Sure they look like the actors you love but they are still honing their skills that have made them so beloved today. Either that or they were given such a weak script that they did the best they could. During the time the show came out they might not have been in a position to pick and choose the roles they liked. They also had bills to pay back in the day.
The plot when looked at by western standards is a bit gross with a teacher and student falling in love and I guess the show wanted to promote that love knows no age but I can't get my head around the relationship. It is not the age that gets to me, but the student/teacher relationship. For me a teacher is a sacred profession and is entrusted with nurturing a child's future much like a parent. Think about it, you are as much a product of your upbringing at home as you are of the education you received at school. A teacher replaces your parents during your time in school and to marry your teacher is just YUCK!
The one thing that the show has taught me is that no matter how much I may be in love with Gong Yoo I can still watch him objectively wen he is on screen With the exception of Cho Han Gul in Coffee Prince because when ever he is on screen during that show I forget to read the subtitles ;)
Was this review helpful to you?
Must-watch if you're a fan of the two Gongs
I didn't use to watch old dramas but I made rare exceptions starting with this and I'm glad I did.Definitely, it's not perfect. The fashion and camerawork are outdated. I wanted to shake Biscuit a lot in the first few episodes. And I fast-forwarded through some parts involving the students' lives (not as good as Gokusen) and most parts involving the "dry as a dishwater" second lead (the role, not the actor).
But man, Gong Hyo Jin and Gong Yoo together is such a sweet pair. I enjoyed all their moments and it's what makes this drama such a gem. So much so that I know I'll be rewatching their parts again even in crappy, illegal sites (since it's not available on the legal streaming sites I know).
Was this review helpful to you?
Was this review helpful to you?
The storyline starts really good, despite the cliche plot, but then the story starts dragging a lot in episodes 10-14. Ji Hyun Woo and Na Bo Ri relationship is going back and forth, it gets me bored and stressful sometimes. Then the story gets interesting once more in the 15-16th episodes, and the ending is great, beautiful.
Overall, i like this drama, but not to the point where i love it, and i don't think i'll rewatch this one anytime soon. But I'd like to see one more time, Gong Yoo and Gong Hyo Jin pairing again in the future!
Was this review helpful to you?
Was this review helpful to you?
Gong Yoo is just so adorable and you can't help but love him. Gong Hyo Jin as always does a fantastic job at making a real three-dimensional character come alive with layers and nuance.
This would be the drama I would recommend to people who have seen all the popular dramas out there and are looking for something good to sink into.
It isn't fluffy, but it isn't all over heavy either. It balances it's light and dark well and the romance keeps you coming back for more.
I would happily re-watch this a number of times and recommend it thoroughly.
Was this review helpful to you?
It doesn't help, that the second male lead is as interesting as a glass of water. Throughout the whole drama I kept wondering why on earth a vivacious young woman would cling to that weak, silent and indecisive kind of man, who does little for her and seems constantly on the verge of abandoning her. Maybe some more background story would have helped with some more key moments as to why this teacher came to be so important to her, I think what is shown does not justify her devotion. If he would have been charismatic in some way, speaking up for what he thinks is right, something to give this character some kind of profile, maybe one could relate. Puppy love is all well and may lead her to return to him, but at some earlier point she must notice, particularly as she is astutely aware of her pupils emotional situations, that he can't be what she took him for. The same is true vice versa: as he already had a girlfriend, why did he fall for a student? It lacks explication. Plus, as the situation between the relationships of all three are quite similar, there should be some reflection on it. How dare the second male lead reprimand Tae In for his love, if he himself benefits from just the same thing? The drama shows little of this conflict.
The last few episodes got better, if the whole drama would have been more like that, it would have been nice. In the middle part, the story drags quite a bit.
Then there are some scenes that I personally find disturbing and off-putting. A father who hits his son and gets him hospitalized should be convicted for domestic abuse in my opinion. A teacher who tells that beaten and bleeding student of hers, that well, he just shouldn't have provoked his father, should be sacked on the spot for negligence. Punishment of a student leading to bleeding wounds is also wrong on so many levels, how am I supposed to sympathize with such a person?
The acting was outstanding between the two leads, Gong Yoo in particular made the whole drama worthwhile (and I am not a particular fan of his). I would have liked a more 'professional' atmosphere between the couple in the beginning that changes slowly, but that's storyline. The second male lead had nothing much to recommend him. Acting and storyline both didn’t do anything for this character, even though it got better in the very end. The other characters were all right.
All in all, I thought of dropping the drama midway but I'm glad that I watched it to the end, as the last three episodes kind of make up for the drag. I won't watch it again though. There are much better stories between a teacher and his/her student...
Was this review helpful to you?
And it didn't. Here are the reasons why I loved it.
The cast.
Gong Yoo. I don't think I need to say anything else about him. He is the most perfect actor I have ever seen. I thought he was amazing in 'Goblin' because as you grow your skills developed. But this show which is from 2005 almost 12 years before 'Goblin' and even then he knew how to play with emotions and expressions like no one else. Because the faces he makes, are merciless. Park Tae In was crazy and playful and you just watch him grow. He was perfect. I love Park Tae In.
He is my favorite character ever. I just loved the craziness in it, in him. He is awesome. I love Park Tae In.
Gong Hyo Jin playing the older teacher Na Bo Ri. I didn't liked her character. Because she just made Tae In cry so much. But Hyo Jin did a really good job.
Kim Da Hyun, Choi Yeo Jin, Kang Do Han, Jo Hyung Ki and many more who's name I don't know, were all amazing in their respective characters.
The story.
God I loved it. The beginning was so, so funny and hilarious. And then it started to get a little serious. Some will say that the story drags in the middle but I disagree. It doesn't. Instead it moves in a pace that was necessary for the characters to develop.
The side-stories was only for Tae In and Na Bo Ri to realized what they were to themselves. Sometime they were a shoulder to cry on, sometime a friend to talk to, a mentor, a loves. ^_^
And then the ending. It was hands down the best ending I had seen. I usually don't like how my favorite shows ends. Because well, it's ending and I always has something else in mind. But this one was just perfect. Sweet and perfect.
The music.
I love them. Played 'Only you' a hundred time by now. Only problem is that I can't find the rest of them.
Will I rewatch it again? Yes, I'll!
In short.
If you want to see thousand and one expressions by Gong Yoo's, and want to laugh, cry, learn some lessons about life and friends? Or just want to watch Gong Yoo as an crazy teen.
Than watch this drama without any other thought.
Was this review helpful to you?
Love the one who speaks to your heart.
I watched this drama because of the two Gongs, I had no idea they'd starred together in a drama so I just had to watch it.It's a solid drama with a meaningful narrative; It focusses on Na Bo Ri's passion for teaching and how her compassion changes the lives of her students. Na Bo Ri's compassion touches the troubled Tae In's heart and he falls in love with her and that's how their journey begins.
The show managed to stay interesting by showcasing the students' individual problems and issues and allowing Na Bo Ri to help them through their trials, the bond that develops between Na Bo Ri and her students is heartwarming and special.
(MILD SPOILER) The romance between Na Bo Ri and Tae In is sensitively depicted, it's a one sided love for the longest time and Na Bo Ri is with the second male lead for over half the drama ( a character who is intensely annoying from the first to the last episode) (END SPOILER)
I suppose this drama is one of the pioneers of the noona romance genre, the teacher student romance is actually very well handled as they only become a couple when they're no longer in a high school setting, plus Gong Yoo's acting is so charismatic that he always projects alpha male vibes with lashings of cute and playful.
This drama is enjoyable, my rating is based on the fact that the supporting characters with the exception of the students, were truly irritating, especially the second male lead. I also removed points for the draggy and repetitive aspects of the story at its mid point, the ending however is solid.
Great performance by the two Gongs, I didn't expect anything less and I really wish the drama gods would grant us another drama with these two as leads.
The music is good, the OST is cohesive and very well placed.
My overall rating is 7 out of 10.
Was this review helpful to you?
The love between the main characters is simple and evident. Their story itself flows quite well, there are no crazy plot twists and thousands of problem coming between the main characters (well, just what's needed to last the 16 episodes).
All the students' stories are nicely intertwined even if the show construction - 1 case at a time - is basic, it works very well.
I just couldn't quite buy Gong Yoo as a high school student... or at least not as someone younger than Gong Hyo Jin.
This drama may already come off as slightly dated, so hurry up and watch it!
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Some good bits, but gets very slow in the middle
Like probably everyone else I saw this, liked the title, and figured that the two Gongs in a comedy could not be a totally bad thing. And this turned out to be true: it's not bad. They are both very watchable and lovable actors, and I found the show pretty entertaining for the first seven episodes. In these, Biscuit Teacher GHJ has artistically enhanced kick-ass fighting abilities (amusingly debunked in clips in the episode outros). My fav of her demonstrations of that was an awesomely silly Gokusen- tribute warehouse rescue scene with her flying girl gang, who really should have had a spinoff series (Powerpuff Ajummas?). I enjoyed that a lot. I liked that she had a weird dad who's gone off to be a shaven-headed monk in the mountains and who she escapes to pray with when things get tough. And I liked that Star Candy Cute Brat Boy GY recognizes her good qualities in the first few episodes, and they don't drag out the battle between them for too long: by ep 7 he's wildly and hilariously confessing to her in an airport at the top of his lungs! - bless him.But after that the speed got slooow like uncooked biscuit slurry. The kids were good, but the kick-ass stuff died down, the angst and suffering and crying scenes increased woefully and the love triangle with Boringest Teacher Ever got way too much airtime. I'm guessing he was written that way to make the main romance more palatable, but by that point every time his face appeared it was Hello Skip Button for me. It does have a good ending: definitely worth skipping to that if you also get bored in the middle. And it is fun seeing young versions of so many actors, although imo they don't actually look all that different - yay for the power of Korean skincare.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
first of all i watched this drama mainly for Gong yoo & Gong hyo cause they are my favorite actors& i'm fond of noona romance
gong yoo was amazing in this drama i fall for him really
the story is nice & mainly talking about the students problems
but that doesn't mean it didn't has many weak points
.
i think this is SPOILER
.
first of them the character of kim da is very weak & provoking so much he couldn't even fight for his love or solve the problems or made her feel secure with him he lets gong hyo been humiliated without moving a toe
he wants every thing prepared for him without fighting & i think he didn't love her truly or else he was going to move mountains for her
true love appears in a very small actions like what gong yoo did for her
& if he was capable to solve the problems that easy y didn't he made that step sooner
at the beginning of the drama i wished they continue together & after every ep i hated him more
he didn't even has enough courage to tell her from the beginning he loved her but he took gong yoo as an excuse to bring her closer even when he knew she loved him he didn't make the right actions towards the problems
and he is really selfish he didn't even bothered himself asking her if the plan he made suits her or not he didn't also care about her dream he assumed that his dream will be hers automatically
the main weak point for me was his character
second : how could oh yoon possessed the school while she was only the manager
that doesn't make any sense for me or may be i missed something
third : since when selfish & hurting was counting as true love
i hated the character of choi yeo & oh yoon so .. both were B*****
fourth : i felt that gong hyo suddenly fall for gong yoo the writer made her fall for him too late at ep. 14
fifth: the events of the drama doesn't make sense to me i don't know y but i didn't feel comfort & the end was weird although it's happy but doesn't explain much it was concise for me comparing to much detailed ep.
may be the sub was bad that's y i didn't get much
in total i loved the story but hated that weak points in it
Was this review helpful to you?
