Meh

First couple of episodes dragged me in but then it slowly but surely spat me out. Just, well, what a waste! some ok music some pretty good acting chops but a pants plot.

Nothing you haven't seen before done much better. The villains are the most entertaining of the bunch and maybe slightly less cardboard cut out than the boys in blue. The best of the acting comes from PHS and HSH who manage to build relatively believable and human characters despite the writers' best efforts. The rest of the cast ranges from functional to who? The fights start off pretty well with some gut wrenching blows and fast action but again they just can't sustain interest.

Plus if you are going to make some skinny small woman beat up thrumpty much bigger heavier and more muscly men at once then give her special powers or something, it's just too much of an immersion breaker otherwise - because physics and biology.

Throw in plot holes, implausible coincidences, inconsistent characters, predictable twists and betrayals and it achieves meh!

Park Hee Soon and Han So Hee deserved better.

Got to episode 7, just, with a lot of effort and then gave up.

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A sweet Drama but ultimately too flawed.

To a large extent this drama is carried by Sumida Moeno playing the blind, deaf and mute girl Umi which she does with some aplomb. She manages to keep your sympathy and emotions on a tight rein. Watching her growth is thought provoking and heart warming.

There are some great moments and some laughs to be had but unfortunately the rest of the cast and story can't keep up with her. The occupants of the boarding house are too clichéd to really resonate and the main leads never quite pull you all the way in. The Rock Idiot is a little too stupid and Hana a little too unlikeable. A large part of the problem is the way the story is told, dwelling on uninteresting side character vignettes to illustrate the morals of the main story rather than letting the main characters and the story carry themselves. The narration works only haphazardly as well.

It's worth a try to see if the sweet outweighs the sour for yourselves.



Spoiler****Spoiler***

My real problem with this and why I couldn't bring myself to finish it was the whole fighting the ex recurring story arc. Without this I could have finished it and mostly enjoyed it, though perhaps mourning a lack of bite.

Watching the Rock Idiot get a pounding yet again this last? time with the rest of the cast as witnesses just left me cold. Even the longed for reward from Umi wasn't enough to make me continue. Whatever the writers thought they were evoking by that pointless bloody scene the result in myself was disappointment and bathos.

A shame - I will never watch it again.

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I sort of wandered into this one with a certain amount of trepidation. I hadn't managed to finish the last few movies/dramas I'd begun to watch and was feeling jaded and a let down by the same old cliches and tropes in their oh so familiar guises. I wasn't sure if this would be a winner or an emotional trauma even if watchable.

I'm so glad I did I found this to be a thoroughly refreshing piece. The story is good with the usual ingredients served up a novel enough way to keep you involved and guessing. The pacing is mellow and thoughtful but never had me hitting FF and I liked the fanciful twists. The darker edge had tears in my eyes and I was well satisfied with the ending.

The music was good enough to notice in a couple of places without detracting from the drama on screen. I liked the end credit song.

The acting on the whole was good especially the FL her love interest and the idol dude I found a little unsatisfying though.

I could see me watching this again though knowing the story would take something away from it.

What happened to the bear?

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A strangely engrossing tale let down by the ending

After a spate of all "chemistry" and no plot C dramas I stumbled upon this one and was very pleasantly surprised. The synopsis was unappealing, but I gave it a go and was hooked from the first episode.

It's an excellent mature, romantic tale with a good dose of melodrama thrown in. The pace is slow and the acting understated yet compelling. Both leads perform well oozing a gentle pathos that draws you into the tale. The supporting cast all did well with no one letting the side down.

I skipped very little of the first 15 or so episodes and stuck with it pretty well up till the mid-twenties where it veers off into a different tale entirely, one which interested me only slightly. Which was a shame as, if woven correctly into the story from the start, it could still have held interest.

On the whole though, a great watch; not fluffy and saccharine but still sweet. Maybe one for a more mature audience.
The music wasn't bad.

Worth a watch.

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More Enjoyable than I thought

I tried this on the off chance and actually enjoyed it in the end.
As stated in other reviews the whole thing is based on a lack of communication between the leads but hey at least they had a reason for it - immaturity. I found it much easier to cope with than when two supposedly mature competent people can't just talk to each other. Consequently i found it easy enough to go along for the ride.

The Jerk lead is weak not wicked the FL is strong and likeable the kid is CCCCCCCUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUTTTTE!
The SLs have enough flaws that you don't mind them coming in second and everyone gets a dose of redemption.

It isn't great by a long shot and you can skip various bits like most of the last 2 episodes cos we've all seen that trope before. All in all though nice, light and feel good.

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The family is the best bit

I enjoyed most of the first half but gradually got battle fatigue and ended skipping through the second half. For me the family dynamic was the best part and the twists but turns they took slowly wore that away.
I didn't really feel the chemistry of the main leads or the other younger couples, Choo Ja and Jung Do had the chops instead. The Makjang plot elements were dragged on too long after I'd worked them out and the baddies were a little too one dimensional to hate rather just be irritated by.
Still I forced my way through to the end so not a waste of effort.

I'd watch Choo Ja again but probably not anyone else.

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I took 3 years to finish watching.

I've just finished watching Ho Goo's Love around 3 years after I started it. I'm really unsure about rating this.
I've dipped into this on numerous occasions and really it's taken me 3 years to watch the first half and a day to watch the second half.

On paper it would seem a great show for me to watch, Romantic Comedy, no Jerk ML, powerful FL, a baby - just so many of my favourite elements. Yet I struggled so hard to keep watching I just kept hitting cringe walls for the comedy, the characters failed to endear themselves to me, the plot twists left me cold....and yet.... I kept seeing it listed on various sites and would dip in for another episode or two.

Then yesterday it showed up on Cereal (YouTube) so I tried it again and watched from 8 - 16 pretty much back to back. It still wasn't perfect and I still was irritated by a number of character choices but I enjoyed it all the same. I have a pretty good memory so I didn't have to recap but it's not so good that my memories weren't softened by time. Would I watch it all the way through if I rewatched it? I doubt it.

So the basic story is pretty good but the execution wasn't always compelling. A lot of interesting topics are dealt with but not always in a good way. The side characters did enough to keep you interested.

I thought on the whole the acting was fine the veterans were of course on point and everyone else gave their characters life. Choi Woo Shik isn't a favourite of mine but I coped with him in this Uee just has an inexpressive face once you get used to that her acting is fine.

The music was ok, nice and bouncy in places.

Rewatch ? I have literally no idea - maybe?

Try it if the plot sounds good it might reward you.
Be aware it has some trigger things like abortion, bullying, sexual violence, homophobia etc. they come up but aren't dealt with terribly.

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Almost Great But Still Sweet

On the surface this is a sweet tale of love crossing the boundaries of class/fame with a Japanese twist.

Much of the action revolves around the workplaces of the protagonists giving it an episodic structure with an overreaching story arc. When it works this a warm and very human love story when it doesn't it becomes trite and a little problematic.

Story: The underlying tale is simple and individual episodes are used for life lessons and moving the story slowly forward. Sometimes the plot gets a little 2D to teach those lessons and sometimes some quite startling anachronisms show up. I found the chap slapping his wife (which of course brought her to her 'senses') particularly hard to stomach.
The addition of a Love Triangle and Noble Stupidity in the last episodes didn't help matters and I found myself just skipping through to finish.
There are though plenty of laughs and sweet moments.

Acting: The two leads were excellent both bringing their characters to life for me. Fujiwara Noriko's Hikaruko had a child like simplicity and honesty which I found endearing rather than irritating., which is quite a feat.
The main support characters played their parts well.

Music: Was OK

Rewatch: Maybe parts of it - or at least the first 8 maybe 9 episodes I don't think I would bother with the last two ever again.

TLDR sweet little take on Notting Hill but showing it's age.

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Watch it for Kim Sae Ron unless you are an idol fan.

This is one of those odd shows that I quite enjoyed, especially first time round but is actually quite pants.

Let's face it, for me, Kim Sae Ron is what makes this watchable. Her character isn't bad, she can act and she has a great face for comedy managing to go from pretty to cute to weird and back again in the same shot. The fact she's only 14 makes things a little awkward because she absolutely looks her age which made the 9 year age gap a little too cringey. especially in the last couple of episodes.

The Infinite boys were OKish but neither had the acting chops to carry it off, cute moments are easy enough to manufacture but they need some glue to make it really work.

Add to that a plot that lost it's way at the half way point and made some of the characters into really terrible people it was hard to care for and little side character development. As well as a rather too schmaltzy way of tying things up both at school and later.
You get a 'could have been great' show.

I've watched it a few times now on my own and with the kids and I still get enough enjoyment out of it to skip through and watch the cute/funny bits.
It really isn't a great show though

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Light-hearted Romp

If you go into this without a great deal of expectation, you'll be rewarded with an uncomplicated romantic comedy with some genuinely funny moments.

Most of the fun comes from Han Ye Seul who carries the show with a degree of aplomb. Her character development is almost indiscernible but still pulls you along and no matter how dreadfully she behaves you never really dislike her.
Oh Ji Ho provides a serviceable foil in his portrayal of Jang Soo but he is a character we have all met before.

The rest of the cast play thier roles adequately and the side plots pootle along satisfactorily.

The success and indeed the failure of the show is really in the turning of a film into a 16 hour show. Whilst it allows for a much greater depth to the characters and the 'plot', sadly this isn't realised leaving a 'this could have been great' feeling after many episodes.

Still well worth a watch with it being perfectly feasible to FF through most of the side plots.

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Hey! hey! Action movie with Gong Yoo, hurrah! A rival to The Man from Nowhere?

Unfortunately it ends up just too much. Too much shaky camera cuts, too much like Bourne, too much running time, too much crazy action...my disbelief was so suspended it had rope marks and a dead leg.

So homage to Bourne - the music, the control room dipping into CCTV, the shaky choppy camera etc. The assassin in the jeep ending up in the crash like the Russian in Bourne, the green river water. Not that I minded really but they just went too over the top. The thing with Bourne is it always felt at least a little bit real, I mean he limped for ages and drove a mini! But this? After about the fourth time he was hit by/he hit a car I was wondering if they are made from foam rubber in Korea.

The dude playing Min Se Hoon was dreadful as well so cool with his shades and bad attitude, not. Best spycatcher out there can't control his temper or follow clues abd stands out like a sore thumb. He just started bothering me every time he was on screen and the big car chase he was in was ridiculous. It was just farcical; driving at breakneck speeds through one of the most heavily populated cities in the world down narrow streets in a trashed car with one hand on the wheel whilst hanging out of the window popping off rounds - arse!

Add into the mix some poor pacing, serviceable but uninspired dialogue and too much chasing. I gave up about 25 minutes from the end I just didn't care anymore.

Gong Yoo and Yoo Da In did a good job with what they were given aided by at least some of the supporting cast. The music was OK. The plot was OK. I wouldn't ever try and watch this again.

If you are a Gong Yoo fan or you just like adrenaline fueled action then I'm sure you'll find enough in this to keep you going but in my book it goes down as a missed opportunity.

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Bonkers stuff that devolves into Makjang

I'm half way through episode 18 and I doubt I'll finish it but I've got to say I think it's worth taking a chance with.

The first dozen or so episodes were great, just total over the top bonkers goings on. The good were mostly good, the bad were terribly bad, who knew what else they were going to chuck in there and it was great. Not a great drama, plot etc but great fun.
This ought to get a strong female lead tag for Ha Hee Ra's portrayal of the Foolish Mum I really enjoyed her character. All heart and affection but fierce in defence, I thought she did a good job of portraying an adult with learning difficulties rather than defaulting to childlike innocence.
Unfortunately as the episodes came to their closing quarter the Makjang weep fest started to take over and my interest waned. This was aided by my loathing for Shin Hyun Joon's portrayal of the Dog Seller Ahjussi - it got to the point where I couldn't bear to watch his scenes. His stuttering comic turn, clown routine just didn't mesh with his crying and pathos or his gangster/business persona. Awful.

Story: Rollicking nonsense heading into a weep fest (if I ever watch the last episodes I'll tweak this). Don't expect anything and just jump in.

Acting: Ha Hee Ra and Kim Hyun Joo are great and well worth watching; most of the rest of the cast give serviceable to pretty good performances. Kim Tae Woo is properly awful as the husband and Ahn Seo Hyun gives a good turn as the prickly daughter. Shin Hyun Joon! was it him? the writer? the director? someone ought to be punished for it.

Music: Meh to average but not finger nails on a blackboard awful.

Rewatch: Maybe some of the beginning episodes for that level of WTF?

Flawed but surprisingly enjoyable romp let down my needless Makjang and a clown.

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A Classic??

Well this is one that's been flying under my radar for a long time because the synopsis left me cold. I finally decided to give it a try as so many people appreciate and recommend it.

I managed to groan and skip my way to ep.13 before I just couldn't take any more.
The fact I made it this far is really a testament to Woo Bin and the main couples mothers.

Woo Bin brought at least some depth to his role as well some acting chops and
the relationship between the live in Mistress and the mute maid gave some much needed laugh out loud and some strangely sweet moments.

Lee Min Ho left me cold, I didn't care for his acting or his character and the chemistry between him and Park Shin Hye was so lacking I was genuinely surprised by the 'romance'. I thought I must have skipped the wrong bits but when the Romance montages came up at 'emotional' points I still felt puzzled.

Park Shin Hye was given a lemon and failed to make lemonade; though it would have taken a rare genius to make anything of Eun Sang. She was really just a 2D cipher for the male protagonists to do their rich kid cock measuring contest for whilst treating her as an object to be dragged and pushed wherever they wished. There were a couple of sparks of character at odd times but they were quickly extinguished.

Most of the side characters weren't on show enough for them to provide much relief.

Maybe it gets better over the last few episodes but.. who cares? Not I.

The music? ?
The story? Nothing new.
Acting/Cast? the few easily eclipse the many but not enough to save the day.
Rewatch? Only if they gather all the Mothers' moments into one video.

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Starts well

I really enjoyed the first few episodes of this, the always refreshing tough female lead had me rooting for her straight away. A couple of laugh out loud moments helped me to think I was on to a winner. I'm not fond of the pathetic man-child trope as it always makes it hard to respect the woman that ends up falling for him. Because, lets be honest, it means they are just after the money and a handsome face. Glory be! she very rapidly starts to give him short shrift, go No Eun Sol

Choi Kang Hee was an excellent choice for the role, able to convince as a rough, ordinary lass with an expressive face well suited to comedy but still attractive enough to be the love interest. I liked Na Yoon and Moo Won as well and could at least cope with the childish Ji Heon if only because he was at such harmless baby level.

Unfortunately by the time episode 5 came up things were starting to take a far more familiar turn. The refreshing twist was taken out of the cliches being served up and the same old same old crept in. All of a sudden Ji Heon is bullying Eun Sol in typical rich man-child fashion, unwelcome gifts, unwelcome contact, generally unromantic, in your face creepiness. And he pretty much remains unpunched!! The twat.

At this point the lack of chemistry between the leads starts to really take it away from the 'fun'. Not only is there no logical reason from the plot so far for Eun Sol to love the man-child, there isn't a great deal of evidence from her that she does love him. Fondness maybe? I get that from her, like for a naughty but entertaining child.
Ji Heon is more convincing but not in a nice way. If they'd left the romance out until after she'd beaten him into shape then maybe...

And really that's where it all ends for me.
Dropped!
Yet another interesting female lead that I can't respect because of the man she supposedly loves.

I revisited this and managed to get to episode 10 before giving up again. The comedy gold just couldn't make up for the chaebol man-child. SPOILER!! I sort of got my hopes up after Eun Sol told him he acted like a child making her see a future of mothering him, without being able to lean on him. Yet he just kept on with the childish harassment and competition with Moo Won so i dropped it again. What's adorable about a grown man acting like that ?

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