SolangeGarnier

Did everything happen offscreen?

I have absolutely no idea how this pretty superficial uninteresting girl who annoyed the heck of this idealistic guy ended up being his love interest - I feel that a lot of dramas kind of expect the audience to take that for granted and not bother with the how or why. There was no relationship building to the point I kept wondering if I'd missed an episode.
The main male character seemed the only one who'd got some kind of actual writing and character building, and who's got some solid relationship to his environment. Not sure what the main actress could have done for her character not to appear so bland.
Plots holes and inconsistencies were too strong to be ignored. Nobody expects this kind of romcom to be realistic, but let's a least aim for believable. The sleepwalking and night misdirected phone call scenes were either too frequent or too phony to fit in.
Also, how did we go from "working 24/7 is unhealthy, let's slow down and enjoy simple things" to "we're getting over trauma so now we can work around the clock again, yay"?

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Please, find some decent writers

The whole thing felt like embarking on a rollercoaster of cringe. These days, it seems like the most anticipated shows amount to sad results. It was either abysmally badly written, or they hacked through it for the story to fit into the 12-episode format (I strongly suspect it suffered from both).
This drama's premise makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. The basic idea was to match the career-driven heiress with a handsome prince - and, after all, why not. But the story keeps contradicting itself. She swears it's not for status, but later says it is. His apparent motives for agreeing to the match remain perfectly unclear throughout - until, of course, we learn that he's always had a soft spot for his former classmate. But why would she - who ultimately wants to take over the family business empire - marry into a status that prevents her from having a job? All the main characters were hinted to be linked by their past, as teenagers who all attended the same prep school - an angle that is either useless or was given up at some point. Characters who seemed to vaguely remember being acquainted and deeply wary of each other suddenly get teary-eyed at the idea of their steadfast friendship being betrayed. The not-wholly-bad antagonist turns full vilain in the last few episodes, ruining his whole arc and dynamics with the main characters.
All plot twists or dramatic turns are as badly crafted as they are clumsily brought about, in a series of supposedly suspenseful moments so cringey my teeth still hurt (the car chase probably being the most ridiculous) and a few of which were totally dispensable.
Even the cast appeared so embarrassed by the weak plot and their terrible lines they couldn't begin to make it work. Byeon Woo Seok seemed only too aware he was being used at the pretty boy with no depth whatsoever to his character and gave up trying. IU's character is found wanting, and even became redundant in a few episodes, her so-called feistiness amounting to a couple of winks, nods and grunts. They're both so fake the actors couldn't seem to find any ground for chemistry. I'm still wondering what was the point of casting Yoo Soo Bin in this production. While he's been doing his best to make the most of a flimsy character, his comic relief relies on him flailing his arms and running around. His supposed secondary love story brings no spark, interest or chemistry to the mix. The only graceful presence was provided by Gong Seung Yeon who definitely tried to bring more subtleness to the only remotely interesting character of the story.
The disastrous writing is even less comprehensible as the budget obviously wasn't an issue for this production. The indoors and outdoors palace sets were nicely woven into the episodes and they went for a refreshing and visually pleasing blend of traditional costumes mixed with contemporary wardrobes - except for the prince's, stressing the actor's lanky silhouette so much it didn't help his on-screen presence.
I didn't expect much from the show - yes, it seemed predictable from the get-go - and was only hoping to be entertained. I mainly found myself laughing at the show's expense in about every episode.

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An endearing and energetic drama

If the production had felt and looked a little more sophisticated, this show would have been flawless. The script is filled with a well-balanced mix of feel-good and sincerely emotional moments depicting the struggles of young adults making ends meet and the change of hearts of the wealthier guys in a highly competitive, performance-driven, capitalistic society such as South Korea, while avoiding tear-jerking pittfalls (on that score, I doubt the main female character, hoping to move to the US, would have found greener pastures over there...).
The cast ensemble drama builds up remarkably well over the 16-episode span, and the evolution of the relationship between the two main characters is so well-timed - for once - that it should be commended. The two main leads (Go Kyung Pyo and Chae Soo Bin) fit their lovable characters seamlessly and deliver: all emotional scenes never seemed off-key, especially the more tricky ones where they end up as a sobbing mess, they still felt right. Yes, a slightly more nuanced character for Oh Jin Gyu (Kim Seon Ho) would have been welcome, as the guy constantly oscillates between full-on jerk and well-meaning guy. Secondary characters never felt dispensable, keeping some form of depth or charm without trying too hard and some of them provided nice comic scenes which didn't feel too forceful.
The show never aims to be more than what it is: refreshing, character-driven and energetic and it gives it a genuine feeling which kept me into it from start to finish. The transition between plot lines was seamless.
I was, for once, very pleasantly surprised by the slightly pop-rock soundtrack, with the infectious "Cartoon Romance", serving as a recurring theme, definitely underlining the slightly 1990s vibe of the drama (save smartphones and jean cuts).

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