Cunning Single Lady (2014)

This drama has an incredibly misleading premise and title: our leading lady might not have the best intentions and her moral compass might point due North, but she's not at all a gold digger. This is something that is evident from the very first episode of the drama, so if you're thinking of putting it off because you don't want to see a woman try to sneak back into her ex-husband's wallet, then think again, because Sly and Single Again is more than about picking up some extra wons.

The main ploy of SSA is not at all groundbreaking and is really quite ridiculous. It is filled with often unrealistic scenarios in an office situation and the CEO and Director of DonTalk seem to be way more hands-on and interactive with the staff (the marketing staff in particular) than they should be. It's really quite forgettable; however, the story line between her two main leads isn't forgettable at all.

Romance centered dramas usually fall flat in developing the characters in a love-line and their relationship thus making their love seem unconvincing. SSA doesn't do that. Without giving too much away, the characters grow to not only understand each other, but to understand themselves and their wants and needs. The romantic plot is what carries the drama (surprisingly) and it reminds of Jane Austen's Persuasion, which works brilliantly in SSA. Furthermore, I have never witnessed such chemistry between the leading couple in a K-Drama before. I think Lee Min Jung is better suited to Joo Sang Wook, in real life, than she is with her gross husband. But that's beside the point. lol

I'd also like to add that our main female isn't driven by her love/hate for a man and her relationship with Joo Sang Wook's character is not what drives her. Her desire to find herself, and some sort of stability in her life, is what drives her. Which is refreshing - especially for a K-Drama - although I do wish her desires were fleshed out a tad bit more, but this is a rom com we're talking about.

The acting in the drama was pretty solid and there wasn't really a weak link. I haven't seen any of her previous works, as I'm still a bit of a newbie to dramas, but I really fell for Lee Min Jung. She was wonderful as our feisty, blunt yet emotionally guarded female lead. Also, Joo Sang Wook is pretty damn hilarious too.

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There's nothing out of the ordinary in the set up of this drama. I honestly misunderstood the premise of this drama because our lead girl definitely is not as "cunning" as I thought she would be. She has logical reasons for acting the way she did. She was not seducing her ex-husband just because he became rich.

The story is a bit predictable but still manages to squeeze the right emotions out of me. What I love the most in this drama is that the main couple is so adorable. I loved Joo Sang-wook so much in this drama because he is quirky and funny. I think he was making mostly melodramas before this but he totally nailed being in a romantic comedy. He and Lee Min-jung totally carried the show with their acting.

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It has its good ways and bad ways is all I can say...

**Just to note for those who want to watch it on Netflix, it won’t be available after the 10th of February 2021**

Anyways so I finished this kromcom in a matter of full two days. I found out about this drama from Stewie on the Drama Obsess website which was based on the “ Office Romance Korean Dramas You Can’t Resist”list. I’ll tell you how I felt in bullet points for the good and the bad while watching this kromcom:-

The good
*Our main couple:- I liked the fact that the drama focused on the romance development between the two leads Na Ae Ra and Cha Jung Woo. It’s interesting how both were completely opposites like Na Ae Ra is open, hot tempered and doesn’t take any bs from anyone. Whereas Cha Jung Woo is an intelligent caring guy who wants to move on from their failed marriage but still loves Na Ae Ra. It was even heartbreaking to hear about the miscarriage, it was a pretty emotional experience. Also yes they are both very attractive and that kiss man was a delight to see?????????

* Na Ae Ra’s father:- I really thought that guy who played the father did a good job at being pretty likeable in the series. You definitely would like a dad like him...seriously he is a shipper like myself with wanting our main leads back together!

*Mr Gam- I honestly would’ve liked to know who played this loveable eccentric dude like seriously he may be a typical “over the top” colleague but he was just so cute how he always thought of his family and he does care about his colleagues so much! I wish he was part of the main cast tbh ?



The bad
Love triangle cliche- I was always frustrated with the Kook siblings going after the main leads. At first I seriously liked Kook Seung Hyeon and Kook Yeo Jin cause I thought they were interesting characters. Yeo Jin was a car crash victim who lost her husband and has a bionic leg. Kook Seung Hyeon is an attractive bubbly guy who dreams of being an artist and yet doesn’t give a monkeys ass about working in the company. He just wants Na Ae Ra. I just wish the Kook siblings weren’t the usual cliche “third wheelers” like the pair of them turned out to be pricks at the end of it. They are better off to be a couple themselves rather than siblings seriously. It would be great to see another couple tbh....

The snobby co workers- god I even hated the co workers as well as the siblings. They just ultimately keep downgrading the female lead like it was legit sexism from a viewpoint just because she was a woman and admired Seung Hyeon cause he’s a fella. It was just so uncomfortable to see like it was just urgh they should’ve written them off the story!!!!

The karaoke scene - I honestly would have rather to hear the characters voices like sticking in a random song from someone else and the characters not in sync with the song, it was just messy man! Like cmon, they could have at least let us hear the singing voices of Lee Min Jung, Joo Sang Wook and Kim Gyu Ri!!!!!

So overall folks it was alright nice enough show to waste time on but I wish it was developed properly by giving us something at least different instead of the old fashioned cliches. That’s why I’m giving it a 6/10 rating and that was mainly thanks to the main leads tbh....

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I can’t believe I waited to watch this

So the synopsis is a little misleading. I brushed off this drama for a long time thinking that it was going to be about a gold digger trying to get back with her now rich husband. I’d been in a drama slump for a few days and decided to give this one a shot thinking it was going to be about this woman’s funny antics in order to get back with her ex. Well, I was wrong. This is a story about a young couple who divorced due to a lack of communication and misunderstandings. Although there is definitely plenty of cute and funny moments from both of the leads, I saw it more as a journey of healing and learning how to communicate. Great performance from both leads.

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Has a lot of rom & com! <3

So this is one of my most fav dramas ever! That is saying something because I have watched 100s and 100s of dramas in so many languages!

This show gave me some of the heartiest laughs! It's a very funny show which has two of my fav romcom themes, a great second chance romance and hidden identity(no one in their company knows they were ex couple) theme . It is a very nice feel good romcom which can be easily binge watched, like I have done multiple times! Yes the re-watch value is seriously high too, especially the first half episodes which are really hilarious and is a good cheer me up when you are feeling down!

Now coming to the title, lemme tell you that the title is so misleading! Yes, the FL may seem a bit rude in the early flashbacks of ML but there is a proper reason for it, which will be revealed later. Some of which will be revealed in the first episode itself if you carefully listen to everyone's conversations especially between the FL and her friends and family.

Right from the first episode you will know that she is in no way a gold digger as the summary makes you believe. She's just angry that her ex became rich while she still working multiple jobs to pay off his debts. Also she doesn't want his money, she just wants his apology but instead he insults her and gives her money and she decides to take revenge by joining his company! The FL is a true fighter in every sense of the word! And most of the times her revenge ideas are crazily hilarious! :D When you watch it you will know what I'm talking about! ;D

The lead pair have great chemistry and their tit for tat hilarious revenge antics are actually made believable because of their awesome acting! I love their rooftop conversations! After watching this show's rooftop scenes, I have come to expect highly of all the rooftop scenes in different dramas. The rooftop really has a good scene building potential along with offering great panoramic views of the cities.

Anyway an Overall a 9/10 from me, which is the highest I have ever given till now! :D
Highly recommended!

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Definitely Underated

I have watched this drama many times. It is an absolutely lovely drama.
The story is about second chance when the divorced couple meets and they know that they still love each other a lot. I like how the characters were developed. The second leads were also very good. The 2nd ML is very cute and may give you 2nd lead syndrome. The female lead was a bit annoying at the start but then you start to like her in no time.
The leads look amazing together. Great chemistry!
The story has good humor. Even though the story has nothing novel nor any twists or revelations it still keeps you engaged. The story progresses at the right pace.
The drama has lovely OST. Great job by the cast as well.
It is a good drama to watch and worth the time.

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The way this drama started off, I was unsure if I would be able to like it, but somehow it ended up becoming one of my favourite kdramas. The story is very typical, and the characters presented also seem very common. Initially, Na Ae Ra seemed naive and needy, while Cha Jeong Woo appeared to be your typical arrogant rich guy. As the drama continued, there was nothing particularly unique about the story, but what won me over were the main characters. I thought this drama did a brilliant job of finally presenting a strong female character rarely seen in kdramas, and demonstrating a broken relationship where both sides were guilty and had to reexamine themselves, to make equal contributions towards rebuilding the relationship. Na Ae Ra matures throughout the course of the story and it was nice to see the female lead of a romantic comedy not just being pulled along by the male lead.

As for the side characters, I wish they could have been better developed, but there is your typical array of characters that add enjoyment to the drama.

If you're looking for something unique, this drama isn't what you're looking for. However if you're one to love a good romantic comedy, cliches included, I would recommend this, as it was enjoyable throughout. Because of the strong main characters, and the excellent chemistry between them, this drama was a lot more fun than expected, despite the predictable plot elements.

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A 3-star-worthy drama

This drama started nice for me, finally a business romance with a different plot because these past few months I keep watching those genres where the male lead is so bossy and snob to the female lead, but this one is different.

I thought I would love this series but the miscommunication between the main leads got me annoyed. A lot of their problems with each other could easily be solved if they just communicate. And both of their parents are childish, they just make things around them worse.

But other than that, everything is tolerable. Both of the main leads matured, I like how they solve and start their relationship again, and how they got back.

This is not the worse or the best drama, but I could say that this is good enough to recommend to someone who likes this kind of genre. A 6 out of 10.

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Fantastic character development in a meaningful workplace romcom

Cunning Single Lady has its issues, and watching it now does make some of the storylines feel dated. BUT overall it’s a really great show with some of the best character writing in kdramas.

The lead actors do a fantastic job portraying the rocky relationship between the ML and the FL, and the ending really feels satisfying given all the struggles they go through to get there. Plus, both actors have impeccable comedic timing, leading to many laugh-out-loud moments.

I would recommend this drama to anyone looking for a romcom with some more mature leads and deeper storylines relatable to older viewers.

Tropes:
Workplace romance
CEO ML to working-class FL
Enemies to lovers
Pre-established relationship; leads start out divorced
ML falls first
Double love triangle with scheming second leads

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If you're ready for a emotional roller coaster this is a drama for you! Most of the time it's easy going and a very funny drama to watch but I must admit sometimes I felt my eyes filling up with tears. The main characters as well as their surroundings are very lovable. Can't really complain about anything except the ''gold digging'' part, sure it's a bit weird that she would go back to her ex just for the money. But when you've watched a couple of episodes you'll soon learn that there is soooooo much more to it. Have a great time watching! (Btw this was my first drama ever, so if you're new in the ''cult'' I strongly recommend you to watch this or something similar since it's very easy to watch and not as ''cliché'' as a various of others)

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