Anto
Argentina
The cinematography was gorgeous, the OST went great with the show and the leads were amazing individually and also as a couple. They had beautiful, wonderful chemistry. Supporting characters did a phenomenal job, too.
The forbidden-love aspect of this drama was its strongest point, but as I said, it got repetitive and boring in how the plot progression was approached. I think either other conflicts should have been introduced, or if not, the show should have been cut down to fewer episodes.
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This review may contain spoilers
SO. MUCH. EYE. CANDY!
Honestly, I expected this to be much more of an ad for the store than it ended up being. It was mainly done pretty tastefully and smoothly IMO (lately they've been promoting these coffee candies in k-dramas and every single one of those instances of product placement were so much more cringy than how it was done in this mini drama).But, not only was the plot a lot of fun, the acting was fantastic (Soo Jin being awkward af and all flustered was adorable to see and 100% relatable), and even if that was not the case, this would be entirely worth watching just for the eye-candy alone.
Don't go into it expecting to see any kissing, because there's none of that (a more accurate name would have been "7 almost first kisses"). But if you have an hour of free time and are in the mood for something cute and fun, definitely go watch this. It's available on YouTube.
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Hot Take: 7 first kisses had a hotter cast.
Secret Queen Makers lacked everything that made "7 First Kisses" so charming and hilarious.One of the funniest and most enjoyable aspects of "7 First Kisses" was witnessing the female lead freaking out every time she met each of the male leads because she recognized them as men who are very famous people in real life. I missed the laughs.
The production value and work put into it is still insane considering that at the end of the day this is basically a super long ad, but compared to the other one, this one was such a disappointment.
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I quite liked it.
I think it was a fun idea to name each episode after k-pop songs (wish the songs would have been added to each episode in some capacity, maybe as an instrumental or by having someone humming it? I feel like that would have been a nice Easter egg for the fans, and it's not like YT doesn't have the money to pay for it. Huge missed opportunity imo)There was a bit of music but nowhere near as much as I would have expected give the idol studded cast they had to work with. But they were nice songs at least.
Bit disappointed with the ending, as they clearly left it wide open thinking there'd be more seasons.
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Disappointing
This drama was a mess.It couldn't decide on a tone, so the parts that were fun and chaotic clashed really harshly with the super serious moments. I don't think the story progression was properly executed for the plot to have the impact it could have had. And the main character was quite unlikable. She was manipulative, kinda selfish and tended to take out her emotional struggles on other people. There was too much broodiness and moodiness going on for my liking. Still, there was some truly exceptional acting, so at least there was that.
I found the directing to be sort of off-putting, too. Some shots were awkwardly framed; awful, cloudy filters kept being put over shots and the tone temperature kept shifting. There were also scenes that looked almost like they were being done with a sort of fish lens because the edges of the shot were all rounded and out of focus. It was so weird.
And for a show literally called Just Dance, there was very little dancing involved. It was the same few shots of the same exact choreo done multiple times, but never in a satisfying way where you could actually appreciate the dancing and choreography.
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This review may contain spoilers
This drama missed the mark for me.
I was disappointed In Sung ended up getting back with the girl who treated him so poorly. What? Now that she's achieved her dream she'll be nicer to him? She should have been nice from the beginning.They both had their struggles, both of them had a hard time economically and academically, but while the ML remained cheerful and thoughtful, the FL became mean and selfish. I think In Sung deserved better.
Also, I don't know, this drama felt very pointless since it ended with its main character pretty much in the exact same spot he started from. I watched three hours of the show and nothing much changed for him in the end, except maybe his girlfriend will treat him better now?
And I know the friend was supposed to be a bit of comedic relief, but to me he came across as overbearing and a little creepy.
One thing I loved, though? How they mock-recreated the MV for Eyes, Nose, Lips. That was hilarious.
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This review may contain spoilers
Fun. Wish there was more plot development
It was ok. The premise was fun and interesting, but the story was a bit too rushed to make the relationship between them seem believable.I think they were doing a parody for Goblin at one point. I can't be sure since I only watched a few episodes of that drama a couple of years ago, but there was a scene where the ML asked "How did you summon me?" and the FL was wearing a red scarf, which was very familiar to me. I wish I knew what else they were parody-ing. I bet it would been so much more hilarious .
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Have tissues nearby
So very bittersweet. For a three hour drama, it hit a lot harder than I was expecting (just as well written content should!)The leads did an absolutely amazing job. They were lovely together. Combine that with a great plot and a not-really-but-still kinda unexpected emotional sucker-punch and you've got yourself a very enjoyable drama.
The all important song Byul and Woo Joo wrote together was not very good as it was too repetitive, so that was a bit of a let down. But in the grand scheme if things, that hardly matters.
This is a fantastic drama to watch if you're looking for something that you can binge watch in an afternoon, or if you want to take a break from other shows. And, bonus, I think "rewatchability" wise, it holds up too.
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I want more of Henry Lau's cuteness and Shin Min Ah's dimples!
I think this drama would have worked better in a shorter format, maybe 12 episodes instead of 16? And we could have cut the whole thing with the exes (ex friend and ex boyfriend). They both had kinda sucky personalities and their story line wasn't very interesting at all.However, overall this drama was very cute and between the leads' chemistry and the bromance, I enjoyed it a lot. Shin Min Ah's dimples are utterly adorable, and this show had a lot of bare chests and skinship! It's always a treat to see a main couple who looks comfortable together and all the hugs and little touches. Even if it's thoroughly innocent, it's always so nice to get those glimpses of physical closeness.
But the best part, for me, was Herny Lau. He completely stole every scene he was in. His sunny disposition and mishmash of Korean and English were so cute! The true MVP.
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YES!
This show is, simply put, captivating.The directing was fantastic, the film and sound editing flawless (weird green screen moments non-withstanding) and the natural beauty of the mountain was utterly breathtaking. Such a visually stunning place! This show was definitely a treat for the eyes and ears.
The story wasn't what I first thought it would be, but nonetheless, I found myself deeply invested. Deaths disguised as accidents, preternatural abilities, multiple red herrings... Not to mention the insanity that were the episodes with the forest fires and floods. Watching this show was most certainly not a relaxing experience!
My one gripe with it was the lack of romance. Such a waste considering the magnetic chemistry between the leads! When they were together nothing else mattered. Also, emotionally, the whole show have hit so much deeper if they'd been romantically involved. A romance plotline doesn't always make a story better, but it definitely would have in this case, so I still can't believe the didn't fully take advantage of what a wonderful duo they'd casted for the main roles.
But besides that, I've got no complaints. This is a great show and a must watch.
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Not my type of humor
After the master piece that was Doom at Your Service, I started this show to try and fill the hole that one had left.It had big shoes to fill, and it failed miserably.
I really struggled with the first few episodes and almost gave up. Everything would be going well, and then they'd add these horribly over the top scenes with extremely cringy, unfunny humor. I powered through because I saw potential on what the show was building with the main couple, and wanted to know how that would continue. Luckily, after episode five or so, the cringe lessened significantly (either that or I just grew desensitized).
As a whole, I have to say I think quite of bit of thought was put into writing this show. There were a fair number of characters and a ton of different plot lines, but somehow they all ended up being interconnected and tied together in some way or another. A lot of them I didn't care for, and wish would have been taken out for the sake of making the show shorter (I don't think this needed to be 20 episodes long). We spent a whole chunk of the show on storylines completely unrelated to them main couple and plot, but at least there was a point to everything that was added.
Lee Seung Gi definitely was the MVP of the show. His acting was fantastic. And him and Yeon Seo played quite well off each other. I really enjoyed every scene they did together.
However, coming back to the fact that I was expecting an epic, fantasy love story riddled with angst and heartbreak, this whole thing ended up being a huge disappointment. I went in fully expecting to cry, but I never even teared up.
If you're thinking of watching this and haven't seen Doom yet, go watch that one instead, it's better in every single aspect.
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The epitome of good things come in small packages
I binged this in a single day to take a break from another drama that had me bored and annoyed.For such a short drama, they packed a lot of story into it! The acting was good, the main couple was fantastic and the plot was interesting, fun and compelling.
I loved the fast pace, and each episode was structured very nicely to where it kept the plot moving along while also introducing new information and further developing the relationship of the two main characters. I absolutely loved Yeon Ah and her "I'm done with people" attitude during the first few episodes. She was hilarious and such a great character. And In Hyuk really did a good job at "becoming more human" each time he acquired a new emotion. Very solid performances on both their parts, and they had great chemistry, too.
Just a very enjoyable mini drama.
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Bang Min Ah is the best thing about this drama
It was a nice drama, and Bang Min Ah really did a stellar job. She gave this performance her all. Personally, though, I like when robots behave more like robots. Being a bit expressionless. monotone and a little stiff, kinda like Aji-3 in I'm not a Robot. Where they look human, but if you look closely, you can tell there's something odd about their behavior.Also, the villain story line was very weak and utterly dumb and pointless. She was there just for the sake of being an antagonist. Boring and annoying, really.
All in all, this drama was super cute and had its sweet moments, but towards the end I found myself losing interest. I just think they made it too long and dragged things out too much. It probably would have been better if they'd stuck to the usual 16 episodes run-time (or 32 in this case).
Still, if you like fluff and adorable male leads are your thing, I think you'll enjoy this drama.
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It was cute
My first drama that I ever saw Seo In Guk in was Doom at Your Service, and it's insane how different both his character in that drama and Louis were. After watching him be all broody and arrogant in Doom never would I have imagined he could also play an adorable, silly, spoilt heir so well. The man has range.As for the plot, it was a little thin, and so there was quite a bit of filler to pad the run time. But Bok Sil and Louis were very cute together! However, I'll point out that I'm a little sad she didn't ever quite match his level of affection. Nam Ji Hyun never quite convinced me she was head over heels for her co-star. I feel like she exuded reluctance in all of their kissing scenes, and that's not really the vibe you want to get from a rom-com.
Still, if you want to watch something sweet and uplifting, this show is a good choice.
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Not the best, not the worst
I found it hard to like Song Yi for the first couple of episodes. She was so rude and entitled, it was difficult to root for her, but thankfully her awful behavior lessened as the show went on.The leads had amazing chemistry and were great. Their interactions were believable and the emotional scenes felt real. I didn't cry at any point, but this has to be one of the top 5 dramas I've seen, that isn't inherently sad, where characters cry at least once each episode. And very convincingly, mind you.
The supporting characters were also very good. I particularly loved Hwi Kyeong, with his steadfast, unwavering love for Song Yi (he was so sweet, I wouldn't have been mad if the show had ended with a trouple forming LOL), the friend with the comic book store who continually fell in love with every good looking guy she saw and also Song Yi's bratty little brother.
Honestly, for a 21 episode show, it didn't feel that long. It did drag a bit at certain times, but there were surprisingly few "flash-back" scenes, and lots of interesting, interconnecting plots that kept things fresh and moving along nicely.
The OST was a bit cheesy, but maybe that has to do with when this drama came out? IDK.
All in all, story-wise, nothing too mind blowing, but with very strong performances all around that make it worth watching.
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