This is a remake of an older drama from 2003. As such it has many of the tropes that are considered classics in the land of dramas: fake dating, a sum of money as part of the contract which becomes something of a mcguffin, jealous x-girlfriends, a dramatic kidnapping incident, a rich man and a poor woman, etc. A drama from the early 2000s that's filled to the brim with these familiar story set-ups is usually forgiven because it's 'of its time', the trouble when adapting is that people don't necessarily want that in a modern drama. A good example would be the 2018 remake of Meteor Garden, which struggled through some of the more problematic plot points taken from the 2001 version while having none of the original's charm.

However, Something about 1% manages to be light, fun and surprisingly earnest. It leans in to the tropes of its story while imbuing them with more sweetness, heart and gentleness than the original. Sure we've got the ridiculous shenanigans of a fake dating contract and shareholders scheming to try to get back at the ML for edging them out in the hotel business, but we never forget what the real heart of the story is: two people falling in love with each other. The chemistry between the leads is incredible and the kiss scenes were refreshingly passionate rather than reminding me of two dead fish touching their lips together in surprise. The story is cliche, the costumes and setting feel low-budget and simple, but the leads have such bright and crackling chemistry that the whole thing feels fun and fresh rather than tired and boring.