This review may contain spoilers
The storyline was cute and sad, thank you, writers. The storyline did keep me focus. My first time watching the main actor, Yeon Woo Jin, I fell in love with his role so that means he played the role very well. I'm excited to see him in other roles. The main actress, Park Hye Soo, this was also my first time watching her. I wasn't convinced of her role but she did alright. I don't like a lot of suicides in these dramas and they had one too many. I won't be rewatching this one. And of course, Yoon Park is great all the time. Was this review helpful to you?
Apanthropy - An aversion to human company; love of solitude.
Ahh, I can relate. As somebody who works all by myself I've come to love being alone -- (really) immersing myself in my work. Methinks solitude is bliss; albeit, I do also share desires to do kind things for others (like the protagonist of this show); albeit, I also prefer to help people in secret, avoiding comprising my apanthrophy. All I want to do is to be with my words. The two words that I thought of whilst watching "My Shy Boss" were "apanthrophy" and "tropoclastics" [the science of breaking habits] because obviously for a while the protagonist was finding bliss in solitude and then it gets into that self-improvement arc thingo particularly when he meets up with the love interest. Yadayadayda ... Kdrama goodness ROMANCE etcetera. . I'm avoiding spoilers LOL. Give this show a watch. It may not be your favorite show of all time or anything, but you'll surely enjoy it. If you're a Kdrama I'd be muckstruck if you don't enjoy this one.Was this review helpful to you?
+/- Plot:
The initial episodes of the drama were all over the place--at times it felt like the writers were trying to grasp at too many genres, a little horror, a little comedy, obviously romance. It just felt a little messy, like they were trying for too many things and weren't excelling at any of them. It's not until about the 5th episode where we find out some of the backstory, which makes this drama satisfactory--so if you're interested in watching this show make sure to keep that in mind! In the beginning of the show I was completely opposed to having such an introverted lead, but as I struggled through the episodes I developed a further understanding of him and even grew to be fond of him--just as many of the other co-workers. The key that makes this show achieve the minimal amount of greatness it has is all due to Yeon Woo Jin's character and his slow, but steady progression towards opening up to others and coming out of his shell. Every time there was a scene where he would honestly speak his mind I was honestly moved by what he had to say; not only because of the encouragement and approval he spoke, but also because we came to understand the difficulty he went through to do so.
Overall, the progression of the story is a bit slow and felt that it was a bit too unrealistic as the female lead basically forgives the unforgivable. However, I can't say that this drama was a complete failure as I enjoyed a decent portion of it, and am also a fan of the theme selected by the writers. This show is all about being comfortable with yourself, no matter what others may think of you, and finding strength in those around you to help you through times of struggle rather than relying on your own abilities. And because we got to see some character development, in terms of Yeon Woo Jin, in the direction of these themes I can't complain.
+/- Character/Acting:
As I stated before Yeon Woo Jin is the show stopper in this drama. Prior to watching this show, I had never seen any of his other works so I was quite shocked and pleased with his performance and portrayal of his character. He plays his sweet, yet introverted personality very convincingly and makes it even relatable to the audience as I'm sure even extroverts have experienced at least one of his situations.
Park Hye Soo played out her cute role well, however in the introductory episodes I found her character very, very annoying. It isn't until about a quarter of the way through the show where this starts to get toned down a bit and the cutesy traits are turned up instead. While her acting wasn't outstanding, because of the opposites in the two personalities I thought that the two worked well together--they had a decent amount of chemistry, which was better than I expected.
The second leads, Yoon Park and Gong Seung Yeon, were also a little annoying throughout the show. Primarily because of their character's personalities. But I guess with the progression of the show we come to understand them and their choices a little better. Gong Seung Yeon played out her character well, however because of her character's issues I was thoroughly disappointed with her development as I felt that almost in an instant she made a 180 turn towards mental stability. Yoon Park's character also seemed to deal with some issues of self-worth which were likewise, magically fixed--there was hardly any development of either of these second leads and because of it I felt like there were some missing elements to the show.
+/- Music:
The majority of this drama's OST is quite bubble-gummy and I'm really not a fan of the genre, so it was a miss for me.
Rewatch Value: I'm going to have to say I wouldn't rewatch this show, simply because there wasn't anything too outstanding about it. I enjoyed it while I was watching and for that I'm grateful for all the efforts that went into making this show.
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First of all, I have to say, what a mess up script. The screenwriter Joo Hwa Mi doesn't have many works, so I can say if this is especially a weak work, or if she is actually not so good. The fact is that we have a good premise here. The random scene of the suicide at the beginning of episode one breaks the expectation of a simple romance and pushes us to the mystery from the first minute. But the following events are very confusing and superficial. The motive of the female lead starts so strong, but she loses this strength in every single moment. I think her personality is the main problem here. If we had a determined female lead, the plot would be very interesting. The inconstancy in her decisions, the way how she interacts with the Boss even knowing that he is her focus... A great part of her disturbed me a lot. Park Hye Soo is funny, cute, and I think that some improvements in this character would be perfect to show the necessary intensity. I was expecting "Dear M", I hope that now the rumors are calmed down, we can see her soon.
Kang Woo Il (Yoon Park) was a character that I really hoped for more. I liked the fact that he wasn't just a bad guy, but had a story and background that make his character a little more complex and interesting. I would like to see more details in his changing in the process, but I think the script wasn't made for this. The same for Eun Yi Soo (Gong Seung Yeon). Her character started a simple support role, but suddenly we could see many nuances of her. Too suddenly, without preparations. The most wronged characters in my point of view.
But not everything is a disappointment. I have to make a big mark here for my favorite character in this show, our Eun Kwan Ki (Yeon Woo Jin). I love when a plot maintains the constancy of a character and doesn't just change everything as magic just to fit the story. The disorder of Kwan Ki is present and we see little changes in the process, but the essence of the character is the same and I really love this. Kwan Ki was a very oppressed guy, and the way how slowly he takes control of his life is very beautiful to see. I cried many times in his scenes struggling with his condition. This character was the highlight for me and what make me watch it until the end. The chemistry between him and Chae Ro Woon was also pretty good, they are very cute and funny together, but the problems with Chae Ro Woon made me not enjoy this so much.
I'll put this as an "I'm not so regretful" one (★★★★★). I had some fun watching it, but the low points are considerable if you don't have time to lose. If you like elaborated endings, maybe you should avoid this too. The magic of the last episodes is present here until the bones.
P.S.: I don't give spoilers here, so I'll try to not go deep in this, but I have to ask... WTH was that bathtub scene in the last episode???? Seriously, what a no sense reconciliation in a no sense place. Ok, now I'm done.
See you soon!
XOXO, Mari.
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Female lead looked cute before but... became kinda annoying with time. Male lead was little Irritating. I agree he was introverted but he can't even explain her sister that she is wrong, and keeps feeling guilty for others wrongdoing. *Introverts are not like that* seriously.
And chemistry between leads was nice when it started but When they reveal reason of death of her sister it was really unacceptable.. how could she be together with him. I can't believe!
One major thing, why she have to do suicide for that reason. Why give up your own life for whom who didn't even loved her. And what's the point of keeping everything itself. I couldn't finish this title.
I had really high expectations from this. But it disappointed me.
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In the acting department, Yeon Woo Jin was very good at playing the shy boss. Besides being super cute, he brought out a character who is relatable to life, with many layers to his personality that always surprised me. He and Park Hye Soo had a nice chemistry, imo. They were adorable together and shared some emotional scenes. She may have been a bit exaggerated at the beginning with her character, but then she finds her way. If you watched her in Age of Youth, here you'll see she is able to play a completely different character. Although I liked her performance, I think she needs to improve more. Well, she's young and has a long career ahead of her, so. The supporting cast was also great. I've seen Yoon Park in other dramas as well and I wish for the future that he'll land a main lead role, I'd like to see how he would do.
The music was cute and tailored perfectly for this drama.
Overall, is surely a drama I would rewatch because it's simple and light but it makes you think. It was such a pleasant story to watch unfold. If you love comedies, then I think you may like this because it is a refreshing story.
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Cute & funny with a dark past
To begin with I wasn't really sure about this drama. With some of the incidents that happened in the first couple episodes, I found it to be a bit ridiculous and over the top. The car scene where Chae Ro-un keeps banging on Eun Hwan-gi's door, and when she chases him to his apartment etc. In these moments I was hoping that the drama wouldn't continue this way. Thankfully it didn't!When it came to the scene where they are in the toilet cubicles and have a heart to heart is when I felt like it became okay.
The story from the beginning is quite dark and upsetting. I think I might have cried even.
It does get a little repetitive with the flashbacks. I've lost count how many times I've seen Ji-hye on the bed with Ro-un drawing that picture.
I couldn't make up my mind about Kang U-il. The relationship he had with both Ji-hye and his finaceé was weird. For them to get back together at the end was also strange.
10/10 for character development on Hwan-gi's part. I felt like we got to see him grow so much and become more comfortable around other people.
There were so many cute moments that I ate right up! It wasn't the most swoon-worthy drama but it certainly did have sweet and romantic moments.
All of the kiss scenes were exceptional! Especially one of the ones in the final episode where the camera pans around them both.
One part that was really cute was when Ro-un unexpectedly saw Hwan-gi dancing in his apartment. The camera focused in on him when he saw Ro-un and his reaction was priceless!
All of the side characters were interesting and I liked them all. They had a big enough part that didn't stray away from the main characters too much.
Let's talk about the ending. The rain was a little too 'The Notebook' for me, but I was still glad it ended happily. The fact that Hwan-gi danced in front of everyone and declared his love for Ro-un was really sweet, and showed us how far he'd come. However, I would have liked to have seen something bigger or better. I feel like in the end we just had to settle because the writers didn't know how to wrap it up.
The music was great; I don't think I really disliked any of the songs. Each time they played, it was just at the right moment!
I feel like I would re-watch this again some day.
-E
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Loved this show
10/10 is my rating. This is a 2017 South Korean romantic comedy drama television series with 16, 60 minute episodes.Eun Hwan Ki (Yeon Woo Jin) is about as shy and introverted as they come. He is the CEO of a top public relations firm founded by his father. Unable to speak publicly, Hwan Ki hides in dark clothes and under a hoodie while his long time best friend, Kang Woo-Il (Yoon Park) does all the public appearances and company presentations. People, including his father mistake Hwan Ki’s extreme shyness and social anxiety for incompetence when, in reality, the brilliant ideas Woo-il presents are actually from Hwan Ki. Chae Ro Woon (Park Hye Soo) is a lively and outgoing stage performer and Hwan Ki is one of her top fans. Things get complicated when Ro Woon steps off the stage and takes a job with Hwan Ki’s company to discover the reason behind her sister’s sudden suicide. Her sister committed suicide by jumping from a high level at the company, and Ro Woon is determined to find out why. She is convinced it has something to do with the shy, socially distant CEO who earned the Knick name “silent monster”.
Spoiler Alert!! I really liked the boss character and could identify as there are several people that I know that have extreme social anxiety. He was misunderstood by many people both inside of his family as well as his employees and others. I like the way the story unfolded and you understood a little how he got the way he was and also how his sister and his best friend both became the way they were. The male lead’s sister’s suicide attempts and desperate need to be lived traced back to her father’s failure to properly show love. He was both physically and emotionally abusive and she used self harm to cope. The female lead sister’s suicide was a bit harder to understand but seems to fit with what I understand of being “ruined” in the sense of being a relationship or marriage partner in terms of purity being tarnished in what I understand of South Korean culture from dramas (and it may not be an accurate reflection of the true culture). There was a time, perhaps 60 years ago in American culture when casual sexual encounters would have been viewed the same. I thought the female lead character was perfect as she was exactly the sort of person I could see being able to draw somebody with severe social anxiety out of their shell. I love that she told him at one point that he was OK and not to change. Some do not understand that social anxiety, shyness and being introverted by nature are often slow and/or hard to alter because it is a personality trait and thus is not something you can radically change. I also liked the friendship between the boss and his best friend and how his best friend supported him by being his voice and carried the company forward With his extrovert nature that fit so well in the public relations arena. One being brilliant but withdrawn and the other extroverted but not above level brilliant was actually a benefit for them both and made for two halves of a very effective whole. I thought it ended absolutely perfectly. Unlike so many dramas that leave things open to interpret or end with things unresolved, I was really happy it all wrapped up well and ended happy.
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