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Madame Antoine korean drama review
Completed
Madame Antoine
9 people found this review helpful
by manicmuse
Mar 23, 2016
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 3
Overall 7.0
Story 6.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 7.5
Rewatch Value 7.0
I feel weird writing this review, because although I really enjoyed "Madame Antoine", I completely understand why people hate it. At first sight this drama seems like a RomCom, but I'm not sure if that's exactly accurate. It's definitely comedic, but it isn't always very romantic. Sometimes it's a little anti-romantic. This drama centers around unconventional love stories, and an experiment that challenges whether love is real at all. The characters are great, and really memorable, but the plot starts to repeat over and over again like a broken record. I think that's the nature of dysfunction, so it made sense to me, but I can see how it can become annoying to watch. 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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