Was this review helpful to you?
Take Me Wherever
You know my absolute favourite thing when I watch dramas? ...When the story takes me wherever it wants to go.I sort of subconsciously knew this but could never articulate it until I watched this drama. This is the kind of story that just grips you and for me, never let go. I love that the writers created a whole new world and I couldn't really guess what the next turn would bring. You know what? A story can just flow without making sense and without the writers solving every single riddle in the story...so I am saying this to anyone who might be discouraged by reviews taking about plotholes. It's okay that there are gaps. This story was still incredibly beautiful.
I loved the lead couple, absolutely charming and lovable. Just put Rowoon in front of a screen and I am happy to watch him being cute all day *love eyes* Kim Hye Yoon's performance was stunning! She had the type of nice female lead character that could get exhausting but she played Dan-o flawlessly. Jung Gun Joo's character Do-hwa was a surprise ...absolutely fell in love with him
Loved the OST as well! 10000% going to rewatch all those cute scenes.
Was this review helpful to you?
Multifaced Story Within A Story
I cannot begin to express exactly how much I adored this story, but I’ll give it a try anyway.❤ Dan-O is everything you could want from a protagonist - she’s feisty, passionate, driven, and courageous. You can’t help but root for her as she pushes against her destiny to create her own story.
❤ It’s absolute perfection watching Dan-O and Ha-roo fall in love. Their romance is like eating warm, gooey chocolate chip cookies straight from the oven (the highest of compliments from me). This is very much a “first love” story with a focus on looks and hugs, not kisses.
❤ I 100% could not get enough of the friendship between Dan-O, Har-roo, and Do-hwa. I loved how they supported one another, particularly when they went on one of their “missions” to change their fates. If anything, I wish the other self-aware characters had been more integrated into their story and shenanigans.
❤ This story is multifaceted, layered, and always intriguing. It’s very much a “story within a story” so be prepared for lots of surprising twists and turns.
Was this review helpful to you?
You will not get this if you haven't watched Boys Over Flowers
I see so many reviews that assume that this is just the typical teen/school drama. It's not, it's a satire of teen dramas and more explicitly a satire of Boys Over Flowers. When I say satire it's for the lack of a better expression, should say "lovingly made satire" that respects yet is a hilarious tongue-in-cheek satire of BOF. Also, it's not being a cliched rom com, it's an homage to cliched rom coms. There are so many wickedly intelligent undercurrents that only a seasoned k-drama addict (this is the 114th k-drama for me) will get. So sorry, but if you really haven't watched BOF, you'll only get about 20 percent of the meaning. Where should I start? The violin, closing off the school rooftop, the mother paying off poor gf, I could go on and on. Yet I guess you can sill enjoy even if watched as a typical teen or school drama. Because Rowoon is just perfect in this role as the dreamy handsome prince, and the FL can rather effortlessly carry the whole thing since she's present about 90 percent of the time. She's just right and rarely overacts. The other characters have less work to do in terms of development, but the rude 2nd lead is written as pleasingly ambivalent, not knowing himself whether he is himself "in role" or outside of it. And as always, there's no limits to the philosophies and lessons you can make out of the plight of the characters having to be either monotonous robots saying pre-written lines, or struggling to become independent persons. One last thing: the set designer would have earned an Oscar for his/her work. There's so much to look at from the fairytale-like scenes to the FL's home and bedroom. This was really done with the highest level of ambition possible. Full applauds! The weak side of this drama is the same as in most k-dramas: there is not enough material for 16 episodes. It starts to get very repetitive around the 11th episode. It would be just great if the industry could agree on making 14 episodes the standard length. My last word: when you say "cliche" I say "classic ." Like in the Dramaworld series, it is clear here that showing cliches is out of love for them. Personally, I love my classics like a seasoned k-drama lover would.Was this review helpful to you?
An excellent premise
Drama premise is very good and against all my beliefs I was binge to it since the first episode and excited to know more. The cast did an excellent job and the chemistry of the "extra" couple (main couple ig) was great. OST was also excellent, the soundtrack in the background of each scene was well chosen.Now, even though I liked the drama a lot, I felt plot had some ups and downs. Sometimes it was a bit tedious, just in the middle of the drama I feel like story lost it course a few times and then resumed up again. Despite that, I enjoyed the drama and its performances.
Was this review helpful to you?
Haru ya , Nae Sarang
This drama has a special place in my heart. I think no drama again that can replace extraordinary you in my heart. I really excited from the beginning until the last. The plot is unique and have many surprise in here. I can't guess what next happen and i feel what if I be like dan oh in this drama. This drama invite me as the watcher to be part, to feel in this drama. I really aprreciate for the main role not cause they in the center story especially haru. From beginning he doesn't have many conversations but with the gesture with his trait. I really melt with him. I really blessed to find and watch this drama. And this drama make me really cry and lost because haru must be dissapeared and forgotten unless dan oh. It really hurts to see her feel that. At the last i really thankful for the writer can give the story like this than unique and different by the other drama. Thankyou for producer and the main role dan oh and haru.For the watcher that still fell hesitate about this drama to be your dramalist. Please don't think again watch this drama now and you won't regret later. I really reccomended it !! :)
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
it could have done so much better
the drama started out so good, got me hooked and the story was just *chefs kiss*. BUT it suddenly got boring?????? it got repititive and the same old connection with past life made a very good drama into a boring one. they could have made it short and good but it felt like they were just stretching the plot and the story was not moving. at some parts, acting seemed a bit off too? they looked stiff and at other parts it was too cringe. i just think that it couldve been more interesting and without the past life trope. overall i think its pretty watchable but i would not recommend it a lot.Was this review helpful to you?
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Like many said, the first half was amazing, the rest half ...especially from episode 12 to 15 was very emotional and it kinda lost its charm. The only problem i have with this drama is the ending and the unveiled mystery. Which actually make me think that this drama should have a sequel. And yes its a drama that is misted by love and romance. If u want to search anything else than that dont watch it.
The chemistry between haru and dan oh was beautiful and adorable.
Baek kyung was a jerk honestly but his character development was good where you can understand why he was like that.
There were some scenes which came out very beautiful. The cinematography was great. The OSTs were very good. The plot is not predictable. A viewer might be expecting something but the story gets more interesting as one watch it.
Many had the second lead syndrome. in this drama we get to see a cute dating scene between dan oh and kyung. I couldnt ask anything more for a second lead.
Dan oh prioritised haru the most because she knew that she will eventually die, so she wanted to spent her remaining time with someone who will remember her no matter it is shadow or stage. Haru was one who remembered her and dan oh liked him from the first.
The drama is all about love because the manhwa 'secret' itself is a typical love comic.
The ending was very rushed. I dont know why they rushed it.They did the shooting till episode 15. Well, i believe, there were circumstances which is why they rushed the ending.
I love this drama a d watched it multiple time but i am really disappointed with the ending.
Basically, the writer tried to picture the situation of the manhwa world,if it really exists then how the characters might act.
However,Hoping for a sequel where it will give explanation of the black hole thingy, why haru remembered dan oh, why dan oh could see the future of the story board, who the writer was etc.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Great Concept, Iffy Execution
Like many of the other reviewers, I felt like the first half of this show was far superior to the second half. Dan-O started off as this awesome, hilarious, spunky character who slowly devolved into just a one-note lovestruck teenager who seemed to care about nothing other than Ha-Ru.The first few episodes set up the world really well, and established the main story of 'what would you do if you realised you were a random side-character in a romance comic?' in a very intriguing way. Dan-O choosing to take control of her own fate and change the world was something I was super invested in watching and excited about. However, things fell flat pretty quickly. While watching the show, my sister and I had several theories about why the world works the way it does, why some characters have egos, why Ha-Ru is the only one who can change the stage, etc. but by the end of the show it seemed like we cared more about all these things than the literal writer of the show. Half our questions were not answered, including big questions like why the heck Ha-Ru randomly vanished mid-season only to come back without an ego, and why he's the only one who can change the stage. In fact, we learn almost nothing about him. Seriously. Like, I understand the strong, silent, handsome, doting type is attractive, but this man was literally a blank slate and I was supremely bored with his character (and the relationship tbh) by the end of the show.
Kim Hye Yoon as Dan-O and Lee Jae Wook as Gyeong were probably the best actors on the show. Gyeong who started off as a one-note aggravating douche, turned into one of the characters I was most interested in by the end of the show. Lee Jae Wook gave Gyeong depth and nuance, even in scenes where he seemed to be reverting to his douchebag ways. His character arc was quite well-done and I really enjoyed watching him. Other characters I absolutely loved were Do-Hwa (my love) and Shadow!Ju-Da. I personally didn't mind that Ju-Da ended up with Nam-Joo, but I do think Do-Hwa deserved better. As one of the initial characters who got his ego, I felt like he was constantly pushed to the side-lines by the writer of this show as well as the characters within it. A waste!! I want to know everything about him!! I loved his entire role as well as his friendship with Dan-O.
As I mentioned, there were a lot of plot holes and I found certain choices regarding the story quite questionable. For example, Dan-O being the protagonist of the previous novel took something away from her just being a scrappy extra who wants to change her fate. Also given how impossible it was to change their fate or the storyline at all... it was kinda like... what's the point?? Why this plot? I would have watched like a 100 episodes of Do-Hwa and Dan-O causing chaos in the comic book world, finding loopholes and changing up the storyline and causing different scenarios within the world. Unfortunately, the concept wasn't given it's due and the show turned into a classic love-story. Meh. I still enjoyed the show, but if I was going to rewatch, I'd probably only rewatch the first few episodes.
Was this review helpful to you?
If you're bored of the usual storyline but are still looking for something romantic...THIS IS IT!
I started watching this drama because of all the hype around it and it's worth the praise. After starting but not completing tons of dramas I finally found a drama to keep me at the edge of my chair.There the second lead syndrome, the male lead makes you fell head over heels and there's a storyline different from the usual.
I can feel my heart break every time the couple has to part ways because of the cruel writer and this time we are not the only ones cursing them even the characters are on our sides. the last episode makes you pray for the couples to end up together and there's a promise to find your love over and over again.
Was this review helpful to you?
The male lead, Do Hwa n The Dried Squid they are literally eye candy to watch. I cried , laughed , my heart felt heavy and my mind got totally occupied throughout this drama. After a long time I have seen a drama with really good plot.
Note : I'm not posting much about the story bcoz it is something which you should enjoy not by reading but by watching.
I recommend it to everyone to watch this. If you don't you will really miss a good one .
The reasons to watch this
Both the leads
Plot
Beautiful in every frame
Handsomeness quotient
OST
The cast
100% worth of the time.
Haru Haru.....Haru all the way.
Was this review helpful to you?
