Great characterization but unable to engage

The story had some great characters. I really like how each character was represented, their conversations, the themes the show represented, visuals and overall feel of the story. I enjoyed overall positive relationships. I liked all the couples and also enjoyed the main character's journey to find himself and how he becomes agent from an athlete.

At the same time, there wasn't a point where I got deeply involved in the story. I never waited for the next episode and never really had any urge to complete the story. There were good elements but it didn't get to me. I also wish they had spent more time on the athlete/track side of the story and his growth. That would have been more interesting. It gets very slow sometimes and conversations between characters seem all over the place. There were many times I didn't understand what the characters really wanted to say. Also, the show doesn't really show the difference between selfishness and self-love. The terms are used interchangeably.

Overall very interesting characters & themes, coherant relationships, but not a great story telling.

Read More

Disappointing!

I rarely give low scores and I love classics but I couldn't stand watching this drama. 20 episodes and I watched all episodes by skipping. The FL character is so lame, clueless and cries when there is no need to but is projected as a leader who deserves to be a scholar.. I was bored but I don't drop dramas usually so finished it! There was talk about pride when it wasn't needed. She didn't seem manly either. Actually all the characters felt lame to me except for Song Joongki's character. Upto 15 episodes, I felt story had not moved. It was slow and a very disappointing drama for me. Overall, it was an unappealing drama.

Read More

The ratings were high and first few episodes were awesome. I had great expectations after i started but highly disappointed afterwards.

Story:
The story was very good during the first half which is where most of the positive points come from. The friendships, trust, protecting people, learning from each other, growth - things were perfect in the beginning. The characters, cast, momentum - everything was going great but it went completely downhill from there. The show had a lot of potential but lost its way in the middle. My favorite character used to be Geun Soo. His character had so much potential to grow and contribute. I didn't understand why writers forced him to turn bad. His character wasn't like that. He was originally sweet, caring, compassionate and forgiving. Unfortunately, in the middle, writers took the track in a totally different direction. I didn't like how Saroyi and Yeo So totally ignored his feelings when taking revenge or even in the end towards the finale. Yeo So became very annoying. I loved her character but there weren't real learnings for her. She did good things just for her boss and never was shown actually learning her lessons. Remained inconsiderate till the end especially to Geun Soo. Geun Soo deserved much more. Didn't like the 7 year and 4 year leaps too. The growth of the company was much easier than expected. Expected more challenges there. Ending was horrible. Saroyi and Yeun So had no chemistry. I would have preferred Saroyi with none of the woman. Janggak Co was number 1. Could the chef really beat them so easily in the competition! Many things like that put me off.

Acting/Cast:
Cast did a good job in terms of acting. Yeun So gave a powerful performance as well.

Music:
Music was good.

Rewatch value:
I don't think I would rewatch it because by the end of it, I got really frustrated and wanted it to just end. First few episodes are wonderful.

12 episodes should have been good enough.

Read More

There was just one storyline that I enjoyed in this drama which was done so well that I completed the drama (skipping everything else). Everything else was just too slow for me and also annoying because of how some of the characters' behaviors were shown. It was how things used to be in older days but still annoying.

The eldest son's story - gay relationship, their thought process, struggles, acceptance, non-acceptance was done so beautifully. It was so good that I withstood rest of the drama just because of this storyline. I couldn't help but feel sorry for them till the end. Some of the scenes involving family members were just so beautiful and heartbreaking. The eldest daughter's storyline was also interesting and I was expecting some character growth there (which didn't happen) because husband was just pitiful! Apart from that, there was no storyline that I was really interested in. It felt too slow and on top of that, a lot of annoying characters. There was good potential in other stories but not up to the mark. Most of the relationships were unbalanced. Grandma was also pitiful! I think if characters had started to grow, the show would have been the best especially eldest daughter, grandpa and younger uncle. Mom also felt biased in her behaviors. Would have liked to see some growth there as well. It was probably lack of character growth that made the show feel slow and monotonous.

I haven't really enjoyed dramas involving homosexual relationships so far but here, that storyline is done so well that I could give 10 but everything else is boring and slow. Which is why - a lower rating. My recommendation would be to see the eldest son's storyline and skip everything else :) Or, watch an episode a day instead of binge watching.

Read More

Strong start, weak ending

It started off very well and I was enjoying the storyline. The scenes between the father and other characters of the story are precious and enjoyable. There are comic scenes as well. The middle part of the story becomes very draggy though and it takes a long time for secrets to come out slowly. The last part of the story was interesting but it has a weak and incomplete ending. Sudden change of hearts in evil characters in the end is something I don't understand. . Female lead character could be written better.

The part that I am most dissatisfied is the arch of Shin Woo. He was lonely from beginning to end. The lead actor also had fake parents but they were forgiven while Shin Woo wasn't. He was a good, kind but lonely person, sacrificed a lot and he should have gotten a better ending especially with the family he spent 30 years with. He didn't get mothers' love until the end. I think character growths and closing of the arcs could be better. Would have given higher rating if the Shin Woo character was wrapped properly. And I don't really understand what happened to main couple in the end and what was the leap for?

Read More

Enjoyable

It was light and predictable for me yet I liked it so much :)

After an emotional heavy drama, I was looking for a light show. Based on the ratings, I wasn't expecting much but the show was a surprise and hilarious to begin with. For the most part, it stays light, humorous and predictable yet enjoyable. I think the dialogues and the acting together made a difference here. The storyline is not new but the execution is very different from similar other shows. The show was not dragged and something kept happening and it kept my interest going as well. I absolutely loved the interaction with the kid. She is adorable. The immature dad also plays his role really well. It becomes a bit more serious towards the end of the show and the last plot is what I wasn't satisfied with. I would have liked more amendments and family time towards the end .

Overall, satisfactory!

Read More

Refreshing show, awesome beginning, Ok towards end

Story:
The show started off very strong and I had a very good time watching it. There was mystery, humor, emotions and fantasy all together. The characters had good progression. I really liked how they incorporated humor in the show while maintaining the victory good over evil scenario. It was also nice to see how each team member was becoming closer and like a family to each other that made it heart warming show as well. But this was mostly in the first 2/3rd of the show.

In the last few episodes, the team bonding moments and the humor took the sideline, plot had more loopholes, focus was mainly on villain and not on individual characters and it became a bit predictable which made the last few episodes an OK watch.

The acting was good. I can rewatch it because of the acting and the characters.

Overall it's a good show.

Read More

Fun watch with some disappointment

The story had a great start. It was hilarious and suspenseful. For the first 14 episodes it was amazing and very well executed with proper pacing and structure. Watching the whole cast was a treat and very funny. Watching this drama was so much fun! I enjoyed the music and among the cast, I enjoyed the interactions of the three minions the most. My favorite part of the show was how these 4 guys adjust to the modern world. From episode 15-19, the story was concluded in a very lame way. Many intelligent characters became stupid, some characters changed suddenly and it seems not much effort was put here to keep up the quality with which the show started and I had high expectations on how they would have concluded. Ep 20 was good though I was expecting some more detail. If they had wrapped the show in a more structured and clean way, it would be one of my top shows. Despite the flaws, it was a treat to watch and a fun and enjoyable ride overall!

Read More

Entertaining RomCom

I was laughing throughout the show from beginning to the end. It is an old school drama but an entertaining one. This is a drama in which ML is over the top but funny, the story is light yet deep and plot is simple yet entertaining. I had fun and I could binge watch this without even realizing the time. K dramas are known to have bad ending but in this one, I was so satisfied with the ending. It was also interesting to see how rumors can be so baseless in the entertainment world and how fake public images are used as steps to success. Music was relevant to the style of the drama.

Read More

Good enjoyable show, poor quality towards the end

So I genuinely enjoyed the show and rewatched many scenes. I especially loved the chemistry between the leads which I am not finding of late. It's very natural. I enjoyed watching the couple and it had many cute, humorous moments. This show reminded me of many older kdramas where I loved the chemistry of the romantic leads. Plot wise, concept is not new. It's about a normal person becoming a princess but I liked the way dialogues and interactions between characters were written. Yet, as many other kdramas, towards the last few episodes, the quality of the show degrades. It might have been better to show more growth for the princess instead of what they did. And ending was not done well either which leaves a not so good experience after the drama ends. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the show and liked watching the two leads. Music was ok. Acting wise, both leads were adorable.

Read More

Sweet, Slow & Healing

So I really enjoyed the premise and how the show presented food with so much love and respect. There were many beautiful heartwarming moments especially with the ML and the little girl. The way kimchi was presented was new and I absolutely enjoyed it. There were various themes the drama shared with each kimchi and the human values that came with it. You can call it a healing drama. It was well structured, great cinematography and concluded well. There were subplots, stories of customers and lot of food. At the same time, pacing was slow. I think it could be a great show if it was presented better. There were so many positive elements and recipe for a brilliant drama yet despite that, it felt slow and dry. I feel show couldn't have the impact to its full potential. Also, it's an old drama. So the expectations also have to be set accordingly. The vibe of the show is traditional.

This is not a drama I would freely recommend but something I would remember!

Read More

Predictable yet enjoyable

From the description, it seemed to be a serious drama but it was light throughout. The pacing was very good and within a few episodes, a lot had happened. Even though the story is quite predictable and you know what is going to happen within a few episodes, still I didn't have to skip any episodes which is rare with a predictable story. It kept me entertained. The cast is good and production is also good. I may watch it again when I want to watch a light drama with a solid story. There are a lot of plot lines that could have been explored in depth but they was just touched and resolved. Character growth was touched and not explored with great depth which worked for the atmosphere set in this drama. So, sad scenes were not too sad, lonely scenes were not too lonely. Despite that, I had a fun ride. I was also enjoying the scenes of the FL with the human ML and thought that they could be more than what they were. Everything was wrapped up by last episode, all questions answered.

Overall, had a nice time watching it.

Read More

This show had all the ingredients of a solid show. Started off with a strong foundation. Introduction of characters was also interesting but as story progressed, it became draggy or rather messy. Instead of love triangle, if they had focussed more on the idols' journey, family and friendships, this would have been an amazing show. Cast was good, the ambience, music was also good. Just that story could have been told better. Things seemed to have lost in a few episodes I enjoyed MJ's journey and all the side characters' journey and would have rather liked to see them more. Their journeys could have been explored more. The show had it's own warm moments but I would skip a lot of scenes if I were to watch it again.

Read More

Great for people who love watching kids in dramas

I was looking for a good drama with kids and growth & this was perfect. I totally got absorbed in the storyline from the very beginning. The kids are adorable and the journey of characters is also great. The drama is old, so expect to see some old style thinking in some characters and old style production. I expected it so it didn't bother me. The bonding of kids with the three male leads (especially Parang & Kang Ho) and their interactions were so sweet. The infant was a treat to watch as well. For 15 episodes, show manages to keep a good balance of humor and emotion. It was interesting, heart warming and fun. Acting was also good. I would have been happy to see even more of these episodes.

The only major drawback I can think of are the last 5 episodes where the focus shifts from the kids to second leads and useless triangle stories and ending also felt incomplete and hushed. But rest of the drama was so good that I could ignore this :) The female lead also acted dumb at many places!

Read More

Overall an enjoyable ride

I absolutely loved most part of the show especially in the beginning. The way Nam Ja Dong gets along with the family members - it was so effortless and a pleasure to watch. The story was humorous, warm and light. The warm feeling of family with a light-heartedness was something I liked about this show. Political aspects were minimal. Story was not something unexpected or different but I was looking for a light break and I watched this drama probably at the perfect time. The cast was great and kids were all brilliant. The cast was especially a pleasure to watch for me. OST was also okay. It's good and gives a fun vibe to the show but it's not something I would remember for long. For the most part, show manages to kept this vibe alive. Everything seemed to make sense until the last 3 episodes where story felt a bit off from what it originally was. I was expecting a much better ending. It felt way off. Also, some of the side characters could have been explored more. There could be more interactions between various characters instead of focusing on a few one-sided love stories or sudden unexpected behavior of Nam Ja Dong in the end. I also craved for a bit more family moments. But overall, I enjoyed it and had fun while watching it :)

Read More