1
manicmuse
NYC!
It's a beautiful feeling...
I really loved "Healer"! It's definitely one of the best drama's I've seen recently, even though my rating may be a little lower than the all 10 reviews left by most viewers. It's the kind of drama that is multi-genre and appeals to a wide audience. It's also the kind of drama that makes 20 episodes seem like not enough time! The romance, suspense, relationships, action, and great characters make every episode fun to watch. I'm definitely going through withdrawal now that it's over.Ji Chang Wook as the "Healer" is so good! I immediately developed a crush on his Superman/Clark Kent routine. He went from dorky/awkward to action hero with such ease. I was definitely impressed by his performance, and hope to see him in another drama soon. Park Min Young was the perfect match for him. I liked that she was brave in spite of her fears and comfortable being herself. My favorite part of this drama was the romance between these two. The chemistry between Park Min Young and Ji Chang Wook is addictive to watch! The romance wasn't too cheesy either (so nonromance fans shouldn't get turned off). I felt like I was really watching two people fall in love.
The entire cast gets a 10 from me, but Hacker Ajumma was probably my favorite of the rest of the cast. Still, my second favorite part of the entire drama was Reporter Yeo's outfits. Every single outfit was so amazing that I just had to mention it. Also, I'm a fan of the red glasses!
I made the story score much lower than most, even though I loved almost every episode, and was totally into the action, and suspense. My issue with the story was that it was complicated to follow because of how it was told. The backstory was such a large part of the main story, and details were revealed so slowly, that I got confused and would sometimes lose interest. There were so many characters, and relationships, and flashbacks, that it was just hard to keep track. Eventually, it does get explained, and I was still entertained by comedic, and action scenes in the meantime. It also makes my rewatch score pretty high. Now that I know what the story is, I think that it would be awesome to watch it all again.
Overall "Healer" was an awesome superhero kind of story, that is exciting without relying on all the usual KDrama clichés. The ending leaves some loose ends, but it also leaves you wanting more. I'm so glad I decided to watch this drama while not knowing much about it. It a great vehicle for Ji Chang Wook, and Healer is such a great character, that I would be happy to see a "Healer 2"!
This is definitely a great drama to add to your must-watch list!
*Update* After a second viewing I just bumped up all of my original scores because years later this drama still holds up and I think loved it, even more, the 2nd time!
And as for the soundtrack... as much as "Eternal Love" is still kinda annoying, "You" is still my jam!
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What makes this drama so great, from the very beginning, is the four lead characters. As much as i loved the romance in Sungkyunkwan Scandal (including what's now one of my favorite k-drama kiss scenes), I still loved the bromance between all four main characters more. Yoo Ah In as the impetuous rebel Moon Jae Shin, Micky Yoochun as the logic driven bookworm Lee Sun Joon, Park Min Young as the inspiringly ambitious "Kim Yoon Shik", and (my favorite) Song Jung Ki as the playfully manipulative Goo Yong Ha, are each outstanding in their role, and have amazing chemistry with each other. There were even times when the chemistry between Moon Jae Shin & Goo Yong Ha rivaled the main couple.
I also have to give a special mention to Kim Min Seo as Cho Sun, who was my favorite supporting character, and played her part expertly. It was really refreshing to see two strong female characters, especially since the story revolves around an all boys school. This is now among my favorite all time dramas, mainly because of the cast. I loved them so much, I was tempted to rewatch the entire drama right after I finished it.
One small criticism I have is that the political part of the plot was sometimes hard for me to follow, since korean history is completely (and literally) foreign to me. This is not really a fault of the drama, but it did stop me from personally seeing this as a perfect 10. It became much easier for me to follow the noron/soron conflicts after a while, but I could still enjoy the drama without being 100% clear. There's a good amount of action, and mystery, which keeps the political plot entertaining.
Another criticism is, as much as I liked the endings for the 4 main characters, there were still unanswered questions, and some supporting characters that deserved better endings.
Overall, there was much more to praise than criticize. I can definitely see myself rewatching this multiple times, even if it's just to see Goo Yong Ha spin. I know there are many dramas with similar plots, but a drama that's entertaining from the 1st to the last episode is rare. I recommend Sungkyunkwan Scandal as one of those rare dramas.
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I'll start with the romance, which is what stopped me from dropping the show. It's another basic arrogant chaebol meets quirky girl cinderella story. If you're a fan of this type of drama, you know exactly what to expect (jealous 2nd leads, family feuds, evil moms, hilariously cute fights, love triangles/squares/pentagons...), but what makes this drama different is that the main love triangle is between two girls pretending to be the same person. This part of the story only works, and works well, because of the lead actress Yang Jin Sung. She plays both characters so distinctively well, that I could tell who was who just based on their expression. Not many actors could pull this kind of role off, and she definitely does.
Then of course there's the leading man, Lee Hong Ki, who made me cry in "You're Beautiful", this time cast in a more mature role. I think he was great, and looked completely different without the bleached hair. He's strong in emotional scenes, as well and likable in lighthearted funny scenes, and together they made a perfect match. I loved their chemistry, and although predictable, I liked their story. If this was strictly a romance, my overall score would be higher.
What I didn't like about this drama was the ghost story. To be blunt, I thought it was poorly written, dragged out way too long, and then was rushed at the end. I was initially intrigued by the mystery, but I soon grew bored with it. Then, out of nowhere, in the last few episodes, they rush through explaining everything in the story with epic flashbacks. I honestly wasn't interested in the backstory at all, which seemed thrown together. They did their best to explain everything by the end, but a lot of the explanations were uninteresting, and even silly, to me. There are also a lot of 'time filler' scenes at the end. Again, it was the great cast that stopped me from skipping through these scenes. I thought the story was bad, but the actors who played the characters made me want to care more than I did.
Another issue I had with the writing was how some characters seem to have complete changes in personality without reason, or explanation. I loved Na Doo Rim's fighting spirit, that allowed her to even fight grown men, but all of a sudden she couldn't even take on a middle aged woman, or run without tripping. She made some choices toward the end that made absolutely no sense to me, and became a weaker, less interesting character as the show progressed.
Speaking of badly written characters, I see that I am not alone in thinking that Jang Yi Hyun's feelings for Doo Rim were a little creepy. I also had a huge problem believing that so many women were so desperate for love that they would sacrifice their life for it. Really? That idea seemed a little too one-sided, and sexist, but maybe that's just me. Giving up your lifestyle, sure, but actually giving up your life? That just seems a little too over-dramatic, even for K-Drama.
Overall, I am torn between the good acting, and bad writing. If this was Kang Joo & Doo Rim's love story, and about 4 or 5 episodes shorter, I would recommend it. If you are a vengeful ghost mystery fan, which I am, I think you will be very disappointed. I liked a lot of moments in this drama, but I couldn't see myself watching the entire thing again. There were times I couldn't wait for the next episode, but by the end I was forcing myself to complete it, because each hour felt like a century.
I guess, if you're between dramas, and lower your expectations, there is enough in Bride of the Century to probably keep you entertained.
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What I loved about the story is the main plot revolving around the augmented-reality videogame. It's hard to go to into it without giving away too much, but I loved the world they created, the unexpected twists in the story, and the mystery element that intrigued me to the very end. I also loved Hyun Bin! He was great as reluctant hero Yoo Jin Woo and always plays the charming jerk role so well. He is one of my favorites, and it was great to see him as a leading man again. Unfortunately, I can't say the same about the leading lady.
Park Shin Hye as Jung Hee Joo is probably the thing I hated most about this drama. I can blame the writer for making her character so pathetic, but I really think a better actress could have made the role work. Even though I have liked her in other roles, in the drama she seemed out of her league. She had zero chemistry with Hyun Bin in my opinion, and he really seemed to be trying much harder to make their romantic storyline work while she basically cried and looked slightly surprised most of the time. He had much better chemistry with his assistant than with her, he even had better chemistry with the little sister, and since romance becomes a major element in the story it definitely added to my disappointment.
The rest of the cast, in general, was good but there were times when the side character stories seemed more like filler, made the story drag, and didn't hold my interest. Some of it made sense and added to the story, like the scandalous love triangle between the two bffs, and the father played by the always brilliant Kim Eui Sung, but most of the side stories just didn't live up to the excitement of the game world. I didn't care at all about Jin Woo's second wife or Hee Joo's friend zoned guy pal. I would have much rather learned more about the development of the game. I liked the show much more in the earlier episodes when there was more focus on just the game world.
I was also impressed by how this drama looked visually. The Spain locations were great, and the virtual world elements looked impressive and believable. I liked the incorporation of the Spanish guitar too which made a beautiful melody so creepy, especially if it happens to be raining while you're watching.
The rest of the soundtrack was just ok in my opinion.
Would I watch this again? Probably. The game world alone was entertaining enough to watch again, although I would be tempted to skip through all of Park Shin Hye's scenes where she isn't the mysterious Emma. Since the story jumps around in time so much it may be interesting to watch again knowing what's actually going on.
I also have to give a shoutout to the genius product placement! There were the usual blatant moments, of course, but the way some brands were incorporated into the story was pretty brilliant.
I also understand why people were disappointed with the ending but I was more indifferent. Parts of the end actually made me tear up, and other parts made me roll my eyes. It seemed more like a set up for a sequel than a real ending anyway, but I think they did their best to give most of the characters some kind of closure, even if I didn't care about some of them.
Overall, this is a drama where there may be plot holes, lapses in logic, an overuse of narration, and a love story that lacks chemistry, but it makes up for it in originality and intrigue. I was excited every week to watch the latest episode all the way up until the end, which honestly felt like it came too soon. So I would still recommend this drama, even with its flaws. It's another ambitious story that may not have lived up to its full potential, but it definitely stands out among other dramas.
I really hope to see Hyun Bin as a leading man again soon, with a better leading lady. I also look forward to the next sci-fi drama by this writer, because it may not have been as good as it should have been but it was certainly extremely memorable...
*cue Spanish guitar and thunder* o.O
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Weather forecast metaphors can't make shallow relationships deep.
"Forecasting Love and Weather" tries to use weather predictions as a metaphor for messy and complicated love relationships, but that concept quickly became boring to me and the relationships were pretty shallow and not very compelling. In the beginning, I did find the pressure to get weather predictions right interesting, and the office dating drama was fun, even sexy, but as time went on too much focus was placed on the same arguments and petty fights. The relationships in this drama are meant to be mature, and not your typical idealistic love story, but so many of the characters seemed immature, even childish. There is also a ridiculous love triangle/square element to the plot that resolves way too easily and that's partly when I started losing interest. This drama played it way too safe which is what stopped me from caring enough about any of the couples, even the pretty well-matched leads.This drama stars a favorite, Park Min Young as stubborn and guarded Jin Ha Kyung, with super cute Song Kang
as impressive weather expert newcomer Lee Shi Woo. I expected their big age gap to be an issue, but I honestly believed them as a couple. I knew Song Kang could handle a mature plot from watching "Nevertheless", but now I wonder if maybe his ability to flirt so well hides his lack of character depth. Their chemistry was much stronger when they were falling for each other but all the other scenes lacked any spark.
Yoon Park and Yura round out the leads and all I will say about them is that I disliked both of their characters so much! Yura as Chae Yoo Jin eventually became almost sympathetic but Yoon Park's Han Ki Joon annoyed me from the beginning until the end. Any time they were on the screen I could feel myself checking out.
The supporting cast was mostly great. It included another favorite of mine Kim Mi Kyung as a meddling mom, but in her style. There were great coworker characters with their own life dramas and one unexpected favorite in the cast Moon Tae Yu, who was hilarious to me. I admit I liked the weird comic relief relationship subplot way more than the jaded marriage subplots, and at times even the leads, but I still think all of the actors did a good job. Without a strong actual story, they all did the best they could with what they were assigned. The work atmosphere at least felt authentic, although they did seem to overreact in order to force drama into less interesting scenes.
Would I watch this again? No. The parts that I liked, in the beginning, aren't exciting enough to rewatch. The weather room arguments began to feel the same no matter the season or the forecast. I also didn't care enough about any of the relationships to want to watch their struggles again. I appreciate that the end gave me sufficient closure but I was honestly over this drama long before the last episode.
Overall, this drama is a miss. I will definitely never think about weather forecasting the same again, but I will probably forget all of these characters quickly. I think it fails to be romantic enough for romance fans or deep enough for a good slice of life drama. There are certainly far worse dramas, and I was never bored enough to drop it completely, so perhaps it can be a decent filler drama. I just wish it had a stronger story since the first episode seemed like a setup for something great, especially with episodes so long. I expected a mature romance plot, so maybe that's my fault. I know Kdramas more often play stories safe and nice in this genre so maybe that's my fault. In spite of the overuse of weather metaphors, this drama mostly sticks to a mild and predictable temperature. However, enjoying whatever the weather actually is outside right now is probably a better use of your time.
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I'll start with the cast , and there are a lot of important characters to consider. Song Seung Hun is the most noteworthy, especially with such a complicated role. He's a hilarious anti-hero/butt-kicking action hero/hot leading man, and handled all that his character demanded well. Of course saying too much about him will lead to spoilers, but I thought his awkwardness was part of his appeal, and he certainly wears all black well. He is partnered with Go Ara in super emo mode as Ha Ram. At first I liked Ha Ram, her impetuous nature, her dark personality, and her fierce attitude. The issue I had with her performance is that the more complicated the plot became the more one-note she seemed. I thought Seung Hun rose to the occasion, but Ara fell flat. Ha Ram doesn't evolve much through the show. She basically has 3 modes - bitter and isolated, in stubborn pursuit of justice, and feeling sorry for herself. It wasn't bad enough to make me dislike her performance completely, but it certainly made her too predictable. As a team of leads they weren't in the same league, and that honestly killed any real chemistry, so the small amount of romance (which becomes a significant plot point) felt forced and was the least interesting part of the story to me. Part of that may be the writers fault, but I've seen good actors make chemistry work with much worse.
Other actors worth noting are Kim Dong Jun, who was too cute to be so underutilized, Lee El, who was at times much more interesting than the female lead, Lee Kwan Hoon who was the best character with the least amount of screen time (I heart villains), and Kim Won Hae, who is a scene stealer in every drama I've seen him in. Of course that's only a few of the important characters in this drama. I couldn't possibly mention every suspect, victim, assassin, reaper, prostitute, politician, officer, parent, child version... and yes they all are important to the story. Most of the performances are great, and make the world seem real. Some of the roles however are forgettable (like that creepy dr), which makes it much harder to follow so many complicated character connections. That's why I gave the acting an 8 instead of a 10.
Another "character" in this drama would be the town of Mujin itself. The town should be infamous, and clearly the worst place to live ever... especially if you are a kid. It deserves a Twin Peaks level of notariety in KDramaland.
Now I will get to the plot... have I mentioned that its complicated? It was much easier when I binge watched the first half, but waiting a week for the next episodes made it hard not to lose track. Just know that the show is very dark, and the subject matter is rough. If you are sensitive to certain topics, especially involving sex and violence, assume they will come up and skip this drama. If you appreciate the term "trigger warning", consider this whole drama one big trigger warning. However, nothing is gratuitous. Every harsh moment adds to the bigger picture.
Every episode is also filled with revelations, and plot twists, so even the parts that you may have seen coming, have their own sub-plots that you likely would never suspect. There are moments when the episodes may seem to drag, but there is probably something happening that you should be paying close attention to. Sometimes the plot twists seem excessive, but they always (or mostly) make complete sense. The story is highly entertaining as a thriller, and impressive because of how ambitious the plot is overall, but there is one unforgivable flaw that almost made me give this drama an even worse rating... that's the ending.
The final minutes of this drama are insulting and should not exist. It's the equivalent of watching someone create intricate sand art only to blow it away as soon as it is completed and replace it with some child's crayon doodles on the floor. This ending teaches the lesson of why sometimes it's better to have a heartbreaking ending than some BS you think will make the audience happy. It turned the few plot holes into plot craters, and made me want to laugh and rage for all of the wrong reasons. In fact, the only parts that made me tear up at all involved side characters, not the main leads. Still, all of the important questions are answered, and with a story this ambitious, that is definitely impressive. I can only imagine how furious the writer must have been, because it's obvious this was a last minute change. I hope everyone involved learned a lesson. I would have been much happier with an open ending, so if you stop watching before it ends, your opinion of the show will probably be much better.
So why is my rewatch score 10? I would love to binge watch this again (skipping the final minutes of course), to catch everything I missed the first time. I'm convinced that knowing what really happened and watching it unfold would be just as entertaining as being surprised by it all. I am very likely to binge watch this again at some point, without watching other dramas with similar plots in between (certain controversial topics were very popular this season), which also made things more confusing than they would have been otherwise.
Overall, this is an intense drama, that's good for people who are tired of shallow stories and predictable plots. If you enjoy roller coaster thrillers this is a must see, just be forewarned about the unnecessary tagged on ending. The reaper world is also awesome for fans of realistic supernatural stories, and was really interesting. If you think Korean dramas are often too tame, this one includes a lot of taboo subjects that add to the story, instead of just being thrown in for shock value. You can't be a lazy viewer with this one, because the story only gets more complicated over time. Be patient with the story and your questions will probably all be answered. I also loved the cinematic feel of the episodes, which are very long (1hr 20), but captivating enough to be worth the time. All this to say that I was unexpectedly impressed yet disappointed by this drama, which is why my review is all over the place. Consider this my strong recommendation to watch this, but with a viewer advisory warning attached. I also recommend watching it with the lights off, for a greater effect.
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Not only is the story completely depressing, but it was also stretched out way longer than it should have been. What kept me watching till the end were the performances. The characters in this were great in their younger, and older versions. Yeo Jin Goo was particularly impressive, and was a strong act for Micky Yoochun to follow. Yoon Eun Hye is one of my favorites, so I knew she would give a great performance, although her character was a little dull. I liked Yoo Seung Ho playing such a sinister, yet sympathetic, role as well. I think the only appeal of this drama is in the complicated characters. The overall writing, however, left much to be desired.
From the very beginning, this drama sets itself up as a tearjerking melodrama, with very few lighthearted moments. Of course the story is a romantic one, but the romance is bittersweet.
Once the characters are adults, the story switches to more of a revenge thriller. All the focus is suddenly put on finding who committed what crime/murder, and making them pay. Again, the romance is still part of a story, but it remains bittersweet, and now incorporates a standard love triangle. As much as I liked the 3 main characters, I was bored with their triangle, and thought it was way too predictable. Of course it's obvious who will end up with who, and watching the third wheel whine about it episode after episode was annoying. Both male leads sure knew how to obsess over a woman... geez!
Even the thriller elements became boring. All the evil actions of the characters are revealed early on, so many of the episodes are spent watching characters find out what is already known to the audience. This got very old, very quickly. Instead of having that eagerness to watch the next episode, I felt like I had to force myself to finish many of the later episodes, hoping that something new & exciting would happen. It never did.
I did like how the last episode wrapped everything up, if only it ended at least 5 episodes earlier, then perhaps my review would be a little better. Many dramas become repetitive towards the end, but this one was unbearably so.
I won't be rewatching this, and I can't recommend it, yet I can't bring myself to call it bad either. If you are a fan of the cast, and don't mind a slow/predictable plot, then maybe you'll be entertained enough, and these 21 episodes will be worth sitting through.
As for me, If I knew then what I knew now, I would have chosen to miss missing you.
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The acting was pretty standard for a bad horror movie. They did a good enough job being catty, and looking scared when they needed to. The music was average k-pop, but the main song was not as catchy as I think it needed to be. I was expecting something more disturbing, like suicide club. Instead, this was a sub par teen horror flick. Fans of gore will get a few moments that are somewhat gross, but most of the scares rely on eerie sounds, creepy images, and of course a long haired ghost. And the ending felt like a blatant rip-off of carrie, which was laughably bad.
I've seen so many good reviews for this that I can't believe I watched the same movie as everyone else. I would not recommend this movie to my worst enemy. My guess is that you really have to love melodrama about k-pop groups in order to tolerate this. There are much better movies out there for real horror fans.
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The Hong sister's must have found this script in a old shoe box in the back of a closet, and directed it on a whim without any forethought. I didn't expect much originality based on the title/synopsis that obviously borrows from the Tom Hanks movie (and countless movies just like it). I did, however, expect to see something fun, and that is why I am so disappointed with Big. In the end, I did not have fun watching this. It stars an often shirtless, and absolutely adorable, Gong Yoo - HOW CAN YOU MESS THIS UP??? Apparently it is easier than I thought.
First, the story is a mess. For the first 5 episodes I was completely hooked, because I couldn't quite figure out what would happen next. From that point on it was clear that the Hong Sisters weren't quite sure what to do next either. There's a convoluted story about miracles that goes nowhere, and has zero substance. There are a few more episodes with a couple of fun scenes, but there are many more frustrating scenes. About halfway through the series all the characters start to repeat themselves, literally doing the same things each episode, and the story just drags along. I can't believe some of the nonsense scenes they came up with to fill the time (painting pandas???!!!) Even the stories that involve minor characters are completely pointless time fillers. It was extremely hard to complete this series. I continued to watch for Gong Yoo, but even he wasn't enough after a while.
The cast shouldn't be blamed for the horrible script, since they at least made it watchable. Still, the majority of the cast gave forgettable performances. Shin Won Ho is asleep for the majority of this drama. Baek Sung Hyun's dorkiness was sweet, but I grew tired of his loyal puppy dog routine. Of course there is an evil mother who Is pretty standard, but not a stand out. There's also the quintessential "other woman" who quickly becomes an irrelevant character.
I was not at all impressed with Lee Min Jung's portrayal of Gil Da Ran. Teacher Gil was the "older woman", but she often seemed extremely immature, not too bright, and damn near mental. Listening to her lecture KKJ about maturity grew tiresome quickly, yet it's what she does for the majority of the show. I lost all interest in the romantic storyline because she annoyed me so much as the show progressed. I thought her dramatic overacting in the final episodes was laughably bad.
Suzy's Ma Ri was by far the strongest characters on the show, and the character I hated the most. It was hard for me to sit through some of the ridiculous antics she got away with. In a script full of lackluster characters with shallow storylines, Ma Ri is the most memorable. Suzy definitely deserves credit for making the unbelievably ridiculous MaRi very believable.
Of course it's great to see Gong Yoo back, looking so good, and giving a great performance (...while showing some skin. yay!). Unfortunately, even with dual roles, his talent in wasted in this drama.
I'm convinced that this is the worst drama that I've ever completed. The ending confirmed my hatred for this drama by giving some vague conclusion, that answered no real questions, and was completely cliché. It also confirmed that the entire story could have fit into a 2hr movie format with time to spare. After loving so many Hong Sister's dramas I really felt like this one insulted my intelligence. I had hoped, till the very last episode, that something would happen to make me see this drama as at least "decent", but it always just got worse.
My Advice? Take this off your 'to watch' list, and skip to whatever is next. If you are planning to watch this because you ran out of new dramas to watch, I'd suggest rewatching one of your favorites instead. If you missed Gong Yoo, like I did, just watch Coffee Prince again. I'm honestly amazed that anyone liked this drama at all. If I could, I would take my 16+ hrs back!
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A New KDrama Classic
“It’s Ok to Not Be OK” is nothing that I expected it to be. It’s a mix of psychological thriller, comedy, romance, and melodrama but with the theme of a beautifully told dark fairytale. There are no magical creatures or supernatural events, but there are 3 unique and memorable characters who make this story feel larger than life. Seo Ye Ji, Kim Soo Hyun, Oh Jung Se give brilliant performances. From the very first episode, when I still wasn’t sure what to expect, all three had character introductions that were epic, and let me know right away that this drama would not disappoint. For all 16 episodes, I remained impressed. These three have such strong chemistry together that any flaws in the story were easily overlooked, and it just kept getting better with each episode.I’ll start my specific praise for the cast with See Ye Ji as Ko Moon Young. She is perfection in this role down to her flawless outfits and eye glitter. Her sinister smile, soft deep voice, and unapologetic confidence made her likable villainous demeanor seem effortless, but she is just as great at showing vulnerability and pain, and over the top silliness as well. Moon Young might be a controversial choice as a strong female lead, but from her very first scene, I knew she would become one of my all-time favorite KDrama characters. I want to be Ye Ji when I grow up and I’m already very grown! I also love the idea of a cynical children’s author. It’s as if this role was made just for her. I was not familiar with her as a lead before this drama, but now I’m definitely her fan. She is perfectly matched with Kim Soo Hyun, as Moon Gang Tae. I already loved him in “You Who Came from the Stars” where he plays a similar poker-faced and responsible character matched with a strong and unpredictable sexy lead, but in this drama, he gets to show way more range (and be human lol). As Moon Gang Tae he is charming and heartbreaking. I think his matured boyish good looks make him also seem perfectly cast as a young man forced to be responsible at an early age, who is somewhat naive and over his head but also wise beyond his years. I also loved the contrast of him being unsophisticated while she was always fashion-forward and elegant. Their very first moments together are already exciting and super hot without anything happening but close talking and intense looks. I kept calling their specific chemistry “sexy dysfunction” because in real life this super-empath and borderline sociopath match would be toxic AF, but in KDramaland they challenged each other exactly the way they needed to, and I loved rooting for them no matter what. Let’s also face the fact that they look gorgeous together. Maybe there were too many wrist grabs, but when they are done so well are there really too many? The love story drives this storyline for sure, in many ways, but it’s really the love story of a trio including Oh Jung Se as Moon Sang Te. It’s hard for me to pick a real favorite out of the three but Oh Jung Se really gave a performance worthy of his own paragraph of praise for sure!
There are a lot of actors who have done a great job playing characters with disabilities or disorders, and I was afraid that his role would just be used to add cheesy melodrama, but I was so wrong. To not award him for this performance would be a serious crime. Sang Tae was the character most likely to make me cry for sure but he was also the character most likely to make me laugh literally out loud and cheer. The brother-bond with Gang Tae warmed and broke my heart so many times. His bonding, rivalry, and banter with Ko Moon Young were some of my favorite moments in the whole drama. In many ways, this character is the glue that makes this story so strong. With a cast this amazing it’s hard to pick a breakout favorite, but I think anyone who watches will agree that this performance is one of the best in a drama period.
Besides the Main Trio, the rest of the cast is also great, although at times easily overshadowed. One of my favorites, Kim Mi Kyung, is among the cast, and she is always great as some version of the best Mom. She’s also in another drama I started watching at the same time (“Was Is Love?”) playing a very similar role and I’m still never tired of seeing her. I loved Gang Tae’s loyal BFF (so adorkable), The endearing Hospital Director, The Patients, Park Jin Joo being weird and quirky as usual, Gang Young Nam as the head nurse, as well as the amazing younger actors in the flashback scenes… There are no weak links in the cast, and even seemingly minor characters are important to the story. Kim Joo Heon and Park Kyu Young were also characters I loved although I admit their storyline did feel a little too much like filler at certain points. It’s hard to say too much without giving something away but none of the problems I had with characters were based on performance. There was a great overall ensemble cast feel that was awesome and didn’t have to rely on dragging out love triangles or overblown rivalries. For a story with such a heavy fairytale feel it also felt very genuine.
I did give the story a 10 score because I loved it so much, but I admit that some parts could have been stronger. Some of the backstories, I felt, were revealed and resolved too easily. The story does focus more on relationships than details, and I was absolutely satisfied with that. Don’t get scared off by the psychiatric hospital setting if that’s not your thing, it’s more about the characters and their self-discovery, not treatment and many of those parts are relatable and inspiring. I also loved that every episode had a specific fairy tale theme. It was a great way to foreshadow some things without giving anything away. The direction was also so beautifully done, incorporating picturesque scenes, and storybook-style imagery. The direction helped tie all the various genre elements together so seamlessly. I also felt like great care was taken in how even minor scenes were shot. It’s the director who did “Jealousy Incarnate”, an all-time rewatchable favorite of mine. The way animation was incorporated was so good too, and never overdone. The way the mystery was solved was underwhelming, but the actual ending episode was so moving, bringing earlier images and scenes full circle into the story (I loved the illustrations!). I was afraid that the end would be disappointing but it ended up being better than I even imagined it could be, while still being simple and true to the story. Every question I had wasn’t answered but the ones that mattered to me were, so everything felt resolved. I was definitely dehydrated from all the happy tears too.
Would I watch this again? Many times. The story is so well told, with characters I already miss, and it probably is a little more entertaining at the start knowing the whole story ahead of time. Since the mystery isn’t the strongest part of this drama nothing is really lost knowing what comes next, and I can enjoy certain performances in earlier scenes differently. There’s also plenty of rewindable moments with Soo Hyun and Ye Ji playing so well off of each other. This is one of those dramas that I will end up watching multiple times… Like Sang Tae watching Dooly. (lol)
The only area I didn’t give a perfect 10 was music. Don’t get me wrong, the music is great in general and well incorporated, but there was no memorable song that could justify a 10 from me, besides the “OK” hospital’s sing-along song which was cute.
Overall this drama easily has become one of my all-time KDrama favorites, which I would have never guessed from the cast and description. This drama definitely deserves its high ratings. If you’re looking for an original story without necessarily reinventing the drama-wheel, this one qualifies for sure. If you want to fall in love with characters and see them grow and evolve in a satisfying way this drama specializes in that. It’s not too dark or too lighthearted and has enough elements to please many different drama moods. I laughed and cried so much. I didn’t know eating porridge could be so emotional or that deer could be so hilarious. I love the themes of choosing your own happiness, defining your own family, and empowerment and freedom through self-expression and self-determination. This drama itself echoes Ko Moon Young’s perspective on fairytales… they exist not as escapism but so we can face reality, and like a children’s fairytale book I wanted to read (or watch) it again as soon as it was done. I rarely give all 10s and this one came extremely close! This is definitely a new KDrama Classic.
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Ji Chang Wook as the insanely ambitious PD Ma Dong Chan is the strongest character in the show and any fan of his will probably be tempted to keep watching just to see him. He is honestly great in his role but unfortunately, the script gives him not much good to work with. He's stubborn and single-minded and rude but at least his character had some passion and development. He's matched with Won Jin Ah as the brave and outspoken Go Mi Ran, who is also great in her role, but her character made even less sense to me, often contradicting herself, so her actions more than the performance was sometimes frustrating to watch. I don't consider it a spoiler to say that this is a rom-com about two people who are accidentally cryogenically frozen for 20 years. You would think that loss of time would be a major factor and what drives the story would be more sci-fi related, thriller related, or even emotional because of time lost from loved ones but instead, the majority of this drama is about how frustrating it is for two formerly frozen people to have a normal relationship and being unable to drink coffee. To me the relationship also felt forced from the start but because "Wookie" is so charming the most romantic moments are the best thing this drama has to offer. That doesn't mean I felt anything deeply for them as a couple, it just means that they knew how to deliver when it came down to romantic chemistry. They have quite a few cute and flirty moments but their shower scene is legendary.
The rest of the cast looked like they enjoyed working together but they were all one-note and over the top. I guess their goal was to be extra funny but instead it was silly and cheesy and I rolled my eyes more than I laughed. They did do a good job matching younger and older versions of the same characters, but I honestly cared so little about the other characters that it didn't matter. Usually, I'm a softie when it comes to stories about nostalgia but with this one, I felt absolutely nothing. That may be because characters basically stayed caricatures with little to no depth. Even her special-needs brother felt like a joke sometimes and don't get me started on the silliness of the "Professor" who ran the experiment. Shallow characters also lead to a very repetitive plot, which really stands out when the story is already weak.
The greatest offense this drama committed is creating an elaborate premise for why everything in this drama happened in the first place and then resolved it in the laziest, most anti-climactic way possible. One "bad" character literally only shows up to do bad things and doesn't even get more than a brief mention in the final episode. It was insulting how little effort went into creating a logical story out of a premise with so many possibilities. I really can't say I was disappointed though because I knew it was bad and watched it anyway. I can say that the second greatest offense this drama committed was dragging out the ending with ridiculous last-minute obstacles, and scenes that literally felt like place holders with no purpose or structure, only to end with a resolution that felt unresolved and shrug-worthy with a cheap metaphor thrown in that played off of the cold theme (ugh!).
The answer to whether or not I would watch this again is obvious. Of course not. What I will probably watch multiple times is that shower scene, which is the only reason the rewatch score is at 1.5.
The music was very forgettable.
Overall this drama is a complete waste of time unless you really love Ji Chang Wook so much that you can watch his smile at anything no matter what's happening around him, but in that case why not just follow him on Instagram instead? Part of me hopes that he and Jin ah may get a do-over drama with a better script one day but I doubt that would be in high demand after this one. This drama would have left me with so many unanswered questions if I cared enough about the story but I didn't. I also know I'm not the only one who's emotions ran cold watching this based on other reviews (yes, it's really as bad as most of us are saying). Many parts felt rushed and predictable yet also dragged out. The pace of this drama was a little like watching a block of ice melt... I knew that it would end in a mess all over the place... like a puddle, but I still watched this drama literally melt into that mess anyway. I would never recommend this drama, but If this drama touched on any important theme (barely) it's that it's important to be mindful of not wasting your life on things that don't matter. To avoid wasting time on this drama just read the synopsis, watch the shower scene (not the episode just that scene), and have someone spoil the ending for you instead. Trust me. If you did sit through all 16 episodes most of it would be forgettable anyway so just like Mi Ran and Dong Chan pretend you were frozen while this show was airing and just skip it and move forward with your life.
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Sometimes Ok is good enough.
I was really curious about this drama after seeing that, with only 8 episodes, it has such mixed reviews. I avoided reading many of them to avoid spoilers, and I will now attempt my review without spoilers on what I think fuels such love/hate for this drama. When it comes to the actual plot I would rate this drama as completely awful, but the theme and performances made me not want to stop watching it. I was pretty entertained the entire time I watched even when the story was at its most nonsensical. Kdrama often defies reality and logic but this drama throws logic away with reckless abandon. I thought most of the criticism would be because of the adult subject matter but the problem is the story itself. It also depends on what you're looking for how much you will love or hate this drama. If you are in the mood for an actual comedy, you will probably not like this drama much. Sure it starts off as if it will be funny, but unless you find men crying hilarious, you will be very disappointed. If you like dramas that are realistic you will probably quickly lose your patience with this drama too. If you want to emotionally bond with an empathetic lead, or are a big Yoon Shi Yoon fan, you will likely really love this drama. I fell somewhere in the middle... which explains my rating.Yoon Shi Yoon plays Do Yong Shik, a depressed man who can't get ahead in life the way everyone expected him to. He is the kind of character you want to hug through the screen, and that's because Shi Yoon plays him so well, down to his puppy dog eyes and perpetually hunched shoulders. Do Yong Shik also has a problem with erectile dysfunction which is what's behind the "punny" drama title. With a lesser actor, there is no way I would have kept watching. My only problem with his performance is not his fault, It's falsely advertised this as a romcom, and although there are silly moments that are comedic the majority of the episodes involve him either crying or being on the verge of tears. Quickly it turns into a borderline melodrama and that made me sometimes cringe at what was happening to him more than care.
He is matched with Ahn Hee Yeon as Lee Ru Da, and they do have great chemistry, but she plays one of the most unlikeable female romantic leads I've ever seen in a KDrama. She plays the part of the confident but not so ethical urologist pretty well, but unlike the male lead, I just couldn't empathize with her. I know unethical doctors are a common Kdramaland trope but she and Park Ki Woong as Do Ji Hyu were so morally bankrupt as doctors that it distracted me from the love story too much. I also know her overconfidence, bluntness, and pushiness were meant to be a kind of opposites attract thing, but I wish they gave her more depth. Can it still be a good romance drama if you hate the idea of the main couple? I just couldn't root for them even though many of their scenes together were what kept me watching. Part of me was even secretly shipping Kim Seol Jin as Jennifer being the FL instead. Jennifer is the real MVP of this drama, hands down my favorite, and the only voice of reason.
Would I watch this again? Surprisingly, maybe. I decided to watch this while impatiently waiting for on-air dramas to air their next episodes and it's the perfect quick binge length for that. Yes, the story is disappointing but the overall theme of self-acceptance makes up for it, so maybe with lowered expectations, I would like this drama more than I did at first. I did like the ending and its message, but not enough to completely forgive some things like Do Ji Hyu's hair and all the terrible wigs involved in this drama. I also wish they found some real teens for the flashback scenes because they looked pretty silly pretending to be so young. They also could have fleshed out the past a whole lot more.
Also, the super literal lyrics in the songs were killing me! Lol!
Overall this drama is like a song with good music but terrible lyrics that you still find yourself wanting to dance to. It takes a pretty immature and silly look at some serious and mature subjects, but if you look past the lack of character development and immorality of all the doctors, the root is the story of an underdog and his unconventional journey to confidence and self-acceptance, with some romantic chemistry as a bonus. This drama is quickly made ramen you decide to eat instead of a full meal. It felt like a one-night stand that I didn't regret but would have dropped for sure if it was any longer. Still, like another theme in this drama, I can appreciate it just for what it is. Every drama can't be amazing, and sometimes mediocre is enough entertainment for the moment. That was this drama for me.
Now I really want some ramen.
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What a wild ride!
DAEBAK in all caps!!! This drama was such an exciting and wild ride and so easy to binge. I started watching it randomly because it showed up in my Netflix recommendations and I'm so glad I didn't judge it by its teenage angst looks. This really is a thriller more than anything, full of unexpected and extremely frustrating twists. It's also super dark, and violent, so don't let the High School setting fool you. More than anything it's a twisted coming of age story about a shy and awkwardly passive yet extremely ambitious student who's nothing like he seems.Kim Dong Hee is brilliant as Ji Soo! I love when characters who should be "bad" are the story's hero. There's something fun about rooting for the supposed villain, and Ji Soo is so sympathetic that I was invested in his story from the very beginning. This is also the story of the most toxic relationship ever! That's where Park Joo Hyun comes in as Bae Gyu Ri. They are a great match in the worst way and I loved despising her, although she too had her sympathetic moments. Their relationship felt real, not just playing up cheesy chemistry. This isn't really a romance, it's more about a deep connection between two unlikely friends that gets way out of control. Still, the dynamic between her aggressive narcissistic personality and his soft-spoken and passive nature became addictive. I wasn't impressed with either of them in the dramas I've seen each of them in previously (A Piece of Your Mind, and Itaewon Class), but I was very impressed with them both in this.
The entire cast is also amazing! With a story like this is very easy to get on a soapbox and make the characters too one dimensional just to make a point. The cast helped make all the most unbelievable moments seem plausible. I absolutely loved Mr. Lee and the Homeroom teacher. Min Hee and Kwak Ki Tae were annoying and also very real. The true villains were a little campy but still sinister enough to be effectively scary. The character I liked the least was the female cop, but that's not because of her performance. I really cared about what happened to all of the characters, and that's impressive for a shorter drama.
However, the heart of this story is literally watching how one bad thing slowly leads to another until the story picks up to an unrelenting pace. It's like watching a train fly off the track and keep picking up speed. This is the kind of story that makes you want to yell at characters through the screen for their actions! I liked the earlier episodes better than the later ones, the final episodes were much more action-focused, but I was hooked the entire time. It also all happens at a pretty fast pace since there are only 10 episodes, which felt like the perfect amount for this story, although I do wish it had a better ending. That's my only complaint. I can appreciate the imagery, and there are a lot of cool imagery driven scenes, but I just want to warn folks that the ending is an open one. Whether that's leaving room for a second season I don't know, but I wish they just had a definitive end. This didn't ruin the story at all for me, it just stopped me from rating it a 10.
Would I watch this again? Definitely. The thrill of the unpredictable would be gone but I think rewatching Ji Soo's journey, knowing where it all leads, would still be very entertaining. It's also visually exciting, so there's no way that I would be bored.
Overall I would definitely recommend this drama, but with a warning for those who find the subject matter too sensitive. The lines between what's morally right and wrong are continuously crossed (that's obvious by the disclaimer with each episode). I personally found it refreshing that a KDrama wasn't afraid to get gritty with the subject-matter without adding a preachy moral lesson. I also like stories about imperfect characters and this drama has plenty. Don't judge a book by its cover is definitely a reoccurring theme. This drama is the perfect example of that, with the perfect title too. If you're looking for an addictive and easily binge-able drama, with a teen Bonnie and Clyde meets Fight Club's self-discovery sprinkled with Parasite's morality mood, then without giving too much away I definitely recommend that you add this drama to your watch queue. And If it's all too intense it's the perfect length for a one day binge with still some time to watch an episode of something more lighthearted once you're done. Or, if you're like me, you can start watching it all over again.
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The main story is about two emotionally damaged, insecure, and manipulative people who fall for each other, but can't trust each other. There are times when that scenario is fun to watch, but a lot of the time it's extremely frustrating. I think Han Ye Seul and Sung Joon had some great chemistry, but it was less about feeling butterflies, and more like watching two rivals fight to the death. I still can't believe Sung Joon is so young, because I totally believed him as Choi Soo Hyun (who is supposed to be in his mid 30's). I guess it helped that Hye Rim seemed so immature to me (and often annoying), so they sorta balanced each other out. Both characters are super flawed, but still sympathetic, which is why I could watch their back and forth without getting too angry at either character. Choi Soo Hyun's backstory did make me cry several times (abandonment stories always get me in the "feels"). On the other hand, Hye Rim's "French" cracked me up every time. I also appreciated that they weren't shy about their physical attraction.
If you want cute, that's where Lee Joo Hyeong and Hwang Seung Eon come in. Lee Joo Hyeong is kinda adorkable as Won Ji Ho, but also kinda creepy (the blinking definitely raised his creepy factor). Ji Ho is at awkward level 100+, and his chemistry with Yoo Rim is the romantic highlight of the show. They were great comic relief, and good for lightening the mood. They were also more unpredictable than the main couple.
Jung Jin Woon, as Choi Seung Chan, was also super cute, but his relationship with Bae Mi Ran was a little too out there for me to root for. I think this is the most extreme cougar situation I've seen in a drama, but maybe challenging my notion of what's acceptable was the point. Some one cracked me up with the term "Ahjumma-zoned", but even that is putting it mildly. Their scenes were sweet, but still made me just a little too uncomfortable. They were both great in their roles though.
The writers also added a few patient scenarios to the show. The psychological subplots were only mildly interesting, and some were just too out there to take seriously, or too overused in dramas. I think the writers were looking for interesting ways to fill in the story, but I wasn't interested. Their therapist methods were also super questionable, but it's KDrama ethics, so I'll give them a pass.
Would I rewatch this again? It's possible, but not likely.
Overall, It was the characters, more than the plot, that made me like this drama. if you are looking for romantic escapism, this is not it. If you have ever been in a relationship with an emotionally damaged person, or have been that damaged person, or both, you will probably relate much more to the story (*raises hand*). I did get emotionally invested in the main characters, and all their issues. Still, It doesn't take itself too seriously, which keeps it from being too depressing. I also was satisfied with the ending, which didn't cross the border of being too cheesy (it came close though... lol)
I'm glad I watched this one. It did hold my interest, even during the slower moments, but I would hesitate before recommending it. It is definitely unique in a lot of ways, and has an interesting cast of characters, but if you don't like it in the beginning, I predict you will hate it by the end.
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The cast does an amazing job, especially believably playing their characters in the past and the present. The bond between the 6 main friends felt very realistic. I was really impressed when I learned how young some of the lead cast members were, and how new they were to dramas. There were no weak links in the cast, although I definitely had my favorites (Jung Eun Ji, Seo In Guk, and Ho Ya in particular).
Most of the story revolves around the relationship between Shi Won, and Yoon Jae, which sucked me in from the start. A little too much focus was put on the "will they end up together or not" part of the story, but I was completely drawn in by their chemistry, and loved watching how unbelievably close they were.
The effect Joon Hee had on me was the biggest surprise. His character was so subtle in a lot of ways, but he definitely got to me emotionally. I also thought his story line was tastefully done, and not over sensationalized.
I also really loved Shi Won's parents, and thought they had some of the strongest moments in the show. I never expected that they would make me laugh & cry so much.
The only character I didn't care for was Tae Woong. I don't blame the actor, I blame his storyline. By the end I hated him less, but his character's actions just didn't sit well with me. I honestly thought he was a little creepy.
I think the writers did an excellent job of juggling the past vs the present, writing strong characters, and balancing humorous and emotional scenes. The main love triangle was a little heavy handed, but it was kinda fun having them constantly add a little doubt, making it at least feel a little less predictable.
I know many of the pop culture references were lost on me since I am not Korean (like completely missing the fact that Eun Ji Won was a member of Sechs kies - now THATS funny), but I could still relate, especially to technology (or lackthereof) in the 90's.
I know the music was also meant to give a nostalgic feel to viewers, but I thought too much time was spent on the whole k-pop obsession/rivalry. Maybe if I knew the bands I would have been more into it. The show does a good job of recreating the hype, so It was still entertaining.
I really felt like I got to know all of the characters so well, and I know I will miss them. I could see myself rewatching my favorite episodes more than rewatching it again from start to finish because of it's sitcom style. I really do hope talks about a sequel are true. I'm not sure where else the story could go, but with characters this strong, anything is possible.
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