Really generic but gets the job done.
FIRST LET ME NOTE: You can watch this on koreaondemand if you live in the US but there are ads unless you signup but a good thing to know is that you can watch the first three episodes with no ads on kissasian.STORY:7.5
With that all being said let me follow up to my title, i feel as if i've seen this Kdrama a million times because it's really a basic plot line type romance which is okay but you have to understand actors really carry these types of shows. Whenever theres a good relationship another girl/boy has to butt in and this is for 95% of all the romance kdramas out there. In my opinion it is a bit overused. That's why I can't give this drama a amazing rating but nor can i give it a bad one because it was pretty well executed.
ACTING: 9
I think the chemistry between Sung Joon and Im Ji Yeon is great and makes me want there relationship throughout the episodes and the feeling of "WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?!?!" when one breaks another's heart. Acting is really good and gets the job done.
MUSIC: 8.5
I love the music choices in this i wish it would be released to YouTube at some point.
REWATCH VALUE:
I've seen up to the 14th episode at the moment but can assure you it's not too rewatch worthy but definitely a fun first time watch.
OVERALL: 8
If you're simplistic and like most romance dramas you will probably find this very enjoyable.
Was this review helpful to you?
NO!
I usually like Sung Joon but this is by far his worst project to date. At this stage of his career he shouldn't accept such projects. There's almost no story, just a very long sequence of plane clips. Who ever edited this turned up the saturation to a disgusting level. No wonder this was delayed for years because it's a failed project, dead on arrival. Absolutely a waste for the cast time and talent.Was this review helpful to you?
Differing opinion
So, let me start by saying that I watched this because of Sung Joon.I loved him in I Need Romance 3, which led to me watching a bunch of dramas that were hit or miss. He seems to be inconsistent in the scripts he chooses.
That said, I don't think this drama is a bad choice. The story is messy. The characters are sometimes unlikable and they make bad decisions. But I mostly understood why they did those foolish things. This is a drama about damaged people. About one tragic event that changes everything forever. And those ripples caused by that event are still felt years later.
They make some really interesting choices in this story. So Ju isn't a sweet and innocent flower. She's a bit shrill. She's abrasive. She does things that might shock you. She lies. But I actually loved that. Because too often female characters are asked to be flawless while the male lead runs amok being awful. Until he realizes he loves the FL, and then, it's all fine, right? ILU solves everything. Except it doesn't. This drama kind of realizes that life isn't tidy, and things spill over. Problems persist. And sometimes we do ridiculous things because our options are crappy and crummy.
I don't have to fall in love with drama characters. I just have to believe they've fallen for each other. I wasn't bored watching this. Sometimes I was annoyed, but I grew fond of everyone involved. With all their messy imperfections.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
First of all according to the huge amount of negative harsh comments i didn't expect much while i was watching this drama That's why somehow I enjoyed it
What i liked about this drama
It was light
I enjoyed watching sung joon so much
The third couple was really cute
What i dislike about it
I've to admit i had much
The character development was weak
The Quadrilateral love was annoying because the second couple were sticking too much
The story could have been much more better
And more arranged than that
They could give more space and logical events between the third couple
(ji hyuk & the bartender girl)
They waste lots of time with the side story ssong ssong and literally they can cut it it wont affect the story at all
They could give much more space for the second couple to fall in love in a proper way
but They focused so much time on the Quadrilateral love which made all that changes towards the end illogical
I saw the second half of the last episode was too rush
The most scumbags characters award goes to the FL's brother, the second FL and her mother
I dislike a lot that the fl was treating her best friend so good,
although she knew he loved her a lot
She was too much good till the limit sometimes i thought she really loved him
The FL's makeup artist was the worst ever
He made her mouth as if it was stick to her face
And at her kissing scenes with the Ml i noticed more than once she wasn't normal as if she was forced doing this which made the scene awkward
But inspite of all that,
i didn't hate it
At least you can watch it once and enjoy it really
Was this review helpful to you?
A great performance from the actors, but spoiled by a poorly written story.
PLOT: ML, a playboy who wastes his life in France, returns to Korea for his grandfather's inheritance. He only inherits 1 old bookstore which he transforms into a cocktail bar, with the help of the FL. She dreams of becoming a great French chef. Through her love, she will little by little heal the ML of the guilt that gnaws at him. But romantic rivals and family relationships will pose multiple obstacles.PROS:
+ very good actors who bring the story to life. It's a very good role for Sung Joon, but I wasn't totally convinced by Lim Ji Yeon's performance which lacks micro-expressions. On the other hand, the CL shows great chemistry and there are many scenes of kisses.
+ an adorable kitten (✯◡✯)
+ Characters are not one-dimensional. They are all bruised, damaged by life, complex.
+ the most consistent character in this series, the one who has the most realistic-intelligent behavior, is Lee Shi Won. The actress shines throughout the drama.
CONS:
Above all, the story is poorly written, with:
- unnecessary and annoying characters and narrative arcs: the Thai prince and his music group for example; the FL's brother, a lazy person looking for easy money; etc.
- The ML's behavior consumed by guilt, OK. But he hurts the FL, by being totally submissive to a visibly super selfish and manipulative FL2. Suicide blackmail is poorly handled, not convincing.
- FL2 has typical toxic behavior, as does her mother. And the ML's family watches him destroy himself without doing anything, without saying anything?? Seriously ?
- The behavior of FL2's mother is not credible. Why would you want to find someone responsible (especially a 16 year old kid) for an accident? Her final apology is not acceptable either.
********************************************************************************
PLOT: Le ML, playboy qui disperse sa vie en France, rentre en Corée pour l'héritage de son grand-père. Il n'hérite que d'1 libraire qu'il transforme en bar à cocktail, avec l'aide de la FL. Celle-ci rêve de devenir un grand chef de cuisine française. Par son amour, elle va peu à peu guérir le ML de la culpabilité qui le ronge. Mais les rivaux amoureux et les relations familiales vont poser de multiples obstacles.
PROS:
+ de très bons acteurs qui font vivre l'histoire. C'est un très bon rôle pour Sung Joon, mais je n'ai pas été totalement convaincue par la performance de Lim Ji Yeon qui manque de micro-expressions.Par contre, le CL montre une belle alchimie et il y a de nombreuses scènes de kisses.
+ un chaton adorable (✯◡✯)
+ Les personnages ne sont pas unidimensionnels. Ils sont tous meurtris, abimés par la vie, complexes.
+ le personnage le plus cohérent dans cette série, celui qui a le comportement le plus réaliste-intelligent, est Lee Shi Won. L'actrice brille durant tout le drama.
CONS:
Surtout, la story est mal écrite avec :
- des personnages et des arcs narratifs inutiles et gênants : le prince thaï et son groupe de musique par exemple ; le frère de la FL, fainéant qui recherche l'argent facile ; etc.
- Le comportement du ML rongé par la culpabilité, OK. Mais il blesse la FL, en étant totalement soumis à une FL2 visiblement super égoïste et manipulatrice. Le chantage au suicide est mal traité, pas convaincant.
- la FL2 a un comportement toxique typique, sa mère aussi. Et la famille du ML le regarde se détruire sans rien faire, sans rien dire ?? Sérieux ?
- Le comportement de la mère de la FL2 n'est pas crédible. Pourquoi vouloir trouver un responsable (surtout un gamin de 16 ans) à un accident ? Ses excuses finales ne sont pas acceptables non plus.
=> Une belle performance d'acteurs, mais gâchée par une story mal écrite.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
How fast can a Drama go downhill?
This is my first review, so bear with me.I enjoyed the first episodes, the characters were mostly complex, they had a goal and the leads had chemistry.
I would say everything went downhill when he colored his hair brown (Why is that such a common trope? Could the leads please keep their colored hair, they always look so good. Nvm). Even in the first ep. he had abusive tendencies and there I already knew that my rating wouldnt go above 9, but sometimes they have such a good chemistry that I will watch it even though I mostly despise these scenes. And ohh man they had chemistry, The first 4 to 5 episodes they had so much skin ship and banter that i was ready and happy for more in the later episodes, but suddenly it stopped and with it their chemistry.
Suddenly all they did was scream at each other and be jealous little kids. Especially his screams and anger tantrums were extreme and I hated them so much.
The lead actors and the sfl were all very good actors and they potrayed emotions very well but in the later half the script didnt do them justice. The rest were mediocre to even bad, especially Kangnam (As if there are not enough thai actors or even idols that could act better, but understandably if no one wanted to play this stereotypical character.) did an incredibly bad job.
The rl were so intriguing in the first ep. and the sfl had an enough likable character for the typical 2010s sfl, but suddenly everyone changed for the worst, no one had goals anymore. Why doesnt he want to finland anymore, why doesnt she want to cook anymore?
And were went the skin ship? Like the accidentally touched in the first 4 episodes more than in the rest of the episodes combined. Also there were so many characters and scenes that were totally unrelated to character or plot development.
I will add more when I thought about it more, but in conclusion: This is a disappointment that went downhill the farther we got into the series.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Romance with side characters with deep dark flaws
8.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2021 (well filmed mostly 2017 but not aired until 2021) South Korean Romantic drama with 16, 70 minute episodes. Also known under the title “Mojito”.First I write a synopsis then review
Synopsis
A tragic event led Chin Ji Woo (Sung Joon) to literally run from his past. But the money he had as a chaebol heir is running dry and he returns home anticipating a piece of inheritance from his recently deceased grandfather. In the course of being a rich play boy, he encounters So Joong Hee (also known as Soju; Im Ji Yeon) whom he discovers will do many things for the right amount of money. He is fascinated by this person that lives so differently than he does and decides to play with her. While Ji Woo did not inherit a lot of money he did get an old building filled with books. Since his family has cut him off (partially to keep him from leaving) Ji Woo comes up with the ipunique idea of having a day drinking bar which he calls Siesta. Joong Hee becomes his part timer to pay off a debt she wounded up having to him. Her dream is to study culinary art in Paris but since she was swindled out of her money working with Ji Woo is currently her best option. As the two get closer, Seo Yi Ji (Kim Yoon Hye) the sister of Ji Woo’ s deceased friend whom he feels responsible for appears. Ji Woo has so much guilt over past events that Yi Ji is able to bully him into being her boyfriend. Joon Hee’s best friend Kim Yeong Kang (Baek Sung Hyun) has thought of her as more than a friend for quite some time but has yet to confess. Will two people from such different backgrounds find love? What is the tragedy from Ji Woo’s life that had him running from emotional pain? Will Siesta flourish or fail?
Review
I think a huge determining factor in whether you like this drama or not is if you are okay with characters who have deep flaws or if you watch dramas to escape the ugly side of reality. The central romance itself is believable and cute but so nany of the characters around them have serious emotional problems. It is good, you can definitely tell it was filmed in 2017 as it has this darker style and just has the cultural essence of that time period. It is good and I would recommend it for those that like romances. I will not likely rewatch it so it is not a top favorite but still worth a watch.
Spoilers
Ji Woo is so cruel, at times to Soju that it is really hard to understand what she sees in him when there is a guy that is so sweet and caring to her in the form of her bestie. However, there is this scene when the two seconds ask each other what they see in the lead couple and their answers are telling. They basically provide a list of bad qualities and then say but I love them anyway. Ji Woo acts very cool and uncaring on the exterior but actually winds up taking care of all those in need who cross his path. He is fun and interesting and it is that charisma that draws people to him. Soju is very caring. She cannot pass someone in need without helping. She makes food she thinks others will like and is a hard worker. Which, I think, is the reason Ji Woo and Soju are better suited than the two people who like them. The fact that they see and bring out these positive qualities is what makes for a good relationship. There was a point when I thought Yi Ji might have undergone some character growth and might become likable but then she does the most selfish and despicable things and I think never mind. Harming yourself and threatening suicide to get someone to be with you is emotional abuse. The fact that she could observe what her selfish behavior was doing to him and still carry on, even when his mother implored her to let him go, showed she was a selfish and cruel person to her core. They tried to give her a redemption arch but the way she “let him go” was narcissistic and she basically blamed him for allowing her to use him. The girl needed serious mental help as she was emotionally abusive. Soju’s brother was just a straight up mooch. He did finally find a job that suited him and turn things around but it was so close to the end there was no time for it to feel redemptive. I wanted Ji woo’s mother to tell Yi Jo’s mother off. How dare she emotionally traumatize her son when the entire situation was that family’s fault. Who goes up to a grieving teenager who just lost their best friend and tells them they are going to hell? The son was upset and ran off because his mother was cheating on his dying father. Ji Woo goes after him and, when he is too hurt, he leaves him by a tree to go get help. And the guy crawls off? He was horrible too, he knew his friend was following him but he was busy throwing a fit. I found that whole family just horrible, None of that was his fault. The fact that no one told him that before her was disgraceful of all the adults in his life. The mother saying she needed someone to blame as if that was an acceptable justification for her emotionally abusive behavior was frustrating. But the Apple did not fall far from the emotional abuser tree as her daughter tried to justify her horrendous behavior toward him because she needed someone to lean on and that telling him it wasn’t his fault may have made him leave her side. I was a little disappointed that Ji Woo never apologized for choosing to protect manipulative Ji Yi‘s feelings and was willing to break Soju’s heart. When you hurt someone you live that deeply, even if it is because you are being manipulated and abused, acknowledging and apologizing is something you should do to heal as a couple.
#CastingASpellToYou
#Mojito
#SungJoon
#ImJiYeon
Was this review helpful to you?
Nel complesso è una storia carina, giusto per passare il tempo. Non aspettatevi troppo, ecco.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Una commedia senza pretese...in tutti i sensi.
Le commedie leggere e senza troppe pretese possono essere piacevoli e apprezzabili? Assolutamente sì. Una serie spensierata non deve essere necessariamente sinonimo di senza senso. Purtroppo, invece, è quanto avvenuto con questo drama.La trama non regge. Può aver avuto senso l'idea di base, ma il suo sviluppo ha portato a una sceneggiatura che sembra abbia giocato a "unisci i puntini", con dei "punti" chiari da raggiungere - scene ad effetto, dove poter dire "io ho ucciso una persona" - ma senza badare troppo alla credibilità della linea che collega questi punti. La storia, davvero, fa acqua un po' da tutte le parti. Vogliamo un protagonista afflitto dal tormento di un evento passato, così segnato profondamente da aver influenzato tutte le sue - pessime - scelte di vita, ma se poi pensiamo alla fatidica notte, ci chiediamo: e dunque? dove sta il problema? L'amico si ferisce inavvertitamente, senza responsabilità di nessuno, il nostro protagonista lo soccorre, lo trascina al riparo e va - con tanto di buonsenso - a cercare aiuto. Da lì al "ho ucciso una persona" e il riferimento al fatto che nessuno abbia mai detto il contrario, rasentiamo un po' l'assurdo: un dramma dove il dramma non c'è. La storia, sostanzialmente, è tutta così. L'ex russa, tanto aggressiva da rincorrerlo con una pistola e disposta a dargli la caccia fino dall'altro capo del mondo...ma che si arrende dopo una banale sfida all'ultimo shot. Ma quando mai? Anche qui, l'impressione di un mero link riempitivo per portare la storia a una scena-obiettivo già programmata. Chi ha scritto il copione non si è sforzato minimamente, insomma.
Sul fronte degli attori, buona la prova del protagonista, soprattutto nella seconda parte (capisco la superficialità voluta del personaggio nella prima parte, per poter mostrarne poi l'evoluzione, ma nei primi episodi era davvero eccessivo, al di là dei capelli osceni e davvero inguardabili). La protagonista invece la boccio su tutta la linea: empatia, zero. Simpatia, sotto lo zero. Delle due, l'una: o la recitazione non è davvero il suo forte, o il personaggio che doveva interpretare era tratteggiato in modo davvero pessimo. Difficilmente la protagonista di una serie mi ha infastidita come in questo caso: starnazzante come un'oca (non discute, più che altro grida) e con un'espressione perenne da triglia lessa. Nessun personaggio secondario degno di nota.
Concludendo, la serie strappa a malapena la sufficienza. Il consiglio: se volete distrarvi con una serie spensierata che valga la pena guardare, rivolgetevi altrove.
Was this review helpful to you?
