Completed
Marshmallow-Chocoholic
98 people found this review helpful
Jun 19, 2021
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 3
Overall 6.0
Story 6.0
Acting/Cast 7.0
Music 6.0
Rewatch Value 5.5

Should You Become An “ Anti-Fan” Of This Drama?

Have you ever watched a drama which starts off with cataclysmic screenwriting and then surprisingly grows on you in the second-half ? Well, most watchers can probably agree that this ideology epitomises ‘So, I Married An Anti-Fan’ with its surprising turn from certain cliches to an endearing relationship between our leads.

However those expecting ‘So I Married An Anti-Fan’ to be a “masterpiece” should probably be told outright that this drama isn’t without its flaws either.

Taking nearly three years to air ( after finishing production in 2018) and sparking an eruption of mixed criticism by viewers afterwards , “ So, I Married An Anti-Fan” is a drama which has greatly divided the audience demographic . Some viewers take the stance that it is " too reminiscent of the tacky 2000s abusive relationships" and " poorly-written", whilst others on this platform defend this as " sweet" and a " comfort drama". However, this raises the bigger question for those wanting to watch the show for the first time; is it actually worth watching?

Well, there are some undeniable strengths which may have an alluring charm for certain watchers. The main cast (consisting of Choi Soo Young, Choi Tae Joon, Hwang Chan Sung and Han Ji An) were an absolute delight, the plot was " romantic and fluffy with a twist of melodrama", and it was straightforward enough to follow ( in an " unplug your brain" sort of way ). Refreshingly, the second-half took a slightly more serious stance to our main leads’ relationship by delving into the main leads’ interactions, whilst also addressing more profound insights into the idol industry’s sociocultural issues in South-Korea. However, this is also where we must address the opposite side of the coin; the problems.

One of the biggest dilemmas of ‘ So, I Married An Anti-Fan’ came through character development. Let’s start off this example with our female lead Lee Geun Young. Geun Young was a female lead who you desperately tried to like as a viewer as Choi Soo Young is a good actress. Undeniably as a character, she isn’t "naive" or the " sweet girl next door" and will happily stand her ground at times when the male lead kicks off. However, ultimately this is where our biggest problem occurs with Geun Young; she exists( for a major proportion of the series) as a component of an enforced pairing for the “ sake of plot” .

There is nothing wrong per say with a female lead being in a relationship in a drama. ( In fact it can allow god-tier character development . ) However whilst we did get to see Geun Young come round to accepting her feelings in the second-half, this first part felt more like a carte blanche for Geun Young’s character development by screenwriters Kim Eun Jung and Nam Ji Yeon in order to forcefully pair-off Geun Young with our male lead Hoo Joon. Consequently Geun Young was rarely given time to understand exactly why she was attracted to the " jerk who ruined her life" ( the motiveless goal aside from her obsessive desire to " ruin his life"). Sadly further interactions with her mother and friends provided little insight into her actual personality (beside the romantic pairing).

Then there’s the male lead Hoo Joon. Similar to Soo Young, Tae Joon is a dynamic actor and there were certainly intriguing issues tackled with his character; a popular star who is getting fed up of being used by his company and his tiresome lifestyle. However typical of cliches, he was often glorified by his role throughout the drama as the " stoic, jerk male lead” ; getting away with assault, bribery and blackmail (including towards the female lead). The show attempted to play an uno reverse card by introducing the " tragic backstory" which may evidently cause mixed-feelings for viewers.

Of course the issue of our main leads also remains a source of mixed-criticism for the drama. On one side, there is the undeniable problem that the male lead Hoo Joon constantly found ways to emotionally gaslight the female lead ; grabbing Geun Young’s wrist , then giving her the cold shoulder over the most trivial of matters and refusing at times to hear her side of the story (or just talk to her like a decent human being). However, there is an alternate stance that ‘ So I Married An Anti-Fan’ isn’t supposed to be perfect. It’s a romantic-comedy which attempts to reflect the real-life reality that actual relationships are messy and problematic. The focalised writing decision to focus more on our main leads’ relationship in the second-half did seem to prove that this was the intention of the drama.

Although this review would not be complete without talking about one of the biggest elephants in the room; our supporting characters JJ ( Hwang Chan Sung) and Oh In Hyung ( Han Ji An)’s overly problematic relationship.

Hwang Chan Sung is a really good actor, however, you could imagine if there was an “ Encyclopaedia Of The Most Obsessive Second Male Leads Of All Time”, his character JJ would have been on the first page. It was evident that the drama desperately tried for us (as viewers) to root for JJ as the “ pining lover”. However , this appeared difficult when his behaviour reflected an otherwise dysfunctional and oppressive figure in In Hyung’s life by rifling around In Hyung’s room ( without her permission), screaming at her manager down the phone in public ( and thus purposefully embarrassing In Hyung in front of people) and then even attempting to manipulate Geun Young ( without considering In Hyung or Geun Young’s feelings) early on in the series in order to get back at Hoo Joon.

Yet whilst it would be easy to pin all the blame on JJ, Oh In Hyung had her own fair share of problems also . Similar to her costars Han Ji An is a good actress. In terms of her character In Hyung, the drama works incredibly hard to make us feel pity for her being a a victim of the malicious industry of idols and JJ’s obsessive infatuations. ( For the most part as viewers we certainly do.) However as we delve more into the show ( without spoilers), it soon becomes apparent that In Hyung is manipulated by the screenwriting into becoming a tiresome plot mechanism in order to trigger catalytic events in the later storyline.

Oh boy, then there’s the additional problem of the producers. Admittedly they do not have such a prominent role in the second-half, however, most viewers will probably agree that they were incredibly irksome characters. Yes they were supposed to add a touch of comedy during more angst-ridden moments of the show, however, secretly filming the leads without their permission, screaming at the camera crew, forcing, guilt-tripping and then humiliating Geun Young on multiple occasions just grew fairly irksome for viewers .

Nevertheless the ending was a left on a sweet note for viewers. Although admittedly there could have been some plot points wrapped up, it was entertaining to have some closure with our finale.

So, is“ So I Married An Anti-Fan" actually worth watching? Whilst the show has a fairly good cast and is easygoing for viewers looking for an escape from darker romance storylines, this depends entirely on personal taste. For fans of "cutesy" romance with a " slice of 2000s K-drama relationship abuse angst" or just looking for a show to unplug your brain with,then this drama is right up your street. However, drama watchers looking for a more profound storyline then look elsewhere as " So, I Married An Anti-Fan" isn’t it.

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Completed
Rutvi Joshi
48 people found this review helpful
May 22, 2021
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 9.0

A typical feel good romance but BETTER...!!

so I have waited for few weeks to write a review of this drama in case it disappoints me... But boy was I wrong.... Believe me, it has its elements where it feels like it will take a turn into typical cliched drama but it surprises you in the best way possible.

The characters at a first glance are not new, a hot-headed filled with mood swings having broken past ML, can't help herself a damsel in distress FL and jealous out for revenge second male lead. BUT the characters have depth, they change except (second female lead, but let's pretend she doesn't exist), they are shown to be more than just their initial characteristics.

Both the leads have really good chaotic, continuous bickering chemistry and I have a bias for such trope.

So watch this drama if you want to enjoy the good old butterflies along with their actions having certain logic and reason.

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Completed
Who cares
90 people found this review helpful
Jun 19, 2021
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 10
Overall 6.5
Story 5.5
Acting/Cast 7.5
Music 6.0
Rewatch Value 2.0
This review may contain spoilers
Firstly, this drama was made around 2018-2019 something and was delayed till 2021 lmao. I dunno the reason clearly maybe some production issue. So if you're planning to watch this you should know what to expect.

It is just another Rom Com with poorly written characters filled with cliches and old tropes. The story is pretty simple. The FL has a bad impression of ML and now they meet at "So I married An Anti Fan" a Variety Tv show and discover much more about each other.

Not gonna lie ML had some toxic behavior in Ep 1 coz he lacks listening skills. He wasn't as toxic as other ML's I have seen but definitely he has that mean behaviour in first few episodes. ML has trust issues for various reasons and even entertainment industry is scary. He doesn't have friends and lacks social skills too but isn't a cold lead I mean he expresses his care for the people he love. Choi Tae Joon playing as Hoo Joon was just OKAY nothing great at all.

FL's character really disappointed me. She never stood for herself. She gets herself in every possible embarrassing situation. She lets people make a fool out of her and doesn't take any action against it. She swallowed her pride completely. She was just an "Anti Fan" but was treated nothing less than a trash. Choi Soo Young as Lee Guen Young acted really well but I really didn't liked her character.

SL is really toxic and annoying. I couldn't stand him ever. He has reasons to be so but none can justify that for his own toxic behavior. SFL is pretty annoying too. She always cries. The SL and SFL really have a toxic relationship. All the abusive and violent behaviour is a HUGE RED FLAG.
I really didn't like a lot of side characters EXCEPT FL's friends and ML's manager

None of the characters actually had a character development neither were likable.

Music wasn't that impressive but suits the scene well.

This drama really had GOOD "Enemies To Lovers" Trope. Romance was the only reason I didn't drop this. But the leads once they fell for each other RARELY had any bickering which made this even boring.

Overall the drama is nothing WOW as a rom com. In the name of comedy it was much like "Embarrassing scenes" I'm pretty disappointed. It was a OKAY watch for me. Definitely NOT a must watch but you can give a shot.

THAT'S ALL PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF MY REVIEW WAS HELPFUL ^^
END :D


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Completed
Anushka
22 people found this review helpful
Jun 19, 2021
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 2
Overall 7.5
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 7.5
Music 6.5
Rewatch Value 3.0

My hate-to-like relationship with drama.

Disclaimer: It's a fictional story and totally unrealistic. 'A reporter becomes anti-fan of superstar and somehow they end up living under the same roof.' It is a summary. Can you imagine this happening in real life? NO. So turn off your brain, be aware of tropes and cliches.

Firstly this drama was made back in 2018, so it's been 3 years It's a really long time since taking consideration of the entertainment industry. It might be not up to date or have some technical issue, so take it into consideration.

I guess you might get an idea from the headline of the review that it wasn't a pleasant start for me... to the point I hated it and was on the verge of dropping it, then it suddenly picked up out of nowhere and I actually started to enjoy it.

I'll start with explaining my initial hate towards it. First of all none of the characters were even likable, even leads. ML I didn't like him at all he was a kinda jerk in the start pretentious and mean. Talking about FL there wasn't anything I should dislike but her character was just so pitiful. In the initial episodes, there didn't seem much relationship growth or any unique thing happening with the story...

Then it becomes more interesting and fun. It took time for me to actually like ML, but I ended up adoring him. The chemistry between ML and FL is really great, it happens with me that I lose interest when leads get together but this being an exception here, coz they become totally different, cuties and story dynamics had a change.

Now talking about the second lead of the drama... it's the most annoying part of the drama. Their characters are poorly written and one-dimensional, as SML has no work other than ruining life or plotting against ML, SFL she actually didn't have her own character or personality where she can fit, her decisions were vague and abrupt. Both second leads are just so toxic.

There are some unnecessary parts, characters aren't dimensional, a bit cringe and embarrassing moments (Where I was having second-hand embarrassment)... 1-2 bad/sad episodes, rushed ending, but the story didn't drag, and it's a good thing. I would have liked it more if they had more OSTs.

If you like fluff then give it try, don't think or expect too much... I guarantee it'll sure make you smile.

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Completed
JoJo
32 people found this review helpful
Jun 19, 2021
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 2
Overall 4.5
Story 4.0
Acting/Cast 5.0
Music 5.5
Rewatch Value 2.0
This review may contain spoilers

They should all be single

If you won't bother updating a story to present day standards, why bother making it?

This was like watching a kdrama from 15 yrs ago. The levels of stoicism, toxicity and overal domestic violence are so disturbing. I thought we had evolved from that. Apparently, there are many people who still want this type of revivalism. I say just watch older kdramas. We don't need younger generations learning to love from these type of stories. We break generational trauma.

The story was clear, simple and predictable but that was expected and there's nothing wrong with that.

What's wrong with this story is passing the idea that people have to assume a stoic posture whenever they're facing hardships and can't lean on their loved ones to not be a burden. That's very bad because it goes hand in hand with the huge mental health problem they have in South Korean. It's time we show people better coping mechanisms.
This also disregards the age of technology. They have video chat, texts all at the reach of a finger. This "he'll disappear for countless days" doesn't seem plausible anymore, unless he's a player.

It also doesn't seem plausible to simply disregard all the harm people have done to you just because some time has passed by or because they used to have a relationship. It doesn't make sense?! That's just foolish and disregards all instincts of self-preservation.

Both the main and the second lead couples have so many red flags. The possessiveness, the control, the violence! There's another review on here that goes into that in depth, so please read it. It's very accurate.

Don't let anyone tell you this is what love is supposed to be. Love also isn't letting go of your dreams and opportunities because of your partner. He has money to pay for a carer.

The acting was ok. There was some cuteness but that seemed lacking. The male lead was too cute and soft for this role, he didn't have the presence that I feel the role demanded.

I hope that if they pick up older stories they take the time to update them.

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Completed
caracambola
10 people found this review helpful
Jun 20, 2021
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 6.0
Story 5.5
Acting/Cast 7.0
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 4.0
This review may contain spoilers

The epitome of "it's fine"

This was mediocre. Not stale, but fun. Mild fun. As much as it was nice to tag along each week because of it's easy goingness, I think it'd became tiresome to marathone for the same reason.

The script could've been tighter, loads left unexplored: Hoojoon's relationship with his mom, Jaejoon's and Inhyung's relationship, Suhwans overall character (seriously, why was he in the main credits) Jaejoon's interest in the YAMA ring, the ring itself, Geungyoung and the media's response. They did the bare minimum so it's.. it's fine.

I loved the main couple, how they're comfortable with each other and how they had a very communicative and mature relationship, don't see much of that with lazy romcoms. The secondary couple THOUGH. I MEAN. COME. ON. Inhyung has the personality of a rock and JJ is the spawn of satan apparently. Could not be written worst. WHYYY

I don't even know what to say about the end. The nothingness, god. And the most cliche final episode I've ever seen. It only missed a pregnancy.

Anyway, it had some subtle ups and downs and I had fun smiling silly at the main couple, raging over JJ, talking smack. I recommend this if you have somewhere to vent about it, otherwise you're not really missing anything if you give it a pass.

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Completed
AudienceofOne
9 people found this review helpful
Feb 19, 2022
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 3.0
Story 4.0
Acting/Cast 4.0
Music 3.0
Rewatch Value 1.0
Oh good, another Ode to Female Martyrdom. We needed one of those, it's been at least a month or two.
Geun Young is the eponymous Antifan who signs up for a show called 'So I Married An Antifan' - as the Antifan - and then finds herself viciously betrayed by being portrayed as an Antifan.

*cue martyr face*

It's an expression you'll get familiar with as it's one of only two expressions she has. The other is a grimace she reserves for when nobody is looking so we can see just how much hard work she's putting into enduring all of the injustices the world has undeservedly thrown at her.

It hasn't of course, most of her victimhood is entirely a choice. In fact if anybody is married to anything in this show, it's the female lead to her victimhood. How dare the reality show she signed up for portray her as smart, fun and in control of the situation she's in? Don't they know she's a VICTIM?!

She becomes homeless for no clear reason I can see and the male lead, Hoo Joon, lets her stay in his house. Instead of taking a bed, she bunks down in the laundry room so we can see just how hard her life is despite living in a mansion, getting an agent, and starring in what could possibly be a hit TV show with a major celebrity.

As for Hoo Joon himself, he's a dick. A famous and rich one so of course he's just misunderstood or something. He's not a real person anyway, just a cardboard cutout of an Idol. The female lead seems outraged by the idea that most of his life is performative despite that being the literal job he has. Of course his life is performative, HE'S AN IDOL.

Apart from our main couple, we have an excruciatingly-boring second couple constituting Hoo Joon's limp, wet lettuce ex girlfriend and former best friend turned greatest nemesis. Like most second leads, these two desperately need to get a life or at least a personality other than 'future violent stalker and domestic abuser'.

The worst thing about this show - apart from the acting, which is at all times bland - is that the premise is excellent and could have been used to spark a fantastic enemies-to-lovers dynamic from this mismatched pair. Instead, from the minute she gets him to do the show by hunting him down and begging, we know exactly the dynamic the show is going for. She's the perpetual victim of injustice, long-suffering and noble. He's hot and rich and always in control.

Can't wait for the sequel - So I Married A Martyr.

I hear she endures that with fortitude as well.

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Completed
MattPeddlesden
10 people found this review helpful
Jun 19, 2021
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 9.0

Brilliant but not without issues

Short: This is your average bubbly fun romance. The main leads are just perfect and seeing their relationship develop is the definition of happiness for me, brilliantly written and performed. it *doesnt* have some of the flaws of other romance stories, it *does* have some, and there's a bit of lazy writing near the end. This became a "must-watch" the minute each episode was available with subs for me, definitely recommended.

Detail:
After the disappointing lack of happy ending for Choi Soo Young's character in Run On I was hoping for her to get a great role in this one and she really delivers, finally given the chance to actually be a "normal" character and take the romance to the conclusion was a joy to watch and she's definitely become one of my favourite actors.

This story does follow the usual path to many extents, including the flaws, it even has the "go away and come back months later" thing that drives me mad. BUT, it does improve on the formula in a few ways. Firstly - in the go-away thing he didn't ghost her and said he'd text regularly, ok so that's not terrible. In another instance there's a strong case for them to have a massive misunderstanding when something she's written privately is stolen and published but without any question he trusts in her. Trust, wow, in a romance drama? That's new, I like it, let's see more of that please writers.

There are a number of pillars that make up a strong relationship - trust and support being two. They nailed the trust thing I think better than most, but support? not really - giving support is easy, receiving can be hard and when I felt they should have had the big star being supported by her he kinda cocoons and excludes her from it, I guess some notion of "protecting" her, but I'd have liked to have seen his vulnerable side more and given her the chance for the Anti-Fan to become the Number One Fan - in fact I was largely hoping that was the direction this would take, but it really doesn't. She does some things in the background but there's no visible payoff to it so it may as well have not been included.

She's a strong character, but I don't think the story gave her enough room to actually see that strength be of value, so it's almost that it didn't *matter* her character was strong as much as it should have. I think is the crux of the problem that I have.

I don't like that they didn't explain the path of Hoo Joon back to popularity. The writer used an (imho) lazy trick of doing a reset by sending him away and when he returns boom all is good again. For me, it was the anti-fan becoming the number 1 fan and standing up for him in the publics face, setting the story straight, that I was expecting to be the way ship righted but they went for the magic button reset instead - a real waste and the crux of why I didn't rate this a 10 because otherwise, it's a solid 10.

Other characters:
The second leads.. well... Jae Joons character is probably one of the most frustrating i've seen in a drama to date, massive massive chip on his shoulder, huge inferiority complex, rage issues, self confidence issues and more besides. In Hyung, his girlfriend really does love him but he can't see it because he's blinded by everything he perceives is going on around him that isn't. I kinda wish they'd been able to find a *better* solution to it but sense is kinda knocked in to him in the end albeit rather drastically.

I will repeat the flag noted in at least one other review though, this is NOT a normal relationship and if YOU find yourself recognising any of this with your own circumstances please talk to friends or professionals and get help before something bad happens.

The third couple - who I won't name - were brilliant as well, fun and bubbly and I adored how they did the proposal for that one, completely in character for them. They had a fun dynamic throughout and was good seeing their relationship develop - I mean it was a very minor part of the story but just made scenes all the more fun with their story in the background.

Music was good, but the repeated use of "Bittersweet" (the one that starts "I wonder what is love...") got a little annoying and even out of place given it was already part of his performances and then here they are in the production studio apparently working on that same song.

Definitely recommended, and one I'd certainly watch again to enjoy their relationship and Choi Soo Young's brilliant acting.

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Completed
Nga PT
16 people found this review helpful
Jun 21, 2021
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 9.5
Rewatch Value 9.5

My best favorite film

This film becomes one part of my life. I am so excited when each Fri and Sat comes.
As you might know, the movie completed in 2018-2019 but was not released. It has been a long time and no one has the news for it. I was disappointed with that since I like Sooyoung unnie and support all her films. The movie isn't going to be published.
Then one day, I almost screamed when the information for the on air will be on Apr 30, 2021.
To be honest, the content is not new but the way of main lead's acting is excellent. Their chemistry is so soft and real. I know that both Sooyoung and Taejoon have their own relationship in real life for a long time but I can't stop thinking they are truly a couple ^_^ I am happy when they happy and sad when they have trouble in film.
This movie is also popular in the world. I saw different language versions of each video for it such as English, Thai, Korean, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Russian or some kind of Arabic. The live fan meeting on Jun 9 reached the highest viewers following Godin's report. Sooyoung, Taejoon and Chansung are so funny and their interaction is good as well.
Last Sat is the final one, it is happy ending but I still feel sad. It seems that I have lost something. Thank you for all members in crew, thank you PD, writer, backstage dept and specially say thanks to all characters.
Good bye Geun Young, Who Joon, JJ, Oh In Huyng, Mr. Manager, Han PD, No Writer and so on. Hope to see you in the next project.

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Ongoing 14/16
desire-for-madness
19 people found this review helpful
Jun 15, 2021
14 of 16 episodes seen
Ongoing 3
Overall 6.5
Story 6.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 3.5

Okay drama if not for the 2nd lead couple

The reason I'm writing the review already, even though 2 more episodes will be aired this week, is because I want to bring light to the 2nd lead couple.

The 2nd leads - Choi Jae-Joon and Oh In-Hyung - are a very good visual example of a psychologically abusive relationship. If any of you has a partner that treats you the same way Jae-Joon treated In-Hyung, please talk to someone.
Some of the signs, that also show up in this drama, are:
- Partner is overly controlling / jealous. (Shows up in foreign country just because another guy is around, you can't excuse that no matter how much he hates the guy, this is not normal)
- Not listening or believing you, twisting your words to fit their storyline
- Insulting you or your career, belittling your accomplishments
- Public embarrassment (like purposely showing you off to your friend)
- Threats, Financial control, Lecturing
- Sudden outbursts of anger or emotion
- Sudden emotional guilt-tripping when person has had enough "I need you / I can't live without you"
- PHYSICAL ABUSE (No one should hit anyone out of emotions, never!)
- So many more signs were in this drama. If any of these speak to you, please, please take care of yourself.

Honestly, in the beginning some of the things the main lead did to the female lead were also NOT okay.

This was very important for me to mention, as I have been in similar situations before. The rest of the drama is okay, the other couples and characters are great, the acting in this drama is very good, even the actors who play second lead did a great job on making me want to call for help. The storyline is pretty cliché at times, but that's expected from this the "anti" storyline.

The music was very nice, the main singers songs weren't great so I lowered the score a bit.

I don't know how the writer will end the 2nd couple, I really had been hoping for In Hyung to break free and take control of her own life. The main thing I don't want, is for this relationship to be romanticized, especially not to give them a happy ending. This would be a great visual example of an abusive relationship, a warning for viewers, if accented.

Please take care!
<3 your fellow drama lover

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Completed
Frilay
6 people found this review helpful
Jun 19, 2021
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 1
Overall 8.5
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 8.5
This review may contain spoilers

Sweet Cliché! Second Couple Redemption?

The show, basically what you expect form the title. A contract relationship, now let me say, ever since that one show "I hear You" I HATED contract relationships with marriage involved. But this show, made me kind of like contract relationship with marriage involved. Although this show did drag out a certain thing.

The story was alright, the male lead was a d*ck at first, obvious, then became soft. The female lead, eh? Like I don't know what to say about her other than her being a huge eater? That's much, she was weak at first and kind of became strong towards the end? Still weak though but just got a tiny tiny TINY bit stronger.
The whole second couple stich was done so bad. Would've gave a 9 but those two just made me give it what I gave it today. I also personally think they tried to make EVERYBODY and meaning EVERYBODY have a happy ending. They even had Geum Young's ex manager have some "good" to her? I knew it was cliché but making everybody have a good ending? boring much tbh.
The whole JJ jealous of Hoo Joon got dragged out, too far. Episode 10 and the plot with JJ, Hoo Joon, and Inhyung got no where, JJ still hating him, etc. And they try letting people feel bad for JJ. I personally think it worked a bit for me but not all the way.

The acting was alright! By the way, people hating on Choi Soo Hyung, have you guys seen her on Run On? She's literally TWO different characters! Loved her especially in Run On. Okay you don't have to like her role here but come on, you're over the top if you hate her acting, it ain't that bad. I literally only came to watch this show for HER yet didn't regret it.

The music? I don't know why people hate the music, maybe because I'm young but the music isn't that bad, I especially loved the intro music and always loved dancing to it every morning watching this show.

I would definitely re watch this show! The development in the male lead I could watch all day! Besides him I could re watch for Chan Sung over and over!
In total, this is light and fluffy ig but it's just cliché much so if you're not into this, don't even think of watching and giving it a one knowing you hate these kinds of shows.

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Completed
lime_pickle
5 people found this review helpful
Jun 21, 2021
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 6.0
Story 4.0
Acting/Cast 5.0
Music 4.0
Rewatch Value 2.0
This review may contain spoilers

A curate's egg

I ended up liking the middle segment of this show after a wojus beginning. And then it arrived at an inglorious and tedious end.

Full disclosure: After jerk male leads I really, really hate female leads who are screechy, violent drunks, particularly those who go on to blame everyone else for their subsequent predicament. There's something weirdly misogynistic about the way that this is being served up as the new normal, anti-Candy for heroines. So the first couple of episodes realised all my worst fears.

PROS: Luckily, the character of Lee Geun-young started to calm down, become more real - and more compassionate - and even, eventually start to take responsibility for her own actions. I also think that Choi Soo-young acted well - even if that meant making the character unlikeable. I also liked some of the side characters - her friends, the production team, though would have liked to see those characters fleshed out a little more. And Hwang Chan-sung made a convincing antagonist. I also think it did a good job at sketching out how 'reality' TV works and how much it manipulates our perception.

CONS: The leads had zero chemistry. They were saying the right things by the end but it wasn't convincing. And despite this being 2021, I noticed that she kept he mouth tight closed during the kiss scenes, as if she wished she were somewhere else. I never really got a sense of who Hoo Joon was, either. I didn't think he was a jerk, but he was relatively opaque. I don't know if that points to the writing, directing or acting. Also, the father/ring part of the plot - what did it add to the story? And the plot holes/omitted narrative - Hoo Joon's mum, his previous 'relationship' (if any) with Oh In-hyung. I also think they wasted the character of Go Soo-hwan (he was barely in it) despite him being cited as a main character.

OVERALL: It was all a bit 'meh'. I won't remember it in 3 months.

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So I Married an Anti-Fan (2021) poster

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