So Not Worth it (2021)

A Decent Sitcom

I have seen the other comments and reviews and I get why people are not that impressed. Yes, it has some outdated jokes but it also has some really hilarious scenes. The story is overall fun and anyone can see that some of the sub plots were not tied up indicating a possible s2.

Also, coming to the acting part, Except for Park Se Wan I havent seen any of them in a major role. Plus as I am a kpop fan, I really enjoyed Minnie and Youngjae acting. Even the rest of the cast delivered what they were expected to.

Not to mention there were so many cameos!! If you watch korean variety shows, u will absolutely like the cameos and some references too.

To conclude, It is a really good sitcom.. It is best to binge or to watch ep by ep when u feeling down and need something to lift your mood. I sincerely hope there will be a s2 to this!!

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I enjoyed it!

So far I am seeing this series being separated by two types of viewers- those who hate it and those who like it. I am in the latter. And that's okay! Cause everyone has different personal preferences. It's up to the individual to form thier own opinions when they watch this series.

Story-9/10
I was in the beginning giving this series an 8/10. However, the latter part of the series I actually liked as they touched on issues that I personally wasn't expecting them to touch. So for that, I raised my ratings to a nine (I still felt that it had something that I don't like, so I can't give it the full ten).

Acting-9/10
I actually liked everyone's acting. They were able to keep my attention and was able to get a chuckle or two sometimes out of me. I was very impressed by Choi Youngjae as this is his first acting gig as a ML.

Music-10/10
People are not going to change my mind! The music is a clear 10/10! Loved the OST and just hearing Youngjae singing so beautifully! I was so happy! I played the OST all the time for every episode. That's how in love I am of the song as well as Youngjae's voice.

Rewatch Valu-8/10
I give this an 8/10. Cause while I did enjoy it and don't mind rewatching it again, I just don't see myself watching it immediately- but I do see myself watching it sometime soon.

Overall-9/10
Overall, I enjoyed this series. Maybe I was the targeted audience (I highly doubt it). But what I do know is that yes, I would recommend this series to others.

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Is it “ So Not Worth” Watching This Drama?

In between the badly-timed laugh tracks, sound effects and sporadic comedy jokes in dialogue and screen titles ( often accompanied by outdated hashtags) , “ So Not Worth It” ( written by screenwriters Seo Eun Jung and Baek Ki Hyung ) attempts to offer a “ fresh” take on youth culture in South-Korea with a group of international students. However whilst the show did present some intriguing messages towards recognising diversity and fighting against prejudice stereotypes in South-Korean society, “ So Not Worth It” often failed to hit the mark by struggling to reach its full potential.

The acting is admittedly a mixed-bag. As the majority of the cast are comprised of novice or first-time actors, it is undeniable that the acting quality varied a lot. During more heartfelt moments of the show, the cast were able to give dynamic performances, however, comical elements surrounding their characters was a little questionable to say the least.

As characters, the show often reimbursed into going into extremes of being over-the-top stereotypes. Teaching assistant Se Wan ( Park Se Wan) was arguably less overtly flamboyant than the other characters in the series due to her down-to earth personality and constant need to have other part-time jobs in order to survive. Consequently , this was closely followed by Hyun Min ( Han Hyun Min). There seemed to be a lot that the series was trying to address with Hyun Min’s difficult lifestyle as a student as well as annoyingly being mistaken as a foreigner. By far, there were certainly some interesting and funny moments with Hyun Min’s interactions around sister Han Hyun A ( Choi Yu Jin) and his mother, however, more controversial issues which were prominent with Hyun Mom’s character were often swept under the carpet .

The series enjoyed playing and milking on the comedy elements a lot also. It is therefore no surprise that clueless and klutzy Korean- American Jamie ( Shin Hyun Seung) soon began to predominate screentime with his predictable pairing with Se Wan. Refreshingly as we progress we do learn a bit more about Jamie outside of the comical moments regarding his complicated life, however, it did feel at times this portrayal was a little lacking. ( As the series could have even helped to portray difficulties for Jamie trying to adapt to a different culture.)

The other supporting characters such as Korean - Australian Sam ( Choi Young Jae), Hyun Min’s roommate Tetris ( Tetris Brown) and their roommate Hans ( Joakim) were often used to generate quick farce moments in the show rather than being used to reach more poignant moments .

It was evident to a lot of watchers just how much this show had been tailored for western audiences. This isn’t a surprise considering the popularity of K-dramas in the west, however, the stereotypes in order to appeal to ‘ westernised audiences’ were incredibly enforced such as Thai K-drama fan Minnie( Minnie)’s constant references to K-drama quotes or actors in order to make the show " appealing ”. ( Including a cringeworthy moment when Minnie is visiting an army barrack and begins to reference ‘’ Descendants of the Sun ".)

Then there was the American international student Carson ( Carson Allen). As viewers, we admittedly did get to see some brief glimpses into Carson’s love-life which helped to sketch her out more as an individual. However, her “ old-man” style of speaking often took away more profound moments of her character by being used as a tiresome running gag in the show.

Of course it is wrong to suggest that ‘ So Not Worth It’ didn’t have some more bittersweet moments either. There was a fairly intriguing element to a group of international students becoming friends which was fortified by standing up for one another at different moments in the show. When Carson reveals her Korean boyfriend had an affair behind her back, the ragtag group of friends are quick to rush over to give him an earful. In another scene of this episode, Se Wan and Carson have a fairly sweet moment as friends, whilst in a later episode Hyun Min’s mother makes a profound point that being a mother isn’t just a biological, but having a strong bond with your child ( regardless of whether they are blood-related or not) also . In another heartfelt moment of the show, Carson altruistically plans matchmaker with Terris and her date after cottoning onto to Terris’ feelings . Yet in between the more profound moments of the series, the boorish comedy often took this away in exchange for childish and tiresome jokes and running gags . The ending was arguably left on the possibility for a second season with a feeling for incompleteness for viewers , however, a lacking sense of fulfilment truly did bring to the question what on earth viewers spent 12 episodes watching .

So is ‘ So Not Worth’ it “ worth ” investing time towards ? If you’re looking for a quick series to binge-watch then this sitcom is the answer to your dreams. However, the desired attempt to present a diverse cast evidently targeted for a “quick fix” to attract western audiences was strongly apparent over quality. There was a certain glamorisation over more subtle issues in South-Korean society with numerous one-dimensional characters in an attempt to heighten poorly-written farce moments.

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This drama really isn't for everyone

For the most part, I enjoyed it. I went in without any expectations. I didn't really know anything about the plot besides a whole bunch of international students living together. There is hints of romance and some of the plot lines had potential, but there wasn't really a whole lot to it. There was so many ways to make the plot more developed and talk about being an international student, but they didn't do that. I guess the plot to most people is the con, but to me it was bearable. I will add there were very questionable things that didn't sit right at times and if you watch it you get what I mean. I also will add, if you hate laugh tracks, you will not like this sitcom/drama at all.

I loved the casting. I think that was the best part of the drama. It was nice to see a lot of familiar faces. It is pretty rare to see foreigners that actually know how to act. For the most part, most of them are new actors so I wasn't expecting a lot, but I was pretty impressed. Especially with Youngjae and Minnie, it was nice to see them act together in this sitcom, so I'm looking forward to seeing them act again.

I personally enjoyed it with a few exceptions and take my rating lightly because I liked it better then most. I give this drama/sitcom a 7.5/10.

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an energetic and relaxing sitcom

Overall, I don't think this is a bad sitcom. Yes, it has its flaws, but I think this is a great show to watch if you want to cheer up and want something easy to watch. (at least lately, Doom At Your Service and Hospital Playlist have been stressing me out so this sitcom was a breath of fresh air). Also, can we talk about the diversity in this cast? I loved the concept of international students in a Korean dorm and it brings a very nice spin to your typical school setting TV show.

While the story has some clichés and jokes that fall flat, it also has great and hilarious moments. The story touches on friendship, relationships, and family and (most of) the characters are not their initial one-dimensional stereotypes. I thought the plotlines were interesting for the most part and they definitely made me want to keep watching. A few of the plotlines were pretty predictable. However, I couldn't stop smiling pretty much throughout the entire show.

I thought the acting wasn't bad at all. I personally liked Park Sewan's acting. I was pleasantly surprised by Minnie and Youngjae's acting, and the actor who played Jamie did a pretty great job for a newcomer. Han Hyunmin was hilarious. I thought the other 3 (actors of Carson, Terris, Hans) had okay acting for the okay plotlines they were given. Overall, nothing bad enough to ruin the whole thing.

This show has its good moments and I would recommend it to anyone who wants an easy watch and lots of cheerful, positive, youthful energy. :)

And of course, I have to talk about some extremely memorable scenes in this drama that will probably live in my mind for the next year.
- the kimchi slap
- Hyunmin's rap
- Minnie and "Captain" (actually Private) Yoo
- Jamie declaring his love for Sewan to the reporters

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Despite all the hate comments and the negative reviews, this is actually quite good, it was super fun to watch despite some scenes having the 'cliche-cringe' sitcom scenes, but that's exactly what it was supposed to be. It wasn't a heavy watch, with only around 35 minutes per episode and just watching it for fun, isn't really story heavy dominated. Cast were definitely good as well, some were acting for the first time but it was pretty good for their firsts ! Minnie and Youngjae did a great job too. You should definitely give it a try if you just want laughs and a short light watch .. Waiting for Season 2 ^^ I do agree that some laugh tracks at the background was edited wrongly at the wrong times but that's just a minor thing it really doesn't affect anything. Also many cameos with Haha, Kang Ho Dong, Yoon Jong Shin, Lee Soo Geun, and more.. (u shld know them if u watch variety shows )

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I just knew people would hate it.

But not me though because im loving every little things about it. But a litte advise to the saddist, serious drama fans that prefer 100% perfection on story line, hair style, facial expression, sound effect, interesting Dramatic boohoo crying all the time drama, this is not for you. Dont watch it then no sadness fall upon you unless you actually like sadness rent free on your mind. All this is because you hate it but you still watchng it.

This is a SITCOM
You hate this sitcom then you would probably hateall kinda sitcom all together just because you cant relax.

I love all 8 characters
Sewan
Jamie
Minnie
Sam
Hyunmin
Hans
Terris
Carson
They did a very good job.

Its a perfect "light hearted" sitcom to relax your mind and think about the reality. Well i get it no one likes reality but everyone deserve a relax moment and a smile on your face after a stressful daily chores.

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Good for a quick and fun binge session!

Overall it wasn't that bad and good enough if you want to binge-watch a short kdrama that doesn't make you think too much and it was quite fun.
The story had its clichés and boring sides at times but also at the same time it had its moments that might make you feel giddy. Also, the way it had so much diversity and had people from many different countries so that was something new to watch especially in a show with the typical school setting. The cast consisted of people who've acted before and people whose first acting gig was this one but I think they all pulled off their characters really well. I really enjoyed Youngjae and Minnie's acting since they were the reason I bothered to even watch it.
Not to mention the music was really good, loved the intro song a lot!!
The show had its flaws as well as strengths which grew on me as I watched more episodes. I don't see myself re-watching the whole thing anytime in the future but I might want to watch one or two episodes of it since it's a light and cheerful drama. Also, it's a breath of fresh air that anyone can watch in between watching stressful or shows that have a more heavy topic. So I would give it a 7/10 since I really enjoyed it but I didn't like some parts of it so thus I can't give it a higher score than this.
This series could've ended in one season but it seems like I have to wait for a season two now.

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Is 'So Not Worth It' worth it?

It depends on who you ask. I can definitely see the appeal this show has to a younger, college-age audience but the show really didn't come across as a genuine effort at inclusion and diversity that it so desperately wants to be. Maybe it's because 'So Not Worth It' is an unoriginal sitcom, the jokes are predictable low-hanging fruit, and the show itself seems to constantly pat itself on the back for casting non-Koreans who speak fluent Korean--a novelty that wears off quick in the early episodes. And don't get me started on the ill-timed laugh track--an obvious attempt at masking the writers' severe lack of skills for writing comedy for such a diverse group of characters. What's also obvious is that the creators of SNWI didn't do their homework as far as racially diverse character development is concerned. This show is messy at best and there were so many missed opportunities to offer humorous takes on much more relevant topics happening in the world today. Instead, 'So Not Worth It' proves that it's not worth it.

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A sitcom with potential, perfect for binging

I'm gonna be one of the people who thinks that this drama is good. I do agree with some of the criticisms, especially to the ones which say the comedy is quite over the top or the "haha" sound effects being completely ineffective or badly timed. As a comedy drama, it falls short (though personally I did enjoy most of it in that aspect), but as a short drama overall, it holds potential.

What stood out for me were the characters. I watched this show without any expectations. I was greeted with colorful characters that you usually find in, well, any other sitcoms. While at first their variations as to what they can bring for the overall group dynamic seemed too cliché for me, I ended up loving them. Some more so than the others, specifically Carson, Hyunmin, and Sewan. The show juggles through different topics for each episode, focusing on specific characters or pairs or groups of characters. And although I enjoyed how their situations were presented, I think the show didn't play enough with the character dynamics. This is important for a sitcom or any type of show with this format. Although it presents a steady plot, a large portion of the show's focus should be given to how its characters, with all of their variation, interact with each other. And I think the drama didn't experiment with this aspect that much. Often times the same characters are always together, not giving enough room for other dynamic to shine through. Considering this is quite short though, running only thirty minutes for a total of twelve episodes, I hope the show improves on this aspect if ever they make a second season.

Reading tweets or comments from other people, I found that some of them were not quite pleased with having romance as a subplot, or more accurately on the romance of the leads. Personally, I think this aspect of the show was integrated quite well. If you'd expect a sitcom about a group college kids to have no romance at all, then you're in for a disappointment. Most of the themes explored in the series revolves around romance. And I'm okay with this, really. It was delivered well and it was mostly cute. What I'm quite disappointed, however, was there is literally no part in the show which showed their struggles in school. I'd expect to have some frustrations over school requirements or fitting in and all that, considering they are still students, but the show surprisingly did not explore anything regarding this. This is one of the only two things that I hoped the show would improve on if they continue doing it.

That said, I have to commend the drama for being open. I've noticed most Kdramas now have started to break out from the conservative culture, so I'm not really surprised that this drama would delve into certain topics that are generally frowned upon by the more conservative ones. This drama, however, still managed to keep the show brave and innocent at the same time. I also love it for breaking some Kdrama tropes, especially in the drama part. The way it handled the dating scandal bit, the insecurity of the individuals in a couple, the cheating/moving on bit, it went through that with minimal, if there are any, drama at all. It went through resolving these phases quickly, much better than how many other Kdramas would painfully drag on. Although this quick turnout is mainly because of the show's overall length, it isn't to say they handled it sloppily. Instead it was presented maturely, which would sometimes even surprise you considering these characters have their quirks. The romance may seem a bit fast paced, but overall it's not bad. The show is easy to watch because it leads the viewers well. As the show progresses, you will easily identify which characters will be romantically involved with whom before it even happens. Which is why it surprised me how there are some who complained about the "unnaturalness" of the romantic development between certain couples.

If you're in it for the comedy, and the type that makes you giggle nonstop or ugly laughing, then you'll probably hate this show, especially if you can't stand it being corny every once in a while. Also if you don't like some cutesy romance, steer clear from this. BUT if you like a lighthearted show without too much drama with an easy format and strong-willed characters, then this one might be for you.

Oh yeah, I said I only have two complaints, but I have to agree with many others about the laughing sound effects. It's better if it's not there at all. That makes it three. But it's okay, the show is still enjoyable.

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