K-lover61
UK
Too drawn out
November 2023
I know this has been really popular and just about everyone loves Rowoon (including me), with Jo Bo-ah having lots of fans too, but... I really struggled with it. Sorry for the negtive review, to those who loved it and perhaps read this.
Unusually for me, a big bugbear was the irritating incidental/background music. Once it irked me, I couldn't zone it out.
The main characters around Hong-jo and Shin-yu, were mostly horrible....
From just awful work colleagues (apart from HJ's team Manager, Eun-young), to Shin-yu's father (so unkind about his mother's intelligence), and a delusional girlfriend; all very unlikeable.
I was also not keen on either lead character. One never took control, strung people along and was frankly, weak. The other was mouthy with one character and yet almost weak around all others.
A few tropes I really don't like, such as the father disliking their off-spring's chosen partner, just because they have no parents and are a 'nobody'; and the usual delusional girlfriend. Done. To. Death.
Apart from that, so many scenes were waaaaay too drawn out and slow, full of long stares and bizarre silent phone calls (where one calls other and then says NOTHING... what is all that about!)
HJ's female co-workers are completely bat poop and also delusional... I didn't find them funny at all ~ really not good writing. One in particular was thoroughly unlikeable.
I often found scenes childish and ridiculous; I mean, a Parks worker with no vehicle, no appropriate equipment/clothing, yet often expected to deal with situations for which they are totally unprepared. Like having to wipe up blood, but not having anything to do so with! Or someone with a suspected stalker, going to remote places alone. Eye rolling.
The story also didn't flow. Scenes felt jerky and disjointed, almost like segments stuck together, at times. The MC can regularly be found randomly standing on a beach, for no apparent reason, just gazing into one another's eyes.
Utterly ridiculous plot lines. Especially around the worst example of promiscuity ever, which just because someone is dating, is apparently openly talking with a man, even though there's a space between them (ie, not cuddled up).
There's also an appalling scene with an octopus, too, that really upset me. Totally unacceptable to me, I'm afraid (and 'culture' doesn't cut it, in a developed country that should know better by now). It wasn't even necessary. Hope to God it wasn't real ~ I'm honestly not sure.
There were scenes filmed in the same location as See You In My 19th Life (Mujinjeong Pavilion, with 'falling petal' fireworks), that actually felt like they almost mirrored that part of the other drama. It felt too similar and really distracted me.
So disappointing and I'd looked forward to this drama, too.
The cast weren't a problem, but actually the drama's saving grace. However, apart from some of the historical scenes, the story was just not for me.
I know this has been really popular and just about everyone loves Rowoon (including me), with Jo Bo-ah having lots of fans too, but... I really struggled with it. Sorry for the negtive review, to those who loved it and perhaps read this.
Unusually for me, a big bugbear was the irritating incidental/background music. Once it irked me, I couldn't zone it out.
The main characters around Hong-jo and Shin-yu, were mostly horrible....
From just awful work colleagues (apart from HJ's team Manager, Eun-young), to Shin-yu's father (so unkind about his mother's intelligence), and a delusional girlfriend; all very unlikeable.
I was also not keen on either lead character. One never took control, strung people along and was frankly, weak. The other was mouthy with one character and yet almost weak around all others.
A few tropes I really don't like, such as the father disliking their off-spring's chosen partner, just because they have no parents and are a 'nobody'; and the usual delusional girlfriend. Done. To. Death.
Apart from that, so many scenes were waaaaay too drawn out and slow, full of long stares and bizarre silent phone calls (where one calls other and then says NOTHING... what is all that about!)
HJ's female co-workers are completely bat poop and also delusional... I didn't find them funny at all ~ really not good writing. One in particular was thoroughly unlikeable.
I often found scenes childish and ridiculous; I mean, a Parks worker with no vehicle, no appropriate equipment/clothing, yet often expected to deal with situations for which they are totally unprepared. Like having to wipe up blood, but not having anything to do so with! Or someone with a suspected stalker, going to remote places alone. Eye rolling.
The story also didn't flow. Scenes felt jerky and disjointed, almost like segments stuck together, at times. The MC can regularly be found randomly standing on a beach, for no apparent reason, just gazing into one another's eyes.
Utterly ridiculous plot lines. Especially around the worst example of promiscuity ever, which just because someone is dating, is apparently openly talking with a man, even though there's a space between them (ie, not cuddled up).
There's also an appalling scene with an octopus, too, that really upset me. Totally unacceptable to me, I'm afraid (and 'culture' doesn't cut it, in a developed country that should know better by now). It wasn't even necessary. Hope to God it wasn't real ~ I'm honestly not sure.
There were scenes filmed in the same location as See You In My 19th Life (Mujinjeong Pavilion, with 'falling petal' fireworks), that actually felt like they almost mirrored that part of the other drama. It felt too similar and really distracted me.
So disappointing and I'd looked forward to this drama, too.
The cast weren't a problem, but actually the drama's saving grace. However, apart from some of the historical scenes, the story was just not for me.
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