First, our 2 main leads stay in line character throughout the drama. Their character grow, but in a more subtle way which is what I love most about them. Their coming back together is convincing because we get see little by little what made them separate in the first place, and we see how each one of them resolve the issues they had, and how it brings them back, only to be there for each other, and for no other reason. It feels organic and you're with them all the way, and they stay true to their character that you have come to love. In the end, you feel that it's a healthy relationship where both are equal and working together to make it work this time
Second, the comedy stays throughout the drama, up until the last episode. Each episode has a few funny scenes involving our male lead who can be adorably petty. He might be petty, but it was never done in a dramatic or serious way, but mostly in a comedic way. It's actually amazing for a korean drama since most rom-com turn melo half way through which annoys me in a way that I'm like "I didn't sign up for this". So basically this drama gives you what it promises in that sense.
If you are looking to watch a drama for those 2 reasons, then I'd recommend it. Its totally for you!
IF you are looking for a story about how a man turned millionaire overnight, or about details on smart business decisions, if you are looking for interesting 2nd leads that don't turn cliché and show growth and dignity, if you are looking for camaraderie or even bromance, well you won't be finding any of those things here. The bromance was sorta a let down but that wasn't the focus of the story ;)
Overall I really enjoyed the drama for the 2 reasons mentioned above even when everything else went crazy at one point (those are what FFW button is made for :P).
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I loved Lee Min Jung here. And Joo Sang Wook, who I've only watched in Good Doctor and his role there was too different. L had a small supporting role but it was pretty cute too. In fact, this drama was overflowing with cute guys. And I'm nowhere near complaining. lol. The second leads here were extremely bearable. I mean, yeah, there was a point towards the end where I wanted to punch both of them for a moment. But it was flickering. And relatively they pretty good second leads. Not good enough to have second syndromes but good enough to develop a slight liking for them. The second lead girl especially was not a cold hearted bitch. I mean, she was shy and a bit gloomy because of her disability and her past. But she was nevertheless likeable.
The ending episode was super-sweet, with every character a bit of their own happy ending. Overall I would say while this drama is not something that would make you go, "wow best drama eveer" but at the same time you won't regret watching it and definitely won't throw popcorn at your screen. lol.
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Story - The story is pretty simple. A woman and a man divorce because of monetary issues and stress (and a few other problems that I can't spoil). There wasn't anything really special or unique but I liked the way the story was conveyed. One annoying thing was the misunderstandings between the characters in the drama. They were sooooo annoying. The pace of the drama was okay, I don't remember there being any draggy parts. At first I didn't really find the show funny because of the depressing beginning but when I kept watching, there were definitely moments where I laughed really hard c:
Characters - Here's where I have a lot to say! Even though I disliked both Ae Ra and Jung Woo at first, as the story progressed I was able to understand both of them more. They both made mistakes, it wasn't one person's fault. Character development was great in this drama. At first I felt like Jung Woo's transformation was completely unrealistic. I was thinking "What the heck. How can such a dorky and sweet guy turn into such wicked jerk? Sure, he has a right to be upset but he's going way too far". Well it turns out, Jung Woo didn't change as much as it seemed. He was actually still a complete dork LOL. I found his dorkiness so funny and adorable and soon it felt like Ae Ra who I thought was the immature one was actually the mature one in their relationship. I began to understand Ae Ra too, why she divorced him and how she felt about it. My original opinion of her changed drastically and I began to really love her and Jung Woo as characters, both of them were hurt by the divorce. The antagonists in this drama were the worst though. I hated how they made the second leading woman all nice and sweet at first and turn her evil (like in every other drama). I honestly expected it anyways so I wasn't too upset. The dad was pretty typical too. What I REALLY hated was how they messed up Seung Hyun. I loved his character until the writers tampered with it and turned him into a completely different person. He became annoying and frustratingly selfish ugh. Then there's the people that work in the company with Ae Ra. Most of them were pretty rude and mean but they (kinda) got better. It was pretty upsetting to see so many annoying supporting and second lead characters.
Acting/Cast - I liked the cast. Lee Min Jung is really beautiful and I think she played Ae Ra well. Joo Sang Wook was also good at playing Jung Woo, I liked him and found him a lot more attractive than I did in another drama he played in. This is the second drama I've seen both Lee Min Jung and Joo Sang Wook in but the first I've seen them in leading roles.
Music - It was okay, I liked some songs and I can't really remember others much. It wasn't too memorable.
Rewatch value - I'd rewatch the funny parts, probably the funny parts with Jung Woo and Ae Ra. "I have plastic flower!" LOLOL, if you watch it you'll know what I'm talking about. xD
Overall - It was very enjoyable after I got past the beginning episodes and I liked it. 16 episodes, not too long and perfect for this drama. I wasn't very fond of the beginning and it wasn't anything really special and I didn't really have many squeal-worthy moments so that's why I gave it a 7.5/10. If you like divorce stories where the couple makes up, I'd recommend this to you. ^w^
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Watch Cunning Single Lady, granted, plot-wise, it has all the Kdrama cliches ever except for one (watch to find out ;] ).
I give this a 7 overall because it did drag in the middle but it wasn't horrible; it was bearable and I liked that it had a happy ending for all the characters.
The music was nothing memorable but at least it was coherent; sad music in sad scenes, happy music in happy scenes, etc.
Additionally, to be honest, the best actors in this drama were the leads. The others were so-so. The actor that I applaud and seriously made this drama more appealing in my books is Joo Sang Wook. He really branched out in this drama. I have always seen him play the cold and lonesome persona in other works but here, he plays such a goofball. You can see he had fun playing this character. And his laughter, I absolutely adore. I hope he decides again on more comedic roles because he has the potential to be a versatile actor; not just your typical serious actor.
Lee Min Jung, from my experience watching her on screen, is a good actress and I already know she can play comedic dramas well, so she did a great job as the lead.
This is a drama when you want a break from heavy plotted dramas. You won't regret it and will make you, if you're not already, a bigger fan of Joo Sang Wook.
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This review may contain spoilers
Look. This drama was not the best ever. The things I liked that kept me watching were largely around the female lead. I wanted to know more about this character and why she seemed so cold but human at the same time. I won't give spoilers... but as the series goes on you get that she had her reasons.
As for our male lead... he's cold and mean and spiteful at first because of how much her leaving him hurt. But him realizing that he only hated her so much because he never stopped loving her as the story went on was nice to see.
SPOILER
The problem with this show came with 2nd leads that were not only siblings but were cool, neat, and seemingly enjoyable people until the moment it didn't seem that things would turn out their way. Backstories. OH BACKSTORIES. Semi pathetic but mostly I didn't end up seeing why they mattered.
JUST JEEZ.
And the continued idea that "it doesn't matter how talented or amazing a CEO you are but if you don't marry the lady they say at the right time", your entire fortune is at stake premise is annoying.
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The story of Cunning Single Lady was, in my opinion, fairly generic as far as romantic-comedies go. In fact, it was the weakest part of the whole show because it often fell back on particular tropes (especially when parents/siblings/love interests are introduced into the mix). However, I still enjoyed the story of the main leads, and I don't feel that was overshadowed by the rest of the background.
Probably what allowed the main leads' story to flow so smoothly and shine so brightly were the performances of Joo Sang Wook and Lee Min Jung as Cha Jeong Woo and Na Ae Ra. These two actors brought life into their characters, and I was particularly impressed with Joo Sang Wook's ability to bring both the chaebol-esque Cha Jeong Woo and the nerdy Cha Jeong Woo to life (and eventually together). Also, the chemistry between the two leads is off-the-charts good.
I'll admit that I wasn't initially invested in the whole divorcee story, but after a few episodes, I connected with the characters and reveled in their witty and biting repartee along with their undeniable sweetness and goofiness. Because of this, I will watch this again for sure.
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This is such a lovely drama! Not perfect, it had its roadbumps, especially nearing the end, but damn, if that wasn't such an enjoyable ride. This drama has a spunky female lead and an adorable dorky kind male lead and throughout 16 eps, they never ever waver their feelings for each other… above all they both get a 2nd chance to understand each other better, have a good communication and share burden together as a spouses. And for that I loved the evolution of the characters. It was satisfying to see the characters growing but that they were also consistent in principle that they didn't feel like completely different persons. So their coming back together felt well earned and healthy... The OTP really shines and CJW and NAR so far is my favorite drama couple this year.
The acting is GREAT and the music is fun and light, nothing groundbreaking, but still enjoyable…
This drama is wonderfully light, funny, romantic, sweet, and has amazing chemistry btw the couple. And although it has many clichés, it puts a playful twist onto them. This is what you call Rom-Com Drama.
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I have to commend Lee Min-jung and Sang Wook and the rest of the cast for their acting because it is evident in every episode how committed they are to the comedy.
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Strange Romance
This entertaining series brought a few different twists to the internal strife of an IT company. It was easy to watch, and I found myself binge-watching it over three days. Since I come from an IT background, this was right in my wheelhouse. The acting was good, especially Lee Min Jung’s portrayal of Na Ae Ra. The story was believable and had some twists that made me feel good. When Cha Jung Woo left the CEO position of his company, it made him look good when we were all expecting him to cave into the toxic whims of the family controlling the company. However, the story did take him from a strong CEO back into a different character that wasn’t very manly. But I took that as part of the comedy element. I like that they worked to bring closure to each character in the story.However, the birthday party at the end was a complete disaster to the story. It didn’t make Ae Ra’s character look very good. In fact, it felt more like a betrayal than anything else. It left me wondering if she would do that after they were married too. Gook Seung Hyun’s character spent half his time destroying Jung Woo and the other half going after his woman. Why would Ae Ra, who supposedly loves Jung Woo, attend a birthday party that rubbed salt in the wounds of that relationship? When Jung Woo protests over the phone, she hangs up. It makes you wonder what happened at the birthday party and left me with the feeling that Na Ae Ra thought that was the right way to treat a man when you’re in love. It just didn’t fit. Even when she finally accepted his proposal, she did it in a weird way that wasn’t funny to me. The last two episodes diminished the strength of Jung Woo’s character and his relationship with Ae Ra. I found myself just feeling sorry for him and wished he would go his separate way. Ae Ra didn’t look very appealing at this point. I read about ten reviews on this show, and I think I’m the only one who felt this way. I can only say that I watch shows because of the romance. I tend to pick it apart when something doesn’t fit.
That’s the ups and downs of a story that will keep you entertained. It’s worth watching. You decide and let me know what you think.
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