This review may contain spoilers
In a unique way affectionately told. Critically nuanced. Not off-the-shelf. Still easy to digest.
I might have easily missed “Not Others”, if I hadn't volunteered to help out with the German subtitling. I'm glad I didn´t miss it, because "Not Others" turned out to be an unorthodox surprise - being unexpectedly substantial and also pleasantly true to life, thus rooted in a rather simple, normal, everyday world. It is the story of a family, above all of a single mother and her daughter, but there are also a few contemporaries who are related by blood or by choice.The story goes on and on as life goes on and we go with it as a matter of course (and gladly so). (Well, at least that's how it was for me.) There was nothing particularly extraordinary and exciting about it. Just normal madness.
Well, admittedly, a bit more than normal madness... after all, the mother herself is still a teenager when she has her child and doesn't want to give up on some of the youthful pleasures in life - regardless of responsibility for the child. However, the script and the two leads find a good pitch for this very special, unusual and inherently difficult relationship dynamic with all its challenges. A clearly structured 'I'm the grown up and you're the little one' doesn´t exist. It is rather upside down here. Instead of the classic authoritarian hierarchy between parent and child, they both ended up bonding as allies sort of, in a world from which they have fallen. Due to the unusual role constellations, the arguments between mother and daughter often have a slightly funny touch. Behind this, however, lurks a rather unconscious overburdening on both sides. And this earnest approach of this emotionally tricky situation shines through again and again in the strategy of both of them trying to cope with everyday life. However, mother and daughter are overall impressing with their casual authenticity as well as pleasant directness and openness - a communication style that clearly sets them apart from so many others in the story. Choi Soo-young shines here, but especially Jeon Hye-jin, who can show herself from a completely different side in the role of the still youthful mother...).
At some point it's about a criminal case - eventually almost symbolic for the unwanted and eventually professionalized role of the daughter within the mother-daughter-relationship: the need to/the urge to look after her mother. And at some point it's also about romantic love - symbolic for the very human longing to rely on a partner on eye level, to lean on a shoulder... This human need actually concerns mother and grown-up daughter alike. But can there even be a place for 'outsiders' within the mother-daughter relationship?
Please don't take "Not Others" as a crime thriller or even as a RomCom. (The men in particular come along rather secondary...) Ultimately, it is the complicated emotional behavior patterns that characterize the family life of mother and daughter in the context of their very close and extraordinary relationship. This makes the KDrama breathe in and breathe out in its very unique pacing. It is primarily about this uncommon family, with an affectionate, yet critically nuanced look at their very special relationship dynamics. "Not Others" is cautiously questioning established (conservative) family models, too...
Overall, “Not Others” is no off-the-shelf KDrama (like so many others in 2023...).
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I wish this was a J-drama
Yes, I know the title will raise an eyebrow or ten. It is intentional because while the show is good, it has issues with pacing and the quantity and quality of plot materials. Please allow me to explain.The show starts with an odd couple trope. The mother had the FL when she was still in high school, and we see flashbacks of those trying years. It helps to illustrate her struggles and how she overcame the challenges to build a life for herself and her young daughter. Overall, it is impactful and well done but you have to paste the odd bits together to get the full picture. To say the duo have a love-hate relationship is an understatement.
There is no doubt this is a female centric drama. The mum is involved in about 60% of the plots. That is fine because she is a good actor in a strong role. However, if you expect the younger FL to be the focus then you will be disappointed.
Of course, there are male leads, and they are very good actors, but their roles are firmly in support. This is particularly true for the mum's partner. He is totally devoted to her and he is the nicest guy. Our younger OTP took a long time to get going. It definitely started as a love-hate thing. This is where my remark about j-drama becomes more pertinent.
The show did suffer from mid show drag. The pace slowed and our couples are dancing around each other in baby steps. On top of that, the show digs deep in the box of tricks and fishes out a murder mystery to fill the gap. This is why I said I wish this was a j-drama. Japanese usually do this type of female centric dramas better without having to shoehorn in unnecessary (aka murderous) side plots.
Let's call a spade, a spade. The heinous act was egregious. The poor victim is basically faceless and portrayed in a bad light. The murderer was just a shady figure in the dark. We never truly understood his motive. As soon as he is caught the plot terminates. They could have substituted any lesser crimes and still keep the plot flowing.
The use of such lazy devices is now my pet peeve. The target is always a young woman. It is mostly done to inject some (unnecessary) shock/horror. If we are lucky, it serves a purpose, otherwise it is just a momentary distraction. Of the 3 k-dramas I watched recently, this has one murder, Behind Your Touch has at least one and My Lovely Liar scored the trifecta. I don’t know how young Korean ladies can sleep peacefully at night.
If we take away the murder, we are left with a straightforward girl power motif. We certainly see good interactions between the female characters. Sisters united - will not be defeated! This extends to the unconventional ending. Yes, some are disappointed with the arrested OTP development and a lack of skinship but I can also see why they ended the show this way.
The writer used the last 2 eps to reinforce a couple of key messages. The found family you choose is more important than the family you were born into. The older ML rejected his manipulating parents, again. The sad passing of the grandma spotlights a brother who cared nothing for the old lady in life but wants her money in death. The final scene in the hotel is particularly poignant because the FL found out that the old lady actually adopted her mum so that she really is her grandmother rather than just a term of endearment.
The ML played the noble idiot card so that the FL can go back to the HQ without hindrance. It was a lie and it went down like a lead balloon. He knew it and so does the FL. The quick kiss from the FL on the day of her departure sealed the deal. He also said that he will wait for her. That is quite swoon-y without being too lovey-dovey. That's not his style.
The mum showing up at the airport was total self indulgence. She is happy to live her own life but it is a comfort to have a partner you can lean on at the same time. Win-win.
Our CP's giving each others space and respect their SO's decisions is enlightening. Yes, it wasn't quite the grand romantic gesture we had hoped, but in light of the prevailing messages, it is an appropriate and fitting finish.
Acting is solid from the experienced ensemble. OST is pleasant. Rewatch is possible but a low priority.
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So much good ruined by lack of maturity and high voices
Something about this drama reminds me of Gilmore Girls just not as complex and with a lot more yelling done kind of meeh...The story itself is actually pretty good and it does tackle a bunch of interesting issues and has this lovely take on found family, to be honest one of the best single teen mother from a broken family grows up to choose a family of her own... and what a lovely family it is.
The characters are pretty decent, the murder mystery kind of predictable.... But damn these women yell a lot, and by a lot I mean i had to turn off the volume at times as my ears hurt. The cofp f.l is so typical role reversal cop of the worst kind making me wonder how the hell she got the job in the first place as she needs both impols control, rehab and and anger management. The actress preformed well it was the script and directing that failed her completely.
Our so called romance is lacking in so many ways, not so much lack of chemistry but lack of everything pretty much every thing else... As this is a slice of life yelling drama with tiny pebbeles of romance with the most romantic scene being a person falling a sleep and leaning their head against the other person.
There is a complete lack of maturity in all but two guys who lack communication skills but are good at making puppy eyes.
So what can I say the story had a lot of potential but the yelling just killed it off...
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Bloodline doesn't make you family, but heart does.
This is a story of the friendship of a mother-daughter duo who got each other's back through thick and thin. Let me be clear, this is neither a rom-com nor a heavy emotional drama but a proper mature drama with no adult scenes. I refer this as a mature drama because they deal with certain emotions which are not easily understandable for a teenager or a minor. If you're one, then I doubt you will enjoy this as much as I did.The plot revolves around the world of this duo. Here the daughter, Jin hee is a lot mature than her mother Eun mi. Eun mi is an independent, feisty, confident woman who likes to have fun, be reckless but never let anyone even her daughter control her life. She is her own boss who spice up this duo's life. On the other hand, Jin hee is calm, confident and a diligent daughter who works as a police officer. They have different opinions and values of life, but they try to hurt each other's feelings. They're more like constantly bickering friends than anything. At first, Eun mi's character might feel selfish, but she has every reason to act like that. She became a single mother at the age of 16 and never got to enjoy her life like normal youngsters. And Jin hee got matured at an early age because of her situation. They are very protective of each other. Like yin and yang they both of them complete each other. The chemistry between these two is too awesome! Sometimes they'll make you laugh, sometimes they'll make you cry too.
Another reason for calling this a mature drama is because how they dealt with the family issues. At first when Eun mi started dating Jin hee's biological father after 30 years, I thought this is weird. how come she can act like nothing happened and date the person who was unaware of his own child. Then she declared very clearly that even if she date this person Jin hee will always be her top priority and irrespective of Jin hee's relation with person she will be her child, ONLY HER'S. They were awkward and hesitant at first but they overcome that and accepted this whole thing as a fresh start. The biological father never demanded to be treated as her father because he can never fill the blank space in Jin hee's life. She's happy as the way things are and so there's no need to complicate things further. They respected each other's space which created a harmony in them.
From the very beginning they got me hooked. The drama, suspense, emotional scenes, all were shot very realistically. I adored each character even if they were flawed. Many viewers said that they wanted to see the romance between Jin hee and Jae won but let's not forget that main lead here is the Mother-daughter duo, they focused on the relationship between these two.
It was an interesting journey to core of a mother-daughter relationship. Almost felt like I was watching myself on the screen.
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‘‘Twas good until it wasn’t
It’s one of those Kdramas where there’s a lot of bickering and Aigoo and aishhh and whyyyy and shouting and hitting… very typical Kdrama , which I’m not particularly fond of.I DO LIKE the essence of the storyline- which is centred around mother Eun Mi and daughter Jin Hee. Each episode started with a little prologue of their lives years ago- how she got pregnant, how tough it was, how Jin Hee grew up as a child etc.. but again, the bickering and shouting were just too much to handle. There were also many soppy moments talking about love and life. I do like the dynamics and tacit understanding between mother and daughter. It was very unique and admirable, no matter how “broken” it was.
The romance was nothing really… just like a flittering speck of dust. Hahaha… so don’t expect anything at all. There is only one kiss- but the build up to it and the after effects will disappoint, lol. The last few episodes were quite meaningful, I teared quite a bit but then again I also Ff quite a bit. The crime and mystery aspect as so-so, just passing episodes I guess.
Shout out to both FL leads though. Their acting were commendable and both did well.
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The story revolves around a mother who had a teen pregnancy in high school, navigating through various struggles and sacrifices as she raised her daughter. The highlight of this show is Mother- Daughter dynamic. Considering their age gap their relationship felt so real, almost like sisters, with its mix of love and conflict.
PROS
There were moments when I found the mother's actions to be selfish, but I could empathize with her desire to live life on her own wishes. I was drawn to her extroverted and energetic personality, personally whole time I felt she should have been a cop instead of FL because she is so much involved in the cases than the FL was LOL.
I also found it good to see that female lead wasn't a brat, like she was one of the genuine and considerate characters in the drama.
I appreciate that the mystery aspect wasn't excessively prolonged. While it was a part of the storyline, it wasn't the main focus, making it an easy and enjoyable watch.
CONS
The romantic storyline involving the mother dominated much of the screen time, I eventually found myself growing bored of it.
It would have been great if both male leads had received more screen time to delve into their backstories. I was particularly interested in learning more about their lives, and it felt like there were missing pieces that prevented us from fully understanding them. Getting to know them better would have added depth to the story and made their characters more compelling.
Nevertheless, the drama offered a nuanced portrayal of familial dynamics and personal growth of characters that kept me engaged throughout.
Thank you for reading my review ^^
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Big yes and then … eh?
This is a hard one to rate for me, because I absolutely love 90% of it, but the last episode was such a bizarre turn for me that I ended a drama that had me dying with laughter for eleven episodes feeling so weirdly unsatisfied and just let down. I do recommend it, because it’s a blast, but the ending was just weird and gave me none of the closure I was expecting and just generally need from a story. It feels like my kite string just got snipped, and I’m floating around in confusion.So now I’m going to go rewatch If You Wish Upon Me and Into The Ring so I can see the actors in that couple find more satisfying conclusions ?
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A very watchable production in a difficult to get right genre.
What I like is that this show presents something different, it wasn’t perfect but it was refreshing. The weight is absolutely on the character interactions and with plenty of quirkiness below the surface there is no lack of material to work with.It occupies the sort of territory that Summer Strike tried to do, but does it much more successfully. Sitting in the overlap of a Venn diagram that includes the genre sets: slice of life, romance, crime mystery, drama and comedy. The cost of inhabiting this territory is that nothing is really dominant and arresting for your attention and the overall effect is a kind of bumbling along warm and fuzzy.
It probably worked better as a webtoon, delivered in bite sized chunks, where the overall flow of the narrative was not so important. Although there was an ongoing plot, it didn’t quite have the punch that it could have had as the relationships took precedence. Neither did it venture into too much darkness, preferring half-lit shadows for its tone. It was slow to take off and the pacing in general is uneven. It sort of lurches along and when it does eventually bite, it’s more of a nip at the ankles than a chunk out of your leg.
The characters are what carry this piece and they have light and shade too, which is what makes them interesting and relatable. I can imagine that some people may find the character Park Jin Hong (older ML) a little creepy at first but he was played with sincerity by Ann Jae Wook. The mother, excellently played by Joon Hae Jin, is an imperfect character whom some viewers might take exception to. I warmed to her, even though I didn't necessarily like her. Her relationship with her daughter played by Choi Soo Young, was especially good, both in the writing and the acting. The rest of the support cast also played their roles convincingly.
The comedy is not overcooked and there are plenty of laugh-out-loud moments to lighten the mood and carry you along. The romance is gentle and the melo was handled with sensitivity, especially at the end. The cinematography and OST follow suit being pleasing but nothing spectacular.
High five to the director for finding the right note and not overplaying his hand. This is the first time I have seen his work. The writer, Min Sun Ae, has no other credits listed on MDL. If this was a first outing for her then I think she did a very creditable job with dialogue if not the pacing.
Overall I liked this drama. It’s not a stand-out special but weighs in as a watchable drama in a blended genre that is difficult to get right.
What my rating means: 8+ A great drama with interesting content and good writing, direction, acting, OST, cinematography. But didn’t quite have the requisite sparkle to bump it into my all-time fave list. Worth watching.
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Neither bad, nor good
Looking back this drama, I don't really have fond memories with it. It was okay and that's it. Could have been better for sure. The ending felt a bit odd and rushed. Not really satisfying. They should have used Jin Hee's and Jae Won's plotline more.PRO:
- Easy to watch
- Slice-of-life
- First few episodes are really enjoyable
CONTRA:
- The Murder Plotline
- Boring at times -> I skipped a lot of scenes that I found boring
- Rushed towards the end + weird ending for my taste
- Why not include more scenes between Jin Hee and her father
- Not memorable
- Wishing for more scences with other characters and not the mother is not a good sign if the premise of the show is a mother-daughter relationship
Neither bad nor good, in my opinion just OK
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Much to do about nothing plot but with a great cast
When I first watched Cha Soo Young in "Tell me what you saw" and I thought please don't play another cop character. She was stiff and expressionless and had an awkward run. So I definitely had o expectations going to this drama. However FL Jeon Hye Jin in WWW was amazing so I definitely wanted to at least try.This drama is for the more mature "non judgey" audience as it focuses on a topic often looked down on - HS single mom raising a daughter on her own.
What I loved:
1. FL Cha Soon Young. She was so expressive. I love her blunt comebacks. She walked a bit "guyish" & I loved this role for her. She's absolutely georgous but not in a standard pale face standard Korean K pop girl kind. She's so tall and has "real" color on her face (not ghost white). She can pull off the short hair, guyish walk, blunt comebacks & still be beautiful. I love how she deepened her voice to solute her superior. Her imperfections made her unique & perfect. She's true to her feelings.
2. FL Jeon Hye Jin She's just an all around awesome actress
3. Mom's Bestie - great character, completely 100% bestie worthy
4. Good characters all around. No excess toxic character with too many lines
5. Either you'll learn something or relate to the ups & downs of life's unplanned events.
- Single moms should not be looked down on but to be celebrated for their strength to sacrifice everything to keep the child.
- Family is defined not by bloodline. There are numerous relationship dynamics that demonstrate this
What needed improvement:
1. Choppy development between FL cop & Eun Jae Won. If they really wanted to make the chemistry work, they shouldn't have long breaks of no interaction between them. It's only 12 ep so short on time but this didn't work well. The chemistry needed to develop more.
2. No where to be seen bestie's grandma that helped the FL mom out. Again I think this impacts the flow of the story telling.
Still great watch on the side!
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I enjoyed this drama!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This drama skillfully navigated the complexities of the mother-daughter relationship, portraying the evolution from the challenges of teenage pregnancy to the shared experiences of navigating adulthood. The dynamic of Jin Hee still living with her mother adds a realistic touch, and the constant bickering provides a relatable and human aspect to their relationship.The introduction of Dr. Park Jin Hong and the workplace dynamics with Eun Jae Won added a mix of personal and professional challenges for the characters. This blend of storylines adds layers to the overall plot and enhances the viewing experience.
The successful balancing of various genres, including mystery, comedy, romance, and drama, is a commendable aspect. Achieving this balance make this drama appealing.
This drama delivered on its promises and provided a well-executed exploration of family dynamics, personal challenges, and professional relationships.
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My Mom who chose me
This drama is for those who are looking for a comedy that's not all romance... but rather an almost healing (surprisingly), yet enjoyable relationship of a family and their friends who are not your traditional pairings or tropes.Don't come into this looking for your usual romantic development and fluff - you'll get very little of that. Why? Because this isn't a story about a mother and daughter finding their partners. It's about a mother and daughter learning about one another, growing with each encounter and conflict, and about the world of non-traditional families and just love as it exists.
I love that the characters in this drama reflect the reality of many situations - not everything is selflessness and 'strong & independent'. Each character has their flaws and strengths, quirks and stories. Each relationship built itself differently, and developed at its pace.
The timing of some of the relationships (romantic, friendships etc) can be confusing and there might be tiny plotholes because of how the focus is on the mom-daughter, but its easy to let go since it wrapped up the same way its relationships were meant to be - you can't assume what is to come! You can only hope and continue on with what you have now.
I do agree the ending is not the easiest to figure out, but I just had my understanding of it, and hope you do too!
A definite recommend from my side to people looking for a non-cliché driven drama that doesn't follow your usual formula with wonderful acting and interesting character dynamics.
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