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The acting is good regardless of the story. One thing that I noticed is that even though the cinematography doesn’t compare to the Korean version, it seemed more realistic this way. It worked for me.
I won’t rewatch this. If you can get past the fact that Zhi Shu is a jerk for most of this drama, then I recommend you watch it. Otherwise just skip to the last 3 or 4 episodes.
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Ok. I'm trying to write this calmly and rationally. However, I'm so disappointed that I'm not sure if I can. I know that I will probably be crucified for this review, but here it goes anyway.The story has been done in tons of dramas, but I think this writer did it with new twists and a lot of mature content. I enjoyed every episode and wasn't sure quite where the writer was going to lead me from week to week. It was exciting and I really did love it. It has all the makings of a great melodrama including love, betrayal, amnesia, murder, attempted murder, etc. The writer's subliminal messages are great. I like it when I have to read between the lines and not just take everything at face value.
Honestly, I thought this drama was great until the last two episodes. Did they change writers??? I don't get it at all. There was this really great tragic drama for 18 episodes then two episodes of filler and a 7 year time jump that just left me cold. I'm not suppose to write spoilers so I can't go into detail. However, Jae Hee's final actions were totally out of character. I don't for one minute find her redeeming or her tears convincing. She is a certifiable nut job. She and crony, Attorney Ahn got off way too easy. Plus, how can they make a woman as smart as Eun Gi not notice...crap, no spoilers. Well, they turned her into a friggin' idiot. The only good part is that Ma Ru doesn't back down and stays true to himself. At least they did that much. I won't even go into how I feel about the ending. I can't with out writing spoilers.
The actors are the reason why this drama was good anyway. Song Joong Ki as Kang Ma Ru floored me. I had no idea that he could play this kind of character. He was so complex and believable. I know he is good looking, but even an actor with the best of looks would have a hard time pulling this character off. He did it all with those eyes. How does he make his eyes warm and cold like that??? It is amazing. Park Si Yeon as Han Jae Hee was also good. She made me dislike that character with a passion. It is a tribute to her acting. She did the ending well also even though the writer changed her character too much. It isn't her fault and she plays twisted to perfection. Moon Chae Won who plays Seo Eun Gi had a hard character to play. She practically had to change from cold to warm so many times in this drama that it is a wonder she knew if she was coming or going. I have seen her in other dramas and I appreciate her acting ability. It was also very nice to see Lee Kwang Soo teamed up with Joong Ki again. He is adorable as Park Jae Gil, Ma Ru's wing man. All the other side actors did a good job also. The acting was NOT lacking!!!
The music was beautiful. Even if you don't watch this drama, you should check out Song Joong Ki's "Really" and JYJ's Junsu's "The Innocent Man".
I won't rewatch this.
Overall, I think that this is a drama that you would enjoy if you like melodramas, which I do. You may love the ending. A lot of people do.
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The story is good, but really sad. I thought it was a murder mystery, but I figured out what was going on in the first ½ hour. I don’t think there is much mystery to it. I thought the way they filmed it was really well done. The acting is extremely intense and dark . Son Ye Jin plays a part far removed from the only other thing I have seen her in which is Personal Taste. She is a very versatile actress. I had never seen Han Seok Kyu or Go Soo in anything else. I think they did well in their respective roles as a cop and criminal. The ending was off the hook!!!
Again due to certain scenes and because the premise of the movie is not light, I’m not sure if I would recommend just anyone watch this. Watch at your own risk.
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Uhm Tae Woong did a nice job of conveying all of Jang Hee Tae's emotions. I felt his love, anger, and sadness. I was mad at him sometimes and routing for him other times. Lee Soo Hyuk was also great as Kim Joon. He made Il Ri comfortable enough to pour her misery out to him. I kinda felt bad for him, because it seemed he started every thing because he saw she was unhappy. He should have known that he would just end up hurt though. Lee Shi Young was amazing as the quirky, 4 dimensional Il Ri. I enjoyed her character so much. A lot of people might blame her, but I empathized with her. There were many times that I just wanted to yell at her to run away. I absolutely loved Choi Yeo Jin as Hee Soo. Her character was a large part of why I kept watching the drama.
The music is fine and appropriate.
I will never rewatch this.
If you like a slower paced meaningful drama, then I recommend this. It isn't action packed or epic, so please don't expect too much. Like I said in the feeds, Valid Love is oddly emotional and addictive.
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The acting of Kim Kang Woo as Gil Su Hyeon, Park Hee Soo as Detective Oh and Jo Bo Ah as Jin Seo Jun is exceptional. They all have a way of pulling me into the story and I was fully invested in their characters. Also, there are a lot of great actors like Kang Ha Neul, Jung Chan, and Jang Gwang that make cameos.
The music is really good.
I will probably rewatch this right before the 2nd season (fingers crossed).
I recommend this drama. It kept me interested from beginning to end.
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S Diary is a romantic comedy, but it has a serious/sad feeling to it. Kim Sun Ah plays Jini very well. Her character changes depending on the person she is with---Lee Hyun Woo the priest, Kim Soo Ro the playboy, and Gong Yoo the artist--- during the look back on her relationships. At first when she goes to speak to each ex-boyfriend she seems to be looking for confirmation that she was loved and then seeks revenge against the men that she feels didn't love her. The revenge part is where it becomes actually funny. In the end she realizes the truth, that no matter what kind of relationship a person is in or how that relationship ends there is meaning. SPOILERISH >>> I like how at the end we get a glimpse of how the men in her lives really felt about her during their relationship. The plot is pretty good, the acting is excellent. This is the kind of movie to watch for fun. Plus Kim Sun Ah is in it.
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CITT is a pretty good drama. There are aspects that I like that deal with diverse relationships and personalities. I thought the way it is written and directed was well done. Although it has some of the typical story line, not all of the story is predictable. I like a lot of the characters, but it was hard for me to be emotionally invested in anyone except In Ha. Also, my problem is I didn't feel the chemistry between the female lead with either of the male leads. I didn't hate the ending like some people seemed to, but I wouldn't say it was the best I have ever seen. The acting is what kept me hooked. Park Hae Jin has a way of eliciting sympathy for his character, Yoo Jung. I thought he was totally misunderstood. The other actors are good also, but I think the stand out and steal the show actor is Lee Sung Kyung as In Ha. I love her and her character. Talking about someone who has some deep psychological scars. I never once felt sorry for her though. I felt like she was doing the best she could with the coping methods that she new. Yeah, she lied and schemed to be loved and to get all the things she wanted. I felt like Yoo Jung's father is the one that taught her to do that. He really is mostly to blame for his son and In Ha and In Ho's pain. Plus, if he had taught his son to talk about his problems and deal with things in a conventional manner, then Yoo Jung might be a different person. I hope that isn't to spoilerish.
The music is good.
I won't rewatch this.
If you like psychologically messed up characters, then this is the drama for you.
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Oh, man. Did this have a bad rating in Korea? I was enjoying it until... I bet the writer of this drama was devastated when the number of episodes was lowered. This drama had so much potential, but you can tell where the writer had to start cutting corners to end the drama. The writer tries to wrap things up with the ending, but I personally felt that there were things for which I would like more closure. The premise takes makjang to a whole new engaging level. There are some really annoying characters and some stupid side stories. However, it is totally interesting to watch until...Bae Su Bin as Cheon Woon Tak is amazing. I can't believe I felt for this psychologically disturbed character. SPOILERISH His actions are deplorable, but for some reason I believe him at the end. Ok....that is the end of my spoilerishness. I'm a total fan of Jang Shin Young and I think she is exotically beautiful. She plays the naive and innocent Lee Soon Jin very well. Usually those kind of characters get on my last nerve, but I actually feel sorry for her. It even feels good to think that there might be someone out there that is truly kind. The rest of the cast is fine too.
Side note: How unprofessional is it to quit in the middle of a drama? I would like to know if Lee Tae Im was really sick or if she is the prima donna that people claim her to be. Either way, I have heard of actors going to the hospital and still coming back to finish a drama.
Some of the music I enjoyed and some I wanted to peel my face off because it was so annoying.
I will never rewatch this.
I don't really recommend it. I enjoyed it and I would really like them to release the original script so that I can read where the writer wanted to take it originally. It doesn't feel complete. Watch it at your own risk.
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Daebak!!! I know most people will hate the ending, but the writers hint/warn (depending on how you take it) at what the ending will be from the start of the drama. It gave me the feeling that there could be a sequel drama, but considering they meet under a crescent moon with a peach tree, fate could play out the same only in a modern atmosphere. Anyway, can't say too much or it will be spoilerish. The story has a great mix of fantasy, romance, action, and suspense. I really enjoyed every episode most especially the special effects, sword fighting, and martial arts. I think it is cool that what everyone claimed as a monster was more human than the humans that acted like monsters. I usually don't like a lot of extra characters, but this time I think it adds to the drama rather than taking away from it. In the end it had a mixed feel of Sungkyunkwan Scandal meets Arang and the Magistrate.I will start with Suzy as Yeo Wool. I know a lot of people don't like her, but I thought she did a great job. In the beginning her acting was a little stiff, but as the drama progresses, she gets better. It may be because she is learning and acting with some really great actors. Lee Seung Gi was beautiful as Kang Chi. I felt for his character deeply and he wrapped me up in his emotions. His smile is to die for. Yoo Yeon Seok as Tae Seo and Sung Joon as Master Gon were also great. They added so much to the emotions of the drama.
I enjoyed Choi Jin Hyuk as Wol Ryung also. His character was the best. In the end though, I thought that his son had more hope and less fear than the father. Otherwise, why didn't Wol Ryung do the same thing that Kang Chi did in the end??? Just a thought.
I could write all day about the actors. They were all great. I loved seeing one of my favorite actresses, Yoon Se Ah as the adult Seo Hwa. Lovely!!!
The music for this drama is good too. 4MEN's "Only You" and Lee Sang Gon's "My Love is Hurt" are songs I will be listening to for a while. Lee Seung Gi also sings an OST for the drama called "The Last Words" and Suzy sings an OST called "Don't Forget Me". Both are well done.
I will probably rewatch this at some point.
If you like fantasy, action and romance, then you will enjoy this drama. Did I mention that there are a lot of romantic scenes and some really well done kiss scenes. :-)
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I really don't have much to say about this disappointing drama. The first 10 episodes are good, then it straight down from there. I thought the writer might pull it out in the end, but even the ending is disappointing. Chincha??? God I wish I could write spoilers. Babo. The only saving grace is the consistency of the characters. The female lead is strong and smart which is so rare in Korean drama world. There is so much that could have been done with this drama with out the typical Korean tropes.Lucky for this writer they cast a great group of actors or this would have been rated at 1. I didn't know what to expect from Jun Eun Ji in this role although I thought she was great in Reply 1997. She was excellent as Choi Chun Hee and obviously has a gift for picking characters that make her shine. Choi Chun Hee was the perfect mix of strong, smart, and vulnerable. I really liked her character through out the drama.
Ji Hyun Woo as Jang Joon Hyun was also good. Too bad the writing of his character sucked so bad. It wasn't because he is a bad actor for sure.
Shin Sung Rok was also good as Jo Geun Woo. Consistent in love even if he didn't always tell the truth immediately.
All of the other actors are good too, but there were way too many unnecessary characters that I really didn't give a rats ass about.
Music is good.
I will never rewatch this.
I don't recommend this drama unless you just watch the first 10 episodes and stop.
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This is NOT a family movie. This movie was recommended to me and I watched it without even knowing what it was about. I love elephants so the name immediately caught my attention. Anyway, the story is unusual and by the end I wasn’t sure what I had just watched. It is a twisted, artsy movie.
Honestly, I love twisted movies and this was just up my alley, but I’m not sure just anyone would like it. View at your own risk.
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Missing You is a melodrama which is the genre that I like the most. It has murder, family secrets, kidnapping, etc. I really think the story was well thought out. My only complaint is that there is so much crying in this drama. I have seen other dramas like this where they got the point across with out all the crying. Now, I totally understand why we see the female lead crying through out this drama except for the 14 years that she is "missing". She goes through a lot of BS and is traumatized. However, part of me wishes that the writers had written her character to be a little stronger. Hell, even the guys cry a lot in this drama. Most of the time I don't like this kind of ending for a melodrama, but this time I think it is appropriate.Kim So Hyun, Yeo Jin Goo, and Shin Dong Woo are a group of amazing young actors. They portray a depth of emotion that surpasses their age. Yeo Jin Goo gave an outstanding performance as the young Jung Woo. The look on his face when Soo Yeon goes through what she does (can't tell you as we can't post spoilers) is totally believable. I couldn't believe what they put Kim So Hyun (young Soo Yeon) through for this drama, but she does great.
On to the adults...Yoon Eun Hye, Yoo Seung Ho, and Micky are also good. Micky seemed to just pick up Jung Woo's character where Jin Goo left off. I was really impressed. I love Yoon Eun Hye. I have seen everything she has been in except Vineyard Man and she never lets me down. This is no exception. The surprise to me is Yoo Seung Ho. I had no idea he could play this kind of complex character. I would feel sorry for him one moment and hate him the next.
Usually I get really tired of a lot of extra characters, but this time I think that it was ok. They don't focus on them a lot and they actually add to the story. I think the actors were good too.
The music is ok also.
I probably won't rewatch it.
If you like melodramas, then this is definitely a must see drama.
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Oh Yeon Seo redeemed herself to the people that said she had too much plastic surgery and couldn't act in Shine or Go Crazy. She payed Han Hong Nan in a very believable way. Lee Ha Nui who was also in SOGC. I didn't enjoy her acting in that, but I think she was much better as Song Yi Yeon. She is really pretty and I like the tone of her voice. The other actors are good too. Rain did a great job mimicking Kim In Kwon's mannerisms. Oh Dae Hwan was scary as Na Suk Chul. Overall everyone did a good job.
There was some good music.
I will never rewatch this.
If you like romantic comedy with a supernatural fun, then this is the drama for you. And for those of you like me who mostly avoid this kind of drama, I think this is one you should try. :-)
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