FMV's made this drama look pretty intense and steamy, which you kinda get in the drama, but that's not really the overall tone. So I'd say the music videos might be a bit misleading as to what to expect.
The drama was interesting to watch in the beginning while the 3 main friends were building their mission to get revenge and to stop the marriage between their parents, but once Kwon Shi Hyun falls for Eun Tae Hee, things got a bit repetitive and boring. There was this constant, repetitive push and pull between these two - they would have a wonderful couple of days and then they'd find something out they didn't like and "break up" and ignore or hate each other for a couple of days and then they'd reconcile. And REPEAT. It got old. It happened at least 4 times, which made the drama dragggg. And get annoying. After a certain point, you just kinda of go, "oh wtf. Come ON."
In regards to actors/characters:
I enjoyed Woo Do Hwan's performance - I much prefer him in My Country and Mad Dog, but he wasn't bad.
Joy wasn't as bad as everyone bashes her to be. I didn't have any qualms with her performance and I can't blame the actress for her character's role, which I think many viewers forget - the characters are written by someone else, the actors portray them. *shrugs* I wouldn't mind watching her again in the future.
I've enjoyed Kim Min Jae's acting in everything I've seen him in and he was equally as good here. His character was pretty tragic - his family/home life was pretty awful and he had an unrequited love with his best friend. Nonetheless, he took things in stride and was the most entertaining throughout the drama. BUT what I couldn't forgive his character for was backstabbing Kwon Shi Hyun toward the end of the story. It was out of character and really didn't sit well with me. This ruined him for me...
Which brings me to Choi Soo Ji - I didn't have an issue with the actress, she was just fulfilling her role, but OMG I hated her character. I don't see what made her so desirable aside from her money and physique. She was shallow, wishy-washy, manipulative, deceitful, and spoiled. She was used to getting whatever she wanted and if anyone inconveniences her or takes what she wants (even if she wasn't clear about what she wants), she feels the entitlement to take revenge or throw a fit. It was immature and annoying. No redeeming qualities.
Now, ALL of these things *could* have been looked past had the ending not sucked so bad. I continued watching till the end because I was hoping for a really thorough, steamy, happy ending. But alas, the ending was really rushed and had a crap-ton of loose ends. For example, what happened to the bastard Lee Ki Yeong or Hye Jung and her boyfriend? What was the purpose in Se Joo disappearing and what happens now that he and Soo Ji are reunited? What happened with Myung Mi Ri, specifically with her confession? These were things that needed more resolution and not such a generalized, skimmed over ending. Instead of repeating the on-again, off-again relationship between Kwon Shi Hyun and Eun Tae Hee, they could have utilized that time to create a more complete, well-rounded and satisfying ending. And honestly, the way Kwon Shi Hyun and Eun Tae Hee separated and got back together in the ending was dumb and unsatisfying.
So, I will not be rewatching this drama nor would I recommend it to other drama fans. And even though I bashed the crap out of this drama above, it overall wasn't awful. It was simply "okay" for me. The biggest issue was that the ending was so weak, it made the overall drama exasperating. Even if the beginning is fun and entertaining, if the middle is super messy and then the ending isn't at all satisfying, why invest the time?
Oh, and the OST was decent. I didn't dislike it, but there was no specific soundtrack that stuck out to me or was particularly memorable.
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BIG BAD
- the plot was wishy-washy. definitely not the thing i stayed here for.
- there are multiple plot lines, not all of them very interesting, therefore, the drama often is bordering on losing focus. i sometimes lacked the strength to not smash the skip button.
SMALL BAD
- the ending was a bit eh. didn't ruin the whole thing for me, but i hoped they perhaps would do something different.
NEUTRAL
- the entire show is very melodramatic. the music fits that mood.
- i haven't seen much of gossip girl but it is indeed very reminiscent of it, especially in the earlier episodes.
SMALL GOOD
- personally i prefer character-driven stories. this is one of them. i thought the main characters were for the most part interesting, although sometimes they got a bit too one-note. wished they were developed a bit more. however, ngl i got so attached that i may or may not have cried at some point
- acting was alright. i could feel the emotions.
- joy. :)
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This review may contain spoilers
The Great Disappointment
Well. What a waste of my time this was! Rookie mistake - why didn't I read some reviews before watching this painfully slow-moving show!? I honestly don't even know where to begin. I don't think I want to waste any more time on this show than I already have.Reading the reviews I'm glad I'm not the only one who felt like I was watching 'Gossip Girl' with the whole rich kids act. The whole plot I just didn't vibe with and therefore I really shouldn't have kept watching. Stick to what you know kids!
I don't know how many minutes I wasted watching the parents of these children that I did not give two cahoots about! Like who is this show even aimed at if they want to include so much screen time of the oldies?
The romance was zilch - I have no words.
I give the story a 4/10 stars as it did have one, just not one that I liked.
The acting was alright, and it took me about 3-4 episodes to realise the main girl was from Red Velvet.
-E
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This review may contain spoilers
This drama could've been so much better,As others reviewers have said, I blame most of it's failure in the screenwriter and the director. There were times that made you think they didn't even know what they were doing with their characters, and it translates in the acting. For example, Moon Ga Young was really good, but they made her character act the same way again and again and again and it became tiresome to watch. The same can be said for Woo Do and Kim Min Jae characters. Regarding Joy's, well, is a mix of her not having the acting skills and the poor writing of her character. Also, I didn't feel Woo Do and Joy had much chemestry, Woo Do and Moon Ga Young did.
The drama dragged, and even the parts that are supposed to move you, when they reveal things, never have the emotional pay off you want them to. Joy's character inmediately forgives him everything, so there's no big surprise that she also forgives his last betrayal. Also, the 5 year time jump with the time heals everything is crap and lazy writing. If you've hurt someone and they can't trust you anymore, you don't earn that trust back by staying again. You do it by being there for them without any pretentions or expectations, just because you care.
I wouldn't rewatch this at all, and I only started watching because I liked Kim Min Jae in Goblin, and kept watching because I was curious of Woo Do and Moon Ga Young's acting.
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Worth watching for the four main characters
Let me start by saying that I could watch and listen to Woo Do Hwan read the telephone book and be perfectly content. He is exquisitely attractive and he has a wonderful, deep voice. There are certain actors/actresses that you just feel drawn to, for whatever reason, and for me, he is one of them. This show is the Korean version of Dangerous Liaisons/Cruel Intentions, which almost kept me from watching it. I do not like to watch people being mean to others, especially without reason. I was pleasantly surprised by the triad friendship of Kwan Shi-Hyun (Woo Do Hwan), Choi Soo-Ji (Moon Ga Young) and Lee Se Joo (Kim Min Jae). To say they were each dysfunctional would be an understatement. There were a lot of very amusing scenes with the three of them interacting. These were scarred people that grew together as friends, to protect each other and build each other up. When the three of them were in scenes together, I felt sometimes like I was getting ready to watch a traffic accident - I didn't want to watch the way that they were behaving, but I just couldn't help myself. And when Shi-Hyun gets involved with Eun Tae-hee (Joy), their chemistry was smoldering. They were wonderful to watch. Woo Do Hwan's transition from cold and calculating to being in love was intense, and there were a few scenes of him trying to be "cool" that were funny. At the beginning, he's pretty emotionless (as a character, not the actor), but once he falls for Eun Tae-hee his smiles just light up the screen. I even thought the way he said her name was special. Joy reminded me a lot of Kim Go-eun from Goblin, and I found that a little distracting. I have to admit I was fascinated by the relationship of these four people, and I could have cared less about their families, and found myself fast forwarding through the family stuff. I'm not giving anything away to say there is a happy (though too rushed and short) ending, along with the obligatory separation for years. Seriously, why do they only give us four minutes for the ending?!?!?! And how many years have gone by? She says that she's made the same wish every year. They were such a lovely couple, I really wish they would have devoted more time to the ending.Was this review helpful to you?
But after a while, even the anticipation for new episodes couldn't make me enjoy the misery the male lead put the female lead through. I actually liked the male lead, he was very handsome, and I though his acting was okay. There was even one particular episode that was sweet and romantic. But a cute male lead and one romantic episode couldn't save this one for me.
What could have saved it was a good ending. And this had to have been one of the most rushed and disjointed endings I've ever seen. It felt like everyone just got sick of the darn thing and put it out if its mercy.
So I'm going to be merciful to myself and end this review now.
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You'll get what I mean when you compare the differing reviews for this drama, some being high scores (such as mine) while others being somewhat low.
The story keeps you on the edge of your seat, or backed up against it in anticipation of what's going to happen next. Si Hyun, Soo Ji, and Se Joo are the three musketeers that act as your love triangle in the story. It's when Tae Hee is added to the equation that a chain effect erupts through all of their lives, acting as the foundation for this drama. The storyline has twists and turns, some predictable and some that are surprising, that just captivate you as a viewer. Although there are many cliches and slight moments that give you true bursts of anger at the writers, the overall story is bittersweet, the good kind at least. It's sad and heart-wrenching while also sweet and full of that kind of love you can't stop watching.
Of course, this is all accumulated by the cast. I personally didn't watch any of Joy's previous acting (which seemed like a big deal to everyone as the drama aired), but I think she's decent for a rookie actor. She's not the PERFECT actress but she's also learning and new to the field after coming from the music industry. So for me, she deserves the credit where she's earned it. Her scenes were not the best at certain points, but overall, it's not the worst acting you'll ever see, trust me. There's also Woo Do Hwan, who I liked as the main lead to contrast Joy in this drama. His acting is good (for me, I've heard others say otherwise) and the presentation of his emotions is surely there. There's also my favorite villain, if you could consider her that, Moon Ga Young. She plays her role so well, it makes me truly hate the character but love the actress even more. Her execution of the "evil" Soo Ji is what adds to this drama a whole lot. Kim Min Jae, aka Se Joo, was also good in playing his role of being the middle between the trio of friends.
The OSTs for this drama were all nice in my opinion, my favorite being the one sang by SEVENTEEN's DK. If you ever have a chance to check out the soundtrack (and perhaps only the soundtrack), I'd highly recommend it.
To end this review, all of the things I've pointed out is probably opposed by others who watched this drama. In my own opinion, this drama was good. I didn't find it to be as "bad" as people put it out to be, even after having judgement before watching it myself. It's a drama that should be watched before making a judgement since it has so many dissenting views from viewers.
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This review may contain spoilers
Wasted potential….
I can say I honestly liked the drama at the start. The story was interesting and different from the typical k-drama… The characters being playboys and talking openly about sex?? The tension between them?? All were welcomed… the main trio in general was enjoyable. Unfortunately that was only the first few episodes. The more the story progressed, the more the focus shifted, and everything became progressively more and more boring.The writing itself was weak . The random connections the characters had were a bit too much, the parent drama in general was boring, the side characters stories uninteresting, the climax overall was the worst writing wise imo.
Also the main couple was not it… At first there were enough moments to keep me interested in their development but the moment they first got together I’m afraid my interest was lost. Their lovey dovey scenes were particularly boring by the second half. Whether they stayed together or broke up by the end couldn’t care less.
Woo Do Hwan was definitely a highlight in the show... He did his role as a playboy pretty well imo and in the few steamy scenes he was given he delivered… But alas the boredomness of the main couple dragged his character down.. I did not care about what happened to him in the end. Also the way he discarded his of many years and supposedly very meaningful relationship with his two friends and especially soo ji the moment he ~fell in love~ and ~changed~ ??? Yes that annoyed me
As for the other characters I can say Soo ji was the most interesting to me throughout the show. She was one of the few things that kept me throughout the end. Se joo I liked also, Tae hee on the other hand was...ok, just kind of boring.
Despite all of my complaints I still think the show is worth the try for the non typical kind of plot at least at the beginning and Woo Do Hwan… And that one pool scene aheem
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overall really enjoyable drama
This is one of the most polarising dramas I’ve ever seen and I don’t really understand why, especially in terms of Joy’s acting and the chemistry between the main leads. The drama definitely has its negative points (for example the constant breaking up and getting back together of the main couple, but even this seemed realistic to me seeing as there were so many things going on in the background to keep them apart) but nevertheless I really did enjoy it.I’m glad I didn’t read the reviews before I decided to watch it because I was able to form my own opinion on it. it’s not the best drama I’ve ever watched in my life but it doesn’t deserve half the hate it gets. The acting was really good and even the characters I didn’t like (Soo Ji and Se Joo) I could admire how developed they were and found some way to route for them in the end. Joy did a good job with what she was given to work with, and I actually like Tae Hee as even though sometimes she did come off as a bit flat, she always stuck to her morals and stood up for herself. I sympathised with her character a lot, and I think the lack of emotion she sometimes showed was a lot to do with her past experience so it was nice to also see her sensitive side come out throughout the episodes.
if you’re looking for a drama that will make you laugh, cry (which I did a lot of), smile, and keep you on the edge of your seat waiting for what come next, give this one a try :)))
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Cruel Intentions movie + Boys Over Flowers, made baby with Heirs= TEMPTED
LIKES:Woo Do Hwan's acting was great; tears, steamy sexuality and good guy vibes. But his talent was under utilized for the sex appeal of his character.
DISLIKES:
WRITING: SUMMARY (No Spoilers){see after OVERALL for the SPOILERS explanation}:
In the beginning of the story, it caught my interest as they introduced the dark, extravagant life of the three friends: Si-Hyun (played by Woo Do Hwan), Soo-Ji (Moon Ga Young) and Se-Joo (Kim Min Jae). It showed us how the rich are privileged and yet there is negativity from family pressures. They created a fake persona and couldn’t be themselves, in order to survive. They hurt others, because their parents or siblings hurt them. Since they can’t take revenge on their parents, they play with other people’s feelings. Se-Joo is a womanizer, treating everything like a big joke. Si-Hyun toys with women’s affection. While Soo-ji gets pleasure in tormenting others.
Enter Tae Hee, who is supposed to be cynical about love, due to her parents and their subsequent divorce. She is the target of the game suggested by Soo-ji, to be seduced by Si-Hyun, before he breaks Tae Hee’s heart.
The story had potential to be deliciously devious with the right dose of wicked sexuality. They could’ve even added a modern twist by giving subtle hints of homosexuality between Si-Hyun and Se-Joo, for soft-core eroticism. Soo-Ji should’ve been doing a lot of her own seducing of guys outside of her friends, even playing a bit of a sociopath, to make her character more interesting. But poor writing and inconsistency with the characters derailed it from being a good melodrama.
There were too many unnecessary sub-plots with the other characters, including the parents. This made it a mess and things became tediously long. It needed more from the “teens”; telling lies, backstabbing, manipulation, incidental sexual liaisons with their targets, etc. The female lead was to be pretty on the outside and ugly on the inside. I tried to feel sorry for Soo-Ji, since she’s supposed to be an immature teenager, yet in the end I was just done with her. When focus shifted to her, I found it barely tolerable. She constantly used emotional blackmail, but it didn’t come across as believable.
I did like the character of Lee Se-Joo, but they under developed him. He had a sub-story that went no-where and added nothing to the plot. There was a limit to the chemistry between the males and females, with more chemistry between Si-Hyun and Se-Joo, than anyone else.
Too many extra characters and sub-stories, which took away from the main drama. The adult sub-stories were tiresome, with their selfish narcissism, to the point I skipped their parts towards the last ten episodes. The adults with their lovers, had no chemistry and only seemed to be seduced by greed and power. The usual rich parent formula failed.
I wasn’t happy how the show addressed the family abuse and mental health issues in many of the characters. Some of it could've even triggered viewers.
The “who-done-it” portion of the storyline, was just too easy to figure out.
ACTING:
It was my first time seeing Joy act. I felt she did the best she could with the given script, but the cuteness was too much. Her character, just like Moon Ga Young’s, had little growth. Moon Ga Young did her best too, but her acting skills couldn’t save the terrible writing.
OVERALL:
Overall it was an okay drama, but the ending felt rushed and some of the sub-stories were unfinished. It wasn’t as satisfying as they tried to make it, by using a 5 year time gap. The drama fell short, and I hated the shaking camera bits that were done to add tension or suspense (it gave me a migraine).
Specific Details with SPOILERS:
Soo-Ji:
First thing that was annoying & tested my patience by episode 8, was how Soo-Ji was constantly getting jealous of Si-Hyun and Tae Hee, even though it was her idea for him to seduce Tae Hee. Soo-Ji came across as a spoiled child having frequent tantrums. Her suicide attempts weren’t handled well by the writers/show and seemed more unnecessary than dramatic. The show simply dismissed it and made the person struggling through it, seem selfish. They could’ve handled the mental health aspect better.
Secondly Soo-Ji could’ve been a really strong and devilish character, but her development was botched by the writers. She was vicious at first, but then just pissy and depressed, making her character less effective. Even more silly is that her doctor-mother ignored the warning signs that her daughter has mental illness. The mother doesn’t even lock up her own medication, even after finding out her daughter took the medicine too.
Third: Soo-Ji’s character didn’t seduce anyone and barely teased Si-Hyun and Se-Joo.
Se-Joo:
His main roll was holding together the friendship between Soo-Ji and Si-Hyun. He helped them, more than they were there for him. That made the ending episodes, where Si-Hyun rushes to his aid, less believable.
The abuse inflicted on Se-Joo by his family, happened too often and made his character more pathetic than a victim.
Si-Hyun:
His seduction of Tae Hee was too short and easy. His seducing of the mother-model, was more believable. He needed to have more conquests before targeting Tae Hee, for us to believe he’s the great seducer.
Also watching Si-Hyun’s dad trying to get with Soo-Ji’s mom, was extra cringe.
Tae Hee:
She falls for Si-Hyun way too fast, for someone who is supposed to be cynical about love. Also she was supposed to be pure/truthful and loyal in her friendships. From the beginning she hides having read Si-Hyun’s DNA test. She believes everyones lies, instead of being open with Si-Hyun and listening to him. The whole “give me a pass” junk, was dumb because neither she nor Si-Hyun gave the other a pass when it came to lies or betrayal.
Throughout the drama, they made it seem like Tae Hee had a really bad accident which is what traumatized her psychologically and hence her memories of it were gone. But the accident they showed in the flashbacks was just her getting hit by the side mirror of the car, and she hurt her foot when falling down from the impact. The only reason she was in the ditch, is because she stood up to fast and got dizzy, then fell into it. The writers screwed up in creating this critical memory.
Other Characters:
The writers left Park Hye Jung’s relationship with Joo An unfinished/resolved. Also did Lee Ki Yeong get thrown in jail for his part in assaulting-attempted murder of Se-Joo and Si-Hyun? What happened with Go Kyung Ju (Tae Hee’s best friend). Did Park Hye Jung’s mother get caught for keeping her son from going to military service? So many unfinished sub-stories.
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Expected worse
First of all the hate this show got was definitely uncalled for. It's not very good but it's not the HORRIBLE MESS y'all made it out to be. I'm also confused why y'all hate Eun Tae Hee's character so much when she was the one that was wronged. Y'all should hate on those 3 besties instead since their actions in this show were quite unforgivable. Like the stuff they put my sister through??? Oh hell naw. I'm not even gonna lie, the only reason why I watched this show was because of Woo Do Hwan and Joy and they definitely were the best part of it. Also Mun Ka Young is one of my least favourite actresses so her playing that horrible human being definitely helped her case here. She was aggravating as hell. So were those weak ass guys Lee Se Joo and Kwon Shi Hyun. They were basically that mean girl's pets and had no mind of their own. With that said the first half of the show was actually entertaining but the back half was just infuriating to watch and kind of boring.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
I decided to watch this after seeing Woo-Do-hwan on The King: Eternal drama, soo I thought why not.I think for me the story was a little messy, and a lot of like unnecessary drama as well! - I mean yes rich people and money and hide-outs! But yeah I don't know, I thought it could have been a little better!
I think my favourite was the trio, Si-yeon, Su-ji & Se-joo! - I wish they didn't like fight so much near the end, and also I wished, they would have stayed together as friends, I mean they pretty much were with each other through thick and thin and just because of a random girl, they just didn't work out?
I do think the actor Joy is pretty, but I didn't really like her character Tae-hae! I felt she was a bit too needy, or just a little annoying at times! - and I prefered her with shorter hair and not at the end, she just looked kinda different.
I do think I preferred if Si-yeon & Su-ji ended up together, cause I think they looked a lot better together, and they suited each other a lot more, since they literally went through ups and downs together! But I guess, not all the time that happens. But do in the end feel the story could have been better, it was okayyy in my own opinion!
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