Story/Plot: As I had originally watched the TW version, I already knew what was going to be the main plot and for those of you who haven't I'm pretty sure this rich chaebol - kind girl kind of plot is not unfamiliar. However, even with the main gist of the plot being reused over and over again, the story FTLY managed to win our hearts. Why? The script, it was very strong. Throughout the show, not only did we get the funny, we also learnt morals and values. Sure as many of you know one particular plot tool received much attention in the story, but I would have to say that it was used pretty effectively in this show as a source of conflict. How our fated couple struggled to solve their conflicts that arised internally was what made this series an utterly beautiful one.

Acting/Cast (I'm also going to talk about character development here...so if you are sensitive to a little bit of the plot since it can be hard to draw the line, do skip ahead)

Jang Hyuk: Damn this guy can surely act, there's no doubt about that. He acts not only through his voice and his eyes but through his hands too (there was an article on this hehe) He really managed to show the emotions of Geon during all his moments, be it conflict, sadness, happiness, perviness, you name it. He managed to show Geon's crazy and yet precious side in a way not many other actors would have been able to. In fact I would think that among all the acting in this show, Jang Hyuk's was one of the strongest.

Jang Nara: And who can forget our Jang Nara portraying the ever-so-adorable Dal-peng-ie. During the course of the entire drama, Mi-young made some smooth transitions from a post-kid girl to a mature and confident woman who knows how to stand up for herself. Props to Jang Nara for making Mi-young so lovable to all us viewers. Mi-young was really a representation for all those seemingly normal girls out there who wasn't all that normal after all :)

Choi Jinhyuk/Wang Jiwon: Sad to say, I've never had much to say about second-leads, this could be my own bias. But as second-leads I guess they did what they had to do and they did it good. Choi Jinhyuk played that typical too-nice second lead well as he really got all of us viewers aching for him and I'm glad Wang Jiwon was also allowed to portray Sera in a more human way.

Park Wonsook: As Geon's grandmother, I was hoping she could have had more scenes and played a greater part in this story. But since this was due to the limitations of the script, it has absolutely nothing to do with the actor's ability. Park Wonsook definitely delivered the funny as Geon's grandmother :)

Choi Wooshik/Park Heebon: I'm very happy with the character development for these two characters. As you know korean dramas tend to have a side-lined couple and this two were an adorable pair. Even though Yong wasn't that good-natured initially it was understandable. He eventually made the cut and his innocence and adorableness and his eventual pushing for OTP made up for it :) I'm glad Ji-yeon continued being part of the plot even when she and Mi-young went their separate ways. The two actors definitely made these 2 characters very likeable.

Choi Dae Cheol: I remember not having very high hopes of Choi Dae Cheol initially as Geon's secretary as Anson from the TW version was simply wonderful, but of course this actor proved me wrong. Secretary Tak had his own set of funny as he always competed with Yong to get into Geon's good books. As Secretary Tak, he was really wonderful and helped to bring in a lot of funny into this show.

Song Ok Sook: I really liked Song Ok Sook's portrayal as Mi-young's mum as their relationship was really heartfelt and the way this actress conveyed the heart of a mother was also really heartbreaking so much kudos to this actress!

Oh Sulmi/Lee Mido/Im Hyung Joon/Jung Eun Pyo: I'm quite upset that the two sisters didn't really have any interaction with Mi-young to show their relationships as sisters. This is especially so for the oldest sister who barely had like what 5 lines? in this show. So again, this is largely due to the limitedness of the script. For the soap suds duo, I was generally okay with the acting and especially loved the new term they coined ;D

Music:
There was a range of music from VIXX's Ken's light hearted tune to Ailee's and Jung Dongha's emotional tear-jerkers. Megan Lee's Ready for Love was also great for OTP moments. Jeff Bernat's song was pretty cute too, do give a listen :)

Rewatch value:
Since this was a rom-com, and a pretty great one while I'm at it, it definitely has high re-watch value. The chemistry between the 2 Jangs is a huge PLUS (their chemistry is definitely not one to belittle) There can be slow parts especially from episodes 11-17 but they're important for the plot I guess, and there is a lot a whole lot of meta and funny to make up for it. Definitely worth the watch and rewatch and rerewatch and...*snail signs*

Overall: DAEBAK for all those rom-com lovers and all those SSBG watchers who enjoyed it but lamented the lack of some you know rice-cake making or some K I double S. Okay that's it HAMOHAMO I'll miss this show :)

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Story: This is my first makjang and the first drama I've completed with >20 episodes so I was cautious at first. Although the story does get draggy, the director makes it such that each episode ends off with a cliffhanger keeping you eager to find out what happens next. Since it is a makjang it never gets boring and you can expect all the exaggerated drama plots in a usual makjang. However I would say the story line is overall smooth and easy to follow.

Acting/Cast: The cast was amazing.
Lee Dong Wook: For a character like Jaewan's, LDW managed to appropriately show the many sides of his character: from trauma to shock to sadness to disbelief to love, you name it. You can really see it in his eyes.

Lee Da Hae: LDH's character did not require as much as compared to LDW's but she portrayed Mone nicely. Also one important factor that made this show easy to watch was the two lead's chemistry.

For those who've watched My Girl, it's hard to believe but they're chemistry could still get better :>

Im Seulong/Wang Ji Hye: To be honest, I didn't really see anything worth noting for these 2 actors but that's also partly because of the characters they had to portray. ISL constantly had to portray the poor second lead who never gets the girl but constantly helps her anyway and likewise WJH the girl who constantly looks towards Jaewan but knows she can't get him anyway. But one thing I like about the 2 is that they didn't really pose a threat to OTP but instead helped them along the way.

Jin Tae Hyun: Oh lomannnn.. Like Jaewan, Loman also had a dark past and hence has a lot of emotions within him. JTH, like LDW also managed to portray Loman's emotions very well making me feel pity for his character all the time, understanding him all the time (even if he may be doing something one may perceive as "wrong") It's easy to like his character.

Lee Deok Hwa/Kim Hae Sook: These 2 really prove that they are veterans in the acting industry. From their actions to their emotions, they've got it all. Nothing else needs to be said.

F4/Alex Chu, Gong Hyun Joo, Go Yoon, Kim Sun Hyuk: I liked F4 it just made the whole hotel concept seem cooler with them helping out Mr GM. I especially liked Gong Hyun Joo as Cha Soo Ahn always helping OTP and always being kind.

Music: I guess OST was okay for a drama but not anything I'd listen to on my mp3.

Rewatch value: For me this drama was overly draggy and since it was a whole 32 episode long it would be tiring to watch it a second time, as it takes a lot to watch the makjang with all the roller coaster rides it brings you on.

Overall: I would say this is drama worth watching, especially for all you OTP shippers out there and also those who would love a makjang to watch.

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