Some of the acting is a bit over the top and the male lead's laugh initially is quite grating however as the story progresses it just fits into his personality in the drama.
The chemistry between Jang Hyuk and Jang Nara is some of the best I have seen. The romance is cute and the longing for each other is very realistic . The camera stays on the face of the actors for just the right amount of time so that facial expressions can convey the emotions in addition to the vocalisation.
If you want to be entertained and enjoy a great love story then this is the Kdrama for you. Just the best!
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TLDR; Don't judge the first episode, you'll regret it
This one... Now, i almost dropped this title after the first scene with our lovely ML. However, a review on this site made me reconsider, and man what a good advice that was. This series was a rollercoaster, and though i think it was a bit too drawn out in the latter half, i still think the ML and FL's chemistry is so amazing that you shouldn't miss it.Don't be too put off by our ML, his strange laugh and overbearing personality soon became very dear to me as a viewer, and now i'm gonna feel a piece missing every time i see a cool ML in another title.
Please do watch it :)
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Hama hamaa
It's a story of two halves. I fell in love with the first part which was stronger. The ML always shows up when you want him to and protects FL, this is the most endearing part of the story that he loves her no matter what. It's highly doubtful this would happen in real life. There are a lot of inconsistencies, where at one moment it feels that if you are a woman and choose to prioritise your career you'll be dumped but if you act like a passive snail you'll be loved, but then it changes again in the second half, so that she's even more attractive now that she's a career woman! Poor Sera, she doesn't even get another love interest just her long lost bro, who is so underused! And what's up with the continuity, first noticed when she was wearing slippers in the hotel corridor and then he's pointing to her bare feet! It feels very disjointed, but the ML's performance is strong enough to pull it through.Was this review helpful to you?
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the drama I've seen the most
The first time I saw it, it did not attract the attention at all, I decided to see it again a second time and I was super hooked with the whole story.
Each episode is wonderful, it is a drama where I cry a lot for certain situations.
The protagonist loved her attitude to the loss of her baby, paying homage to her and trying to improve herself was something nice for me, she could see that she did not have much confidence in what she could achieve and her empowerment was something too admirable.
Jang Na Ra is one of my favorite actresses since that drama, her acting fills me a lot
clichéd events despite seeing them over and over again still cause me feelings
The truth is a drama that I highly recommend, you definitely have to see it
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The only thing that kept me going was Jang Hyuk. Oh,man! What an actor. The character he portrayed was a bit awkward in every manner. From a comic person to a emotional one in just a matter of seconds... He pulled it off with ease in his own manner. He just didn't care about his status as a person and the let the actor take over. There we scenes in which most of the actors would give an awkward performance but he just made it so easy.
If it wasn't for Hyuk, would've dropped it midway.
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oldie but goodie
Overall:From the synopsis, I was sure that I would hate this drama, especially when its also very old. Kdrama ages relatively quickly. Most stories are outdated after 3-5 years and the cinematography also ages. Particularly, having spent my teenage in the late 90s and early 00s, I had watched enough Cinderella-type dramas to know all the motifs of the genre like the back of my hand, which may have been appealing to a dreamy teenage girl me, but as I grew up, I also grew out of its annoying stupidity. I decided to watch it anyway, as I was in the mood for some feel good romcom after finishing my assignments and exams for the year and I had covid so i was off work as well. Plus I figured its a remake, why would they have remade something dumb, right? And I was surprised by how watchable it is, although I must admit the 2010s fashion and hairstyle are hideous looking from the 2022 perspective. Also like all K drama, make sure you turn your brain off at all the illogical coincidences, inconsistency and discontinuity and just have a good laugh at the cuteness of the central couple.
Plot:
Yes, the story has all the elements of the genre. You name it, rich chaebol ML, poor pushover FL, perfect yet hopelessly friend zone second ML, clingy conniving ex, interfering relatives, amnesia, noble idiocy, time skip etc. It's so cliche that I know how it starts and ends without having to watch it. But it is executed well enough to compel me to finish it albeit with skipping the most if not all of the second half. I finished it, which is an attestment on its own to its story telling. Full disclosure, I drop most shows i start, including similar stories like Secret Garden, What's wrong with secretary Kim, Dont dare to dream, Oh my ghost etc. Indeed, I almost dropped this show after the first few minutes because of the over-the-top (ott) advertisement scene and the ear grating laugh of the ML. If you can manage to pull off the first 10 minutes, you will enjoy the next 10 episodes. There are a lot of funny moments and true-to-the-genre drooling sweetness. I guess I kept on watching because I needed that dose of ott romantic prince charm to escape from the harsh reality of my nonexistent love life. Unfortunately, it all goes downhill pretty quickly after that once the amnesisa kicks in. I feel that the story can end at episode 12 when the amnesia is resolved. But it drags on with noble idiocy where the ML's stupidity is on full mode for another almost unbearable 5 epsisodes. While I agree that had I have some sort of heritable disease, getting married and reproducing would definitely and totally be out of my consideration. However its only applicable when there's no child on the way. In this case, the FL is already pregnant by accident from the very beginning. To me, speaking as a mother myself, it is extremely irresponsible and selfish to not inform her of the risk of an incurable disease to her unborn child. That should have saved us from the infuriating noble idicy and the FL could have whacked some sense into the ML way before episde 18. Luckily, the reunion scene is on fire and worth skipping to. I've watched it like a hundred times. The last few episodes are literally just scene filler with no plotline although not unbearably frustrating like episdoes 13-17. The only bonus point of the second half is that ML is given a haircut, and man, he IS super hot. In general, it is an old cliche drama but done well.
Characters/Acting:
Initially, I thought Jang Hyuk's face is a bit too old for this type of drama, especially with his ridiculous hairstyle. But he plays it out well. His character is down right crazy and does take some time to get used to, not the few odd eccentric traits that are usually seen in this type of character but full on mania. But unlike other similar characters of the same era, the ML is not the annoying type "boy mistreats girl because he likes her". In contrast, he never belittles the FL and gives her nothing but encouragement. Yes, they do do the push and pull thing typical of the genre, and he's two timing but it is justifiable by the circumstance that they meet and their chemistry is so good that Im willingly turning a blind eye. He is controlling like this type of character defines him to be but from a different angle, he is manly and decisive, yet also humble and down to earth, not absurdly arrogant and obnoxious like Hyun Bin's character in "Secret Garden" or Park Seo Joon's character in "What's wrong with secretary Kim". The biggest complaint from me for the ML is the noble idiocy and the lack of communication mentioned above. Overall, its a likeable character, though im not sure its because its written well or executed well by Jang Hyuk or both.
As for the FL, I dont think I ever liked a weak FL but Jang Nara's character makes me want to cheer on for her rather than punching the screen. She is just simply pure and kind to a fault but not portrayed as stupid. She carries a silent strength that makes her transformation believable (personality wise not career wise though). The first half of the show brings us a timid adorable girl while the end delivers a courageous and confident woman but keeping true to her core. Watching her growth in how she faces the press at the beginning and at the end is gratifying. Jang Nara brightens every scene she's in and her smiles warm my heart. I do secretly wish they had actually cut the noble idiocy short and extended their courtship to make her more visibly pregnant with more comical scenes along the pregnancy though. Anyway, another likeable, well written and/or well executed lead character. And together their chemistry is phenonmenal. All the passionate kiss scenes are heart melting, especially at the reunion scene, their gaze at each other really shows how much they long for each other.
With regards to the second ML and FL, they are just standard characters of the genre that leave no impression in me. The same goes for the supporting casts, with the exception of the FL's mother, the ML's grandma and surprisingly the second FL's mother, The scene where the FL's mother stands up for her daughter when everyone is pressuring the FL into marriage is one the deciding factors for me to keep on watching. She is protective and has her daughter's best interest in mind however, she's also very respectful and supportive when the FL says no. The grandma is probably the most welcoming chaebol family in K dramaland. Some of her lines are hilarious. And to my amazement, the second FL's adoptive mother 'also capture my attention with her no nonsense attitude despite appearing for only a few seconds. She is the most sensible character in the show. I'll forever remember her line "stop your self-pity and you will be happier that way."
All in all, a very likeable ensemble with no overly annoying characters.
Music:
I dont think I've ever come across any K dramas with bad music and this one is no exception.
Recommendation/Rewatch:
If you are a sucker for ott comical romance like me, then knock yourself out with the first 10 episodes but feel free to drop when the angst gets too tiresome after that.
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Great start and steep fall aka Muñeca Brava of 2014
Let's break some facts first and extra slight spoilers. No need to worry!1. Nothing irritates me as much as Lee Gun's hairstyle in the first half of the series.
2. Pointlessly long journey to the happy end.
3. Episodes 14, 15, 16 and first half of ep. 17 are practically empty. No need to watch it. (I've done my nails during that time.)
4. Daniel is the only one likeable and straight thinking being.
5. The plot is extremely fabricated.
6. Miraculous outburst of emotions towards FL is unreasonable. Especially after 6 years of devoted waiting for Sera.
7. Sera is not a negative character.
8. Exaggerated emotions and overreacting regarding pregnancy.
9. Acting is actually really good.
10. You will laugh many times.
The story is the basic, the story makes 50% of the whole series/movie. And this drama was not something that makes me come back to it. I am actually surprised I've been able to finish it, despite the fact, I've had to skip some parts and that's something I've never done before at any drama.
Overall: Not great, but not bad either. So yeah, give it the chance to it.
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That's what you call a typical cliché drama, but made successfully
I was looking for a cliché older kdrama, with predictable nonsense plottwists, but lovable characters and a heartful story. Well, I got what I wanted.We've got the rich ML, the humble nice and invisible FL, the time-skip (I'm kind of a sucker for time skips), the amnesia part, and the happy ending.
I remember watching the chinese version of this story a few years back and lowkey wishing I started with the korean one. It was a given that the korean one is going to better (I haven't seen the taiwanese one yet, but hopefully will soon). And of course, it is way better. The acting performance wasn't necessarily outstanding, but still really good. Without a doubt Jang Hyuk carried the show like the boss. Even though his hair was hideous the first half of the show (and even worse somewhere towards the middle, thank god they gave him another hairstyle...) he won my heart with the last half of the show... A very fine aged wine indeed. My favourite part about this whole show probably, was Mi Yeong's mom and her relationship with Geon and also her relationship with Mi Yeong. It was absolutely adorable and heartwarming. Jang NaRa got the best moms in her dramas, I swear.
All of the lovey dovey moment were so cute, innocent cliché and too sweet to be true. To be honest, the show got better the farther it went. The last half was such a delight, so satisfying and fun to watch. I mean we got Jang Hyuk in a good hairstyle, we got the "mother-son" moments, a strong-girl comeback, extremely fun and awkward moment, the little bromance between Mr. Tak, Yong and Geon. They even gave the ending a WHOLE ass episode. Didn't feel rushed at all, maybe even a bit too much, but it was nice to see everything wrap up nicely.
All in all, my little pink cliché romance heart is very content and I definitely don't regret watching this show!
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All of the actors and actresses carried their own characters well. All of the scenes, characters, episodes, OSTs and even the places had an impact on me. This drama ate and left no crumbs. It will make you laugh, cry, a little bit frustrated, and most especially; loved. Where can I find my own Lee Gun in this world? (ᵕ̣̣̣̣̣̣﹏ᵕ̣̣̣̣̣̣)
Worth it to give a 10/10. It is a masterpiece and will make you feel warm. 100% recommendable.
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