Moni
Czech Republic
This review may contain spoilers
Slow, boring and all over the place
I'm not someone who gives into reviews and if the reviews are especially bad (like here with Melting Me Softly), it makes me actually really intrigued to watch it. So I did...and what a mistake I have made!
Before I get into what's wrong with this drama (and there will be a lot), I'll start with the positives. The first two episodes were actually pretty good and promising. Basically, the story before Mi Ran and Dong Chan defrosted 20 years later. There were moments that could've been done differently (ie Mi Ran catching her boyfriend cheating and literally flying in the air like a seagull to kick him in the face). I really liked Mi Ran's relationship with her brother (which was basically forgotten in the second half of the show). Ji Chang Wook's (Dong Chan) acting and Yoon Se Ah's (Dong Chan's ex) acting felt like the only realistic and watchable ones. Won Jin Ah (Mi Ran) had her moments as well but her acting in a lot of scenes was way over-the-top.
Now what I couldn't stand in the drama (and there's a lot): 1) Most characters' reactions (or should I say overreactions). Especially Dong Hyuk (Mi Ran's ex), Dong Chan's sister, and his best friend Hyun Ki. Most of the characters kept on yelling, crying, and stuttering and their expressions were over-the-top in a lot of the scenes. Technically speaking most main and supporting characters were in their 40s (as well as 50s) yet they kept acting like toddlers. It became unbearable just 3 episodes in.
2) The dialogue. I'm not someone who's usually reacting to the dialogue and don't usually comment on it but a lot of the dialogue didn't make sense.
3) The recast. 20 years later and the production decided to completely recast the cast - except the main couple - instead of making the original actors look a little older which made them completely unrecognizable for Dong Chan and Mi Ran.
4) Mi Ran and Dong Chan's chemistry. It just wasn't present, especially from Mi Ran's side. I feel like it would be more interesting if the writers just focused on the struggle of adapting to a new world and reconciling with their old love interests and then them slowly building their relationship (slow-burn). Instead, there were little-to-no signs of romantic interest between the two, they didn't appear to be into each other at all but suddenly, they are together. Plus Dong Chan's obsessiveness over Mi Ran.
5) The whole increase-temperature-and-you-die plot/idea. Their temperature can't go over 33 degrees Celsius so when they kiss, Dong Chan pushes Mi Ran under a cold shower so they can kiss while having cold water stabilizing their temperature to remain below 31.5 degrees. Okay...however, on multiple occasions, the whole idea went out the window. For example, when Dong Chan was carrying Mi Ran and running to the hospital in episode 5, his shirt was soaked with sweat indicating he worked out a lot. Body temperature rises when exercising yet he was fine the whole time.
6) Glorification of domestic abuse and anger issues/problems. Mi Ran beat up her ex-boyfriend multiple times. The violence in this show was made into a humoristic aspect.
7) Bong Chan's possessiveness. He told Mi Ran to stop smiling at another man, he literally says (episode 6, around 26:45): "I don't mind if a woman is ugly, eats a lot...but I really hate it when a woman swears and hits people." as he owns her. It did add to his character but again, the romanticization of this trait is just not okay. He became even more obsessive with her later on.
8) The second half of the drama just became boring. So many things were happening yet nothing was getting solved, the plot was all over the place and a lot of scenes were made unnecessarily long (multiple shots of the same scene, long pauses between talking, slow-talking etc...).
...and more...
To end this, I was really let down with his one. In my personal opinion, Ji Chang Wook carried the show but even he couldn't save the later episodes (eps 12-16). The plot had so much potential in the first two episodes but it truly went downhill after the main couple defrosted, even more in the second half.
Before I get into what's wrong with this drama (and there will be a lot), I'll start with the positives. The first two episodes were actually pretty good and promising. Basically, the story before Mi Ran and Dong Chan defrosted 20 years later. There were moments that could've been done differently (ie Mi Ran catching her boyfriend cheating and literally flying in the air like a seagull to kick him in the face). I really liked Mi Ran's relationship with her brother (which was basically forgotten in the second half of the show). Ji Chang Wook's (Dong Chan) acting and Yoon Se Ah's (Dong Chan's ex) acting felt like the only realistic and watchable ones. Won Jin Ah (Mi Ran) had her moments as well but her acting in a lot of scenes was way over-the-top.
Now what I couldn't stand in the drama (and there's a lot): 1) Most characters' reactions (or should I say overreactions). Especially Dong Hyuk (Mi Ran's ex), Dong Chan's sister, and his best friend Hyun Ki. Most of the characters kept on yelling, crying, and stuttering and their expressions were over-the-top in a lot of the scenes. Technically speaking most main and supporting characters were in their 40s (as well as 50s) yet they kept acting like toddlers. It became unbearable just 3 episodes in.
2) The dialogue. I'm not someone who's usually reacting to the dialogue and don't usually comment on it but a lot of the dialogue didn't make sense.
3) The recast. 20 years later and the production decided to completely recast the cast - except the main couple - instead of making the original actors look a little older which made them completely unrecognizable for Dong Chan and Mi Ran.
4) Mi Ran and Dong Chan's chemistry. It just wasn't present, especially from Mi Ran's side. I feel like it would be more interesting if the writers just focused on the struggle of adapting to a new world and reconciling with their old love interests and then them slowly building their relationship (slow-burn). Instead, there were little-to-no signs of romantic interest between the two, they didn't appear to be into each other at all but suddenly, they are together. Plus Dong Chan's obsessiveness over Mi Ran.
5) The whole increase-temperature-and-you-die plot/idea. Their temperature can't go over 33 degrees Celsius so when they kiss, Dong Chan pushes Mi Ran under a cold shower so they can kiss while having cold water stabilizing their temperature to remain below 31.5 degrees. Okay...however, on multiple occasions, the whole idea went out the window. For example, when Dong Chan was carrying Mi Ran and running to the hospital in episode 5, his shirt was soaked with sweat indicating he worked out a lot. Body temperature rises when exercising yet he was fine the whole time.
6) Glorification of domestic abuse and anger issues/problems. Mi Ran beat up her ex-boyfriend multiple times. The violence in this show was made into a humoristic aspect.
7) Bong Chan's possessiveness. He told Mi Ran to stop smiling at another man, he literally says (episode 6, around 26:45): "I don't mind if a woman is ugly, eats a lot...but I really hate it when a woman swears and hits people." as he owns her. It did add to his character but again, the romanticization of this trait is just not okay. He became even more obsessive with her later on.
8) The second half of the drama just became boring. So many things were happening yet nothing was getting solved, the plot was all over the place and a lot of scenes were made unnecessarily long (multiple shots of the same scene, long pauses between talking, slow-talking etc...).
...and more...
To end this, I was really let down with his one. In my personal opinion, Ji Chang Wook carried the show but even he couldn't save the later episodes (eps 12-16). The plot had so much potential in the first two episodes but it truly went downhill after the main couple defrosted, even more in the second half.
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