This review may contain spoilers
Seriously. I was one of the people who were a bit iffy at the age difference. Its not the age gap itself that bothered me (12 years isn't that wild for me really, knowing lots of couples irl have similar of even larger gaps) It was the visual age gap. Joo Sang Wook looks his age (maybe a bit older) while Kim Bo Ra could probably get asked to check her ID if she tries to buy a drink. It's not a key element at the drama at all for the most part though, rather just a nagging based off my own bias.
The story was forgettable. I honestly couldn't tell you a thorough synopsis even though I literally just finished the final episode. I think there was some business war and some ex-lover mess in there somewhere? something about suicide awareness maybe?? Touch tried to arise too many problems and themes for anyone to have a real grasp of the "story". I honestly think this could've been a really cute and relaxing drama if there was less attempts at edgy business wars, chaotic relationships, and missing people. We could have a cute little rom-com following and ex-idol discovering a new path while inspiring and falling in love with her mentor but instead we got Touch.
Acting having a 6.0 is only thanks to side characters. The ML and FL failed to serve any type of romantic chemistry, even when they straight up kissed. No matter how hard I tried, I just could see anything but a mentor and pupil. My heart never fluttered watching them. I wouldn't even say this was due to age gap, I just truly felt NOTHING other than a developing friendship between the two, maybe a bit of adoration on Se Yeon's side. Them kissing was equivalent of two pieces of stale bread pressed on eachother. Yes, for me it was that bad. Luckily we had actors like Hong Seok Cheon (Dong Min) and Lee Taw Hwan (Do Jin) to brighten this shows excuse for romance and plot. The only times I ever laughed, swooned, or felt sad during this show were during their (and other support) scenes.
This show was a first class waste of time. It may not be the worst out there but it's definitely far from good. Please only watch this if you need to fill out a challenge requirement or if you need to something other than watch paint dry.
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This review may contain spoilers
To preface I'm not sure what it was about touch that kept me coming back but objectively I know that the drama was a solid So-So. The Good
Whilst many complained about the lack of romance within the series, this is what endeared me the most about it. The
"romantic couple" were not wrapped up in each other in the obsessively aggressive way which is norm that is usually portrayed by other dramas. I liked that they had their own lives and problems and being together was not the magic cure that fixed everything. It was a quiet love that they came together to support each other when needed and even give the other a gentle push when needed. During the episodes you can see how they cared for each other. It wasn't a bells and whistle kind of romance but I liked it just the same.
The So-So
The casting was a major problem for me. I tried not to be but I was often bothered by the age difference and I think it largely had to do with watching Kim Bo Ra as a high school student last year in Sky Castle and then switch it up to this. Although they kept saying she was 25 she came across as a 20 year old which I think is why I enjoyed their luke warm romance.
The side stories really didn't help the drama along and it was at these moments where I loudly questioned why I was watching this drama to begin with.
The show also touched on a lot of controversial topics but didn't quite accomplish it the way they had expected. The age gap, domestic abuse, chaebol power struggles where the daughters of the family are mostly considered inferior and the pressure of fame with balancing your personal life with your public image.
I was also not a fan of Lee Tae Hwan character as he didn't seem genuine in the least. His feelings were all but superficial except in the part of the friendship.
My Feelings
As I said in the preface I was weirdly drawn to this drama. In my heart I gave it a solid 7 but my brain was ranting 'why why why?' Being a Joo Sang Wook fan probably had a lot to do with it and maybe he mesmerized me for a time. I'm not even sure I would recommend but I guess I kinda liked it.
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Even Ji-Kyung’s Makeup Skills Couldn’t Hide The Blemishes Of This Drama...
Before reviewing this series, it is important to note that makeup is an interesting, yet rarely tackled topic tackled within Korean dramas. Although over the past few years, we have seen shows like ‘beautiology 101’ (2016) and recent contenders such as ‘True Beauty’ (2020-21) , ‘Record Of Youth’ ( 2020) and ‘ Sunbae , Don’t Put On That Lipstick’ (2021) tackling or mentioning this topicality within their storylines , it is often commonly used as a subtle setup placed in favour of the romantic undertones or a romantic pairing within and drama .‘ Touch’ is no exception to “catching on” to this recent symbiotic trend of makeup and romance in one series. The show focuses upon a former - idol called Soo Yun ( Kim Bo Ra) who suddenly decides to become a makeup artist under the tutorage of makeup connoisseur Jung Hyuk ( Joo Sang Wook). The premise was oddly not a terrible setup in the grand scheme of romance dramas; not original within its concept, but surprisingly not provoking the series into uncharted territory of being “ unwatchable” at first either. It would seem the intrinsic flaw of the show boiled down to three major inconsistencies ; characterisation, pacing and ultimately the portrayal of Soo Yun and Jung Hyuk’s relationship throughout the show.
Addressing the first point of character-writing, it’s interesting to analyse exactly where the series went wrong overall within presenting this supposedly “ dynamic” relationship between the two leads of the series .
Soo Yun plays upon the typical “ underdog” trope by being talented and hardworking within her previous goals to become an idol, but ultimately letdown by a rigged and unfair system. Whilst it was an interesting notion to point out a critique in the otherwise “ fluffy and cutesy” drama towards the elements of injustice in the K-Pop industry, it didn’t really deliver a finer impact for viewers upon Soo Yun as an individual. In fact, Soo Yun was often a difficult character for viewers to truly feel emotional attachment towards as we are exposed to so little about her actual reasons or intrinsic motives at all within the drama, and even why she chose to become an idol in the first place. Consequently, the same problems aspire within Soo Yun’s choice to become a makeup artist. This is undeniably quite a specialist field which requires even for novices, years of talent, training and experience to land a small job in this industry , not least in a renowned company . With presumably little background in this field prior to the events of the series or aspirations shown beforehand towards makeup ( up until meeting the male lead as an idol), it is hard to truly define what drove Soo Yun into making this career choice and suddenly becoming her “ dream” without any previous passion towards makeup notably in the first place.
If this wasn’t problematic enough, Soo Yun has few true defining qualities which make her prominently stick out as a character. Aside from her questionable career paths lacking drive and motives, she was simply too staid within her decisions and actions at times to notably motivate the plot or relate to as an individual. This is not to suggest that a female character should be constantly boisterous, short-tempered and outgoing in order to be “ well-written” ( as this can be just as worse for falling into other cliches) , however, a well-written character often has something prominent or memorable about a certain personality trait, flaw or expression which instantly attracts or make them to appealing to an audience.
A good and notable example towards Soo Yun’s lacking depth and character writing as an individual is prominent within her reactions and behaviour around her abusive, former boyfriend. Most characters in a series dealing with this traumatic issue would probably struggle to open up in a relationship again or at least react emotionally towards often being cornered by someone who made your life miserable. Instead Soo Yun is incredibly passive towards the notion for a major proportion of the series, only “ reacting” to her experiences when it was necessary for the plot and later in an attempt quickly wrap up this storyline, “ forgiving” her former boyfriend. This was a hard notion to understand both within exactly how Soo Yun was trialed by these events as well as holding onto moral dignity as well. Although actress Kim Bo Ra was decent enough within her performance, it intrinsically felt devoid of expression and depth due to her poorly-written character.
Moving on to our next main protagonist , is Jung Hyuk, the main male lead of the series. Ambitious, eccentric and a perfectionist when it comes to makeup and natural beauty, he is pointed out to be an incredibly talented makeup artist by the characters of the series. Although San was terrible within his role, his character was in poor taste to say the least.
Initially Jung Hyuk appeared as a character who had the potential to learn and grow from his previous mistakes and aloof behaviour over the course of the series. Before moving onto a deeper criticism towards made Jung Hyuk a poorly-written and manipulative male lead, the one thing which the plot did do pretty well with Hyuk was showing viewers his motivation behind becoming a makeup artist unlike Soo Yun. On the other hand, one thing which prominently was not risen in this show was the issue over masculinity for a man in this field . Whilst there are notably younger male artists in this line of work in the series, considering the presumed age of Hyuk and having been in the industry for awhile, it would seem evident that over the years Hyuk has often faced discrimination or challenges towards his masculinity over appearing too “ effeminate” within his love and passion for makeup. This has long been a prominent, sociocultural issue in South Korea over images of masculinity as well as the divide over makeup becoming a “ social norm” against both genders, something which could have easily been mentioned or raise in the harsh and competitive world of the makeup industry presented in the series.
Yet the most evident problem with Jung Hyuk can be found through his notably controlling and harsh behaviour over the course of the series. This is something notably present within Hyuk’s psyche both within the workplace and his inferior treatment of the female lead for his own gain in the beginning of the series, as well as his horrible treatment of women in past relationships. Although most dramas would often attempt to show merely how the relationship between Jung Hyuk’s ex, Ji Yoon broke off over rows, what was disconcerting about “ Touch”’s dealing of the issue was introducing a serious issue of domestic abuse. In itself, the concept can be an interesting problem or critique of social issues in a series to explore, however, what was difficult to justify about its portrayal in the drama must have been the attempt to “ gloss it over” without pointing out that it is a serious and problematic issue.
If this isn’t problematic enough it gets worse when we assess the relationship between the two characters in the drama. It wasn’t primarily to do with the age difference between the characters, as often this aspect can often deepen relationships by learning to understand one another through generational differences. Instead, it was notably hard that the series did not truly build upon this relationship at all with an odd transition from “ master and apprentice” to “ lovers” without really transgressing over that threshold beforehand in the show. As individuals, it was hard to truly root for Jung Hyuk when he was principally portrayed as a greedy megalomaniac in both work place and his “ relationship” with Soo Yun, whilst Yun notably as a victim of a similar relationship in the past, seemed to insecurely and worryingly fall for the same trap in an almost “ subservient” manner than actual affection .
In the background of the problematic pairing exited Kang Do Jin (Lee Tae Hwan), an idol and a friend of Soo Yun who naturally entangles himself into becoming a cliche component of this love triangle. Arguably, Do Jin was the one fairly likeable character of the series who actually against his seeming vanity had a good- heart by helping out the female lead in numerous ways. Yet due to the poor pacing of the series, there was little time to truly focus or deepen Do Jin as an actual individual.
Overall, “ Touch” is a series which desperately tries to use the typical and cliche setups of romance in the workplace, but soon find its unravelling by poorly-written characters, an uncomfortable romantic pairing, questionable messages towards prominent issues of abuse against women and plot inconsistencies as well. Although it had a certain edge of “ fluff” within its setup and ending , the direction of the storyline felt aimless and lacking in a greater sense of storyline and development
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i like the show and all characters are well acted, but Kim Bo Ra has a poker face, i dont know when she is sad, when she is happy, is she in love??? is she mad ? is she angry or drunk?!!?i like her but i cant get her feeling at all. i dont empathy with her, to find out what happened to her at the end! mostly i was worried about others.
Joo Sang-wook was perfect like always.
Lee Tae-hwan did well too.
Lee Yul-em was so sweet.
the story was good enough to watch.
totally it was a really nice tv show, but i guess i cant watch it again.
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The drama had a bad romance. The age gap was not a problem really, but the real x factor that it was missing was the chemistry. The couple looked more like mentor-student than boyfriend-girlfriend. And the lack of romantic scenes between them did not help at all. The second lead, actually, had a better and cuter love story with the female lead than the main character.
Also, the story was okay, but not well executed. The second couple was messy, and at some point it felt like they were trying to make that bad guy who was hitting his wife, like the victim who deserved a second chance. In addition, the female lead's passion about makeup was kind of out of the blue and felt like she did it only so she can get a job, rather than she actually loved it. The business drama was good though and had a lot of twist.
So, overall, five out of ten.
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Very "meh"
This show tried to be many things at once, and failed at all of them.I genuinely don't remember the last time a couple had this little chemistry between them, to the point where they don't even feel like potential love interests, they just sort of exist in the same space and time continuum.
In fact, the writers didn't even try all that much to get them together. For a show called "Touch", the main couple touched for the first time in EPISODE 13!!
All along you're aware that they're supposed to end up together somehow, but there's never anything to make you believe they will, and you kind of get tired of waiting.
I guess it's because the whole crew had to walk that thin line between romantic and creepy in order not to offend the wider audiences, which is what you get when you make stupid casting choices and pair the nation's favourite child actress with a 17 years older actor.
I'm sure the actors did their best, it's really kind of hard to pretend you're falling in love when you barely spend five minutes together in the course of 6 episodes.
With barely any romance in sight, the writers tried to play around with the themes of "less is more" in the beauty industry, or failing and getting back up to fight again, balancing the public and private life of celebrities, the harsh reality of kpop idols, domestic violence. Unfortunately, they never delved deeper nor fully committed to any of them, or at least not enough to make a point. The villain was kind of pitiful at times, until you remember he's a domestic abuser.
All in all, I was bored by the time I hit episode 7, and just kind of skipped my way through to the end.
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This review may contain spoilers
This is my first time writing a review and I did so because i feel that this drama didn't get a review that it deserves!! Of course everyone has the right to say their opion but i want to give a positive review for this drama bcz it truly deserves a positive review!!! I ABSOLUTELY LOVE the feeling this drama gave me!!! The characters were so so so relatable. Every decision they made and the feelings were very genuine!!
Storywise: yes its predictable and you can tell what will happen next but how well the characters did together was HEART FELT!! The struggles they faced were true struggles anyone can face, like how Soo Yun (FL) struggled to know what is her real dream and what she wanted to be, that was something that is very genuine! Her feelings for the ML was heart felt for me, i didnt care about the age difference AT ALL, honestly those who mind age gap don't really understand its about the understanding/believing/trusting ur love one its not about the age difference! Jung Hyuk (ML) was willing to wait for her to find her dream and he believed in her talent (not even her parents were that supportive) he trusted her a lot and was very grateful for her existence in helping him overcome his own struggles with the company. I didnt mind the few physical interactions between the leads it was okay bcz its understandable how they felt about their age and then later on the hugs and kisses were super sweeeeet!!! I LOVE the coupling of a mature man and a bubbly girl, i realllyyyyy LOVED them together!!! also i loved the very healthy work environment, and how the whole staff were so cute and adorable to watch. Everyone of the TOUCH staff left a sweet touch in my heart♡
Acting: wow i can talk all day about Joo Sang Wook he's an amazing actor and portrayed the mature ceo of the company so well. Also how he is the mature one in the relationship. Im surprised by Kim Bo ra she did surprise me in a good way with her acting skills!! Everyone elso was also amazing!!! My favorite character was blady hahaha
Music: was so great the songs were soooo meaningful and went well with the message of trying to find yourself as an individual and finding what is ur dream!
Rewatch: yesssssss i know i will REWATCH!!!
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The show make you aware that they're supposed to end up together bu the age gap doesn't help.
The story was forgettable. Touch tried to tackle too many problems and themes without really developping them: business wars, chaotic relationships, domestic abuse ...
I don't even remenber that happend to the FL best riend eventough she is a supporting charactere.
And i absoletly can not forgive that they try that pass an abuser as a victim who deserved a second chance.
I felt that the funny or touching moment rely on the side characters . They kinda brighten this shows .
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This review may contain spoilers
The best parts of the show were the growth arcs of the leading characters and the journey of the lead from a failed idol career to finding a new passion. The relationships between characters was focussed on throughout the show including Han Soo-yeon's relationships with her parents who expected her to make a career in singing, her roommate, sunbaes, mentor Cha Jung-hyeok and strong bond of friendship with Kang Do-jin. It also tried to bring out the freshness and resilience of youth such as her roommate's mukbang, the fresh ideas the maknaes gave at work, and going as far as showing how a couple of 25 year olds help the mentor set up a new shop. The weakest part was the romance. They had a good mentor-mentee relationship and the leads did not have any romantic chemistry. The villain's attitudes and actions were ridiculous, and it was disturbing to see the second lead actress continue to stay on good terms with her abusive ex-husband. The boss Cha Jung-hyeok was written as childish and gullible. It was odd when they brought in other issues such as body image, sexuality, and fashion which was not needed.
Kim Bo-ra and Lee Tae-hwan put in good performances, as did many of the side characters. The drama is a one-time watch for me.
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Overall, I enjoyed it. It was cute and had some likable characters. However, there were things that irked me. The fact that they tried to victimize an abusive spouse really bothered me. Yes, what she did was wrong and shitty, but nothing, NOTHING justifies spousal abuse. The fact that she basically forgave him in the last episode and it implied they might get back together pissed me off.Also, and I really hope it was a joke, did they really give the gay character played by a gay man a girlfriend at the end?! I hope I misunderstood. I was pissed at this scene. It made no sense to me. Why would they reveal at the very end that he’s had a girlfriend this whole time?! I’m hoping I misunderstood or I missed something, and they were just messing with Hong Seok.
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Interesting view into VIP makeup, great acting, no chemistry with leads
8.5 is my rating. This is a 2020 South Korean romantic drama with 16, 70 minute episodes.Han Soo Yun (Kim Bo Ra) been hoping to debut as an idol for 10 years and it seems like her dreams have finally come true when she is selected among finalist to form a new girl group. Before she is able to fully realize her dream, a scandal breaks out surrounding her best friend and current male top actor Kang Do Jin (lee Tae Hwan). The company that manages both makes a decision (without letting the two young talents know) to let Soo Run take the fall for the incident and her dreams are over literally overnight. Cha Jung Hyuk (Joo Sang Wook) is a celebrity make-up artist who has earned so much fame in that profession that having your make-up done by him is considered a sure key to success. He did Soo Yun's makeup for the competition and she didn't really like it and wound up altering it to suit her image. Soo Yun does make-up for her popular you tuber friend and for other trainees and has some talent for doing makeup. When her idol dreams are crushed Soo Yun decides to fall back on her talent for make-up and applies for a trainee position with none other than Cha Beauty which is Jung Hyuk's company. Hilarity ensues when President (of the company) Cha discovers the girl who dared insult his make-up wants to work for him. Shortly after Jung Hyuk takes Soo Yun on as an artist in training, he loses everything over an industry scandal. As someone who is used to soldiering on Soo Yun shows Jung Hyuk how to start anew. Despite their large age difference, the two start to develop feeling for each other. However, Baek Ji Yoon (Han Da Gam) a top actress and Jung Hyuk's former girlfriend is back and wants him back. Kang Do Jin (Lee Tae Hwan) has realized he loves the girl who saw them both through their trainee days and wants to be more than friends. Will the two bond further through their mutual love of makeup or will their past loves and age difference drive them apart? Is this new dream enough to fill the gap left in Soo Yun's life from the long time she spent aspiring to be an idol?
*Spoilers. I both liked this drama and didn't. I really liked the friendships and found them to be very heartwarming. Learning about the world of VIP makeup was an intriguing slice of life. I am a fan of the "idol" trope so examining idols from the perspective of failed dreams and second chances was very compelling. Where I felt this lacked was the romance. Because of the age gap, there wasn't any chemistry, to me, between the two leads. I could so much envision her with Do Jin more and he was not only handsome but so sweet to her and everyone around her. I did not feel the connection beyond friendship of the two lead characters. The kiss scene lacked any deep emotion so it was hard to me envision them to gather in a romantic sense. I would have rated this much higher if the chemistry between the two had been there for me as the drama itself was very good from beginning to end. I still recommend this one for all the other elements, the slice of high art of makeup, the idol aspect, and all the friendships. It is worth it to watch for everything except for the romance - and it is still a good drama without that being perfect.
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The concept was basic but the summary was exaggerated which made me watch this one.
This drama was something lil different from other dramas, that is what I liked the most about this drama... There was less romance and more content in this and they tried to be more realistic and genuine in whatever they've shown. All the characters played their role well... And I specially like the male lead because he really was amazing throughout the drama...Female lead had to improve a bit in few places, while acting. Well I like her too because she was not like a regular leads in other dramas, she was different and a good one. Still she needs to improve in few areas.
I really feel bad for the second male lead here. It's so unfair for them in every dramas like why don't they deserve to get the girl they've loved. Hope Korean drama writers give Justice to our dear second male leads.
Nevermind, overall it was a very beautiful and good drama. I've Never written such a lengthy review before... That shows to what extend I liked this drama.
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