character driven story
this drama was made for me❤ when I 1st started watching kdramas I kept searching for 1 theme and it's "female spy", and if having that with 2020 quality was not good enough they added "female centered plot" as the cherry on top~good casting is a "comedy" spy genre so the show never took itself seriously and honestly that made it even better, I love spy stuff but I hate the crime involved so even here I couldn't 100% focus on their big mission, but I loved everything else involved and I LOVED the characters the most.
Baek Chan Mi was strong, smart and she seemed cold and a "lone wolf" but she really cared for her team and she blamed herself for the incident that killed one of her members.
Hwang Mi Soon was my favorite, she looks like the weak link, she was a normal boring ahjumma/mom but the fact that she was a secret spy made her the most "ironic" spy xD they also mixed her normal life issues well.
Im Ye Eun was the inexperienced "unfortunate" smart maknae that just kept messing her cover. plus her little love line with Gang Woo Won added a little romance that lightened up the mood. though tbh I didn't "like" him, but I could tolerate his picky loud personality because this was a romance (and I kinda wanted to punch him a few times xD)
Yoon Suk Ho is the nicest sweetest male lead, no one else deserves to be called a nice ml. and I really liked his dynamic with Baek Chan Mi. whenever he was trying to pull a "Gang Woo Won/bossy jerk" she was able to stand her ground and he'd let it go, though I wished he found out earlier I was really happy by the smooth discovery, and I really need a 2nd season just to get more of their sweet "normal" romance uwu
Dong Gwan Soo was the boss they could ever have. even as a guy he never doubted or hated working with a team full of women and he never degraded them, on the contrary he hyped them up so much. also I really loved that he was Baek Chan Mi ex boyfriend, it really added depth to both as people.
from one side their past relationship made them better friends and better colleagues and though they had a rocky breakup they both really appreciated their time together and they never held a grudge, so it's nice to see a normal breakup in dramaworld.
Byun Woo Suk was my favorite, he was an unexpected treat. he was funny and silly and a really good friend to both Yoon Suk Ho and Baek Chan Mi❤
so basically this was a character driven story and again I'd love to see a 2nd season (with the same cast, directors and writers!). they made me laugh, cry and it really saved me from boredom in a time when I didn't have any ongoing drama beside it~
the songs were really nice too and they set the mood really well, also I liked the lighting and the aesthetics~
I never rewatch stuff but I want a 2nd season!
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Let me start by saying that I struggled to watch this drama as it aired, though I paced myself as best I could. This drama was weird to experience for me. Although I finished it the day the last episode came out, I did so without any joy (much to my disappointment).
On paper, the show should've been right up my alley. You get three strong female leads, supported by male leads who never steal their limelight, up against a threatening enemy who really hurt two of our protagonists... Yet, the story fell flat for me. I found myself easily distracted. As a result, one-hour episodes took me almost three hours to finish.
Technically speaking, the main plot was well structured even if predictable and most questions were properly answered. Of course, there were also some subplots introduced at odd places and dealt with a bit offhandedly (like the bullying, for example) which we can mark as flaws.
However, it was evident from the start, that this show required effort and patience for me to sit through. I found the humor a bit too silly and the plot a bit too boring. I thought I'd get into it as the story progressed, but I was wrong. I felt the show couldn't commit to a tone and therefore I didn't find my footing as an audience.
Perhaps I watched this show when I was simply not in the mood for this type of drama? Or maybe this type of drama is simply not for me? At any rate, one thing is for sure, if you aren't enjoying this show by episode 3 or 4, chances are that --like me-- you won't enjoy the rest.
MAIN CHARACTERS: Not very deep
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Although I appreciated this show focused on three female leads, they were still not fleshed-out enough for me to perceive them as more than a caricature. Don't get me wrong, there were moments where I thought I'd empathized with them (and I should've!) but there was a disconnect for me between what I was being shown and the acting. That meant that when characters cried, I wasn't moved.
Baek Chan Mi: She's a badass lady who is obsessed with her job and, within that, revenge. While I appreciated all the badass fighting scenes she starred in, I often found myself distracted by her acting. Partly because my brain kept telling me there was something strange with her face (surgery, I supposed) but mostly because I simply couldn't connect with her in any scene.
Im Ye Eun: She's the team's rookie, a single mom without a family who struggles to step up to the plate and help out her teammates. I liked her character but felt she lacked dimension. She was nice and smart, but she wasn't memorable. I expected her to grow even more confident, but I don't think she did at all.
Hwang Mi Soon: she's the oldest of the team, the breadwinner of her family who has to pretend she has a regular job. Although she was often used as comic relief, her acting stood out to me. I found myself feeling a bit bad during her moments of vulnerability. Unfortunately, her issues were a very small part of the plot.
SUPPORT CHARACTERS: forgettable
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The support characters were forgettable, really. The only one I found charming was Byun Woo Suk, the ML's secretary. He got a bit of development towards the end of the show and those flashbacks made me wished we'd gotten more scenes between him and Yoon Suk Ho (the ML).
PORTRAYAL OF ROMANCE: childish, but a bit toxic
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There are three romantic relationships depicted in the drama, each pertaining to one of our leading ladies.
Baek Chan Mi X Yoon Suk Ho: their relationship relied on their childhood connection. Chan Mi used to be Suk Ho's tutor and childhood friend. This relationship has the most screentime and development, mostly through flashbacks provided through the epilogues. Although the romance is mostly sweet, I found it a bit boring. Towards the end, however, there are some questionable scenes where Suk Ho takes control of the relationship which didn't settle all that well with me. Let's just say possessiveness shouldn't be confused with confidence, less so with love.
Im Ye Eun x Gang Woo Won: take the following with a grain of salt, as this relationship was popular based on the comment section of the show at the time this aired. That said, I didn't like it. Woo Won can be described as a man child, one who often gaslighted and manipulated Ye Eun to get her to do his bidding. I'm not a fan of characters who are incapable of accepting their emotions (emotionally incompetent, if you will), and even less of those who push their emotions on someone else. Though I'd hope Woo Won would grow as a character, the truth is... he didn't. But then again, none of the characters really grew, so no surprise there.
Hwang Mi Soon x Nam Bong Man (I had to look up his name, and I'm assuming I'm right and this guy was Mi Soon's husband. Please correct me if I'm wrong). Anyhow, this relationship was depicted as realistic but... problematic. Mi Soon never seemed happy to be with her husband and when he started to suspect she may be having an affair, the entire thing was treated as a joke. So, naturally, I disliked that the issue was never really brought up or talked about.
OVERALL: On the fence...
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This is the first time that I struggle with putting my thoughts on paper. I opted to write a review rather than leave a comment so I could try, as much as I could, to give a snapshot of how I feel about this show.
Though I didn't like it, I can't easily encourage you to skip it. Based on the comment section, I may be in the minority (and trapped in the twilight zone) when it comes to this drama. I can safely say I didn't hate it... but I also didn't enjoy watching it (from the first episode to the last, my indifference remained).
Why did I continue to watch, you may ask? Because I WANTED to like it, given so few dramas have more than one female character in their roasters, let alone acting as their leads! I gave this show a chance and I don't regret it, though a month from now, I'll probably not even remember this story, the characters or the acting.
So my best and only advice would be to watch the first 3-4 episodes and see if you liked them. If you're engaged by then, you'll probably enjoy the rest of the show. If, however, you found them boring or found the humor lacking, then you may be better off skipping this one.
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THE GOOD:
- Baek Chan Mi is a really refreshing & charismatic character. She's basically the violent, hardened, wild-card type that's usually a role occupied by men so it's great to see it changed up here. Choi Kang Hee kills it and is definitely the star of the show. Even better, she's allowed to be soft and cry without it ever compromising what a badass she is. Loved her from start to finish, she has about 4 of my 6.5 stars all to herself.
- The chemistry between the 3 leads which grows naturally and stays strong throughout the show.
- I think Lee Sang Yeob is my favourite (male) actor. I'm just going to say it. He's played such diverse characters in everything I've seen him in & he kills it every time. His character here is the perfect fit for Chan Mi and their chemistry is the cute, lived-in type that's so fun.
- Most of the comedy is done well and is basically all off the back of the idea that this really is just a normal office romcom drama with a spy twist. Every joke begins there and I don't mind it, made me laugh!
- The action sequences. To be clear, I will never *not* be a sucker for ladies kicking ass. I feel both attracted to them and empowered in myself so it's a win-win everytime.
THE OKAY:
- The overall plot is a little weak and only gets weaker as the show goes on, but it's not completely atrocious, everything follows the correct story beats, so I can live with it.
- Hwang Mi Soon is the housewife spy and I mostly really enjoyed her, she's clearly the most experienced member of the team and it shows. But sometimes jokes were made at her expense instead of with her (shitty husband that a spy like her would never put up with; gags about her weight) that I blame on the writers and brought down her character.
- Ye Eun but only at the start when she got to use her skills & her storyline seemed to show promise.
THE BAD:
- Ye Eun when her storyline & characterisation was dropped in favour of just an AWFUL romance plot I started off not giving a shit about and ended up hating. I can forgive her being a crybaby and bad at fieldwork - she's a rookie. But in exchange she's supposed to be this excellent hacker/tech whiz. Spoiler alert: she's not. The team's actual tech whiz is more competent than she is and her storyline ultimately serves no purpose except as props to Chan Mi & WORST OF ALL... Woo Won.
- Woo Won. Hello most pointless character. Exists solely to piss me off. No relation to the main plot. Starts off whiny and immature and stays that way til the end but somehow gets a happy ending anyway? BS. Jun and his beautiful face is the only saving grace here. Nothing else.
- I won't spoil but the finale leaves a lot to be desired. Plus, this show should've been 12 episodes. As with so many kdramas before it, it suffered from its company mandated run-time and began to really lag in the middle-end stretch.
Overall, if you want a female-focused drama with hijinks, a soft male lead and some ass-kicking, check it out! Just be warned that it really isn't that deep and if you want Ye Eun to get her moment or think she knows more about what's happening because they told us she was super smart and you're waiting for that to turn up in the actual show... (it's okay, i'm fine, unfilled potential who?) then give up bc it'll never happen. Not bad. Not great. Only the cuteness puts it a few steps up from ok.
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I didn't have any expectations about this drama, I just said: "I'll watch the first episode and see what happens".
And I didn't expect to like it so much.
Maybe it's because I didn't have any expectations about it, but Good Casting ended up being one of my favorite dramas of this year and I enjoyed it a lot, every week I was waiting for a new episode. This drama in my opinion is not a drama that you should take seriously, I mean, don't get me wrong, but instead of expecting a super plot the best thing is that you sit back and enjoy the trip, without thinking about anything at all.
Comedy is not one of its main genres, however, I laughed in every episode (maybe it's because of my easy laugh). What I liked about this drama was that it was able to perfectly mix many genres at the same time and not bore you.
Another thing I really liked was the action scenes that they were able to complement with touches of humor so that you don't feel in a constant state of tension. It has also touched on issues such as bullying, family problems...
I don't know how to explain it, but the best option to watch this drama is simply to let yourself go and enjoy it. It's a drama to entertain, it's not a drama that will pass to posterity, but in my opinion its objective has been fulfilled and I have enjoyed it from beginning to end.
Conclusion: don't expect a super drama, don't expect a super plot, just enjoy the episodes and what they offer. Don't think about anything else, and I'm sure you'll end up enjoying it.
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What I love about this drama is how character driven it is. Each main character has their time to shine and I loved that so much. What was also great was the relationships. I loved Baek Chan Mi and Yoon Seok Ho's relationship with flashbacks and how passionate Seok Ho was about Chan Mi. Truly one of the best male leads I've seen in a drama. Im Ye Eun and Kang Won Woo's hate to love relationship was another thing I surprisingly liked. Although Won Woo is that typical spoiled character, I always laughed and adored every scene he was in, especially with Ye Eun. Hwang Mi Soon, the only married one out of the trio, was also such a lovable character. She was probably the funniest out of the trio and I loved her energy. Team leader Dong Gwan Soon was another lovable catch. His bickering with Chan Mi was priceless and I loved every scene he was in involving the squad. Secretary Byun was a character I didn't expect to love so much, but I couldn't help wishing for more scenes with him. His bromance with Seok Ho was another highlight I loved. The characters were no doubt the main carry of this drama. With humor incorporated, they were an amazing squad.
The action in this drama was also pretty good. Every mission the squad planned was hilarious to watch and suspenseful in its own way. Multiple scene's left me filled with suspense, especially the ones that ended the episodes. So many unexpected things happened that ended up making this drama even better.
This show was definitely a surprise for me that I didn't expect to love so much. Although there are a few things I would change, I think the script was written pretty well and made a great story. If your a humor type person that doesn't mind action, I 100% recommend this drama. I wish more people would watch this amazing drama, as they are missing out on a hidden gem.
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This review may contain spoilers
I am a huge fan of Choi Kang Hee and she is the main/only reason I watched this drama. Unfortunately, no matter how much I love her, I can't give her a pass on this. This drama failed in the action, mystery and drama categories. If it wasn't going to have those three, this would be a silly comedy about incompetent agents working for NIS. Many times in the drama, it list our main FL (Chan Mi) has somonee who is the BEST at her job as a black agent, however, it never fully delivers this without so many constant mistakes being made that are borderline STUPID. The same goes for the other two FLs (Ye Eun and Mi Soon). Ye Eun was supposed to be an amazing hacker but when it came to actually hacking or finding information at a critical moment, bitch didn't know how to do either. Mi Soon seems to fumble so many times during an operation it is a wonder anyone let her become an agent.
All the MLs weren't much of any help to the story. One was a bratty little idol who was so self involved and rude (Woo Won). Another was an agent (Gwan Soo) who didn't know how to take care of his own agents or get important information. And last our main squeeze (Suk Ho) who was really there to be Chan Mi's boo thang and have flashbacks with. He was the cutest but nonetheless he was useless.
This drama is still entertaining in many other aspects, and is enjoyable. You can get a good laugh from it but it honestly could've been done so much better had it been given less comedy and more plot and characters being competent.
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It's basically a Korean Charlie's Angels drama with two of the female agent being mothers. The spy plot may be a bit old-school and full of clichés but Choi Ganghee did pretty well in playing the part of a super agent with a painful past. The addition of Lee Jonghyuk as Team Leader Dong adds a bit of comedic element to the series which made it fun to see this unlikely team of NIS agents try to solve the case of corporate leak conspiracy.
While as a whole, the series did have a simple plot with some predictable twists... the drama did not fail to make me laugh with the comedic gags as well as its old school espionage plot.
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This drama had a perfect balance of every genre, comedy, romance and action. Although I was hoping they would include more romance we would get a nice comedy romance to finish off or start the episode. (There are two main couples if you are wondering)Let's talk about-
Action. I'm not the action type of person but the first few episodes I was hooked on the action scenes, however towards the end I became a bit (14-16) impatient and started to skip. But I must say the action scenes whether it is at the start or the end of the episodes it did not disappoint.
Romance. This section was disappointing not because of the couples themselves, it's because they didn't get enough screen time, the character development for woo won (think that's his name) was non-existent he was and still is to the end of the drama, self-centred. We did see some changes though, when he cared for other people but it was only little spurts I wish we got to see that more, it was not consistent. Although I love his character because he was hilarious and honestly that's the type of people you are going end up falling in love with and not some stereo typical kdrama "oppa"
Comedy. I must say I have no complaints for this part everything was consistently funny and entertaining.
Overall, i thoroughly enjoy this serial although its not for all its definitely something you should give a try
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Good Enough
" Good Casting " had indeed a good cast, but, plotwise, it wasn't that great.First of all, the idea for the drama was solid. Three female agents are going undercover to find the bad guys. They have multiple action adventures until they find the guy who was responsible for one of their old colleague's death. They bond. They find love interests. So far so good. But, the whole drama felt draggy and boring. It was like there wasn't much to anticipate to happen, especially since the big case that they had to solve was not that interesting to begin with.
That said, the three main characters were simply too enjoyable. They had all different personalities and they had nice chemistry between them. However, I've found the leading lady less interesting than the other two, as she was a bit too cliche of a character and her actions were a bit predictable. Not that the actress didn't do an amazing job, especially with her action-fighting scenes. It was that the character was too cookie-cut written.
Finally, the romance in the drama was cute and it didn't overtake the whole plot, which was a relief. The couples had chemistry and some cute scenes.
So, overall, five out of ten.
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This review may contain spoilers
Finally!
I've been watching Korean action dramas where it's just male based. When I saw a trailer for Good Casting and saw a female being a top notch fighter I had to watch.I hate being hard on Korean female actresses but in these Korean dramas all females are portrayed as pretty, stupid, and poor.
There was one character who was like that. It made my blood boil! The way she was treated-that just grates my nerves!!
The MFL was awesome as well as the second FL. She was my favorite because in my opinion she was more down to earth than any of the other female characters.
I'm not good with names so I'm just going to describe the characters from this point on, lol.
I loved the male team leader. He didn't bash the females. He put up with their antics and it looked like he enjoyed working with them.
The male actor who portrayed a star-oy! His character should've been written out. I know it wasn't real but his antics made me want to jump into my sister's monitor and bit** slap him.
The action scenes were on point and the comedy segments had me reeling. Especially the air duct scenes.
This will be added to my favorite Korean action drama list. Even though I haven't rewatched my favorites I would say this is rewatchable. I do hope another season comes out. It's one thing I hate about Korea: they make awesome action dramas like this and will leave it to one season. Ugh!
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I wasn't a huge fan of Im Ye Eun's love interest - he was too immature and it felt superficial considering she has a daughter; any man who is interested in her would need to really prove that he's there for the long haul for both mother and daughter.
I really liked Baek Chan Mi's love interest and I was really glad they got their happily-ever-after, even if it was kinda rushed in the end. I wanted more!
The beginning of the drama was really strong - the tragedy from the beginning was devastating and goosebump-inducing. But I just didn't feel like the conclusion packed a strong enough punch in the end from all the buildup. And what was the point in killing off a character in the last episode?! *inner rage* XD Also, the identity of Michael wasn't a spectacular reveal and anticlimactic, which was really disappointing.
The fighting sequences were fantastically choregraphed! So cool and awesome to watch! Especially the female fighters!
I've never seen Choi Kang Hee in anything, but I really liked her voice AND her acting.
Yoo In Young has usually played the antagonist in previous dramas, so it was really nice seeing her as the good character. I'd really like to see her in another drama, again as the protagonist, but a little less meek.
I really loved Lee Sang Yeob - he's played a mix of bad and good characters in the past, but this drama just kinda sealed the deal for me. He's someone I will definitely give a drama a chance for! The way he portrays emotions and his chemistry with other actors is great!
OST was nice - I enjoyed some of the songs, didn't care for other songs. The music was well placed though, and didn't bother me overall.
I likely won't rewatch this entire drama, but I'd probably happily watch F/MVs of this drama, especially to get some of Chan Mi and Seok Ho.
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