This review may contain spoilers
I already wrote a recommendation for this drama, but I will quickly say it here...while watching WHIB, I was constantly reminded of Que, Sera Sera (WHIB came out a few years before). They shared the same vibe. It's a darker K-Drama that deals with more mature topics. It's mostly about love and greed of money. I liked the vibe of the whole thing. It's not fluffy in the least. There are a few humorous moments, but over all it's angst filled dealing with every day life...love, money, desire, greed, etc. For me the angst was done well. After seeing so many dramas, these days I tend to fast forward through parts that bore me, usually dealing with secondary characters and such. However, this drama was twenty episodes long and I did not fast forward it once. Not even for a minute. I was completely engaged throughout. It was fast moving, and I wanted to hear what ever single person had to say. For me it was all a meaningful part of the progression of the story.
I'll admit this story is brought about by a series of contrived, coincidental incidences that are used to bring the four forever together. But seriously, if you're going to complain about that, then you shouldn't watch k-dramas, because that's basically how they all are. It's a tried a true plot device. It's easy for me to look over this and chalk it up to "fate" as they do in the drama itself.
There are four main leads in WHIB and they all get a good amount of screen time. You never know who the main male lead really is, because they both get equal screen time. At first, none of them are all that likeable. However, by the end, I really enjoyed them all. That included all their faults and wackiness too. They each make choices in their lives and we get to see the consequence (usually a fall out) of that choice.
I gave the acting for this drama a 10, mostly because of Jo In Sung. I had read somewhere that he was the most anticipated Korean actor to return from the military, and I just didn't understand that as I hadn't seen any of his dramas and had never heard of him. However, he knocked my socks off. This guy can act. He was great! No wonder he won all the best actor awards for this drama! (As a side note, at the time of airing this drama rated in the 20s and even got up to the 30s so it was pretty popular at the time). Seriously, the guy impressed me, and I look forward to watching his other work. Anyway, he plays the rich guy to a T.
Ha Ji Won (of Secret Garden) was one of the appeals to me when I decided to watch this drama. She did a fairly good job as well. She plays the poor girl. The other two mains played their parts perfectly and fit the roles great. The drama was cast perfectly in my opinion all the way down to the secondary characters. I just loved the psycho rich moms!
The main thing that got me to even notice this drama is I was looking through best couples in k-drama videos and such. This drama was on a top five list, with Ha Ji Won and Jo In Sung being like third best Korean drama couple in dramaland (just someone's personal opinion) as their characters in this drama. One of the pictures posted of them just really caught my eye and I could totally see their chemistry just from that. And they were right, they made this drama rock, and their interactions throughout were just awesome. However, this in no way, shape, or form, is saying that they get together. They might, they might not. You have to watch to find out. Watching them in this drama was great, and it would be neat if they could do another project together.
The music was uneventful, but it did it's job with blending into the story and providing the feeling of things like foreboding and such.
The rewatch value is a seven. Mainly because, I will probably eventually rewatch this again although it won't be the same. Normally, there are is so much angst in dramas that in order to prevent myself anymore personal anxiety, I read all about the drama I watch before hand, and if I can find out the ending in advance, that's a good thing. It helps me enjoy the drama with out feeling my skin crawl. Or, you just tend to know from the very beginning how a drama is going to end. Well, like I said, this is not your typical K-drama. From the very start, you may have an idea of how it's going to end. Your going to have your own opinion of who she's going to end up with based on which main guy you like the most, most likely. However, you will not know who she ends up with until the very end. And unless you found a spoiler some where, you will not know how this drama ends. Period. That in itself is kind of appealing and new in dramaland.
This of course brings me to the ending. I could not find out how it ended anywhere I looked on the net. I decided to watch it regardless, because I was so intrigued that nobody wanted to share the spoiler. I also found where most people that commented on the end didn't like it. That doesn't sound good right? Well, I've learned not to base my decisions on how other people interpret an ending. I have found it all has to do with personal taste and opinion. After watching the ending, I felt it was brilliant. It even made me smile. It was completely unexpected until it actually was playing out, however, I thought it was great!
But this is why the rewatch value of the drama is only a seven. Because, part of the appeal of this drama the first time around is not knowing what is going to happen next, what choices our leads are going to make, and how those choices are going to effect them and everyone else around them. Throughout the whole drama, you don't know who she really loves, who she's going to choose. Is she going to choose love, money, a combination of both, or neither?
Overall, I would give this drama a shot. I gave it an eight, because I truly felt it was very good. The overall tone and vibe aren't for everyone. I like it though. So, if you're interested, give it a shot!
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
I had to sleep on this one before writing this review (as I'm sure anyone who's seen this has). I'll come right out and say that I don't love this drama. It's not a genre I particularly care for. It's not especially exciting. It's not very pretty to look at except of course for the 4 leads themselves, who are blindingly beautiful. Watching it made me feel kind of squicky and dirty. And by the end I don't care so much about the characters except in a "Hey, look at that horrible train wreck. I wonder how mangled the bodies are" kinda way.BUT, and it's a BIG BUT, this was one of the most unique, compelling and batcrap crazy Kdrama joyrides I've ever been on, and I can't recommend it enough to those who aren't afraid to feel dirty, take a walk on the darkside, and see something they've never seen before in a Kdrama. Because this drama turns everything you know about Kdramas on its head and it did so 9 years ago, which makes me wonder why hasn't anyone else done it since? *(More on that at the bottom.)
Some of the common Kdrama tropes that get turned on their heads are the Cinderella story, the Candy/Mary Sue female lead, the spoiled chaebol son, and most notably the OTP concept.
Without trying to spoil anything, I will just say that even to the end I never really knew who loved whom, and how much and whether any of it was love at all. The truth behind all the lovelines in this drama was so well hidden behind the directing, the very good writing, and the fantastic acting, that even at the end the lovelines were still a confusing mess. And I loved that about this drama because it was so much more realistic. Contrary to Kdramaland, in real life, people can be conflicted about whom they truly love. A person really can love two people at the same time and love is icky and messy. That this drama embraced this fact was so refreshing.
In fact, not only was the romance totally unpredictable but the show itself was, which is why I say it is so compelling. Even someone like me who usually needs either action or humor to keep watching a drama, absolutely could not take my eyes off of this train wreck. This show is ultimate drama-crack, and I owe all of that to the writing and the acting. How many times have you watched a drama only to be pretty sure by about episode 4 how everything is going to play out? Well, not with WHIB. I had some guesses, but they were really just wild guesses and I wasn't confident about any of them. It was that uncertainty that kept me glued to the computer all day yesterday to marathon the last half of this drama.
WHIB is best known, probably, for its ending, so if you want to watch this drama, whatever you do, don't spoil yourself. It was hard for me not to because I am a bit of a spoiler addict, but I avoided it and was the happier for it. Some people, I've read, hate the ending, and some people love it. I LOVE IT! The more I thought about it the more I realized that it was not only totally earned, it was also perfectly fitting. It made sense in every possible way, and that is a rare bird for Kdramas because if there is one major complaint I have about most Kdramas it's that the endings are usually dissatisfying at best and just plain crappy at worst.
Finally, I'll just say that if you do decide to watch this drama, be prepared for a wild and sick ride. Starting WHIB is like going down the rabbit hole. As I said before, this drama made me feel dirty. But it also was exhilarating, with each episode heaping tension upon tension and crazy upon crazy until I couldn't tell which way was up or right from wrong. There is no black and white here, only many shades of dirty gray. If you choose to watch WHIB, enter at your own risk, but I don't think you'll be disappointed.
*(In truth, I think that the abomination that was Fashion King was trying to achieve something like WHIB, but failed miserably on every level but shock value. I chock it up to terrible writing, awful characterization, and mostly to not having a clear idea of what kind of drama they really wanted to make. One of the best things about WHIB that I neglected to mention earlier is how unapologetic it is about being purely character driven. Every event occurs just to put the characters where they need to be, making the choices they need to make, in order to up the tension and tangle the lovelines a little bit more. Normally this kind of artificial maneuvering is a flaw, but because WHIB has no doubt about what kind of drama it is, it works. Characters and the decisions they make are all that matter in this drama. Everything else is irrelevant.)
Was this review helpful to you?
This show was awful, horrible and miserable down to every scene. I wanted to punch the fuck out of every single character at one point. It was so dark, disturbing and frustrating and yet, it was excellent too. To the point that it captured me so deeply that it was a downward spiral that I couln't help but be swept into.
This is precisely the reason, I understand its poor rating on MDL but also why it was a super duper mega hit in Korea when it aired.
The acting and character development definitely took the cake in this one.
Jo In Sung. Jo In fucking Sung left excellence behind with his role. I have no words to describe his acting. It was simply wonderful. His character, Jung Jae Min, violent, crazy, childish, often pathetic, vindictive, violent and simply irredeemable didn't leave much to be desired and yet, he definitely made the list to become one of my most favorite characters of all time.
Ha Ji Won, ofcourse the queen of queens. Her character has to be one of the most despicable characters in K-drama history. Lee So Jung was a slap in the face of every self respecting woman. Greedy, desperate, classless, disloyal, annoying to the point of making you feel violence and yet, there was nobody but Ha Ji Won who could have played her. Because, despite the fact that she was everything I couldn't stand, I still found myself rooting for her. Like I said, only Ha Ji Won.
This was So Jisub's breakout role and I can definitely see why. He is the king of emoting from the eyes and he did it spectacularly here. Out of the three of them, his character was the least dislike-able and yet, despite my love for him, I found myself rooting for him the least.
Many international drama watchers think the show is famous for So Jisub but that's not true. This show is Ha Ji Won and Jo In Sung's through and through.
People said it was the greed of the characters that made them destroy each other but I think it was the desperation, madness and pain that each of them harbored. They were all victims of life in their own way and that made them make all the worst decisions possible. This was humanity at its worst with selfishness at its peak and yet, you couldn't help but feel sympathetic for these unlucky souls.
The show is a hard watch. I can't even count how many times I had to pause in between because I was so sick and emotionally exhausted by the complexity of these characters and their actions. But I was unable to drop it and now that I have finished it, I don't regret watching it at all.
The ending was exactly how it should have been. The OST was spot on. And while the show is dated, it still does not fail to pack a solid punch even after all these years.
So all in all, it's a show that you will hate with characters you will hate but if you aren't afraid to tread into dark waters and get out of your comfort zone, once you'll start you'll be unable to stop. And when you end it, you'll have no regrets.
Definitely one of my favorites.
Was this review helpful to you?
Jae Min feels like In Wook is taking all his women.
In Wook feels like Jae Min is getting his women.
Young Joo feels like Soo Jung is taking all her men.
Soo Jung? She just has to choose but is having a hard time.
But choose between what?
And so the show goes on in small circles, again and again and again. The force what drives life and moves the world is money and it dictates the laws of darkness. There is no love, no happiness, nothing meaningful in money but everyone needs it. One doesn't have it, second has too much and third experienced both situations. No one became happy. That's life folks.
The whole drama is boring and drags on like your feet after walking 100 miles but... BUT! The beauty of the show comes to light after you have finished it! This dark show is not to be taken too lightly, you have to analyze everything and you will understand the beauty within!
The cast is wonderful and acting super good. The main girl, of course, super annoying. She is miserable but at the same time hateful. Then there is Young-joo the nasty girl. I liked her pretty much. She is bad and desperate but well... everything makes sense in the end.
I am sure many people will find this drama hard to like and easy to loathe but give it a chance and dive into it as deep as possible. This one show is deep and needs devotion, you won't get anything out of it without analyzing the psychology behind every action. It's going to be a depressing and miserable ride but that's what life is about sometimes.
What happened in Bali?
Happiness.
Complaints? Well, backgrounds of some characters could have been explained better and there were some questions left unanswered. And there could have been less episodes. And it's a bit unsatisfying that instead of getting over their problems these people... well... yeah.
Was this review helpful to you?
This drama is definitely dated, and I'm not just talking about the flip phones, or horrible outfits. The story itself is a very basic romantic melodrama. All four characters are in an epic love square with all the usual plot points (rich vs poor, obsessive jealousy, mean parents, betrayal, stalking...) and this gets stretched out for 20 episodes, which means there are LOTS of flashbacks. I can understand the idea of having a tough time choosing between 2 men/women you care about, but It was really hard for me to take the romance seriously since I don't think that an abusive relationship with a crazy man is very romantic, even if he's rich and cute. Most of the characters behaved in ways that often seemed ridiculous, and was often frustrating to watch, but I couldn't look away... That's because of the cast.
I'll start with my praise of So Ji Sub, who is always amazing. It's no surprise that he was great. He was my favorite of the cast, and super cute (even with the stupid hair choices). He plays the mysterious, and brooding In Wook perfectly. He was the only character I rooted for throughout the show, but I also liked that he had a bit of a dark side... sexy!
I'm also a fan of Ha Ji Won, but I'm not used to seeing her play someone so passive. As Lee Soo Jung she spends a lot of the show being used, yelled at, or beat on. Her character is portrayed as innocent, yet money hungry, and was honestly hard for me to like or root for because of her choices. Ha Ji Won did an ok job, but at times was a little too melodramatic for my taste. Still, I did like her chemistry with the two male leads during their few rare happy moments. I also liked her relationship with her Bff.
This is my first time seeing anything with Jo In Sung, and his portrayal of Jae Min was certainly entertaining, though definitely over the top. Jae min is super entitled, and completely manic, but somehow still kinda sympathetic. Many of his scenes consist of epic crying, maniacal laughter, explosive anger, and dramatic begging. His "crazy" is the driving force behind the whole drama, so in a way he's what kept me wanting to watch what happened next.
The square is completed by Park Ye Jin as the... i'm thinking of a word that rhymes with 'itch'... Young Joo. Her character is subtly manipulative, and easy to hate. It takes a talented actress to portray such an unlikeable character so well. Many of the supporting characters deserve the same compliment.
So if you heard anything about this drama you know about the widely 'controversial' ending. I was not upset by the ending, but like much of the show, it was very frustrating. I like that the writers didn't go for the predictable people pleasing ending, and tried something more shocking, but it was still cheesy in a way. I certainly laughed inappropriately.
Oh, and the music... I think that the soundtrack was starting to drive me slowly insane, but it's the kind of OST where once you hear a song from it it draws you right back into the drama, so I guess that's a good thing.
Overall, I see "What Happened in Bali" as really bad junk food. I would never call it good, but I had fun watching it. I guess my love/hate relationship with this drama fits the theme of the show. It definitely kept my interest, even when the storyline started to drag. I wouldn't watch it again, but I would still recommend it. However, if you are looking for something light and fun, there are very few of those moments, so avoid this like the plague. This is NOT a Cinderella story. If you're looking for something to make you yell, and throw things at the screen, you found it!
Plus So Ji Sub is in it, and do you really need more of a reason than that?
Was this review helpful to you?
WHAT A DRAMA! I was thinking whether to start it or not because comments about the ending were keeping me from watching it. And then I start it! And I'm so glad I did! I was AMAZED! And let me tell you why:
This is a very dark and deep story of 4 people and their desires, greed, money and love. For their desires, they will ruin each other's lifes, for greed and money they will do anything and for love they will let go of their pride.
The chemistry was so real and passionate. Their feelings were shown in a brilliant way and most of the scenes were just filming a face of a characters which managed to show their expressions.
Acting: So Ji Sub was amazing as ever. He plays a very intelligent man who has a cold exterior and it is difficult to read his mind.
And actor that was totally mindblowing with his acting was Jo In Sung. The character of Jung Jae Min, selfish, arrogant, playboy, self-centered man was really hard to play and he managed to do it more than pefectly. It was truly enjoyment watching only him and his acting skills.
I'm not that fond of Ha Ji Won, but she was pretty good in here. I can't imagine any other actress to play this role. A woman who will do anything for money and greed and who never experienced love falls in love with a two different man with different personalities. I can say that I didn't hate her role, because somehow I understood her. If you watch it you will see and why ;)
Music: OSTs fitted a drama perfectly. Every ost have so much feels that made this drama more beautiful!^^ My favourite is this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ed-ZBEOnPMw
Oh, and about the ending, I would rather call it a good writing. It somehow fitted to the whole concept of a drama. I saw many melodramas, but in this one ending is realistic. With so much temptations, passion and greediness the ending was understandable for me!
If I rewatch it again, I'm pretty sure I will have the same exact feelings like the first time I was watching it!^^
Give this drama a try, but once you start it you won't be able to stop it, believe me!^^
Was this review helpful to you?
This drama is really an amazing drama, the main reason i watched it was because of the main actors and i was in a mood to watch melodrama and i really dont regret watching this drama!!!this is one of the best melodramas i ever watched! this drama makes you have lots of FEELINGS!!!
Acting: acting is a really big 10 from me!!! its one of the reasons i loved this drama.
Jo in sung<3<3<3 his acting is awesome!!! he is so handsome!!! i fell in love with his character. jae min was very possessive and childish, but he really loved Soo Jung, his character was the most complicated, jo in sung acted it really amazing!!! i really love his smile!<3
Ha ji won is an awesome actress, she is one of my favourite actress, there were sometimes that i was very angry at her character, she really cried a lot in first episodes, but later i began to understand her character more. her character Soo Jung was driven by Greed<3 (sorry, every time i write this word i remember fma brotherhood anime, and the character Greed, which i really love, so i cant write this word without a heartXD)and pride and she made some bad choices. her character was very complicated.
So ji sub acting is also really good, his character was so cold, reserved. previously i saw him in master's sun and ghost. his character in this drama is really different from the one he played in master's sun, his acting is really good!
its a very dark melodrama, it shows that money and greed is the root of all evil. I didnt know if i like love triangles because always someone will get hurt, but i loved the romance in this drama, the love triangle was one of the most complicated and strongest love triangle ever. i liked in this drama that you wont know who the main female lead really loved until the last episodes.
about the ost, i liked the songs, they fit the scenes really well, the ost was very emotional! good ost really makes the drama better and sad scenes even sadder.
,
what an ending!!! so many feels!!! this is a melodrama so from the beggining i knew that the ending will be sad, from the first episodes i tried guessing the ending but i didnt guess it right, it was so unexpected!!!many people didnt like the ending but i liked the ending, it was heartbreaking and realistic and unpredictable!too much feels...
watch this drama only if you like love triangles and are in am mood to watch a dark melodrama!
Was this review helpful to you?
The story is pretty typical. It is a little twisty at the end and is the only truly interesting part of this drama. It is a love square, triangle…something. Rich boy vs. poor boy and rich girl vs. poor girl. All of the families are totally atrocious.
So Ji Sub is beautiful and can act. In Wook had the Jung family figured out from the beginning. He is smart and handles them with style.
I didn’t particularly like Ha Ji Won’s character. I don’t like her playing a weepy character, but she is still as beautiful as ever and acted well considering what she was given. I will say that I find it acceptable that she could love both men.
I had never seen Jo In Sung in anything, but I thought he did an outstanding job. Jae Min is actually the only one that I came even close to liking, mostly because he tried the hardest. He is the cutest when he laughs at the absurdity of the situation. I don’t condone his actions, but part of me is totally understanding of his madness.
Park Ye Jin as Young Joo was good too. She just wanted her cake and eat it to…like the men in this drama. Can’t really fault her for that.
At one point at the end of episode 19, I laughed so hard over their craziness that I had to pause the show. Then toward the end of episode 20 I fell out laughing for a totally different reason. The ending is stellar!!!
The music was on my last nerve by the end of this drama.
I’m not watching this again.
Overall...I'm not sure I would recommend this for any other reason than the acting is really good.
Was this review helpful to you?
The cast gets a 10. They acted their roles well. Can't blame them for the story or direction.
Was this review helpful to you?
No, this drama will never be 1 of my all time faves, but I enjoyed watching it. I enjoyed the fact that these actors (that I love) So Ji Sub, Ha Ji Won, & Jo In Sung confirmed that they are great actors & not just "Eye Candy." The ending was the best ever. Whoever came up w/ that ending was a genius, b/c it gave an ending to all sides of the conflict.
I was slightly upset that Ha Ji Won had to play a cry-baby, indecisive character, b/c to me she is just much stronger than they let her be in this drama.
So Ji Sub blew me away. I mean who do u know that can be as silent as he is in this drama, but still show so much emotion that u know what he is feeling the whole time? NO1! He is an amazing actor & I will forever watch anything & everything he is ever in (if I can find it subbed).
Jo In Sung is like amazing. I wanted to cry & go crazy w/ him through this whole drama. I felt bad for him the whole time b/c of his family life. Which kinda reminded me of Lee Je Hoon's character in Fashion King. I actually wanted him to get the girl even though he was a giant Scott (South Park Reference).
Overall I liked the drama & think that others should give it a try. It isn't as much torture as I anticipated, except that is is older & it reminds me of the 80's. ENJOY!
Was this review helpful to you?
This drama is no masterpiece. Some might even call it bad. However it's one of those crazy dramas which are so bad that they are good. LOL. Does that make sense? Okay, let me sum it up for you shortly: it is basically a story about unlikable people- the kinds we avoid at all costs in real life but prove to be fun to watch in a drama. I can never imagine myself falling for a guy like the main lead or befriending a girl like the main heroine. Actually, that's what makes this drama such a compelling watch. It's fictitious and realistic at the same time which I thought was an applause-worthy aspect of it. Just a word of caution though- it can prove depressing to some.
The writer actually created a very clever story using the standard K-drama recipe but managed to inject doses of reality in it. It's a story about greed, desire, love, betrayal, obsession and more at its core. It constantly plays with these realistic aspects of day-to-day life in a very entertaining way. The drama is highly addictive, such that once you find yourself even a bit invested in it- it becomes difficult to let go.
While I enjoyed the drama as a whole, I also hated parts of it. Its characters were frustrating and made me want to throw things at them. I wanted to shake them out of their stupidity or shake them into being smart. The characters were unlikable at best- especially Soo Jung, Jae Min and Young Joo. In Wook was the only &amp;quot;normal&amp;quot; character in this crazy drama.
Apart from that the casting choice was excellent. Jo In Sung (*drool*), Ha Ji Won and So Ji Sub (*drool*) all together in a single drama was like a dream cast come true. They did fantastic jobs of their characters and really made them believable. The cast was what held the drama in place and they never let go even till the very last scene.
That brings me to the best aspect of the drama- the ending. SERIOUSLY. Just watch the whole drama for its ending if you're into something dark and melodramatic. If you think you like out of the box or 'different' endings- this one's for you. I appreciate creativity any given day and I am glad the writer took a chance to deliver just that. I can think of so many ways this drama could have ended but this one fits well. It really left me clapping out loud. I could see why the finale reached almost up to 40% ratings in those days. Obviously the whole country would want to turn on their tv to catch the finale if it were drama like this.
The music in the drama was fine. It wasn't anything memorable but I liked it fine. However, the one thing this drama lacks in is the rewatch value. As much as I enjoyed it the first time, I refuse to watch it for a second time because it wouldn't be that much fun nor would I have the patience. Anyway, go watch this drama NOW if you're looking for something good. It was definitely worth it. :)
Was this review helpful to you?
Personally, I can relate to Jung Jae Min's character. He was the kind of person who was passionate yet scared in so many forms. He was the most vulnerable among the characters. He was arrogant and rude but I felt like that's how he dealt with his struggles. He had a hard time admitting to himself that he did fall hard to Lee So Jung. He was a rebel with fears that if he pursue the person that makes him feel better he will lose everything.
I was moved by the scene when he finally admitted to So Jung that he fell for her and that he wanted to be the only guy that she sees and that he wanted to make her feel good and that he's the only to make her laugh, but in reality it was the opposite. He was rude, arrogant and a bastard towards So Jung. Adding insult to the injury was that the people surrounded him always threaten and beat So Jung badly like blaming her for Jae Min's actions.
Towards the end, he's ready to lose everything behind as long as he can pursue So Jung. By that act, it only means that money isn't everything in the world. What's important is the happiness Jae Min feels when So Jung is around.
But with twist of fate, everything went wrong with a shocking ending.
Was this review helpful to you?
