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Jeana
In Fucking Beast Mode
Which is why it's almost criminal how they reduced her kickass self to little more than the Male Lead's side kick in the latter half. So much so, that in some scenes the legendary Demoness is nothing more than a glorified damsel in distress whose sole purpose is to stand by the ML's side.
Speaking of the male lead, even with his cute face and pure love he was still pretty much boring, bland and quite one-dimensional. No match for the somewhat antagonist/second Male lead: Jiang Wu. Who was one of the most interesting characters in the show. Being a nasty sonovabitch demon with hilarious moments, he was easier to root for than the ML himself.
My biggest complaint is that the show gave so much screen-time to completely irrelevant characters. Screentime that should have been used to further develop the main leads and their journey. I could count about 4 to 5 story-lines which I didn't give a shit about and that were constantly forced on me.
So over-all, yes there are some pretty adrenaline rushing moments here and there and yes, there is good acting by all those involved but it is nearly not enough to counter the drag.
If you are planning to binge watch this, like I did. My advice is: Make the Fast Forward button your best friend.
Enjoy!
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To be completely honest, I think the premise of this show is quite exciting and I bet the novel it's based on would be something spectacular. I will even admit that I really liked the idea behind the General's and Ping Ting's character. They were supposed to be strong and witty people in their own right and that was essentially what lured me in. But by God, that's not what this drama really ended up being.
Matters were made worse by the horrible acting. There is a lot of negative stigma attached with AngelaBaby but I did my best to keep an open mind and not be influenced by all the drama. Unfortunately, it was a wasted effort because she literally cannot act. Half of the time she's a blank board and in the other half she looks like a psychopath with her crazy eyes and creepy smile. I liked what her character was supposed to be but she destroyed it quite effectively.
Wallace Chung is a good actor but all the edgy scenes really didn't make him cool, instead, Chu Bei Jie mostly just comes off as an asshole who's trying and failing to assert his dominance over everybody.
The overdramatization makes everything more unbearable. With all that flying in the air, jumping over mountains and exaggerated facial expressions, General and I can't possibly expect the viewers to take its bullshit seriously. I watch Asian Dramas for their sincerity and poignancy, not whatever this superficial serialization was offering. So fucking disappointed.
It didn't help that I started watching it in between episodes of Eternal Love, which is why its flaws were even more noticeable than they would've been if an incredible show was not there for comparison. I really tried to give it a lot of chances but by the nth chance, I thought it better for my sanity to skip most parts.
This is an unpopular opinion and if you are someone who has diligently watched all of its episodes and have arrived on a different conclusion, then good for you. Boos should always do their yous.
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With a tightly woven plot and an excellent cast that drives the story home, GF is the definition of entertainment. It will make you laugh, cry, jump with excitement and leave you dying to know what will happen next. With a suspenseful murder mystery, shocking family secrets and brilliant character development, GF had no room for any boring moment.
What I loved about the show was that no character seemed irrelevant. Every single person on screen had a part to play. Im So Hyang gracefully delivered as the badass, chaebol heiress on a mission. Mi Seok Hi was the perfect mix of vulnerability, strength and style. A true baddie after my own heart.
They could have done better with the male lead as he was by far the most unimpressive aspect of the show but he did the job as the upright, honest lawyer looking for justice.
The entire team of good guys: the reporter duo, the police officer, the ML's dad- all brought substance to the show. I loved the fact that our heroes weren't out of the world geniuses, they were just simple albeit smart individuals desperate to find out the truth.
The primary antagonist, Miss Han, was a formidable adversary. She commanded respect in the way she did her job, no matter how dirty and ruthless it was. Bae Jong Ok gave her all to bring forward one of the most charismatic villains in kdrama history. She and her TOP team members were horrible people but they were horrible people with exceptional smarts that came with their own set of charms.
And ofcourse, the MC family. All of the family members were psychotic in their own way and each left a mark. Whether they made you feel fury, sympathy, pity or hatred, they never did anything halfass.
Lastly, I think it would be criminal not to mention Wan Soo, the eldest son of the MC family. Lee Kyu Han killed it by bringing forward a character so complex and yet, the one with the simplest motivations. He was a true spotlight stealer.
The back and forth between the villains and the good guys kept you on the edge of the seat. The schemes and mind games made every episode intense. The best part was that all the cunning, witty ways the characters outsmarted each other were wholly believable. It wasn't a ball of hocus pocus plotholes, a confused writer pulled out of their ass, instead effort was made for things to feel mostly realistic.
A lot of people didn't like the ending but it was pretty satisfying for me. Sure, a few minor things could have been more developed but they were easy to ignore.
The OST was perfect and it fit our leading lady and her badass take downs so well. While there wasn't a need for romance, there was enough to satisfy all of you who are looking for it. With veteren actors in the ensemble, it's no surprise that the acting was phenomenal across the board.
Honestly, I don't know what else to say. It was one of the few shows that took on a lot of things at once and managed to do justice to all of them. I loved it and I strongly reccomend.
It's Jeana approved for sure. ;)
Go watch it.
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W, is basically a badly written drama about a badly written Manhwa coming to life.
The moment I started watching W, suddenly a lot of my chores started getting done. I had finished my laundry, a novel worthy dissertation that was overdued suddenly got completed, my cupboards were clean and my room was sparkling. Soon I realized, that my mind's will to avoid the torture that this show subjected it to, was such; that it had me do all the things that I was procrastinating on since forever.
However, the masochist that I am, I kept coming back to it. All these great reviews and high ratings made me think that the next episode would be surely better than the shit I just watched. I kept finding excuses for it and soon, the ending credits rolled in and the show finished being just as horrible as it was from the get go.
To put it simply, W is like a rotten egg that somehow hatched into a headless chicken and proceeded to create chaos everywhere. It's like somebody took a coupla mindless plot-lines, threw it in a blender and went on to whisking it to hell and back.
The plot makes no sense. The characters make no sense. The story makes no sense. The drama is essentially a hotchpotch of confused writing trying to mask itself as 'complicated'. So much is happening but you're reaching nowhere. And the worst thing of it all, is that despite all their efforts to try and have unnecessary events take place left and right; the show still remains boring as hell. Which is a shame because its premise was so unique and had a lot of potential.
There are so many flashbacks and repetition, that half of the show is filled with the same old bs. Seriously, when you see Kang Chul get shot and Yeong Joo faint for the umpteenth of time, you're about ready to shoot and pass out yourself.
However, for me as long as the acting is good I can forgive almost everything.
No such luck here.
Han Hyo Joo sucks so bad that she shouldn't even be allowed to act anymore. All she knows is to open her eyes wide like an idiot, cover her face with her hands and bite her nails. Literally, this is all she does throughout the show. Her acting (or lack thereof) is so monotonous that you can put a cardboard in her place and it would still work.
I don't understand why Lee Jong Suk takes roles like these. I believe that this was probably his worst role as of yet, for there is no growth as an actor here. There is no denying his acting chops or his looks but playing a two-dimensional commonplace character like Kang Chul really dumbed down his potential.
The dialogues often felt scripted and the actors seemed detached from the characters they were playing.
The only memorable roles were the side characters. Yeong Joo's dad was brilliant, so was Park Bong So and the Mad Dog. All of them gave me some feels but the main characters were lacklustre at best.
The kisses were good but the romance like the rest of the show was less than mediocre.
I mean, the beginning was also bad but they really just lost their shit midway. It's like they didn't even care about following a logical story-line anymore.
However, I want to really give credit to the actual Webtoon artists who drew all the manhwa chapters in the show. That's some serious talent there, not gonna lie, but that's about it.
16 hours of total waste, watch it only if you want to have your intelligence insulted.
Enjoy!
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Seung Ho has beautifully expressive eyes and he has a lot of talent but he really over did it in this one. His crying scenes were cringe. Park Min Young excelled at being the classic support role heroine who was just an acessory to the plot. The romance was non existent but what was there was pretty stiff.
I mean, everybody promised me that the show will make me cry and that it was just oh so sad but tbh the writing was so awful and overdramatic that I felt nothing. The ending wasn't even tragic bro. Or maybe, I failed to see it?
So why did I finish it till the end? Because of Nam Goong Min. What phenomenal acting. He has to be one of the best k-drama villains I have ever seen. So fleshed out. He was a horrible disgusting monster of a person and unfortunately, the only person that made me stick with the show. Because I wanted to see him pay and also because he was so entertaining and brilliant in every scene. Makes me want to check out all of his dramas now. It's even funny how out of all the characters, it was the villain who got nominated for the Daesang (grand prize) at award shows. Lol
Other than him, Park Dong Ho, played by one of my most favorite ahjussi actors was the only good guy in the show that was somewhat well rounded. Other than these two, the rest of the characters were cookie cutter and pretty one dimensional.
I don't reccomend this unless you want to watch for Nam Goong Min and his acting.
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Well, in that case, take it from someone who thinks that med stuff is boring, the jargon makes you yawn and hospitals are depressing that this drama is amazing and will make you love it to bits and pieces.
Yes, there will be times you might zone out when they get technical with all the fancy doctor-ish words but even when you don't know the terms used, you'll feel the urgency of an operation, the sadness of a life lost and the joy of a successful surgery and that's all that matters.
What really makes this show an excellent watch though is the group of five doctor adolescent best friends who form a band together. Oof. The friendship, bromance and warmth in this show is no joke. Their music sessions are a healing experience and you feel affection for every single character.
The character development is phenomenal with each of the five bringing their own charm to the table.
Jung Won, the handsome as hell pediatrician with a butter heart that gets overly attached to patients; Lee Ik Jun, the goofy, emotional general surgeon and single dad who's your resident nice guy; Suk Hyung, the cute, anti-social introverted gynecologist; Song Hwa, our bomb female lead: the witty, quirky, graceful genius of a neurosurgeon and last but not the least my personal favorite Jun Wan, badass cardiothorasic surgeon who's a prickly hedgehog on the outside but a complete softie on the inside. He is also 100% boyfriend material and you just want to squeeze his cheeks and flick his nose.
The dynamics and chemistry between the 5 is off the charts and not only do you feel the real friendship between them, you want to be a part of their group.
The acting is outstanding and these people make you fall in love with them so completely that without any drama, flashy plot twists or shock value, the show still manages to reel you in and makes you content with watching hours of it just so you can get more of these amazing humans. Even the supporting cast is stellar and brings forth numerous characters that leave a mark on you.
With brilliant laugh out loud moments, emotional turns, beautiful music and a constant feeling of happiness- this show will make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
Give it a go. You won't regret it. And ladies, if you want some superficial encouragement, then keep in mind that the men in this show are HOT. As if Yeon Suk's beauty and Jo Jung Suk's charm wasn't enough, you have Jung Kyung Ho, who is unarguably the human embodiment of God's greatest gift to mankind.
Are you still here? No?
Good, that's what I thought.
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As far as the acting went, it was nothing out of the world but it did meet the bar required to effectively tell the story of the characters. The male lead made me care for him despite the fact that he had the same expression throughout the show. It worked in his favor too and sold the "serial killer with a good heart" persona quite well. The female lead was your standard formulaic supposedly 'strong' heroine. Conveniently playing the damsel in distress when it mattered and the right amount of dumb to keep prolonging the story. There were some very interesting side characters that I wanted to know more about and see our hero interact with but I guess the creators were short of time.
I did feel that there was more action and less depth in the drama. You feel for the characters but not enough to really be invested. Regardless, it's an excellent time-pass. There are some very heavy moments, some good dialogue and badass fighting sequences to keep you hooked. While I don't think this drama is something that stays with you long after you finish it, I do think it's good while it lasts.
Enjoy!
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Started with a bang but ended with a whimper.
This drama started out promoting a very promising message but unfortunately, soon fell flat. Since I am not a fan of puppy love I didn't pick this up for the romance. I wanted to see our female lead's journey through bullying and how she conquers it. But apparently, her boy conquers for her. I feel a bit robbed cause I kept waiting for the character development that never came.Regardless, it's a cute drama and you gotta give it effort for picking up a topic as controversial as plastic surgery. The actors are cute too and they did a good job. The best arc was probably done for the antagonist and soon she became the only interesting person on screen.
It's unclear what the core message of this drama really is. Is it promoting plastic surgery? (lol) Is it teaching self-love? Is it telling us that beauty is on the inside and self-acceptance is the key to happiness?
I would really like to know but sadly the show's focus soon turned on being your every other basic neighborhood love story and stayed there. So yikes.
A fairly enjoyable drama, nonetheless. Watch it if you don't want anything too serious.
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When I saw the first episode, I was immediately struck by the beauty of the main leads. In the start they gave us a few minutes of pure fan service, where Mike flaunts his abs and shows off his dance moves and I was like, dayum maybe I should have picked this drama up sooner- except all of those thoughts were completely incinerated twenty minutes in to the show. The perfect words to describe this drama would be something like: Boring. Dull. Extremely slow. Completely and utterly dead.
80% of the drama consists of filler episodes, where the characters are just staring off into space, lost in their own shit and the viewer is forced to awkwardly watch from the sidelines like an unwanted trespasser. There are so many pauses after which we just get one dead scene after another, that it felt like this was some sort of a documentary instead of an enjoyable tale.
I think they tried to fake depth by showing numerous angles of the character's "deep in thought" faces and playing shitty sentimental music in the background but it just appeared very simplistic and unnecessary. Sure, I'm shallow and I like watching pretty people but I also want to watch them actually "do" something and have a fucking character. If I wanted to ogle them pose, I'd go through a fashion catalog and save myself a lot of time in the process.
There is no character development at all and the characters lack individuality to the T. Who are Mike and Am as individuals? We don't have a fucking clue. There is no proper backstory that tells us about their personalities, they are just one of the many run of the mill knock offs that we see in every unoriginal romance story.
The rest 10% consisted of the characters having flashbacks of the same dull scenes that they showed us before. As if they really needed repetition to help make shit worse. Like, if you don't have new and good content, why waste money and time on making so many trash filled episodes in the first place?
The measly 10% left was the only mercy shown to the viewers, where they finally added some funny and cute moments but it was hardly enough to make up for the torturous 90%. A lot of people were gushing about the character's chemistry but to be honest, I don't really see it. If we cut out the hasty little pecks they pasted on each other's lips, their relationship would be perfectly like that of siblings. There are no proper, mature conversations between them, no sizzling passion, no sexual tension, no actual bond; they don't get to face and solve complications together and evolve as a couple, instead they just fight like little kids and then try to act cute. I mean, sure, they can get away with an "aww how adorable" once or twice but the whole thing becomes rather uninteresting when it's done so excessively.
I'm a sucker for romance but I want my dramas to be diverse and actually have a plot behind it. In Full House all I got was a two dimensional "love" story with no real adversities or impressive events. There's nothing memorable about this drama except that I'll always remember how much I yawned throughout. I couldn't form any sort of emotional attachment with the characters at all.
Mike was admittedly unlike the usual Alphas, he was a kind hearted boy; very caring and childish but not the sharpest tool in the shed. Besides the first shirtless scene, all of his dance moves and actions that were supposed to be "sexy" were just horribly cringey and gay. No problem with being gay at all, except when you're doing a role where you're supposed to play a guy who's straighter than a rod. Also, I wanted to punch him every time he cried because him crying didn't make sense at all. It was supposed to add emotion to the drama but it just looked force and irrelevant, considering he himself was the one doing mindless shit that was creating petty problems in the first place. Crying about it made no sense except to show what a confused and weak personality he had.
Am was a refreshing character though. She was strong, witty and she didn't let anyone boss her around, making her a refreshing change from the Asian heroines of the norm. The actress who plays her is the cutest creature I have ever seen and she did play her part (no matter how superficial) quite well. She was the only one really acting in this show and the sole reason why I even gave it a 4.5.
I literally do not know why I wasted 20 hours on this bullshit, considering it had no story-line, whatsoever. It did not live up to its glowing reputation at all except that I have to say that the widely talked about "ice-cream scene" was a little entertaining.
I recommend this for 12 year old pre-pubescent kids who blush at the thought of matching bracelets with their crush and not for viewers who actually want to see something of substance.
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A person is driving a jeep on a rocky mountain. It's a bad idea from the start but he's hoping for the best. Suddenly, he takes a wrong turn and finds himself on the edge of a steep cliff, about to fall in an abyss. He's still hoping for the best.
Out of nowhere, a heavy gust of wind comes and makes his jeep topple over. As it falls the person gets all of his limbs broken and his tongue caught between the teeth. He's still hoping for the best.
Suddenly, there's a landslide and huge rocks fall on top of the jeep. Now the person has his abdomen torn apart and his intestines pouring out. But he's alive and still hoping for the best.
The pressure from the rocks causes the jeep to stumble forward and miraculously an ocean appears in the front. The jeep falls in the water and now the man can't breathe. Finally, when the jeep sinks down among debris and lost souls and the man takes his last breath, he realizes that all that hoping was in vain.
Did that all make sense?
No? Well, neither does While You Were Sleeping.
You want to know how the plot unfolds?
Exactly like the events in the above mentioned story: Unrealistically and taking its merry time from bad to worse.
Wanna know how you'll feel after finishing the show?
Exactly the way the driver of that jeep must've felt. You keep hoping for the best but things stays at their worst.
And now I'll explain why.
The show's biggest problem is the flawed characterization. Our protagonists that are portrayed to be these brilliant and hardworking individuals are essentially idiots, only being able to succeed because 1) they can see the future in their dreams 2) somebody from the supporting cast helps them sort out all their problems.
It's like praising an SAT student for scoring high when he saw all of the correct test answers in his dream. Though he didn't even bring his own pencil to the test and had to borrow it from someone, atleast he was able to correctly remember the answers and jot them down.
That has to count for something, right?
In my opinion, that something is bullshit.
After a very long time, I actually started off with liking the role Lee Jong Suk was given. I always say that he's a great actor who's sometimes given bad roles and in the beginning of this drama, I felt like after a long time he was finally given a good role again. Prosecutor Jung made mistakes, messed up and didn't feel as flawless as some of LJS's other roles. But soon, as the episodes progressed, that bubble burst for me as I saw him again mould into his typical run-of-the-mill T.V persona. I'd still say that he acted good but unlike Ji Chang Wook in Suspicious Partner, his acting alone wasn't strong enough to solely carry an otherwise flop show on its back.
Suzy was unmemorable like always. Not annoying but not standing out either and the chemistry between the couple was non-existent.
Surprisingly, the life of the show was the supporting cast. Han Da Wook; sexy and adorable detective was so precious but didn't have enough screen-time that was needed in order to develop his character to its full potential. The side story lines (consisting of 1 or 2 episodes) were so much better than the main ones. The prosecutors were all a source of bliss and some of the best acting was done by people who were there only as guest roles.
It's a shame when you feel nothing for the main characters and instead, gravitate towards the one's that are used as mere plot-lines. Unlike the protagonists, I found the antagonist to be far better developed and dimensional. Even though he was rotten to the core, he actually used his head and had some brilliant planning. He was far more intelligent than our hero and he didn't even have the advantage of knowing the future.
The OST had some good songs but because of the drab plot, I couldn't get a solid feel for them.
The show has classic Park-Hye Ryun written all over it. While You Were Sleeping is an ignored love-child of Pinnochio and I Hear Your Voice but unfortunately, is less captivating than the both of them.
To be honest, all the convenient plot-devices, medical inaccuracies and ridiculous circumstances could've been ignored if the show wasn't boring as hell.
While the last 4 episodes were the best (since Lee Jong Suk's character finally showed some growth) the rest of the show remains horribly dead.
When you don't feel a connection to either of the main guys, finishing such a dull show becomes a feat. I have to say that WYWS was literally the hardest show I've had to complete and it was only because of my utter aversion to dropping shows, that I was able to finish it.
I personally don't reccomend this drama.
Nobody should have to be the person in the jeep but if you're a fan of the casted actors and the writer, you can give it a try.
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Part puss in boots, part Sherlock and part Robin Hood- Kaitou Tantei comes with its own unique spurn of mystery, a cheeky slice of detective and hilarious laugh-out-loud slapstick comedy.
Let's take a moment of silence to appreciate the brilliance that is Kame Kazuya. Is there anything this man can't do? If being an excellent singer, dancer and beatboxer wasn't enough; twenty minutes into the first episode and he twerked his way into my favorite actors list. The way he's able to juggle different emotions is simply amazing and the fact that he's just so beautiful to look at only helps his case.
Kame's Yamaneko is undeniably one of Dramaland's most beloved characters. Rocking his retro sunglasses, an edgy cat mask and the infamous smirk, he fights crime with crime; one theft at a time.He's the only one who can be tone-deaf, wet his pants, guzzle noodles like they're water, be extremely over-the-top and cringey to the max but at the end, still retain the charisma and cool that defines him. He just has so much swag and style that all I can say is that he's the definition of a badass diva.
Yamaneko is that one rude asshole who comes bullshit free himself and doesn't tolerate anybody else's bs either. He does what he wants to do, when he wants to do it. He's the kind of person that would literally yank you by the hair, shove you infront of a mirror and scream your every insecurity, flaw and your deepest secret into your ear. He'll challenge you to face your worst self and at the end, push you head-on into whatever it was that you were running away from.
However, under all his arrogance and goofy persona hides a deeply compassionate, patriotic and thoughtful individual. Ten steps ahead of everyone and always thorough with his strategies; Yamaneko is an idiotic genius. He won my heart over and over again in every episode and made me feel genuine warmth and happiness
The rest of the cast-especially the versatile Narimiya Hiroki- holds their own against him. Katsamura, Mao, Rikako, Sekimoto- literally all of the characters were people that I felt deeply for. Kaitou Tantei is an acquired taste. It comes with its fair share of contradictions. It's in your face, yet sincere. It has an almost ridiculous plot, yet intelligent writing. It's characters are over-dramatic but not pretentious. It's peculiar, yet simple. A beautiful story of friendship, yet an account of jarring betrayal. Seemingly lame jokes and puns, yet excellent and thought-provoking dialogues. Hilariously non-serious, yet almost tragic beneath the layers. But ultimately, in its core, it's a show that doesn't aim to please anyone.
Middle fingers up, put them hands high. Wave it in their face, tell 'em boy bye.
^That's the motto it lives by. Devoid of the usual tropes and the same ol' bullshit, the Dorama comes with a sort of refreshing freedom that is now rarely seen. It's incredible just how much of the story they covered in as little as ten episodes (only 45 minutes worth).
They started in an almost coy manner and ended with a sly hint of tongue in cheek. While some complain and whine that the ending was rushed and not properly executed, it was perfect for me. It was exactly in line with the feel of the show; leaving you with a feeling of hope and uncertainty of the future and I absolutely loved it.
The dorky cat sound effects and the pink panther style background instrumental served to further increase the show's allure. The OST: Unlock by Gat-Tun (Kame's idol group) is so appropriate for the show and never failed to turn me up. Kame sounds so good in real life that I think that all the purposefully awful singing he did in the show must've done a number on his throat.
I believe I couldn't have picked a better show to begin my J-Dorama journey. I highly recommend this and to those who are having cold feet about watching it; I would like to quote my baby Yamaneko's words: "Don't think, just feeeeeel. And it will be Fanthastic." Cue the tongue swipe~Meow.
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The thing is, this is a remake so essentially it can’t really get the credit for the story and all those things that are the show’s saving grace. Because basically the creators were handed an already tried and tested recipe along with extensive steps of preparation. All they had to do was follow the steps and cook a dish putting their own flavor on it. Unfortunately, for this drama the materials used were not very fresh and so the resulting dish came out to be rather bland.
By materials used, I ofcourse mean the characters. If I were to say, that the people telling this story were more or less hollow with zero to very little development, I wouldn’t be really off the mark. The show centers on four best friends with “scandalous” lives (which in my opinion were less scandalous and more “pathetic” but we will come on to that later) who have a murder mystery on their hands. Despite there being four of them, it’s very clear that Jang Se Yeon- single mother/widower- was the main protagonist which in Mistress translates to being the main simpleton of the lot of them.
If we somehow ignore the fact, that for the most part she was a bumbling fumbling idiot who literally had her mouth parted open like a sputtering fish all the freaking time, we still won’t find her character likeable. See, here’s the thing if you are going to show me a mother who is dumb enough to leave her child in the care of a babysitter for more than 24 hours, repeatedly trusting said babysitter after she has been proven to be a shady ass a couple of times, leaving your child unattended in parks, hotels, shopping malls e.t.c, spending literally no time with your child to the extent that you’re unaware your child is freaking dying and then in the next second you’re going to feed me the “concerned mother who loves her child to no end” bullshit where I am supposed to sympathize with the “suffering” she has to go through in order to save her child from all those nasty villains- sorry, but I’m not buying it. And before you bring up the “oh but she is a single mother who has to work to pay the bills and that keeps her busy” shit with me- she works in a stupid ass cafe as a barista which is conveniently ALWAYS empty. For fuck’s sake, say no more.
I have to like my characters in order to feel for their ordeals and with these half-wits I was just like you all are so damn frustratingly dumb that if you insist on making your beds, I urge you to please lie in them and never get up. The other two in the brainless bunch consist of a therapist (who is like a walking talking cardboard because of how dull she is) and a supposedly tech savvy/law-savvy stalker -(?) somebody please tell me her damn profession- whose sole purpose in life is unsuccessfully tailing people and looking pretty. No depth to either of them, their career is used as plot devices and they are there just for the sake of being there.
The only redeemable out of the four is our resident school teacher and husband cheater. She is the one who grows the most, acts the best and has the most interesting personality. But ofcourse not enough screen-time to make a difference. There are some love interests who are meh. The antagonists are more or less meh, except one of them (the shady babysitter lol). And the show itself is also pretty much MEH.
The best thing about this was the sound-track. I loved some of the songs and the instrumentals. The drama is also pretty racy for South Korean standards what with all the random sex scenes which were just funny for me because they were there- like the characters- just for the sake of being there, contributing zero to the plot.
So in conclusion, if you haven’t watched a lot of crime/suspense/thrillers and just want a quick mindless fix, this will work for you but for someone like me who lives and breathes this stuff, not only was it not anything different it was also below standard compared to what’s already there.
Enjoy!
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However, towards the end it lost a lot of its identity and took a turn most run-of-the-mill k-dramas do. The writing took a lot of hits as it floundered confused about what direction to take.
Out of the blue kidnappings, dramatic fight scenes, near death experiences and other ridiculousness that was so unlike what the show stood for. It started as a very bearing drama with a constant melancholic but hopeful vibe as it documented the journey of various characters with different paths in life who came together to build a dream with tenacity and determination. Never knew it would turn into fucking "The K2" towards the end. Lol
Speaking of characters, Park Sae Joon did a brilliant job bringing forward a hero unlike many others. He was the definition of silent strength, a brilliant mind and perseverence. A man who got up again and again even with the odds stacked against him. Someone who managed to retain his composure, compassion and child like purity despite all the shit life handed to him.
Kim Da Mi, surely the breakout artist of the year was a delight to watch. Yi Soo was a tiny ball of vicious energy. She was driven and determined to the core, with a sharp young mind and someone who never gave up no matter what you did to her.
At the same time however, she was also incredibly rude, selfish and did downright horrible things. I'm all up for that as it added to her complexity and made her sweet moments all the more impactful but I hated that her backstory was not explored at all. What made her that way? I would really like to know but nopes.
Some people didn't buy the romance but I did. I think the drama pulled this aspect fairly well. Both of them played a significant part in the other's life. For Yi Soo, her quest for love gave her genius but idle mind a purpose, it grounded her and made her a better person and for Saeroyi, Yi Soo was his backbone. The true kingmaker and the force behind his success. When everyone told him his dreams were impossible she not only stood by them, she made them happen.
They were good for each other which is why the romance rang true for me. Sure, Yi Soo was a bit obsessive and took it to another level but that was her character from the start. Love or success, she'd take everything to the extreme. (Again, I'm annoyed at the fact why that was so. We are just supposed to accept her personality as it is though without any insight.)
All the characters had their amazing moments in the show however some did not develop as nicely as they could have cause of bad writing 101. The second FL came through at times but mostly her victim-is-me mentality annoyed me to no end. The villains were okay-ish, none too exceptional but they did the job.
Over-all, the drama delivered a lot of important messages and did a good effort at being woke. That said, it also had a lot of corny, overly sappy and unrealistic moments where I couldn't help but roll my eyes.
In the end, I'll say that while this drama was definitely not exceptionally good in terms of writing and later on even the execution, it was a fun ride for sure. I binged it in 2 days straight and never found an episode that made me yawn.
So while I do reccomend it, I would advise not to have sky high expectations going in, because of the hype surrounding it.
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However, when you're sitting in your room watching on the small screen of your laptop, you need a strong story-line to keep you interested. And frankly there isn't much plot here. A man who dies a heroic death has to face seven trials in order to be re-incarnated. Each of those trials tell stories of his real life. Interesting, right? Except, the trials are quite ridiculous. He's a washed from holy water angel and all of his sins turn out to be not sins but good deeds with good intentions.
The prime example of a trial from this movie would be something like: A mother is seen not giving chocolate to her child when he's starving. This is her crime and she's taken to Heaven's court but later she's forgiven because it turns out that the child was allergic to chocolate all along. So she, in reality, was saving her child's life. I'm not even kidding, all his trials are of the same magnitude and in similar fashion. The last one is different but it takes a piece from the typical K-Drama melo shebang.
There are some sentimental scenes and if you are someone who cries only because you see another person crying, then it might be touching for you. But if you need to actually feel the emotion yourself to find something poignant then you'll find this simply sappy like I did. The film also tries to be funny but mostly settles at mildly amusing with some meme worthy moments. The acting has its perks but most of the time, it's either mediocre or over the top.
The characters are also a little bit annoying as a whole, especially the female character and the main guy who's on trial. The only person who's fun to watch is Joo Ji Hoon playing the self-preserving and often hilariously cynical Hae Won Maek.
There are some good action scenes though and cameo appearances by some big stars so it was nice recognizing them but over-all the film is sort of boring. I took a billion breaks within its 2hr 20 min duration.
So the best way to enjoy the film is not taking it too seriously and not focusing on the plot, rather just appreciating the cool effects and pretty sceneries.
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The serial shows two people, who couldn't be more different from each other fall in love and experience all the complications that come with an unexpected romance.
Jang Mi is a full of life woman whose empathy is her fatal flaw. She's considerate to a fault and her idealistic approach to everything combined with a tendency to always speak her mind, often gets her into a mess. Gi Tae is a huge cynic when it comes to commitment. He's rude, practical and prefers solitude. Due to unfavorable circumstances both of these find themselves bound to each other under the facade of marriage and from then on, utter hilarity ensues.
The love story between the characters is a very authentic and real slow-burn. They grow independently as individuals and then together as a couple. They have doubts, fights, laughs and ultimately, a deep understanding that comes with being aware and accepting of each other's flaws.
The drama showcases how the decisions made my the children are always heavily influenced by those made my the parents. It highlights what it means to be a family and above all it gives a message; that even when things could take a turn for the worse, it's okay to take chances in life.
With a sweet and bubbly OST, adorable laugh-out-loud moments, delicious food and a lovable cast, 'Marriage, Not Dating' is truly one of the best feel-good romantic comedies out there.
Enjoy!
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