This review may contain spoilers
Best family drama ever, it's as simple as that
Where to start ? Once again is a gem, the kind of drama you bump into every 10 years. It's so perfect. Let's list the qualities of this drama :- Story : the story is about people who 'failed' their first marriage and given the importance of that in Korea, it's hard for them to get another chance. The show is perfect at giving hope and good feelings about it. It's absolutely lovely seeing every character rebuild their life and overcoming hardships. The only draggy moment was the fake sister storyline, but fortunately it wasn't there so long. That's the reason it's a 9.5 and not a 10.
- Characters : they're all so endearing, so well-built... I love them so much, each one has its own personality, its own qualities and defects, and its own development. I loved the market atmosphere and side characters were really funny. Okja... lol.
- Music : this OST in on my daily playlist. What more can I say ?
- Comedy : it's very funny and the humour is totally my type.
Anyway, I love the Song family and I feel like it's mine.
This drama can't be toped.
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STORY:
What I loved most about this drama was how it focused on fun and less on makjang. There are no crazy birth secrets or illnesses (not that serious anyway). The in-laws are flawed but all the characters grow and become a functional family by the end. You could pick your favourite member or sibling, because all are relatable in their own way. The premise of all siblings getting divorced was a bit weird to me, but they wrapped it up very neatly.
The struggles and emotions were real. It also gave some excellent message for families that fall apart, couples that break-up or in-laws who do not get along. I think there would be at least one plot or character everyone has seen or heard of in real life too.
SUB-PLOTS, ACTING & CHARACTERS:
I have no particular favourite romance plot, but my favourite people were Song mother, Yoon mother-in-law, Ga Hee, Seo Yoon (the eldest brother's daughter) and Jae Seok. These were my favourite characters who kept me most entertained. All the actors did an excellent job of their roles. There was some aspect of myself or my family or my acquaintances that I identified in each story. There were some annoying plots and characters as well but nothing gets too dragged.
OVERALL:
It's a family drama with daily issues. There isn't much to say in my review, but I would say it is worth a watch. It is a nice drama if you are looking for something light to watch because it is less heavier than some of the other dramas I have watched. Just the last 10-12 episodes were low on quality and the ending is a bit random - but at least the major characters received some closure by the end.
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Great surprise despite the slow start
For someone who went into watching this without knowing what to expect and instead decided to watch this to see if dramas with a huge amount of episodes can remain entertaining, I was greatly surprised with 'Once Again', despite a really rocky, slow start. However, after the rocky start, I would say nearly all episodes kept me highly entertained and made me want to watch more. Sure, some episodes were slower than others, but I was still entertained. When it comes to the family genre, since I don't really seek out dramas specifically in this genre, I recommend watching this if you are new to this type of genre.I loved nearly every single character, and the fact that many characters had their own times to shine respectively made this such a great drama. There were a couple of storylines that I did not like, mainly due to reasons of cringe. However, apart from that, I would say that I enjoyed all other storylines. The moral of this drama is perfect. Also, it shows what life is all about. The ups, the downs, the good times, and the bad. The hardships and the opportunities.
While I knew a few members of the cast, I was also unfamiliar with a few. However, after watching this drama, I can clearly say that I am a fan of everyone, and I am looking forward to seeing them in other dramas in the future! Some of the cast members have made me such a fan that I will be actively seeking to watch a drama that they are starring in.
The OST was also good, perhaps a little overplayed at some points, but all the songs involved were really captivating. The re-watch value.. I have inflated it a little. Basically, I probably wouldn't watch this drama from start to finish again, but I wanted to give a high re-watch value based on the fact that, for so many episodes, except from the rocky start, kept me entertained. That is something only a select few can achieve for me nowadays.
All in all, I recommend 'Once Again', especially if you haven't watched many dramas in the family genre before! This would be the perfect start!
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Amazing drama
I love this drama, I usually don't watch dramas that has 50 episodes but "Once Again" is an exception and really worth watching. The cast have justified their roles by amazing acting skills. The chemistry between all the characters of the drama is amazing. its a long run drama. But it won't disappoint the viewers in any way. This is one drama that touched my heart. I have finished the whole 50 episode but I still wanted more.Was this review helpful to you?
50 hours long but worth it
This is the first time I've written a review here. I am so appreciative of the reviews on MDL and the time people take to write them, so I wanted to do my part and encourage people to watch this excellent drama! Fifty hours for a single drama (100 half-hour episodes) seemed intimidating, but this show is very binge-worthy! The story flows so well, with so many moving parts all fitting neatly together, I just kept clicking on the next episode.The drama centers on the Song family and their neighbors at Yongju market, where the family has a fried chicken shop. While the series abounds in staples of a kdrama rom-com (a contract relationship, fake girlfriend, lost sibling, and an imposter relative, etc, etc), the characters were incredibly well-written and relatable, with realistic problems.
The family members include:
Patriarch Song Young Dal: generous and good-hearted (though a skinflint with the family budget), he carries a burden of guilt from childhood for leaving his sister when they were orphaned and he was unable to care for her.
Mother Jang Ok Boon: hot tempered yet fiercely protective of her children, three of whom are still living at home.
Oldest child and only son Song Joon Sun, a stuntman who has inherited his father's good heart. His generous impulses have ruined him financially and wrecked his marriage.
Oldest daughter Song Ga Hee, who left her cheating husband and is struggling to support her son.
Middle daughter Song Na Hee, a pediatrician with her husband Yoon Gyu Jin in the same profession. Her parents are very proud of her career and stable marriage, and consider her the most successful of their children. However, not all is as it seems.
Youngest daughter Song Da Hee, who is engaged to a fiancé with social and financial advantages. Here as well things don't turn out quite as expected.
Everyone has obstacles to overcome and issues to resolve., and manages to grow working through these personal challenges as the story goes on.
I would say Song Na Hee and her husband Yoon Gyu Jin are the primary characters. Their marriage is strained by life events and affected by their poor communication. Song Na Hee is whip smart, logical and emotionally distant. Yoon Gyu Jin is popular and friendly but not very mature. Their love story is touching and painful. You really feel for both of them.
My favorite romance by far is that of Da Hee, the youngest daughter, and Yoon Jae Suk, who is actually Yoon Gyu Jin's brother. They are both lovable goofballs. Their love story is so cute and quite a counterpoint to Na Hee and Gyu Jin, as they seem so attuned to each other's feelings and so kind and supportive of each other. I just loved it and admit I went back and re-watched all their scenes. They were just so hilarious together.
There are many other minor characters with their own story lines, all entertaining and nicely integrated into the overall plot. The humor was fantastic, and the actors were so well cast.
OST: I really liked the music, and I normally don't even pay attention to the sound track at all. I actually downloaded two of the songs: Love is Danger by Raina & Song Yu Vin, and Spring Breeze by Lee Moon See.
I rated the show 9.5 - some of the storylines were a little predictable, or too neatly tied up in the end, so not a perfect 10.
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Initially, I enjoyed the set-up for the main characters, Na Hee and Gyu Jin. Over time, however, I found them to be overbearing and frankly, frustrating. I became more attracted to the supporting characters and their developmental arcs, particularly Oh Yoon Ah's character (Ga Hee) and Lee Cho Hee's character (Da Hee). While it is hard to say how things will turn out, given the drama is still airing, I find them to be much more interesting than the main characters (for now).
I am a sucker for dramas with lots of side plots and non-nuclear family structures, so this was a hit for me. The original soundtracks are also really good (check out "눈 감아도 눈을 떠도 (When I Close My Eyes)", the second soundtrack and my personal favourite)). If you guys are looking for a comedic and light-hearted 주말 드라마 and are happy to invest in a 100-episode journey, I highly recommend "Once Again".
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Find love and comfort through this Kdrama once again
Aside from the slow, if not confusing, first few episodes, and the overbearing Ok-boon (Cha Hwa-yeon) at the beginning, this show proved once again why family-themed Kdramas should not be easily glanced and just skipped right away.The clue to enjoy Kdramas with a family-centered story consisting of many storylines with overlapping connections, is to have a spontaneous pacing and flow. This show was successful on those aspects, and it was able to make me glue my eyes on the screen throughout its 50-episode run.
Of course, the production value is not on par with the more famous 16 or 20-episode dramas. One of my recurring issues here was the inconsistency of the frames on several scenes contributing to production lapses. Some were subtle errors where I had to rewind a few seconds earlier to confirm said errors, yet some were quite obvious. Will not spoil them for the next viewers to be able to enjoy this show more than I did.
But this is easily forgotten by the great and heartwarming story shared by the Song family and its ever expanding members. The main story of the separation of 2 siblings serves as its highlight. Even though it was dragging and too makjang-y at some point, its pinnacle was just worth it, if not totally gratifying.
There were also aplenty of romances of some sort. Most, I agree and rooted with except one where I expected the screenwriter to explore more, only to end as a footnote on the overall story. I was also rooting for them, but just why? Still, this show was not short of showing and sharing love on one another.
If I were to pick my favorite character here, it has to be Jae-seok (Lee Sang-yi). His development all throughout has overturned his immaturity at the start of the show. He was also consistent with his character and his smile and laugh are just contagious. His story was also one where I was emotionally-invested the most.
Speaking of character developments, I was glad that the mother was also able to have one. She was the one I hated the most with her haughty character, not caring or even trying to understand the perspective of others aside from herself. But then again, it's a family-themed Kdrama so the best outcomes are to be expected.
Lastly, I just found the Song family to be comforting, in that despite their situations, they were able to still push through and how they handled it were very typical in a family. I liked how this show portrayed a family (the Song family in this case), in the most realistic manner. It showed that no family is perfect, but at the end of the day, they still find comfort with one another. I also found comfort along with them.
Not thinking about some noticable flaws in the story and looking for something heartwarming and just good feels, one can find love and comfort through this Kdrama once again.
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Believe it or not, this was my first ever Kdrama
I had no experience with kdrama, reading subtitles was not natural, and yet this hooked me for 100 episodes! The acting is really good, the family dynamics are fun and dramatic, the romance is slowburn and cute♡This was good enough for me to not only finish all 100 episodes (before i was aware that a mere 16 is standard) but then to also pick up a 2nd kdrama and a 3rd and a 4th...🤗
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This review may contain spoilers
This was an unexpected surprise for me. My first weekend drama and a first longer drama. The message of it hit the spot for me, I was having (and still in way am) a harder time at work than usual -I think that most of us do right now - and for a time this was the only escape for me. I am still hoping it will all pass and this drama gave me a bit of hope. Once Again was the highlight of my day, the only couple of minutes that I was able to smile and loved it to pieces.What this drama does so well is the early development of the individual stories of each character. Some have a later arrival than others and the perspective often changes, giving more screen time to those who are in more eventful moments and it steers away from those, whose story needs a little more time. I had no idea how I did it, but I watched the first 30 episodes in eight days. This is something I almost never do. TV is always a reward for me but this made my self-control just fly out of the window.
My hunger for the series slowed down when the events in some storylines kept hitting the peek. I often found myself quite emotional and having quite a dramatic situation on my hands irl, I just needed to calm down a bit. This wasn't due to the tempo of the drama, I think that it was very stable throughout the series and it kept it's pace until the end. Slowing down in watching it made me appreciate it much more, and I was also finally able to see the details that make this drama so great.
The drama finishes with a couple of episodes that are pure fan-service and it does not leave any storyline hanging. This makes Once Again incredibly rewarding and the 50+ hours of it totally worth it.
The cast of the drama is pretty much phenomenal. Even the children, who are often sore spots in dramas, are tolerable here. To be honest, there isn't one performance that I wouldn't enjoy. I especially liked the two mother figures - Kim Bo Yun and Cha Hwa Yun were incredible - there are plenty of moments where they let you love to hate them. The four siblings and Yoon brothers carry most of the drama though, and they are doing it admirably. Also, Lee Sang Yi smiles so brightly, that I am pretty sure I saved some money on my electricity bill due to not needing to have my light on while watching his laughter in the drama.
The story comments on many elements of daily life in South Korea and especially on the common theme of appearances in front of others. I think that everyone could relate to it and while there was not anything groundbreaking in terms of storytelling here, the dialogue is written so well that the drama is addicting and it will keep you coming back for more. The Song siblings are also very human and I think that every viewer will see elements of himself/herself in at least one of them. They are also #squadgoals.
The OST was nice and Lee Moon Sae's song, often featured in ending sequence, will be stuck in your head for weeks. Trust me.
I am so happy I gave this one a go. The number of episodes might seem intimidating but... It's just so worth it. I cannot wait to come back to this a rewatch not only my favourite moments, but probably the whole series again.
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Somehow not long enough?
"According to the monk who passed away, a child chooses his parents from heaven. The parents are so grateful for choosing them, just for that one reason, they give in to their children a thousand times."In a drama with 100 episodes and what felt like a thousand things happening simultaneously, we always seemed to return to each character's family and specifically their relationships with their parents (even the side characters that we saw for less than a fifth of the drama). Those were always the moments that brought me to tears. I think I was especially touched by the portrayal of Ga Hee because there was so much of myself I could see in her as the oldest daughter in a big family. This struck the perfect balance between goofy moments and heartbreaking, poetic conversations between characters who truly care for one another. The length at first is daunting, but by the time you reach the end, it almost wasn't long enough.
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The best family drama that i have ever watched..!!!
A drama with 100 episodes that i never thought i would finish, but here i am rewiewing it. The first thing that i have to say is that every single ep is worth watching. It's ok to spent this amount of time if it's such a great drama.Sooo.. this drama starts with the Song family which includes the mother the father and four adult kids( 3 women and 1 man).
The Song family has a really stressful life and goes through a lot of unpleasant events. This drama has a refreshing story with all kind of relationships. Also deals with real life problems.
Half through the drama you might start thinking what else can it show. But trust me it's keep geting better because sudently it brings you more unexpected problems, that the family has to deal. More family issues are created and of course more romance.
Overall ,I would recommend this drama to everyone because it has a great balance between a romance an a family drama.
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This review may contain spoilers
A MUST WATCH K-DRAMA!!!
Never... EVER would I have thought that I would be watching a korean soap opera style drama. Whenever I watched 16 episode kdramas, I felt it was too long.... and yet I finished this 50 episodes, more than 1 hour per episode, drama in under a week!! It was SOOOO AMAZING, it had me excited to come home the next day from work so I could continue it.... I loved the parents, the siblings, the grandkids, everyone. I cried almost 5 times watching this. It had such heartwarming moments paired with realistic struggles of family, marriage and love. I wish I could wipe my memory of this drama and watch it all over again.My ABSOLUTE favorite couple is our maknae, Song Da Hee and Yoon Jae Suk. I just love them both together so so soooooo freaking much. More than the main first couple but truthfully all the couples had their strengths and weakness. Ahhh such an amazing drama!!!!!!! I just found out there's a chinese drama remake of this.... I am off to go watch it, I will be happy if it is even HALF as good as this one!!
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