Colum H
UK - Yorkshire Free State
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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A funny thing happened on the way to the last episode
Not that funny unfortunately!The first 12 or so half hour episodes of this totally sucked me in, thanks in a large part to Kim Jung Hyun. Anyone that has had the misfortune to wade through a few of my reviews will know I'm not fond of Jerk Leads who don't grow up but I am fond of Romance. And the first third of this drama promised a Jerk Lead with character development and a sweet though perhaps doomed Romance. Whoot!
As we entered the teens though this promise started to fail, the plot became a lot less convincing, an obviously ailing KJH had to pass the baton to a far less accomplished Seo Hyun and Romance took second place to REVENGE!!
I was left feeling bathetic...so much promise unfulfilled and at 22 episodes in boredom set in - This is not the Drama you were looking for!
Story: Begins well but loses it's way far too early, possibly due to panic over the impending departure of KJH.
Acting;/Cast: KJH is the real stand out here even I appreciated his turn as a Jerk. Kim Joon Han was a convincing villain with scraps of soul and there was haphazard support from Hwang Seong Eon.
Music: Had a couple of classics mixed in and never made me hit mute.
Rewatch: I didn't manage first watch! but if I did revisit it would be for KJH.
Overall it could have been great but it lost it around the half way mark.
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Tears and laughter with some genuinely moving moments.
I believe I've started this before but gave up in the first episode. Probably because of the ML being yet another wealthy, handsome manchild.This time I hung on in there for just a little longer and whilst I did still find him infuriating at times his (eventual) character growth and the story were ultimately rewarding.
This isn't ground-breaking stuff but it is a good, wholesome weep fest.
The performances are pretty good though characters don't all have a lot of depth. The FL probably gets the prize from me.
The bromance and sismance are engaging and emotionally rewarding.
The only real flaw for me was the Baek Seol story line. The In-Laws were a bit too overdone and I found her acting unconvincing. The rather obvious duck lip probably didn't help. I didn't really feel her motorbike friendship came over as innocent either which rather spoilt it and the ensuing story line.
I have to admit to skipping through some of the longer emotionally manipulative moments.
Story: Good but not standout
Acting: Good with alright chemistry between many of the characters.
Music: Ok didn't really grab me but not mute button awful
Rewatch: Probably not - I enjoyed it but not to that great a degree.
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This review may contain spoilers
I nearly made it to the end but...
Will I go back to this? Can I bear to (not) finish it?Right now I'm not completely sure, if I do go back I'll update this review.
I ended up at Birth Secret by a recommendation on the 'That Fool' page and at first I was very taken with it. It had a young Kim So Hyun and a fine if slightly irritating turn from Gal So Won. Sung Yu Ri also pulled me in.
The story has it's clichés (amnesia anyone?) but I didn't really mind the way it was done and that first part of the setup was intriguing.
But
At episode 10 I wrote in the comments:
<"Hong Gyung-doo is uneducated and poor" and unintelligent, boorish, violent, impulsive, aggressive... though he is a loving father. Not forgetting he is very, very shouty! (like the uncle) I'm on ep. 10 and really enjoying it apart from the shouty stupids which I tend to skip through.>
And a big part of my lack of enthusiasm by episode 14/15 is Hong Gyung Doo. I get that he's supposedly a nice chap and that they shoehorned various ways to show this into the script. He starts getting better off- better dressed, better job and so on and so on. But to me he's just a shouty simpleton with some serious boundary issues. The Oh now I remember being happy with him when we were married scenes were just jarring.
Unfortunately without the kick of Romance the rest of Birth Secret can't really stand up.
I had little time for most of the side characters whether they were love to hate or comic relief, they just weren't fleshed out enough to sustain interest. The only support character I really enjoyed was Sun Young I liked her progression. The Aunt and Kyung Doo's love triangle ended up as lost opportunities.
Another problem was by episode 14 of 18 I already felt it should have been 12 episodes or maybe 14 at the most. All the flashbacks, the long mother/father & daughter quality time scenes, the aforementioned pre-amnesia happy lovey-dovey scenes. And the professor with a handy speech impediment which could spin lines and 'tension' out interminably.
Which leaves me writing this - uninterested in the whole Chaebol corruption stuff, don't care if any of the secondary characters get happy endings and not shipping the main couple.
Hoping Sun Young gets her divorce, meets someone nice etc. and the cute kid aren't worth four more episodes.
The music was okay in places but there were quite a few yearning ballads in there which ought to have never existed
If you watch a few episodes and ship the main couple then go for it, I kept watching way past when I realised they were the 'ship of the show so it can't be all bad?
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A Serviceable Thriller
I've skipped past this many times thinking the synopsis sounded unappealing, rich mommies mentally abusing their children - no thanks.Yet in reality this is a perfectly serviceable Kdrama Thriller suffering from all the usual problems but with some great performances and a compelling enough story.
The story whilst interesting and (at least in the beginning) a little difficult to predict soon settles into something a bit more predictable. Fortunately the trip to the eventual dénouement has a plethora of twists and turns to keep you interested.
As usual for Kdrama thrillers the need to spin things out throws up situations where logic, police procedure, common sense and occasionally the space time continuum go out of the window. I never found it to be immersion breaking though and was dragged along with little effort.
The side characters stories I found to be less compelling at least after the first few episodes. The mystery vanished leaving fairly pedestrian relationship plots behind. Nothing you haven't seen before in some form or another though it was nice to see how supportive all of them turned out to be.
Acting: Some fine performances from Song Yoon Ah and Kim Tae Woo made up for a slightly less accomplished one from Kim So Yeon. Song Jae Rim I found disappointing. Everyone else did a good job with the parts they were given with a special mention for Kim Ye Joon.
Music: I actually enjoyed the music in this and whilst it was overplayed I never really tired of it.
Rewatch: Probably not at least not until I have forgotten all the twists.
TLDR: An enjoyable thriller with enough to lift it above the norm without it being a classic.
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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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Turn off Critical Faculties sit back and Enjoy!
This is an awkward one to rate, it's cheesy, has plot holes and little logic. Makjang enough that you know every episode will have a 'twist' and some tears.And yet I thoroughly enjoyed it, the baddies were so bad the goodies were so good. I laughed at the humour both intentional and accidental, got angry where I should and teary where I should.
Still it isn't actually very good just... enjoyable. Props to Lee Yoo Ri for a large part of that enjoyment.
Well worth a look if you want something fun to watch. I skipped some of the first episode setup bits the broad picture was enough. The last couple of episodes are a bit the same skip the tying it up parts you guessed or don't really care about watch the bits you want.
The Music was what you would expect.
The cast are really what keeps you watching and they all do a solid job with what they are given. Go Na Hee is cute as a button which always helps.
I probably won't watch this again for years.
Edit: August 2021
So I lied!
I'm rewatching this at the mo' and revelling in it's trashy airport novel marvelousness! Such fun! I like the homage to Yoo Ri's Fun-staurant turn - he likes wine so...
I think part of the enjoyment for me is knowing Yoo Ri is as mad as toast IRL it lends a whole new shine to her character's vulnerable, Stepford Wife routine. When those big Puppy Dog eyes fill with tears or she does that blank eyed smile I'm totally convinced no matter how barmy the plot is.
The ML talking to everyone like they are moron's though is harder to handle. If I spoke to my 10yo like that I'd get short shrift.
Watch it - it's pants, but.. they are made of shiny purple velvet with yellow satin stars sewn on by hand.
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So good you want to drag it out
Now this is an odd one to review because really it's a bit simple and twee but it still manages to pull you in and move you.Watching Hotarugosu was a bit like watching the old black and white movies on a Saturday afternoon. Full of 'proper' values and pathos where the good guys eventually win with little gritty realism on show. And really that's why Hotarugosu works, everything is gentle and subdued yet the script and a fine set of actors mean you feel all the emotion you should and always root for the good guys.
For me they could have added a few more episodes very easily
If you want a bit of light costume drama with a serviceable story, good acting and a feel good factor then this is thoroughly recommended. If you are looking for blood, melodramatics, realism and moral ambiguity then go elsewhere.
The music was appropriate and nowhere jarring.
Kiyohara Kaya and Tanimura Mitsuki* had the acting chops for me building a believable relationship with seemingly little effort and the kids of course deserve a special mention for their performances. Otherwise everyone gave wholly reasonable performances leaving you in no doubt of what part they played.
All in all something I would watch again. When I do I'm sure I will smile and pretend not to get choked up at just the same places.
*I had just watched her in I am Ghost where she is a schoolgirl so I had a little trouble placing her as a mother of two at first.
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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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Unfortunately as I watched things started to go wrong. JH's sociopathic Dr? very interesting: I thought on the whole he played it well and it kept my interest. Unfortunately instead of sticking with a winning theme we have to have Hospital politics/corruption as an interminable backdrop. FF was my friend for this, though as ever when you end up skipping such large portions of episodes you miss pertinent plot points. I didn't care I was too bored by it
The whole father son stuff was all as seen before as well which was ok but not really worth sitting through.
The FL was the usual nice but gullible cliche which undermined a lot of the romance in the end, letting the chemistry flicker and fizzle rather than bloom. The end of her/their story arc was so mind numbingly unoriginal I skipped through most of that as well.
The bits that worked best are the actual patient/doctor the true medical drama stuff. Those parts brought out the best in JH's portrayal of Dr Lee and the best of the character itself.
So all in all if the romance grabs you, if you don't mind all the politics/corruption stuff, if you still find entertainment in uninspired cliches give this a go it's probably a lot better than I've made out.
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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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This review may contain spoilers
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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This isn't a typical Drama relying on the usual cliches, though of course it has familiar elements. Cinderella story? Heart warming family drama? Revenge story? Romance? Corruption? Seperation?
This ride takes you through many places and the fact you are never quite sure where it'll take you next is part of it's charm.
The humour is surprisingly good, I laughed out loud regularly and chortled more often. As others have said the humour can be a little dark and twisted at times leading you to curse and laugh at the same time in places.
The acting was exceptional all the characters coming to life with seemingly little effort. There are many faces you will recognise in this ensemble cast and a lot of talent on show. Yoo Joon Sang and Choi Yeon Hee were excellent, portraying the terrible In Laws that you should love to hate with enough humanity to make you never lose sight of them as people. They are the focus of the show and they carry it well.
Go Ah Sung was amazing as Seo Bom, following her journey and character growth was a joy.
There has to be a special mention for the baby as well, watching his interactions with the cast kept bringing a smile to my face, they obviously spent a fair bit of time together.
Only Lee Joon really disappointed just feeling substandard in comparison to everyone else.
This program also contains one of the best birth scenes I've watched, it got the point across without seeming too forced and unreal and I actually watched it all the way through, the humour helped.
The Music I really enjoyed, it had me bopping in my seat on a number of occasions I even liked the opening number enough to look it up. The spooky discordant music was a little overused but at least there weren't any dreadful ballads thrown in. Poongmoon Gypsy made me jig everytime it came on.
What I wasn't so keen on was the corruption and political stuff I skipped through plenty of that, occasionally missing plot points entirely - what happened to her leg? There were also a few episodes which seemed like filler with nothing much happening and not enough humour to pull you through.
As has been noted by others the ending is rushed with too many elements being resolved too quickly, apparently due to two episodes being knocked off the run at a late time. Which makes me regret the filler episodes even more.
I would watch various bits of this again, The headbutt! so unexpected but perfect, the duck and run, Hyun Soo telling it like it is and so on . Maybe in a year or two I'll settle down and watch it again.
TLDR: Worth a go if you fancy something different with laugh out loud moments but no need to force yourself to watch every second.
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We have all the usual ingredients here for a fine Romance drama:
Jerk Lead with a secret heart of gold? check!
Sweet put upon female lead who's actually much tougher than she first appears? check!
Enforced cohabitation? check!
Cute Kid? check!
So nothing new but as ever it's how it's baked that makes the difference.
This Jerk is a spoilt child with a cruel tongue but little violence in him, he's easy to see just as a child and therefore copable with. He also has character progression which again makes him easier to forgive.
The Female lead forges her way through, mothering all that come within her range with a slightly clumsy, gentle fierceness. Maternal sacrifice is far easier to watch than Noble Sacrifice.
The Romance is slow and barely acknowledged by either party but is sweet to watch.
The extra spice that Kim Yoo Bin's turn as Min Woo's daughter adds in is a joy, tugging at your heartstrings, making you smile giving the whole show a warm family feel. Even when she's just piggybacked to bed fast asleep it makes the scene feel different.
I didn't mind any of the support characters and though some were only sketched in mostly they played their parts well. Really apart from the president and his wife they were just a backdrop for the leads.
The reporter dude irritated me just as he should.
The music was fine though the show tunes, sorry numbers, weren't my bag.
It isn't perfect and occasional soggy writing or poor acting can pull you out of focus.
The FL is irritating in places with the odd hairstyle and fussy housewife chats but I found her easy to forgive.
On the whole though I found little to criticise. It isn't intense, it won't give you an emotional charge, it isn't thought provoking so it isn't up there in the 9/10 range but... it's great!
I've rewatched it already and thoroughly enjoyed it second time around
Recommended.
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This review may contain spoilers
Yet another abusive Jerk lead!The premise sounded good as I had recently watched Oh! My Lady and this was apparently similar...except it wasn't.
There's nothing new about this plot line really - Jerk male lead and nice Female lead bicker but eventually fall for each other same old, same old.
As ever it is the execution that makes the difference and keeps us watching but this is yet another of those 'it's only cute, fluffy and romantic in Drama Land' programs.
Song Jae Bin isn't just a childish, spoilt little boy in a man's body, he's an abusive twat. He spends large amounts of his time physically and emotionally abusing the female lead. He thinks up new ways of hurting her and laughs when it works.
Even when everyone around him lets him know he was totally out of order, he doesn't learn from his mistake but compounds it.
Very occasionally he helps her out or obviously realises his feelings but almost immediately sets about belittling and controlling her.
This is compounded by him physically abusing her - dragging her around by the wrist, by the back of her shirt, pushing her around by her head etc. as well as publicly humiliating her.
He makes her cry and then kisses her.
Does the 'Cinderella' treatment - dresses her in expensive clothes, paints her face, does her hair and then takes her to a posh party... to introduce her to everyone as the Housekeeper!
And so on and so on
Just awful. I got to episode 8 (drag round by the back of the shirt) before I had to stop, this is days later and I'm still upset.
Choi Jin Shil, the female lead, was physically attacked by her husband in 2002 when pregnant with her second child. She divorced in 2004 and committed suicide in 2008 the same year this was released. So you get the pleasure of watching a woman who was physically abused being physically abused, humiliated, bullied and controlled, joy!
How Romantic, Fluffy and Cute!
I have no idea what happened in the last half of the drama, how he redeemed himself (if he truly did) or whatever but after eight hours I couldn't watch any more. Not recommended unless you can watch without thought.
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