.
The music in the drama was fine. It wasn't anything memorable but I liked it fine. However, the one thing this drama lacks in is the rewatch value. As much as I enjoyed it the first time, I refuse to watch it for a second time because it wouldn't be that much fun nor would I have the patience. Anyway, go watch this drama NOW if you're looking for something good. It was definitely worth it. :)
Was this review helpful to you?