michelleoc
A show of unlikeable characters
Andy Cheung and Kinki work together. He's her boss apparently. She is a big ole mess. Whenever she gets upset she cleans, it's like an OCD compulsion. She's got an extremely whiny voice. This show was full of mostly unlikeable characters. All the people at their work are just a bunch of gossips. Her family is a nightmare, and don't even try to pretend that they aren't. Andy's ex-girlfriend shows up out of the blue, she's not such a nice person either. Andy is a womanizer. Andy is getting back with the ex-girlfriend and trying to help Kinki get back with her slimeball of an ex boyfriend (why, for heaven's sake!?). All of a sudden Andy likes Kinki. There is nothing in the story that would lead you to see that the develop a fondness for each other or a relationship. This was actually a show that seemed to have a big chunk taken out of the middle that would have possibly explained the purpose and the motivation for the characters.Was this review helpful to you?
Watch it for Yoon Hyun Min
I'll start with the reason this show got the high score that it did. Yoon Hyun Min! I just finished watching him in Falling for Innocence and I was looking for something that he would play the romantic lead in. He's been in numerous shows that are not romances, but since I'm usually pretty much all about the romance, those shows were not what I was looking for. He was excellent in this. Playing cold, rich, damaged Nam Do and Holo, the hologram that inexplicably develops AI, I felt that he was able to display a range of emotions, often side-by-side. When he was Nam Do, you could feel his drive, his brilliance, and his loneliness. Watching him roam the workplace in the middle of the night was just sad to watch. He had every convenience available to him, but he was always alone. Then, as Holo, he was boyish, charming, caring, and as Holo he kept evolving as he developed AI characteristics. Hyun Min has a very interesting look about him. His features are sharp, his look is intense, and he's, of course, handsome. But I have to say I'm more fascinated with his acting than the way he looks. Because I enjoyed the parts he played in this,, I totally would have rated this show higher if not for:STORY: Every K-drama trope in the book is in this one! It starts out really strong, but then becomes a mess about halfway through. The storyline continued to get more complicated and unnecessarily implausible. How they dealt with Holo toward the end was very emotional and touching. Obligatory time jump at the end (yet another trope) and the last scene was very cute, but the overall ending was unsatisfactory to me, mostly because:
ROMANCE: I felt that this show was too light on romance and it wasn't fully fleshed out. Why did Nam Do like So Yeon? That was a mystery to me. I felt like she was the first girl he ever talked to so, of course, he had to like her. A couple of really bad/accidental kisses. Later on there were some good kisses, but I was wishing that Nam Do and So Yeon's relationship would have been developed more completely.
CHARACTERS: So Yeon. Go Sung Hee did a good job in this show. I'm used to seeing her as the kind of bitchy secondary character, so it was nice to see her as the lead. However, So Yeon spent entirely too much time crying/sobbing/drinking. She was pitiful. And her liking Holo - that just didn't work for me. I'm glad they addressed the issue that she liked him because it was safe and she wouldn't get hurt like if she was dating a real person, but it just didn't feel real to me. I enjoyed the other characters in the show - the secondary couple, Nam Do's co-workers, the policeman and his sidekick.
TECHNOLOGY: The technology addressed, and the cinematography were both really good.
MUSIC: Went well with the show. Nothing really stood out to me, but it wasn't distracting.
Random thought: I wonder why they have to translate the curse words in these shows. Couldn't they just use another word, rather than cursing?
OVERALL: Definitely worth watching, but it wasn't one of my favorites.
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Ugh!
The girls were either yelling or whining. The female lead was always yelling or pouting. She acted very immature. And she was a doormat, He was cranky through most of the show. He didn’t speak up on his feelings for her, just kept letting her say how she felt. And I really had a hard time getting past his hair. You could have landed a plane on it, for Pete’s sake! Add to the fact that this show was entirely too long - each episode seemed to have more of the same angst as the previous one - "I like you, but you are hanging out with your psycho ex-girlfriend so I can't like you, so we'll be roommates and co-workers and nothing else".Was this review helpful to you?
That's time I'm never getting back!
I almost have no words. The acting in this was often over-the-top and the characters were more like caricatures of actual people. I really don't like shows that are considered melodramas, and this one falls into that category. The female lead was too good to be true - even after all of the evil stuff that the "friend" did, she forgave her as if nothing had ever happened. I'm all for forgiveness, but there should have been some consequences. And the ending? I wanted to yell at the tv! It was the worst! It was trying for ambiguous, but the ending was obvious to anyone paying attention, which made me even more irritated about all the time I spent watching this thing.Was this review helpful to you?
slow, serious show about romance/love
This is not a rom-com (which is what I normally look for), but a slow and serious (but not melodramatic) show about love. Song Hye Kyo and Park Bo Gum both did an excellent job. In most of the things I've seen Park Bo Gum in, there's always been something a little "off" to me about his acting. This role changed my mind. His acting in this was perfectly on point. When he was happy, you wanted to smile with him, and when he was unhappy it was heartbreaking. There was a slow buildup in their romance/love, and it made sense. His patience, and constant love for her was so wonderful to watch. I felt really drawn in to their relationship, sometimes I felt like I was a voyeur in their lives.Park Bo Gum's character was open and innocent. He seemed to look at life with joie de vivre, and that was an infectious thing. I couldn't help but smile, watching him. His love for her was so apparent, even though they were so different. Song Hye Kyo's character, on the other hand, was very repressed. Her life had been decided and planned for her, and she had never deviated from that plan. I enjoyed watching him bring her out of herself, opening her to new experiences, and living the way she wanted to.
I did feel that the breakup, though necessary to keep the story moving, was a little lame, especially since it was uncalled for and none of the circumstances that she was concerned about changed, so the breakup made even less sense. I felt that Song Hye Kyo's character was a little too weak in standing up to her family (the moms in this were all nightmares!). I also felt that, because of her reasoning for the breakup, her love for him wasn't as strong, and that was disappointing.
The cinematography and the OST were both amazing as well. This show was beautiful to watch.
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If you are looking for a good romance, I found this one lacking
The business aspect of the show - 9. The romance - 7. This show was a testament to girl power! Strong women, that go for what they want. I loved the acting by all the actors, but some of the characters I liked more than others - Cha Hyun was beautiful and she didn't put up with any junk! When Bae Ta Mi asked for help and she showed up with baseball bats, priceless! I loved the romance storyline for Cha Hyun as well. The music was good, as was the cinematography, but I really had a problem with Bae Ta Mi's character. She kept insisting she never wanted to get married. They used the camera angle a lot of her and Park Morgan being far apart from one another, and he was ALWAYS the one that came to her, even after the big breakup. And they'd barely been together for two minutes and she started in on the fact that they were going to continue to fight over the marriage vs. non-marriage. The ending could have been so much better romance-wise. The business aspect was tied up nicely, loved the ladies riding into the sunset in their Maserati, but I would have liked for Bae Ta Mi to have some kind of epiphany in realizing that she was going to be miserable without Park Morgan. The gentleman playing Park Morgan was excellent, very understated but displaying a wide array of emotions.Was this review helpful to you?
Compact, moving story
Having only two episodes, this show was a very well-written tightly told story. This is one of those shows that I passed up multiple times, because I'm not into gangster shows, because I can do without the blood and violence. Wow, this was nothing like I expected! The fact that he was a gangster was almost used as label to describe where he was coming from. I immediately forgot about that, because this show was so good. Because it was short, you don't have to wade through all the unnecessary scenes. Lee Dong Wook is a master of "underacting" - his facial expressions don't change much, there is no unnecessary movement in him - but he can convey his emotions so well. You feel his pain, you see his love. His characters always seem to be somewhat self-deprecating and he's got a cute, dry wit. In addition to the story/acting, the music was interwoven beautifully through the story. This is a wonderful show that doesn't require too much of a time commitment, but it is well worth your time.Was this review helpful to you?
Korean version of Strictly Ballroom (kind of)
I watched this on Netflix and really enjoyed it. You can tell by the production value that the movie is older (2005) but the story was sweet. The dancing was excellent (though her learning those dances in a month was very improbable) and through dance they came to care for one another. He was all hard edges and she was soft and they were very cute together. There conversations were very mundane, the kinds of conversations that allow you to get to know the other person, talking about everyday things. The way he took care of her was just lovely.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Who was he in love with?
Excellent cast, but the script left something to be desired. He actually fell in love with the ghost and I could never figure out how he decided that he loved the FL instead. She got a little more assertive after being possessed, but still pretty subservient. I felt that the ghost was entirely too forward and found that irritating. However, I loved the sweet names he called the FL in deference to her small size. The romantic scenes between the ML and the FL were lovely. I've not seen him in anything else and was very impressed by his acting. This is the first time in a long time that I didn't see a ML cry during the dramatic scenes. I loved the scenes where he talked to himself, like he couldn't quite figure out what was going on and talking himself through the issue. Other than the love story, I felt the rest was unnecessarily drawn out. I wouldn't watch this again, except for some of the scenes with the two of them.Was this review helpful to you?
Cute webtoon
Need a break from angst, Asian cliches, extended number of episodes, evil girlfriend wannabes? This was a very cute, short show. It's a show to watch to cleanse your palate before moving onto something deeper and more substantial. I enjoyed all the actors, especially the perky best friend played by Han Ji Hyo. Even the potential girlfriend wannabe was funny. There were so many purposely cringy moments, as well as numerous laugh out loud moments. I enjoyed watching the characters develop and change.Was this review helpful to you?
What a lovely romance!
Start out with a contract relationship, hate at first sight, misunderstandings, a cold man and a soft-spoken woman, and you think it's going to be like every other Asian show you've ever seen. You'd be wrong. This is one of the few shows that I've seen that I revisit time and time again.Ha Seok Jin plays Jae In, the typical cold, work-obsessed corporate man. The hair and makeup department did an excellent job with his transformation throughout the show. He starts out complete starched, his hair is perfect and highlights his always austere expression. Over time, his look relaxes and I loved seeing that.
Jun So Min plays DaDa, the elementary school teacher. She wears the non-stylish, comfortable clothes required for working with little kids all day. She's somewhat mousy, and at first glance you think she's going to be a doormat. You will have that impression corrected very quickly. She does not suffer fools gladly.
The story of how these polar opposites meet and become involved is wonderful, in my opinion. DaDa doesn't let Jae In get away with anything, which is funny to watch, because he's used to always being in control. These two have wonderful chemistry together and this show has some of the best kissing scenes out there! There's nothing earth changing here, just a terrific show, that I think you'll be glad you watched.
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Loved it the second time around
This show really demonstrated to me that you need to be in a certain mindset for some shows. The first time I watched this, I HATED it! However, when a friend wanted to watch it, I decided to give it another chance. I'm so glad I did! This was a wonderful show! There was some silliness, some seriousness, and a beautiful romance. The flashbacks to the Joseon period were very well-done, and new clues were revealed throughout the show, so you never quite knew what was going to happen. This show has, by far, the best ending of any K-drama I’ve watched. It wasn’t thrown in as an afterthought, it wasn’t rushed, it was just lovely. I can highly recommend this show without reservation.Was this review helpful to you?
You have TOTALLY got to watch this!
This show will make you laugh out loud and make you cry. The characters are wonderfully written and portrayed by the actors. The romance was just lovely - he liked her first (I love when that happens!) and their relationship developed from friendship. This was a realistic portrayal of a developing relationship. They talked to each other, spent time together, etc. His romantic gestures were in the way he took care of her. He is the kind of boyfriend every girl dreams of, just wonderful in every way. I also loved the stories of the friendships between Bok Joo and the fatties, between the male lead and his friend and the development of the relationships between the two groups. Even the obligatory evil ex-girlfriend was well fleshed-out and you really understood why she behaved the way she did.I was impressed by Lee Sung Kyung as Kim Bok-Joo. She portrayed the character in a way that, even though she physically didn't change much from the beginning of the show to the end, as you watched her she became so much more attractive. That to me showed that our actions help determine how attractive we are. She was a stalwart friend and how she behaved with her friends, and ultimately Jung Joon, was always supportive and positive.
The biggest surprise for me in this show was Nam Joo Hyuk as Jung Joon. I have seen him in supporting roles in a couple of things and was questioning his ability to tackle a leading role. I needn't have worried. He brought such heart to the role of Jung Joon. At the beginning he seemed like he was very immature and heading toward being a bully toward Kim Bok-Joo. He was able to walk that razor-thin line between meanness and playfulness successfully. He was strong, but when he showed his sadness and vulnerability it just about gutted me!
Wonderful ending. And cameos by Ji Soo and Lee Jong Suk were a bonus.
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Great story, but not strong on romance
Very interesting premise for a show, and they didn't use too many obligatory Korean cliches. Taecyon and Kim So Hyun were both very good. His character really developed as the show went along (as you would hope) and he went from being a complete loner to finally letting people into his life. She was kind of a stalker toward him early on, but not in an irritating way. She was innocent, but not immature, and very sweet. Kwon Yool does an excellent bad guy and was very creepy. I loved the relationship between the two main characters because they were both misfits in a way, but together they worked. I rated it lower because I'm all about the romance and it was lacking in this show, in order to make time for the story and all the ghosts. I also don't like open eye kisses (and one of them you could tell that they weren't actually even touching each other) and the ending was very weak.Was this review helpful to you?
Could have been totally cliched, but wasn't
Light, lovely show. Seo In Guk was made for this role. The range of emotions that he displayed - scared, clueless, naive, vulnerable, playful - I found myself smiling throughout a good portion of the show. The female was very good also and they had such sweet chemistry together. If you just read the overview for this show, you might think that it will be just a re-mix of every Korean drama you've already seen. I mean, c'mon, wealthy guy/poor girl, amnesia, we've seen these things before. I didn't hold out much hope when I started this - I'll be honest, I was watching because of Seo In Guk. I very quickly realized that this show was going to knock down all my pre-conceived notions. This took the K-drama cliches and either turned them on their ear, or soften them so you weren't being beat over the head with them. Very good kissing scenes, nice ending without being rushed.Was this review helpful to you?
