mehhh
in the first like 6 episodes i just kept watching (idk why) even tho it was like the worst kdrama airing at that time but then it got better, then it got worse again and then better again lol, idk how i managed to watch this until the end, i feel like the plot was all over the place and the pacing was bad cuz the last 4 episodes were soo rushed when they had 20 more episodes to create a better pace also the fl was mean and all that for 22 straight episodes and then she just becomes so smiley and kind all of a sudden?? and also tbh idk how they started to like each other but ig they did and i think they have great chemistry so ill let that slide. if i could go back id definitely not watch it????Was this review helpful to you?
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Breathes new life to a familiar trope. excellent acting, strong protagonists
STORY: it's a perfectly mix of a romcom, thriller/mystery, office drama and body swapping. our badass but sometimes morally grey heroine is killed but wakes up in the body of heart-of-gold entry level boy, who has complicates feelings for her. together, in alternating body formations, they try to find who at work would benefit from her dying and why are they switching bodies.ACTING: its strong suit! it's amazing how perfectly the two protagonsists act in their body AND in the other one's, you can immediately tell if it's the real Seun Ho or her in his body. the style, the mannerisms, the form of speech changes completely and it's fascinating to watch! plus Lomon is better where he's playing her.
THE ONE BAD THING: i can't believe i'm saying this in 2024, but there's homophobia. there's a gay man in a minor role who's demoted, contantly ridiculed for his sexuality and his style, is presented a an annoying caricature and is only accepted when they use him to turn profit for the branding company. disgusting. just because he's not getting attacked doesn't mean the show doesn't look down on him. do better, korea. hence my 9.5 instead of a perfect 10 rating
CONCLUSION: watch it for the pleasure of being surprised and amused.
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hmm I thought it will be more fun?
Went into this drama thinking it will be a fun casual drama but was shocked to find out there was a crime plot involved. This was actually interesting and it started out well. There was a lot of potential until coincidentally they made every suspicious person a suspect (you will understand this if u have reached this part).The portion on the body switches was interesting and I thought it will be the reason for character development in the leads. The female lead was a strong individual who was strong headed and fierce and did not really show compassion for others. However, the male lead was the complete opposite. Although the male lead has a sudden change in personality because of something, there was no change made to the female character....until the ML turned on her...
What I liked about the plot will be the marketing strategies and ideas they came up with to establish an unknown brand. It was a new field that we dont see very often in kdramas.
Overall, this will not be a show I will rewatch as the chemistry between the leads felt in the earlier episodes was all lost towards the end...
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A villain to hate and love
NOTE: there's no real spoiler in the sense that I'm not commenting on any specific scenes that give away plot surprises/twists, but the character of the FL is so different and surprising, that that in itself, feels like a spoiler to me.As of this writing, I've seen as many episodes as have been aired on viki, and eagerly await for more.
The thing is, I started and stopped in the middle of episode 2 because the FL's looks are jarring as is her character.
Then, for the lack of anything else that interested me, I picked it up again and started to "get" it.
So far, the FL, is really gonna be the one to hate, or love, or both, or neither. I know that sounds so contradictory, but I totally went through it all: not really caring for her in the beginning cuz I couldn't be bothered to invest any interest in her; then I really disliked her because her morals are so much in the gutter; and now, I totally love her extreme villainy, the kind you see all the time from ugly, mean, manipulative, sadistic men, and I mean ugly in the sense that they — and she — are so ugly to their core that hell is not punishment enough for the crimes of humanity they perpetrate. It's actually hard to explain but better to experience yourself.
This is the first time I've seen such a portrayal from a woman. Sure, there's lots of villainous women, but it's the usual backstabbing, scheming types of cliches. The FL here is so in your face, unapologetically bad, you start respecting her choices; well at least I do. Plus, she sorts of "humanizes" her villainy in her version of a playful, devil-may-care "playboy" type of character (just sooo like what guys do in dramas).
Now I don't know if I'm just hoping that deep down, she knows what she's doing is despicably bad, and that there's a grand plan behind her shenanigans, or that at some point she's going to be as glorious in her own special way to right the wrongs she's currently so ingloriously perpetrating.
The ML is not bad. He's the eye candy, but I like it that he doesn't lose his identity and his diametrically opposed views to the FL. In the first 3 eps that have aired so far, we get a hint of them battling it out and it's not in the senseless cliched way you might see in drama; it feels more authentic so looking forward to see what happens next.
In any case, so far, so good.
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Unique and fresh series
So far the show has been really good. Definitely recommend it to everyone,you will love it for sure. The Acting of all the cast is really good,the storyline is very interesting,it will keep you hooked till the end.Lomon and Kim Ji Eun's chemistry is off the charts.love their banter,its really funny.The soul switching element is really well done.It doesn't feel out of place at all.With every episode the show gets better and better.I wish the episodes were a little longer but I can't complain much.Was this review helpful to you?
It may not make much sense, but it was a fun ride!
Sometimes when doing reviews it’s tough to decide how to rate something because there are times when enjoyment and objective quality don’t line up.For example, I LOVE Devilish Joy, but I feel the need to put a disclaimer out if I recommend it to anyone, because objectively it’s not a very good drama. The plot is a mess of cliches and the villains are often cartoonish. Still I love it on the strength of the romance and main couple. I don’t care that it’s not some cinematic masterpiece— I thoroughly enjoyed it. On the flip side there are dramas that are well-made like The Red Sleeve (though honestly that drama had some very silly side plots), with masterful acting from the male lead, that I just don’t love. Yeah I guess I can recommend it, but very half-heartedly.
All that to say that Branding In Seongsu is kind of a mess. They throw so many things in there, and many of them make no sense. But it was charming and fun, and I genuinely looked forward to new episodes. The acting got better as it went along. Lomon in particular managed to make various twists land well, and Kim Ji Eun’s character at first seemed impossible to believe could ever be redeemable, but in the end she managed to gradually soften up in a believable way.
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Un bel thriller romantico!
Un dramma che score velocemente con una storia abbastanza intrigante tra thriller e romanticismo con un po' di fantasy che non guasta.La storia racconta di una sprezzante e forte donna che vuole raggiungere i suoi obiettivi e che sembra non guardi in faccia nessuno, ma poi c'è un risvolto diverso e si vedrà la sua vera natura. Poi c'è lui che sembra un semplice ragazzo imbranato ma così non sarà.La storia si svolge tra misteri e un pizzico di fantasy con scambio di anime e tutto ciò che comporta.
I risvolti thriller tiene incollati allo schermo e la storia romantica è adorabile.
Un dramma un po' insolito ma davvero carino!
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