Pro's:
- Great acting
- A really interesting and unpredictable story
- Great music
Con's
- Last few episodes were not as good as the ones before
- Rushed ending
- Many things were left unexplained in the end...
Overall it's a great kdrama. The ending kind of disappointed me but I'm still happy I watched it.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Maybe on some meta level it works otherwise it fails
The first few episodes are a total fake out, they're interesting and mysterious as characters start to figure out that they're in a comic. After that, the meta comes in...if the characters are intentionally one dimensional and vapid to represent that's what a comic book character is...then success! I doubt this is the intent, and either way it makes for an excruciating watch. The FL quickly wears thin and bounces around with little logic and an incredibly excessive cute speak style while her main interest (Haru) is the most vapid character ever...basically an empty bag of air. I could go on, but why bother, it's a good idea drowned by the banal.Added a star for the cameo in True Beauty. That was funny and almost pokes fun at the excesses in this show.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
"Extraordinary You" was one of those dramas that I started watching not really expecting anything. I had just finished watching another drama and wanted to start a new one, but didn't really have any in mind. I kept seeing this title online so I thought I might as well try it out. I was completely blown away, at first. The plot was very original and featured characters that seemed different from the normal. Dan-o, who lived her whole life not knowing that she is, in fact, a mere extra in a comic book, realised that what she really wants is to decide her own fate. In order to do that she needs the help of a boy with no name that, however, seems to have a connection with her that not even the writer of the comic book can control. The story was set-up really well in the first episodes and established all the characters and their backgrounds excellently. I caught myself wanting to watch more and more each time and I was so interested in the direction the story seemed to be going. I was especially surprised with the way Ju-da's plot progressed. Ju-da, the female protagonist of the comic book who, at first, follows all the cliche decisions of the writer and is completely dependent upon Nam-ju who is the male protagonist, slowly finds her own self. I would never expect for her to gain the freedom to stand up for herself in such a way, nor that she would end up choosing Nam-ju for the reasons that she did.
However, by half-way the drama fell into the classic trap that seems for some reason difficult to avoid, especially for fantasy/romance dramas like this one. The point of the story was slowly being lost, as a lot of the same things were happening without an actual impact on the general story (e.g. someone losing their memories but conveniently getting them back within the same episode, Dan-o being rushed to the hospital but nothing really happening besides that). The dialogues seemed to be dragging forever with no real value and there were so many filler scenes and scenes that were being repeated over and over. I felt especially bad for poor Baek Gyeong that was always saying the same lines. Even the main mystery of the story in the previous comic book was unfolded in such an anticlimactic way.
By the end of the story, so many important questions regarding the writer, the comic book world and the truth to the characters' individuality and bonds were left unanswered and the only thing that seemed to kept going was the relationship between Dan-o and Ha-ru. It felt like there was no real resolution,
Overall, this drama had a lot of potential and even though the last few episodes were really disappointing, it had a very strong start, so I wouldn't say I regretted watching it. If you like light-hearted romance dramas with no serious plot twists this might be a drama that you enjoy. But don't have too many expectations from the story because you are bound to be disappointed. Instead, focus more on the romance between the main characters and be grateful that you, yourself, are not a comic book character!
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
It is rare for me to watch a drama while it's airing, mostly because I am very impatient and I can't bear having to wait week after week for new episodes. Even if I am interested in a drama that is airing, I usually wait until it's over to watch it. Extraordinary You was an exception. Its premise was so interesting and original that it made me break my unspoken rule of not watching on-air dramas.The beginning of the drama was good. It plunged you into a world that looked odd for the protagonist, who wished desperately to change her fate, and be permitted to live. The FL was independent, funny, and chipper, it made you root for her. I wanted her to find answers, to be able to defeat the (quite sadistic) writer and be the writer of her own destiny.
And then... the second half of the drama came. The interesting questions raised morphed into more questions that would never be answered. Why wasn't Danoh able to change the stage when she was trying to do it alone, but when Haru helped her it worked? What are the mechanics of the world they live in? If background characters have nowhere to go, why is Haru the only one skulking at school when it's nighttime? Why are some characters gaining self-awareness, but others never do?
Nothing is ever answered, as the story devolves into a love triangle that nobody needed or wanted. And it's not like love triangles are bad or unenjoyable on principle. They can be exciting if done well. But in a love triangle where the heroine has reiterated multiple times to the second lead that she loves ML and doesn't care much for anything else, why are the writers so hellbent on perpetuating a triangle where the second lead has no chance? It would have been better to develop and answer the questions they never answered.
Danoh was a hoot to watch initially, and I thank that to Kim Hyeyoon, who imbued the character with this cheerfulness that wasn't annoying to watch. It endeared you to her, and even as Danoh descended into a character who was obsessed with Haru (even though there were so many people that cared for her and loved her), Kim Hyeyoon managed to still make her somewhat likable. But she could not save the character, try as she might.
Haru only existed for the female lead, and while that could sound like something romantic for some people, it's especially boring for me. He has no hobbies of his own? He doesn't try to make new friends? I don't know. I mean, he was likable as well, but too one note for my taste. Still, Rowoon managed to do well with the character, so kudos for that.
Despite my praise, Danoh and Haru's love story got so boring to watch that I started focusing more in the side couple of Dohwa and Juda, who I liked, as they seemed actually more nuanced than our main leads (especially Juda). Imagine my anger when Juda, out of nowhere, decided to stay with Namjoo. To be honest, I wasn't angry because she didn't end up with Dohwa, but I was mad that it was never really explained in a way that made sense for Juda as a character. She had spent so many episodes shit-talking Namjoo, and all of a sudden, she decides to end up with him? I would have liked to see Juda's thought process to get to that point, but instead we spent the time watching our unwitting love triangle.
I really loved the OST, had to look for it while the drama was airing.
Being honest, I don't think this has much of a replay value, unless you like high school romance drama, though if you're looking for that, there are much better dramas out there.
In conclusion, this was wasted potential, but if you're still interested in watching, the fast forward button will be your friend in the second half.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
an ambitious drama that delivered on some parts, on some not as much. BIG BAD
- i don't mind romance - for the most part i enjoy it but sometimes it was forced down our throats at the cost of characters' personalities and plot. the drama came to be very repetitive towards the end which is my main issue, really.
SMALL BAD
- the ending wasn't bad, per se, but i wished it explained more. too many questions left. who is the writer? and how exactly does the writing process go? what about the "changed" scenes?
SMALL GOOD
- aesthetically this was pretty epic. nice colours, a lot of pretty flowers and all that jazz.
BIG GOOD
- character development was insane!
- acting was pretty good, too!
- the whole idea behind the story is very intriguing.
Was this review helpful to you?
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Give Me A Bone!!!
This drama had so much potential but lost itself in the melodrama.I truly loved the potential of this show. The worldbuilding in the first few episodes had a ton of promise, but the show did an awful job developing the lore to keep us invested in the mystery. This writers didn't give their readers anything. Any of the lore came in drips and drabs. I was 28/32 episodes in and I still didn't know why Dan Oh can see into the future, why Haru can see into the past, why Dried Squid Fairy remembers everything from both worlds, who the hell the writer is. A show that hinges on mystery in a supernatural world needs to give its viewers clues to keep the interest going — red herrings would even be appreciated! Otherwise, we’re just padding through the episodes with blindfolds and with no trust that anything will actually make sense in the end.
Given the amount of care the show provided to the lore, as expected, halfway through, it lost steam. The drama got caught up in the melodrama and once Baek Gyeong became self-aware, the show shifted focus from Dan Oh and her mission to survive, to Baek Gyeong vs. Haru and their mission to save her. So disappointing. I didn’t care for Dan Oh, but I’d much rather watch an annoying yet charming girl try to change the world to live than two melodramatic men fighting for her affection, when it’s already very clear who she’s in love with.
It’s all so irritating though that Haru transformed from a quiet, doe-eyed extra to a moody, brooding bummer who instead of trying to make the most of his time with Dan Oh while she’s alive, sits on benches with his head in his hands, runs away from Dan Oh or just cries whenever he looks at her.
I was also very annoyed with how the show tried to romanticize Baek Gyeong. His realization of his feelings for her does not forgive his abysmal attitude towards her in the past. His love declarations weren't moving Dan Oh’s heart, nor were they moving mine.
Also so irritated how Dan Oh’s character was reduced to heart palpitations. Every fifteen minutes, her heart gives and she’s in the nurse’s office or the hospital, where we inevitably see Haru or Baek Gyeong taking care of her. C’mon, stop using the plight of female characters to drive male character development. I’m just so tired of dramas taking so much care of the male lead’s development while giving the female lead scraps. Dan Oh became a shell of the personality she started with.
And that's not to say that I even like Dan Oh to begin with. That baby voice had me cringing the entire show, and then towards the end of the show, her character cried way too much to the point where I liked her better when she was bratty and chaotic in the beginning. She was more interesting.
Her character wasn't really that likeable to begin with. She’s a rich heiress. As much as the drama would like to make the stakes high, they didn't do a good job making me believe that they were, so the only thing I could root for her was her love story and I couldn't see any reason why Ha Ru would like her except for the fact that she gave him his name.
Her unlikeability is evident in her friendship. Her best friend is Sae Mi, who terrorizes the FL (who tbh is such a Mary Sue that I don't even remember her name), but Dan Oh continues to be friends with her. You could chalk it up to the fact that their friendship existed way before Dan Oh became self-aware but Dan Oh still continues to call Sae Mi her best friend. I know Sae Mi is there more for comic relief than anything but I can’t imagine being friends with such a bully.
All in all, I was left with disappointment. Thank God each episode was 30-something minutes. I know, if you do the math, that's basically the same length as a 16 episode kdrama, but it was easier to stomach knowing that the episodes were going by much quicker.
Was this review helpful to you?
The character development was amazing. The couple was so so cute and made me feel single lol. Also, the acting was just amazing especially Lee Jae-Wook, I'm gonna be watching more of his work soon now.
This showed so many themes that I love. Seeing their friendship, growth, independence, and determination was very inspiring.
The OST was just amazing!
I also love that this drama came out lighthearted but became a very deep drama. It speaks about how persons try diligently to make their own paths but are sometimes side-stepped by a much powerful force. Which can be relatable for some people. This drama showed a good message to people on believing in yourself and growth.
Was this review helpful to you?
Overrated, Repetitive, Cute
DISLIKES:Production: shaky camera syndrome, zooming in way too close
Writing: very repetitive: the continuous looping of the same thing without any growth. It should’ve been shorter, because it became redundant and boring fast, making me not care about ANY of the characters the more I watched. Too many plot holes and such a mess. It felt like the script writer had become lost within the concept that was created. Which meant by episode 8 I became annoyed with the repetition, the constant crying of Dan-oh and her yelling Haru! Also the actress used an over the top cutesy voice that was very irritating.
LIKES:
Cinematography, lighting, colour pallet, locations
FX: also done well (the scar on the palm looked real), the green vortex, the floating elements, all blended in well and seamlessly. And moments between EGO/STAGE sessions were well edited and fx for it fine.
Acting well done by Rowoon and Lee Jae Wook.
Writing: the satirical take on the usual trope and cliches (concept of making fun of manga’s & anime & dramas.). I liked that the focus was the supporting characters. I liked how they showed the transition from comic character that’s written to the real character or “Ego”. The beginning episodes were good.
Music: I didn’t really notice it much, which meant it blended in seamlessly.
OVERALL:
I ended up finishing it only because of Rowan and Lee Jae Wook’s acting. I do not recommend it and will NEVER watch it again, as after the first 5 episodes it’s boring and a waste of time.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
New Story
One thing that I really liked about this drama is how the story unfolds. After thinking for sometime I can say that the story wasn't predictable. I thought there would be a happy ending indicating an end to all the sufferings the characters had faced but then the ending wasn't happy, I'd say that the drama ended at a happy moment. The characters in the comic are still controlled by the writer and don't have their free will. It's just that the drama ended when dan oh met haru, to kinda depict a happy ending feeling. But considering how the writer erases insignificant extra characters danoh and haru could be erased anytime and might not even end up in the next comic. Baek Kyung and Do hwa were my favorites. The ending was realistic cause from the start we were inclined to think that because of fate and destiny they would be able to break free from there character but in the end they couldn't they were just able to make tiny changes and enjoy life in the shadow. It made us hope that characters would escape the comic world but that didn't happen there're still stuck there used as mere puppets. Overall it was really tragic if you put a deeper thought to it. But then what if this was a lie all along, we were shown that Haru suddenly becomes aware of himself in the trumpet creeper, and also he is the only character that is able to change the stage there's no definite answer as to why he can do that stuff. I feel he has an extra advantage after disappearing for a couple of times he magically appears again. How? Is that really destiny? I have a theory that he wasn't in fact character from the comic infact he was a real human who entered the comic by mistake or intentionally. Why are only some characters becoming self aware? Why did Baek kyung become self aware after being told about the shadow and stage several times cause nam ju and other characters were also told that they were mere characters in a comic but that wasn't enough to make them self aware? I feel that the characters who actually became self aware of themselves were infact humans. After that comic ended many weren't in the new comic, maybe they were transferred back to the real world. But dan oh and Haru stayed cause they loved each other and wanted to meet and do romantic stuff. Atleast that's what I believe.Was this review helpful to you?
Cute handsome adorable rowoon
Cute pretty hye yoon
Handsome charismatic lee jae wook
I love the story thats awesome
The story has its own uniqueness
It wont makes boring or something else
And the cast have different characters but are very compatible with themselves
So touched
Main role
Kim seok woo
Kim hye yoon
Lee jae wook
Lee naeun
Jung gun joo
Kim youngdae
Lee tae rii
Soundtrack
April - feeling
VeriVery - my beauty
Sondia - first love
Epitone Project - first love
GOTCHA - i wanna say that i love
There's one another soundtrack play on last episode 16 and episode 19 in 11:05 minutes. The song was amazing so touched. I love this soundtrack and first love by sondia
Was this review helpful to you?
Was this review helpful to you?
