This review may contain spoilers
It is so hard for me to say goodbye to Touch Your Heart and I can't help but being emotional right now. I was looking forward to every Wednesday and Thursday because I knew that for one hour straight, I would be the happiest person in this world.TYH doesn't have an original plot, let's be all honest here. A ''cold-hearted'' man falling in love with his secretary, it's is very common, especially for comantic comedies. But as people say, don't judge a book by its cover. Because although the plot seems to be very cliché, it has well-developed story, stong characters, perfect cast and OST which makes it one of the best rom-coms I've ever seen.
I will start with the fact that the first episode is very misleading and it shows very typical characters. Lawyer Kwon Jung Rok -- our main lead appears to be a rude, arrogant, cold-hearted man who only cares about his job. He doesn't pay attention to the people around him and often ignores them. Oh Yeon Soo is a popular actress (not for her acting though), she seems to be very clumsy, foolish and kind of self-centered. And, of course, we have many supporing characters that will probably be the most boring part. The first episode (or maybe the first two) didn't leave a good impression on me. I usually don't like this kind of characters and I thought I will be watching WWWSK season 2. But little did i know back then that Touch Your Heart will become one of my favourite dramas ever!
I believe that what was shown in the first two episodes was on purpose, the writers just wanted to fool us. In episodes 3 and 4, we can already see the development of the characters - Yoon Seo becomes more confident and more responsible, because she realises how important her job is. Althought she struggles a lot, her passion never leaves her and that's the most lovable thing about her character. It is also shown how responisble job Jung Rok has and how busy he actually is which to some extent justifies his cold behaviour towards everyone. Plus he is kind of an introvert one, he doesn't feel comfortable around people and prefers to be alone.
All that development we can already see in the first few episodes. After that, the relationship between Jung Rok and Yoon Seo slowly grows. They start being more comfortable with each other and eventually they fall in love in such an innocnet way. The awkwardness of falling in love, the heart fluttering moments, the jealousy, the hesitation are all here. And the thing I absolutely loved about Jung Rok and Yoon Seo's relationship is that they are always honest with each other. You know, the most annoying thing in some dramas is when someone decides to hide the truth or lies and then let the drama begin, blah blah. There's no such a thing in Touch Your Heart... Or at least it didn't ruin the drama.
Besides Yoon Seo and Jung Rok, there are three more couples in TYH. My favourite one of them is Yoon Hyuk and Moon Hee, they were so funny. I didn't pay attention to Se Won and Yeo Reum, but that was because YR doesn't have much screen time although she is a main character. I loved Se Won and his bromance with Jung Rok though.
Touch Your Heart is a law drama or at least that's what the genres say. But the plot is not focused on the law part, don't expect many intense trials or something. There is one big case that was pulled off very well and some small ones that were enjoyable to watch.
The only thing I disliked is the fact that the writers chose to use one trope that is very common for korean dramas, but I hate it so much. Although it was carried off quite well, it was so out of place or at least that's how I felt about it. But this doesn't really change my opinion about the drama.
The cast was amazing, I don't really have something to tell here. I was so happy to see Yoo In Na and Lee Dong Wook together again, their chemistry was amazing! I know I might be a bit too greedy now, but I want to see them again! Lee Sang Woo also impressed me.
The OST... Oh my, everything about the OST songs was perfect. The artists, the melodies, the lyrics, everything.
This review is getting too long but I tried my best to give a brief explanation about the plot while expressing my thoughts. I have some more things to say, but I will stop here. Overall, Touch Your Heart is a drama that makes you happy. It makes you forget about your stressful life and your problems. It's definitely one of my favourite shows this year and it will hold a special place in my heart forever. I recommend it to everyone, you never know what you'll like. Enjoy your watch!
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This review may contain spoilers
I had eagerly anticipated this drama ever since the casting news dropped, mainly because of two reasons: my admiration for Lee Dong Wook and my affection for the "PiChi Couple."Initially, I didn't set high expectations for the story, intending to enjoy watching the leads fall in love again. The first two episodes confirmed my expectations of a cliched plot, but episode 3 pleasantly surprised me with character growth and a more substantial plot than anticipated. As the series progressed, I found myself increasingly drawn to the story and characters, including the side characters, all of whom shared great chemistry.
One aspect I particularly appreciated was the portrayal of a healthy relationship between the main leads, devoid of traumatic pasts. Their pure and naive love was endearing, and I found myself swooning over their cuteness. Their relationship emphasized trust and comfort, which resonated with me deeply.
The CEO Yeon and Choi-Dan couple were standout side characters, providing moments of laughter amidst the romance.
Although I was disappointed by the inevitable breakup trope, I appreciated that the drama didn't prolong the angst excessively.
Regarding the music, I enjoyed all the OSTs, especially "Make it Count," "What if Love," "Goodbye," and "Photographs."
Overall, if you're in the mood for something light-hearted, I wholeheartedly recommend this drama. I certainly plan to binge-watch it again soon.
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This review may contain spoilers
I started this review a few times hoping to relay a message across, that is hard to describe. What I want to say is that we all watch dramas for a different reason and giving ratings to these light, fluffy dramas the same way as to the highly constructed ones should be done carefully. This drama is meant for you to switch your brain off, root for the characters, laugh out loud and love every minute of it. And I certainly did just that, which is why I rate it so highly.Where this drama shines are definitely the characters. Not only the main couple, but especially the side characters. I loved every single one and their relationships.
KJR and OJS are the best. There is something special about the dramas where the female lead falls for the male lead first and it was done to a perfection here. She pulled the best qualities of KJR to the surface and it was a pleasure to watch them. Not to mention the great chemistry between the actors. I was sometimes afraid that my screen would burst into flames.
TYH is a character driven drama so you shouldn't expect a lot of various cases to be explored. They were utilised mostly as a background story but kept with the flow of the show. One of the plot points that was hinted at the beginning fell just a bit flat. I felt like it could have been utilised more.
The music is awesome, "Make it count" will be stuck in your head for hours. Believe me.
Overall, I loved this. And I will come back to it very often. I already miss all of the characters.
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STORY: Sorry, but what story? If you're talking about a story of two people falling in love then, yea, I guess it had a story. But other than that, there's not much else in this drama that would say there is a "plot" to it, unfortunately. In the beginning, I thought that it was just getting off to a slow kick that would eventually reveal more later, which can sometimes be a good thing because usually dramas like to reveal things as soon as they can to get the audience excited but I waited and waited until episode 9 where it showed a glimmer of something, but then.......well, I won't spoil anything so let's just leave it at that. Earlier, when I thought that not knowing the direction of how the drama was going to go ended up being exactly what the drama was about. Also, the second lead characters honestly felt pointless and added nothing to the drama except to pop into existence during certain moments to fulfill a certain purpose.
ACTING/CAST: I did have my apprehensions before the drama released because the acting rolse that Lee Dong-Wook and Yoo In-Na took on seemed like their typical chosen style of roles that they've done before in past dramas. Lee Dong-Wook seems to always take on the damaged , brooding, indifferent acting roles and Yoo In-Na is slowly drifting into taking on bright, happy-go-lucky, and sometimes a little ditzy roles. I think actors should expand upon their skills and try not to take on roles that veer in the same direction. I only say this because sometimes it will cement their paths ahead and eventually, they'll ONLY be offered roles that align as their past ones, limiting their chance to explore different roles and show the public their acting chops. I watched Goblin and I loved it! The story, the acting, the pacing! It was all spot on! I can see the potential for Lee Dong-Wook and Yoo In-Na, if only they tried to take different kinds of roles. I'd like to see Lee Dong-Wook as a villain one day because I think he'd do quite well as one and it would also be very interesting to watch. And I think Yoo In-Na would do well in a serious melodrama or a slice-of-life drama because she can bring about real moments that are believable.
MUSIC: Eh, nothing to complain about. Music is nothing special. Typical drama accompaniment music.
OVERALL: Overall, I was disappointed by this drama but more because of the lack of substance within the story plot than anything. It was almost frustrating to watch till the end because the lack of suspense, drama, or anything because the romance feel less than what it is. Because there was no pressure, no pushing, no sense of urgency it made the romance feel less alive. In the end, everything fell flat.
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Light And Sugary Sweet, But Will It Truly ” Touch” Your Heart.?
There are probably three main factors which will drive watchers to picking up this drama.Let’s not kid ourselves, though. The majority of watchers will probably be drawn to this series for our main costars Lee Dong Wook and Yoo In Na performing again as starred-crossed lovers after their renowned onscreen chemistry in the hit-drama Goblin; The Great And Lonely And Great God (2016-17).
However, here’s the biggest question that anyone watching this drama and looking through a series of often biased verdicts by watchers praising it with “10/10”; is it actually worth watching ?
Perhaps the most important thing to summarise about ” Touch Your Heart" is that the majority of the show is an easy-going, romantic comedy.The drama follows actress Oh Yeon Seo (Yoo In Na) who had rose to fame because of her enthralling innocent look, which made her the crème de la crème of commercial films or advertisements in South-Korea. However despite desperately yearning to be taken seriously as an A-list actress, she was widely critiqued for her bad acting.
Unfortunately, she got caught in a drug scandal with a big business tycoon, which damaged her career and forced her to off the grid. Two years later, Yeon Seo’s reputation and name is still being dragged in the mud by the controversy with no solid acting offers or contracts, but she continued to lift her head up high. Then one day, she discovers a drama script for another actress in their agency, and becomes infatuated with the premise, fantasying about taking up the role as a lawyer. Convincing the screenwriter to cast her despite initial rejection , the writer finally acquiesces under one condition ; Yeon Seo has to prepare for the role by working in a law-related job for three months. This is easier said than done, however, when Yeon Seo starts off on the wrong foot with the seemingly stoic and straightforward top lawyer at the company, Jung Rok ( Lee Dong Wook). Yet as Yeon Seo and Jung Rok begin to bicker and run into predicaments, both main leads soon find their hearts being melted by one another’s love...
A concept such as ” Touch Your Heart" can easily grow tiresome by the archetypical characters and cliches because it is not entirely unique in itself. Admittedly, this became evident at times within the show becoming enthralled with its own treasure trove of cliches, however, its wrong to entirely dismiss that there was nothing inherently enjoyable about the formula either. The majority of characters ( including secondary ones ) were enjoyable and although they often took time to grow close towards, they had time to sometimes grow outside of the more evident labels enforced in the beginning of the show.
The main female lead Yeon Seo did seem to ring warning bells initially of going down the " ditsy goddess” trope early on in the drama. Whilst Yeon Seo could often be prescribed to the previous trope at times , she was often a loveable character by her genuineness, intellect , resilience and Yoo In Na’s added charm. Lee Dong Wook’s chosen role as Jung Rok may rise eyebrows by his straight-laced role again as the ” stern and abrasive male lead ” ( similar to Goblin), however, Dong Wook seemed to be able to capture Jung Rok’s journey out his shell and development as an individual with emotions and feelings, especially regarding his relationship with Yeon Seo.
Perhaps the one refreshing element of their bond came through defying unhealthy tropes . Yes, there relationship was cliche-ridden by being founded upon the ” opposites attract” and ” rivals to lovers" archetypes , but as their relationship developed, it became apparent that they were able to grow out of the shadows of falling into the territories of ” romanticised” emotional abuse and gaslighting. The couple soon began to grow on mutual respect as they were able to smooth-out misunderstandings by Jung Rok’s brusqueness and Yoon Seo’s emotional honesty .
Even our secondary couple consisting of Lawyer Choi Yoon Hyuk (Shim Hyung Tak) and Lawyer Dan Moon Hee (Park Kyung Hye)was oddly entertaining. Their pairing could could have easily blown into being poorly-sketched and tiresome by the cliches of their stereotypical contractual relationship and full-on personalities , however, beyond the stereotypes of being one another’s ” adversaries ", Yoon Hyuk being a " spoilt mama’s boy" and Moon Hee falling for her looks, they did have some genuine heartfelt moments which helped to fortify the characters as individuals.
On one critical note, whilst the storyline revolving around the prosecutors Jung Rok’s close friend and roommate Kim Se Won (Lee Sang Woo) and Yoo Yeo Reum (Song Sung Yoon was necessary to some extent for plot development , their associated storyline did drag on due to an overexposure with screen time . The friendship dynamic between Se Won and Jung Rok of course was heartwarming in parts, however, having intrigue around Se Won and Yeo Rum as individuals was minimal due to lacking development and an overuse of cliches dragging these characters( in some circumstances)as dull plot mechanisms.
Overall, ” Touch Your Heart" is an entertaining drama- formulaic in parts, with a sprinkle of angst but mostly topped with a lighthearted viewing experience for watchers to help take your mind off heavier subject areas. The cast undeniably were brilliant for the most part ( although though there were some questionable line deliverances) by helping to bring the characters to life. Even the easygoing OST helped to warm up scenes and add a spark to Lee Dong Wook and Yoo In Na’s fairly good acting behind an enjoyable and heartfelt romance onscreen. If you’re a fan of cute and fluffy romantic comedies with a touch of humanity, or you desire to see new life being breathed into certain old cliches, then ” Touch Your Heart" is certainly for you.
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It was a bit weird because it seemed like each couple was like out of different genres of dramas.
I needed fluff right now so I still liked it. I watched it without much thought while it was in the background.
If you want something light and fluffy you can watch without much thought you will enjoy it. There are still better ones out there.
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Well done Romantic Comedy
If you are looking for drama, comedy, and romance in one package, this series is worth watching. The acting was outstanding, and I thought the humor was just the right amount and well placed. The storyline of a falling actress and an uptight lawyer was both unusual and entertaining. Yoo In Na was just superb in her role and made the romance feel real and heartwarming. Lee Dong Wook was also excellent in his portrayal of the lawyer. The interaction between the two was entertaining as their relationship grew. Yoo In Na seemed to blossom with each episode. She does light up the screen.I don’t speak Korean, so I rely on the acting, the music, and the sub-titles when I watch shows that aren’t English. I’ve watched thousands of romantic based movies and TV shows because it’s a genre that fascinates me. Maybe I’m one of those eternal romantics. I highly recommend this show. I'm glad I can find shows like this to watch.
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This review may contain spoilers
I loved this drama sosososo much, and I really implore everybody to go watch it. As a fan of Goblin it was really lovely to see Sunny and the Grim Reaper get their happy ending, but that's not the only reason you should go watch this drama. Don't think that the only thing it's got going for it is the hype of the two lead actors. The story line was incredible, and I really enjoyed watching as the two leads got closer and the troubles they faced throughout the drama. The ML was adorable and made me wish that I had a guy like him in my life. He was understanding and it was a joy to watch him at the FL get closer. He was strong when needed but also had his weaknesses, just like any real person does. The thing I loved most about this drama is how the two leads become better people when they're together, they really complement each other and the chemistry between the two characters was incredible.
Another aspect of this drama that I loved was the side characters, they were intertwined in the story and I found myself really rooting for the romance between multiple of the couples. This drama created it's own little world, it wasn't just all about the leads, but there was a community of people that really made this drama work so well, including all the side characters and their plot lines.
In regards to the music, I'm a huge Chen (EXO) fan and his OST sounded incredible (It's called Make It Count) and it really fit the story well. I can't really remember any of the other OST's but they all sounded pretty good from what I heard whilst watching the drama.
I rated this drama 10 in re-watch value as well, just because during the times when I was waiting impatiently for a new episode I found myself returning to the past episodes to go through my favourite moments. That's when you know a drama is good and that you'll be returning to watch it again in the future.
Please go watch this drama, everything was perfect about it. The romance was perfectly placed, the plot was great, side characters were positively incredible and the ending definitely didn't disappoint either.
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If you've seen Goblin 2 years ago and loved the pairing Grim Reaper x Sunny / Wang Yeo x Kim Sun, portrayed by Lee Dong Wook and Yoo In Na, respectively ーthen, this drama is for you. I think this is one of the sole reason one would watch this drama anyway.
The plot revolves around an Attorney and an Actress who have to worked in their firm for 3 months. If you look at the plot, it is indeed nothing special. Clichéd plot and typical romance, but what makes it stand out among the rest (though I have not seen that much due to my lack of interest to very 'cheesy' or 'fluffy' romance), for me, is the very chemistry of the two leads. Both Dong Wook and In Na did well, I think the characters are distinct from their previous roles and that says a lot.
The very highlight of the film I would say, is the fact that it is very lighthearted, has good soundtrack, Dong Wook's acting, the main pairing, and the side characters!
Binge-watching the drama for a week has left me empty after it ended.. it's the type of drama that does 'touch your heart' at some point and before you know it, you're more invested in all the characters, from lead to supporting towards the end.
I hope you will give it a try. It is a fact that you won't lose anything from missing out from this especially if you're not into the pair, but.. you won't lose anything from giving it a try as well. It helps when you're feeling down!
Enjoy!
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