rachel
Singapore
The cast is alright - Sooyoung puts in a fairly okay performance for her very cheery character, the supporting cast are alright, and I enjoyed Lee Jong Hyuk's performance the most - perhaps the character with the most growth throughout the show. Lee Chun Hee puts in a strong performance too with the material he's been given.
There's also the star-studded cameos to look forward to every 2-3 episodes, and the different cases the agency must handle help to jazz up and create variety in the storyline. I also like how some of the cases reflect the issues and matters facing the agents at the same point in time. However, the connections can be so bleeding obvious it feels like the show is yelling at me, "LOOK, A AND B. GEDDIT? GEDDIT?"
But I didn't enjoy the sudden makjang twists in the story towards the end of the show. Some of it felt so cliched it was rather painful.
Basically, only watch this if you want something light, breezy and slightly forgettable.
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THe characters are hilarious. Maybe a tad exaggerated at times, but Cha Seung-won pulls it off really well. Gong Hyo Jin puts in a good performance as a popstar discarded once she reaches her sell-by date.
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At times the humour and references can't be translated and truly conveyed to a non-Korean audience, and would need an explanation. Other than that, the humour is pretty slapstick and a little bit fratboy-ish at times. Some scenes with physical comedy were really funny, others were slightly gross.
I'm guessing Kang Haneul and Kim Woo Bin signed on for this movie before they became really famous and their popularity skyrocketed. There are also a few other actors and actresses in this movie you're bound to recognize.
Overall a pretty light comical watch.
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The relationship lives up to its name - a very ordinary couple. In that sense, the movie doesn't peak and valley like a drama or romantic comedy would. But what it does well is tell the story of an ordinary relationship going through its ups and downs. If you've been in a relationship before, or know of friends' relationship problems, the story will be very relatable. I appreciate the down-to-earthiness, as much as I appreciate the comedy and sometimes farcical nature of it.
Lee Min Ki and Kim Min Hee have good chemistry as a couple breaking up. It would probably be worth a rewatch if you're in a place in your life where you find your relationship going nowhere, or going through a difficult period.
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This show has a really stellar cast - Ha Jung Woo (great action movie hero), Jeon Ji Hyun, Han Seok Kyu and Ryu Seung Beom (deliciously hot and villainous villain). They all play their roles well. I also love the fact that the movie is set in Berlin, a city I have visited and really love, but its significance probably lies in the fact that people from all over the world converge in this city.
Initially, the story was a little bit difficult to follow because so many parts of it are unspoken, and there were so many players in the story. However, thankfully I managed to catch on. There is a lot of English and German spoken in this movie - some of the English was really awkward, but it was watchable.
As with any Korean show, there is a love story at the center of it all - Ha Jung Woo and Jeon Ji Hyun's characters who are husband and wife.
On the whole, a really exciting watch!
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I am no fan of horror movies at all. However, with this one, even the supposedly scary scenes where ghosts appear (helped by the usual scary music and pale ghost faces) are mostly undercut by humour (vastly helped by the mischievous music) and sometimes have happy endings. There are also plenty of purely comedic scenes. Within the first 18 minutes of this movie I was already tearing from all the laughing - no joke.
This is a mostly light-hearted movie, filled with some sad moments about the effects of Yeo-ri's powers on her, and heartwarming moments with the ghosts. The ghosts that haunt Yeo-ri have not gone into the afterworld because they still have things to settle on earth.
On an unrelated note, this is the second movie I've seen SYJ in where she goes to a batting cage, the first one being A Moment to Remember, but in this one her character is good at it, but in AMTR, her character is hopeless at it. Hmm interesting.
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On the technical side, the drama is extremely well-shot. Many beautiful panoramic shots of the Greek filming locations, impressive large-scale sets created for certain parts of the story, and great colouring that made the complexions of all the cast members really pretty.
As for story, honestly this was slightly iffy for me. The story moves swiftly from one mini plot/event to another, with little consequence on our characters, save for some character growth, I suppose. As it is with many Korean legal and medical dramas, a liberal amount of suspension of disbelief is required. The drama poses some moral and ethical questions to the viewer but doesn’t have the time to invest and dig deeper into them, and very quickly swings its focus back to the romances. I suppose it’s not fair to expect this drama to do that. The show does have many funny moments which are appreciated given the subject matter which was heavy at times.
For the characters, I was pleasantly surprised by the show. This writer is not well-known for writing interesting or compelling characters. See Heirs for example. This was an exception. The characters were for the most part, fully formed and pretty mature. Though I found myself greatly annoyed at times by some of the characters, our characters, romances and relationships were not overridden with unnecessary angst and indecisiveness, and I’m extremely grateful for that. Though it doesn't totally redeems the show from its flaws for me.
Music-wise, the soundtrack sometimes threatened to overpower the show, as it did in Heirs. But this show has pumped out the OST songs to keep it fresh so it wasn’t bad.
The show had the opportunity to end on a compelling note, but wasn’t brave enough to go along with it, and resulted in a pretty bland ending.
Overall, my opinion is, well, meh. It is definitely an enjoyable drama for the romance, just that for all the hype and fanaticism around it, it remains a forgettable drama in my list.
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I have not watched either originals of both shows, so I’m judging this as a standalone show.
There is so much wrong with the story. There’s just nothing happening at all. I have read that the original was somewhat like that, the chronicling of what happens in the life of a Hollywood starlet. In whatever way the story was told in the original, it seems to have worked, but the way the story is being told in this remake doesn’t seem to work at all as a K-drama.
The writer’s efforts to portray the reality of the Korean entertainment industry were pretty weak, particularly Young-bin’s status in the industry as a young actor.
Without giving anything away, a lot of story that took place in the last 2 episodes would have been better placed either at the halfway mark of this show, or somewhere in episode 12, which would have allowed the story to go much much further.
There is little to no character development. Young-bin is such a childish, immature character. So-hee has as much personality as a cardboard standee (seriously). Kwang-soo’s character is frustrating at most times.
The bright spark is Park Jung-min’s character, Ho-jin, who was not fully utilised in terms of character developer and the actor’s capability, and of course Jo Jin-woong’s character, the bulldogged agent who admirably never gives up without a fight. Such a waste of talent.
Given the meandering story and non-drama, each episode was such a drag, I kept checking the running time while watching every episode, to check when the episode would end. Each episode was about an hour 15 minutes. Granted, this run time is not uncommon with Korean dramas, but it exacerbated the monotony and boredom I felt watching this show.
It’s a pity this show is such a flop, given how much hype there was, how much money was thrown at it, and a cast with so much star potential.
Overall, and I hate saying this, I do NOT recommend this show at all.
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The drama starts off really slowly compared to other Hong Sisters' shows. The story plodded along really slowly in general. A lot of the storyline and character growth that occurs from episode 11 onwards could really have happened earlier. The story also subsequently deteriorates into typical Korean drama territory (aka noble idiots and being nasty on purpose to distance your loved ones from you - URGH cannot stand these overused storylines), which just makes me want to give the characters a slap in their faces for being so stupid. In any case, I really expected more from the Hong Sisters. It feels like they were tired of writing fresh dramas and just threw in stereotypical plot twists.
Gong Yoo really won me over with his portrayal of Kyung Joon's emotions - a young man trapped in a grown man's body, trying hard for Gil Da Ran to take him seriously. But towards the end, as the story deteriorated, so did my affection for him and his character.
Lee Min Jung - not much to say about her. I think she did the best with what was written for her.
Oh Suzy.. You are a pretty face, but so far in the shows I've seen her in before this (Dream High, Introduction to Architecture), her characters were pretty one-dimensional. So is this one. Unfortunately her facial expressions were still pretty 'wooden' (stiff) in this show and it doesn't help that her character is quite annoying too.
Poor Shin - he barely got any screen time after the body switch.
By the 14th episode I was so exasperated with the whole show that I was just happy to be watching scenes with Gil Choong Sik (Baek Sang Hyun's character). Throughout the show he was cute, sincere, a little stupid but very endearing. And the 15th episode was completely useless in terms of plot development.
As with the other reviewers, this is my reaction to the ending: HUHHHH?!!
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Won Bin is an ahjusshi on a mission. Even though the relationship between him and the girl drives the movie, they share surprisingly little screen time. Most of it is spent on him while on the chase, some of it on the villains, then some of it on the police who are on the chase for this mysterious ahjusshi and the traffickers. The action scenes are pretty exciting and I appreciate the camera work and varied angles used to give us a good idea of the frenetic pace of the fights.
I would not watch this again, if only for the gory and bloody scenes that are pretty hard to swallow. If any at all, its rewatch value probably lies in the subtly quiet and moving moments between Won Bin and Kim Sae Ron.
Won Bin seems to be quite fussy about what he works on. My guess is he will not return to K-dramaland which is frantically paced and hence exhausting. This makes every film and TV drama he has ever worked on even more precious.
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The tone of the movie is generally quite gritty. Some scenes that take place in the dark were, literally, so dark that I had to turn up the brightness on my laptop to the maximum. Frustrating, but not a major problem. I also really like the featuring of foreign blue-collar labourers speaking fluent Korean alongside Go Soo, something we never see in typical Korean dramas and movies.
Kang Dong Won's performance as a soft-spoken hobo-looking man with Professor X-esque abilities of mind control is positively terrifying, powerful enough to command an entire army of humans turned zombies (essentially that's how they behave even though they are still humans). It's my first time watching KDW so I will now check out other projects of his. It's a pity he is no longer interested in working on TV dramas. The funny thing is how 'uglified' the two leads are made to look when they're hotties in real life.
BUT, I didn't exactly understand the ending. Not sure if I'm stupid for not understanding it.
Kids, use your powers wisely!
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There are some cute moments between the lead couple as they get to know each other. However, there are some other random moments in the movie involving supporting characters like the friends of Kim Hanuel's character, which don't seem to be relevant at all to the main storyline.
There are no surprises to be expected - after all, with a period of cohabitation between 2 people, there's bound to be mutual attraction and we see that playing out as the line between a pet-master relationship and a romantic relationship start to blur.
Don't expect too much if you want to enjoy it. Recommended for a light-hearted movie break.
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The synopsis of the show doesn’t seem that impressive - in fact it’s probably to avoid giving too much away. Since everyone loves a good rise-and-fall story, it definitely draws us in. As you continue to watch the show, you will be rewarded by the writer’s skilful unpeeling of the story, layer by layer like an onion.
I’m greatly impressed by the combination of the writing and directing. The characters in the show all have deep and complex backstories and I’m utterly interested to find out more about each one of them. There is no character who is completely innocent; everyone has had their bite of the pie. Yes there is quite a lot of violence, but this story is not just about a battle of fists; there is also a great battle of wits at hand.
The show is vastly improved with a stellar cast. Each one of them put in excellent performances. I mean, how hard is it to ruin a great script?! Lee Bum Soo nails the portrayal of Kwak Heung Sam. At times I got confused - is he our villain or hero? At times I was cheering for him; other times, I hated his guts. Yoon Kye Sang also starts out as our presumed hero of the story, but along the way he takes a few somewhat villainous turns. I would say these two characters are the two anti-heroes of the story. And I love stories that don’t have heroes. It’s always the braver path for the storywriter to take.
The cast of supporting characters are all equally interesting, with the outstanding one being Park Won-sang, who plays Ryu, who has fascinating relationships with Kwak, Tae Ho, and Mi Joo.
This show wasn’t perfect; I have to mention that we didn’t get the full back story of some of the more fascinating side characters, whom I was genuinely interested in knowing more about. It’s a real pity because we were introduced to them as characters and I got excited to learn more but was deprived of the opportunity.
All in all, a very entertaining and thrilling watch.
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The story is quite charming on the face of it - who doesn't love an underdog story? The characters also seem fully developed and thought out. However, the show falls short in its execution. I'm not sure what to attribute it to, the acting or the direction. I tend to attribute it to the direction, since the cast does feature some experienced and established actors who do a decent job with their characters. Especially Lee Seon Gyun and Lee Sung Min, who does provide moments of humour.
The use of the era of 1997 is significantly different from how it was used in the Answer Me series - it's now a lookback on childhood as an adult, instead of the process of getting to adulthood. What I did enjoy is how the main romantic relationship isn't expressed through in-your-face grandiose moments, but is written into little moments and it creeps up on you. I did hear good things about the team behind this show - I have not yet watched Pasta but I plan to, one day.
Lee Yeon-hee's acting skills improve vastly in this show as compared to the previous shows I've seen her in. However, she is definitely helped by the fact that she plays a well-formed, nuanced and relatable character, as well as playing opposite Lee Seon Gyun, who oozes charisma and stage presence. In fact, I'm thankful she isn't completely overshadowed by him in their scenes together. What I love about her character is her hardiness, her growth throughout the show and her sincerity which changes everyone around her by the end of the show.
Ms Ma is written well - on the outside she's a cold, professional and firm pageant expert, but on the inside, she is a principled woman. She sincerely cares for the welfare of every girl, and plays fair. Intellectually, I understand this, but emotionally, I initially found myself not compelled or moved by this character. Fortunately, by the end of the show, I fully understood Ms Ma and grew to love her too. The villain Yun was puzzling at times.
The show only really picks up from its "slump" in episode 9 or so. Before that, the company storyline to be on the brink of making progress but never makes any movement, which frustrated me. Thankfully the story does make good progress after episode 9 and it gradually grabbed my heart.
I enjoyed much of the background music, which brought out the bleaker tone of the era.
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Having watched Reply 1997, I couldn't help myself from comparing 1994 to the first one. Some aspects of it are similar, like the love triangle, the parents and the pseudo-familial bonds. But this ensemble has a story of its own to tell and its own lessons to pass on, which is where the rewatch value lies.
First, the story. I am too young to understand many of the pop culture references and trends referenced in the show. However, the show continues what it did so well in "1997" - appealing to universal themes of youth, moving away from home and your parents, sibling relationships, first loves, family and, growing up. Some important news events that occurred during that time period were nicely woven into the characters' storylines. Another thing this writer does well, which I find unique from other dramas, is the way each episode has a theme, a lesson, and often focuses on certain relationships and characters. This gives the supporting characters equal opportunities to tell their stories and shine.
However, after the halfway mark, the episodes got too long for their own good. I found myself groaning towards the finish line.
I found this love triangle a lot tighter than the one in "1997", which was a dead giveaway to me halfway through the show. It was hard to ally myself with an OTP. I did have my suspicions who the husband would be, and while I'm glad my guess was right, both male leads won my heart over and I still ache for the one that was denied.
Next, the cast. The show has done it again - making superstars out of its cast. I'm pleasantly surprised by the makeover that Go Ara went through for her character. I would never be as endeared to Oppa Trash if Jung Woo was not portraying him, and Yoo Yeon Seok plays Chilbong with such earnestness and sincerity. Without going into all the supporting characters, the strength of this show does lie in the ensemble and I'm glad they were all very appropriately cast.
Finally, the music. I love the use of different songs as themes for the various relationships. The revival of hit songs from the early 90s was a big bonus.
I will miss this camaraderie in this alternate universe created in the show!
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