It's quite good!! And I'm hooked.
I am not a big fan of family dramas because they are long, too many conflicts involved, and becomes uninteresting as episodes move on. This is definitely something different.
On the other hand, this drama quite surprised me with this underdog tale of unlucky and optimistic,Lee Soon Shin and arrogant, cold-blooded (hides his feelings) character, Shin Joon-Ho. With lack of confidence in both characters, this is neat way to build a story from scratch from an ordinary girl into a famous actress and from an arrogant president to a changed person. This will help build their romance and understanding.
Each character has their own background and this drama takes time to expand their stories so each have time to tell their tale and how they got to this point in the story.
After watching 2 episodes, I realized that this drama will be 50 episodes long. Did not expect this at all. Great start in the few episodes with its quirky yet interesting story-telling plot. Impatiently waiting to watch for more!!
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I'm writing this review after having watched this a second time (although this time through I fast-forwarded through most of it). I didn't have an account on MDL when I watched it the first time but now that I've watched it again I really want to share my feelings on it.
To me what makes this drama worth watching is definitely IU and Jo Jung Suk, their chemistry was spectacular. Do not let the age gap scare you, because their romance is just so pure! I shipped them so hard and they're one of my favorite kdrama couples. Joon Ho is so sweet and clumsy. Even though he acts tough, he makes a fool out of himself so many times which makes him such an endearing character, not to mention the amount he cares for Soon Shin. Joon Ho supports and cheers for Soon Shin when everyone else in her life bosses her around and treats her like crap. He's the only one who truly cares about what her desires are and knows her better than she seems to know herself. He supports her and chases after her in front of all obstacles.
Soon Shin is sensitive and naive. I wouldn't call her a "strong female lead" but she perseveres through so many obstacles and even if she falls down for a bit, she always gets back up. Her resilience is inspiring. IU did a wonderful job. Of course it did kind of drive me crazy just how naive they make her character. There were also many times when I just wanted her to confront her family, or people who were putting her down and just go all out but I really did enjoy her character and enjoyed watching her grow. That's one of the reason's I love Joon Ho so much though, because he brings out the best of Soon Shin. He encourages her to be brave and go for what she wants despite the disapproval of others. She's her best self when she's with him and I love that she brings out his playful side. Their relationship is so fun and innocent and because it was so hard fought, it made me love them all the more. Their scenes together were easily my favorite scenes. I don't think I've ever rooted for a couple more than I rooted for Joon Ho and Soon Shin. In fact, my biggest regret of the whole drama was that they didn't get enough scenes!!! Sometimes they would barely even show up together in an episode and there was definitely enough time for them to have more scenes because this dramas 50 episodes long!
Ugh, anyway. I also liked Jin Wook played by Jung Woo. He was super goofy and entertaining and his relationship with Hye Sin played by Son Tae Young was one of the other good things about this drama. Chan Woo and Yoo Shin were okay but their relationship wasn't as interesting to me. Oh and I also loved In Sung by Lee Ji Hoon. I loved the tiny bits of comedy he added and his interactions with Joon Ho were funny^^ Young Hoon or the restaurant manager played by Lee Ji Hoon ( the other Lee Ji Hoon) was another calming and stable character in a drama full of so many nuts characters, so he was a nice addition.
This drama is definitely has the melodrama thing going for it though and it's one of those dramas that's fullllll of unnecessary misunderstandings. The kind of misunderstandings that can be cured by literally a sentence. The second time through I pretty much fast-forwarded through scenes that weren't of the main couple or certain characters I liked, because honestly this drama drags out misunderstandings like nobody's business. You definitely have to be able to tolerate psycho characters or let yourself scream at them. So that leads me to my biggest problem with this drama. And yes it has to do with this dramas length. The Mom and Grandma get waaaaaaay too much screen time and are in no way "a joy" to watch. Also, many of the conflicts in this drama were simply unnecessary and the misunderstandings didn't add to the drama but took away from it. While watching I had the feeling that the writers just enjoyed putting us through misery because of all the times I wanted to pull my hair out. I also hated that the writers sometimes made certain characters too insane. There were many characters that the writers made unrealistically terrible for a period of like 10 episodes or sometimes more. Like I hated Yoo Shin for the first 10 episodes and I hated the mom for like 15 episodes in the middle and oh the grandma... don't even get me started. Then there were some characters that were just psycho the whole time *cough* Yun Ah.
So the value in this KDrama defintely lies in the main couple's relationship and chemistry. If they got more screen time and other characters less, well the whole drama would have been significantly better. My opinion on this overall is that there weren't enough moments where the characters were allowed to have fun or be happy and there were way too many things dragged out/over dramatized. But my love for certain characters in this drama really made it worth watching and that's saying a lot considering it's 50 episodes. So I suggest you watch it! But only if you're into romance and super cute couples or if you are a fan of IU or Jo Jung Suk. Seriously IU and Jo Jung Suk, ugh so adorable. I shed tears while watching, screamed while watching, but also squealed and grinned so wide while watching. And I can say that after finishing this the second time, I genuinely feel sad.
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Soo about the story it was sooo good i really liked the story you know those things about acting singing with the guy helping her is so cool :)
The cast sooo perfect every character is good for it personality :D and their acting was soo good and emotional you could feel them when they are sad and they were soooooo cute :] about the music mmm i liked only one song of the ost (i see only one person) it was totally perfect *__* so i liked all of the ost because of this great song ;) rewatch value is kind of law cuz it is a long drama :\ but if you just saw junho and soon shin's scence it would be good :) sooo over all it is an awesome drama i recommend it for every one :D
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I had never watched sucha long drama but this one is so worth it!
What I am not liking is that the romance is going really slow but I think I can wait.
The romance scenes are heart warming and the sad parts just break your heart.
There's a lot of plot twisting and you just don't know whats going to happen!
Also Yoo In Na a great actress by the way, her character is the one I like the most, she's the reality of this drama.
Don't giv eup because it's long, do watch it ^^
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Not a Romantic Comedy but a Family Relationship Drama
First of all, this series does not qualify as a RomCom (Romantic Comedy) it is a Drama about family relationships. Yes, there are comedy scenes here and there but those scenes were not even 2% of the 1-hour 50 episodes. With that clear, let's begin with the review.Review proper:
1. The story. At first it appeared that this is a story about Lee Soon Shin (played by IU) and Shin Joon Ho (played by Jo Jung Suk), the poster, synopsis, and first few episodes were about them. However, as we enter deeper in the series, it became clear that the series was not about them but about the family relationships.
Shin Joon Ho, and in particular Lee Soon Shin, were only used as an anchor to be able to tell the amazing stories of each of the "supporting characters". While this was good overall, without watching the last few episodes, the stories were all over the place. There were too many stories told it was no longer possible to identify which stories qualified as "main" and which were "side" stories.
All 50 episodes should be watched completely to fully appreciate this series. A series about family relationships. The bond that we share with each other. The ups and downs we go through. The love that still triumphs over resentment and hate.
"You Are The Best" is about "YOU" (yes, YOU the reader) being the best because you fight despite all the trials and tribulations that comes in our lives.
I'm giving it an 8 out of 10 stars.
2. Acting/cast. The cast were perfect. The acting they gave to the show were natural, it was as if watching the life of a neighbour or our own. There were no unrealistic acting common in other drama series which is a distraction when watching. Special mention is Kim Hwan Hee for her superb acting, it is rare to see a young kid with that kind of talent in acting. Another special mention is Lee Seul Bi, she should have been given a more active role and more dialogues as she is capable to give the proper emotions and expressions need for her line.
All of them combined, it's 9.5 out of 10 stars.
3. Music. It is not easy to grade this one because the emotion-filled drama is far more memorable and powerful. The music were mainly used to be the scene. Meaning, when the music is removed, the scene will not stand on its own. The impact wouldn't be there. The emotion reaction would have been lacking. It would have been better if the scenes with the music can stand on its own--without the music background--because this would've allowed the music to pull out a far more powerful emotional response.
I'm giving this 7 out of 10 stars.
Conclusion:
Overall, I'm giving the series 8 out of 10 stars. It was a great show and it was very moving. The multiple main stories are relatable and memorable, especially its focus on family relationships instead of a romcom or romance between two love birds. While having multiple main stories was good, it diminished the focus and impact of the main story between the two main characters. It was also slow at first and took ten to twenty episodes to reach the meat of the main plot. Regardless, the acting given by all the actors and actresses were so good and natural that overall it is worth watching again.
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You are not the best
You Are The Best!This for me was yet another failed attempt at watching another weekend drama. I can appreciate a good family melodrama but honestly, I was expecting it to be more of a romantic comedy. Or at least I was expecting the romance aspect of this drama to be written better and not feel so much like an awkward friendship.
I do appreciate dramas that revolve around women and how they deal with Korean socio-cultural issues. How to fit and navigate this ever-changing society being a single divorced mother or fighting to keep your career and your marriage. I especially loved to see Soon Shin's progression in achieving her goals and progressing as an actress while at the same time unraveling her family secret. I feel that the show should have put a bit more emphasis on her and her development and less on crazy mothers and their drama. The acting wasn't bad, but I do feel the characters lacked any sort of growth. Many characters were terribly selfish and felt justified in their actions from beginning to end.
Even though this drama had plenty of potential and interesting characters, it ultimately failed to deliver in my opinion.
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The writing is the major problem in this show. Except for the grandma, the oldest sister, and sometimes Soon Shin, the acting wasn't bad. I was a new fan of Lee Mi Sook and was rooting for Mi Ryung. Yoo In Na is one of the best supports you can have (especially in Secret Garden) and even seemed to be the second lead in this drama. The rest of the side characters were quite believable and lively. On the flip side, I'm a fan of IU in Scarlet Heart Ryeo, but boy did she come a long way from how she acted here. Her acting along with the writing made Soon Shim seem like an immature brat with a corrupt view of justice where double standards between her and Song Mi Ryung were okay. She expected the world to be handed to her because she always played the victim and never thought of how others were affected. This mindset actually seemed to be the case for the majority of the characters in the drama, especially the grandmother. It’s a low blow to attack an old lady, and I’m not sure if the director forced her, but the actress playing the grandmother was over the top and annoying to be honest. I usually love little old ladies and find them cute but there was nothing loveable about the way this one was portrayed. It was not a tsundere type of character but a purely hateful one who had the victim syndrome as well. The mother was unreasonably selfish, Yoo Shin’s mother-in-law was selfish, both Joon Ho’s parents were selfish, the little girl was selfish, Joon Ho’s sister was selfish...etc. It’s a feat in itself to finish a drama with these characters.
I had to take about 10 breaks just for the last two episodes. The ending just genuinely sucked (there's really no other word for it, or need to find another word for it or else I might end up putting in more effort than the writers of the show did). It's not like some dramas where you're dissatisfied with the ending because it doesn't go the way you planned. In fact, some dramas that do that are great dramas. It was because the show was uninteresting and did not even attempt to resolve things with reason. No wonder most of the problems stemmed from misunderstandings. The writers didn't even seem to understand anything.
I know I ranted a lot, but I felt it was necessary from the stress of wasting my time on 50 episodes of this show that causes your blood pressure to go up and makes you eat fried chicken and pastries because of the chicken shop and bakery. I would not watch this again nor recommend this show to anyone.
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So what made me stick with this during 50 episodes? Definitly the leads! Both were adorable, had a good chemistry, and their characters were ones of the few that were well written! CEO Shin (Jo Jun Suk)- he wasn't typical arrogant playboy, on the opposite - he was very caring and cute, and his romantic lines were one of the bests I've seen in k-drama! Lee Sun Shin ( IU) - yes, her character was suppossed to be typical female lead Cinderella - poor girl, that fells in love with rich guy, good to everyone and always do the right thing, but somehow IU could make her very real and likeble! I liked, that she wasn't crybaby ( maybe sometimes, but in the situations she was allowed to cry lol), she never burdened others with her problems, always tried to be bright and optimistic, and also for a change she wasn't that idealistic fighter for justise, but regular girl next door, with her emotions and doubts! She really made me like her and sympathise with her! From older characters I'd like to metion Song Miryeong - I hated her characther most of the time, but she always kept me curious - I never knew what she's gonna do next.. I like this type of characters who is not one-dimensional, she wasn't just bad or good, but had always some hidden story behind. Rest of the characters were quite typical, but still I learned to like some of them :) And all the cast did a really good job, I think everybody were exellent in their roles! Starting with the little Uju:) I also liked the music!
Don't want to keep it long - yes, it was a makjang, sometimes I felt annoyed, but I made it to the end - it means after all it was good! Because if I don't feel it, I don't keep watch even much shorter dramas! Lol.. Apart from being makjang, it was cute, heartwarming, sometimes funny, sometimes emotional.. Some scenes were very good, so if you'll give it a shot, you'll maybe be able to enjoy it.. I don't regrett watching it, I'll even maybe miss the charaters sometimes! :) Give it a shot - there's always a time when you need something to watch, witch is not too heavy, and can stick with you for a long time! My feels after watching it are good!
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REASONS TO WATCH :
*IU
*ROMANTIC MOMENTS
*THE MALE LEAD FALLS FOR THE GIRL FIRST
*CUTE MOMENTS
*I WAS PLEASED WITH THE ENDING
*IT KEEPS YOU HOOKED FOR A WHILE
* ITS GOOD IF YOU CANT FIND ANY THING TO WATCH
OR IF YOUR IN A FUNK WITH DRAMAS
* A FEW JEALOUS MOMENTS
*THERE IS SOME MOMENTS THAT YOU ALSO GET INTO SOME MOMENTS
* I THINK THE ACTING IS GOOD ITS BETTER THAN MOST
* I LIKE WHEN THE MALE LEAD LIKES THE GIRL THE MOST AND FIRST AND PROTECTIVE
* IU CHARTER WAS KINDA WEAK BUT I WOULDT SAY A DUMB FEAMALE LEAD PEOPLE JUST KINDA USED HER KINDNESS
AS WEAKNESS IN AWAY
REASONS WHY NOT TO WATCH:
*MAYBE TO MUCH CRYING
*MAYBE TO MUCH FAMILY ISSUES ITS LIKE ONE AFTER ANOTHER
*THE LITTLE GIRL ANNOYED ME AT TIMES
*IU's REAL MOM AT TIMES ANNOYED ME TO
* I HATED WHEN THEY DINT SEE IU POINT OF VIEW
* NOT ENOUGH LOVE MOMENTS
*AT TIMES SLOW PACE
* YOU DONT CARE FOR ALL THE CHARTERS
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Возьмем главных героев - IU вообще-то попзвезда, но отыграла в некоторых местах не то что на 10 - на все 11-ть.
Jo Jeong Seok тоже певец и музыкальный продюссер - был абсолютно при деле. В их чувства верилось безоговорочно. Yu In Na, игравшая среднюю сестру, мне полюбилась еще в Queen In Hyeon's Man. Старшую сестру играла тоже красавица, я ее до этого не видала, оказывается она жена Gwon Sang U (уж 71-ый в огне все видели) Пекарь вообще прикольный парень. Нашлось время и место рассказать несколько историй и всех подвести в хэппиэнду.
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Masoquismo a la coreana
Una que podria haber sido una linda historia sino se arruinara por la insistencia en repetir situaciones malvadas. Vale la pena verla por la belleza física de la mayoría de las actrices y por la impecable técnica cinematografía de los coreanos.Todos tienen su oportunidad de ser malvados y humillantes, desde la pequeña hija de una de las tres hermanas, hasta la mas perversa de todas: la abuela. Con el eterno argumento de estar "haciéndolo para su bien".
Ciertas costumbres coreanas son arcaicas y se presentan en toda su dimensión en este excelente drama. El mas chocante para nuestros tiempos, es el control que hacen las madres, y mayores, sobre sus hijos adultos por el dinero que entregaran por casarse.
Pero el peor de todos es lo que pagan por mantener "el secreto": la bellísima Yun-Ah (Kim Yun Seo) "podria contar que sabe algo" y rompe la bella relación de los protagonistas. El "secreto" es a nuestros ojos occidentales, una pura estupidez.
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