It's fluffy cute and targeting important issues within coming of age. There's neither drive nor pure chill, the pace is a constant progressing with little exceptions, which makes it enjoyable even towards the end. The show is long, but the end isn't bad because it is dragged out. There is even a sense of accomplishment in the final details: everything achieved was worked for at length. Despite being entertaining, there are shortcomings. The character development is very strong up to the point where the first main conflict is resolved. From then on however, there's only repetition in a less convincing way: Trouble overcome is part of the past only, but never comes back - idealising and wrong. The soundtrack is plain, but effective, sadly it's very one-sided when it comes to actual 'story'-songs. The camera-work does nothing special. Everything is filmed smooth to the point, where you forget, that there is actually thought in the process of capturing a story. Never do the pictures express a part of the story, feelings, etc. themselves. There is no artsiness in the way the pictures are created whatsoever. The color-codes of the scenes are well composed, however implausible and often over-isolated. While introducing Ju Kyung through metal, there soon is a replacement: fluffy romantic harmless ballads, bittersweet, but one-dimensional. The two male leads have personality and a great dynamic. Facing the destined (not) to be theirs, they fall into the classic 'boyfriend material' trope, being less more than a puppy on a princess' lap. A lot of drama is introduced through Hospitalisations, which isn't elegant really. The story is, setting the romance aside, about realising one's goal, both in the sense of awareness and achievement. Sadly, the outcome (dream come true) is only shown symbolically through the found respect of significant non-romantic others (Ju Kyungs Sister and the fans for the boys, Her Idol for Ju Kyung). The to be realised dream of becoming a makeup artist is a necessary act of emancipation against the discourse of the 'natural beauty hierarchy'. Given the Korean beauty industry being highly competitional, it isn't an easy dream. There is a found inner beauty which is presented as important. The achievement of the inner beauty then directly transforms into outer beauty (makeup), which reverses the emancipating act. While the bigger sister is an absolute gender-exchange case, having no hybridity in the spectrum, manliness in character, beauty in the looks, Im Ju Kyung is just a feminine girl. Fitting the role of the girl seems to be more important, than overcoming boundaries. The only meant to be occupation of doing makeup is highly problematic, since it separates manly and feminine occupations. Why no male make-up artist in the whole show? Why not a female musician? Why is the rich guy getting the poor girl`? Where is the dad of Lee Su Ho in the end? And a last remark on the wedding: I guess one can say, the grandeur is Korean. It's pure kitsch, a badly mixed up Disney-wonderland tape. All the Korean traditional elements seem lost, except from the traditional dress of the mother. It's hard to believe, they stay true to tradition in food, but are western to the extent of 4th order simulacra, when it comes to a wedding. All together, worth the watch, instructive, emotionally confronting, but far from being a perfect show. It could and should have been more adventurous.

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Running instead of communication

They never communicate. Half of the show is people running. The drama is mostly unnecessary or exaggerated. It might be cute, but there is a substantial lack of depth. If stripped down to the essential scenes, with the unnecessary stuff cut out, without overediting (mostly flashbacks, slomos and shots with too much pathos), and if the hardship of the characters were to be taken more seriously and they would actually talk to each other, this show would truly be very refreshing and heartwarming. It's deeply disappointing how a decent premise can turn into superficial fluff. If Kanata and Misaki would've talked things through after Kanata's confession, this might have been a 7+ star show...

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