Becca256
Costa Rica
I feel this is a feel-good drama to binge on a weekend, specially if you're feeling down or just want to feel all fluffy. The story is well-paced an fun to watch. It's great seeing these characters going through their day-to-day and start being adults together. Another thing to note is that is sweet that the story is about a clueless math guy chasing a clueless Doraemon-obsessed girl.
The acting was good and natural, which is all you're looking for in a drama like this, and the chemistry was good between the main characters.
There is stuff I could nitpick about this drama, like secondary stories, or the excessive amount of innocence, but I think the good outweighs the bad.
Be prepared for the cutesy-fest!
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Story: This is a character-driven story, not plot driven. This is the story of how they met and changed each other's lives, and how they individually grew, and I couldn't have been happier that this was it, without any cliches or contrived plot points.
Characters: On one hand we have Cha Soo Hyun, a chaebol through and through who has never had a chance to have a live of her own, because of the deep love and commitment she has for for family. On the other hand we have Kim Jin Hyuk, an old soul who loves poetry and has a very positive way to look at live, not to be confused with naiveness; he is also a man who is completely free of the toxic masculinity that has been so talked about in recent times. He always respects Soo Hyun's decisions and backs her up, and encourages to empower herself, without pushing her.
There are good side characters throughout the story, but this is a story about these 2, and the drama doesn't waste much time focusing anywhere else.
Acting: Song Hye Kyung and Park Bo Gum have great natural chemistry together; they pulled the drama all on their own, and did a great work while it. With them we were able to see 2 people fall in love, especially in the small details. They were able to convery their emotions and story without having to talk at all. Their scenes felt so real that sometimes we as the audience even feel like voyeurs by watching something so intimate.
Music: This usually is not a very important part for me, but the music in this drama really lifted up the story and gave it great ambiance; it was also great to hear music in Spanish.
Overall: I loved almost everything about this drama, from the simple story to the great chemistry between Soo Hyun and Jin Hyuk. I loved that their story wasn't overly dramatic but instead very realistic. Each time it could've turned into a cliché, the drama subverted it and went the other way. If I have one complain is that characters, especially antagonists, talked a lot about creating havoc but never actually did anything, robbing some momentum to the plot; however, the cute scenes more than made up for it.
Watch this if you're feeling down or just want to feel fuzzy all over; it'll help you remember your first love, and all the small moments and feelings that you go through when you first fall in love.
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But having said that, let's get back to bussiness to discuss the rest of the drama.
Story:
The pacing of the story was very good. It gave itself the time to explore the virtual world and develop the characters there before focusing on their real lives. This choice shows that the drama places the same importance on both worlds. Another thing that I liked was that the story did not rely on over-the-top drama to continue its story. It was confident enough in the characters and the relationships they built to just let them flow instead of placing them in stupid misunderstandings. The main focus of the story was the characters and their relationships, not the other way around.
Characters:
Since the focus of the drama is the characters and not the story, they need to be well written to be able to pull it off. This is something that drama accomplishes in some cases but fails in other cases. My main complain in this department is definitely the development of the main female lead, Bei Wei Wei. She starts out as a very strong character with her own set of beliefs and dreams. She is also established as being very intelligent and good at playing videogames. However, as the story goes own, she completely loses agency in her story and her choices, and her life starts being all about the people she loves; she is also only praised for her beauty and her other traits are completely forgotten.
As for the male lead, Xiao Nai, he's a good character but he's also you're typical male lead. He is basically handsome, rich, successful, intelligent and good at everything. This is even brought up at some time in the drama and the only defect they come up with is that he can't cook, which is not a character flaw. This also makes him predictable, since we know he will always win.
The good thing is that they form a really good couple, and you can really see how they fit together. They are always incredibly supportive of each other, and have great communication. Neither of them are jealous and they trust their partner completely. The conflicts and dramas throughout the whole story are never between them, but something external that they need to face together, which was really refreshing in a sea of drama clichés about love triangles, secret deceases and stupid sacrifices.
This drama also has a great bench of supporting characters. The characters in the game, Xiao Nai's friends and Bei Wei Wei were a great addition. The standouts for me definitely were Old Yu and Er Xi. They are such great and funny characters and they stole every scene that they were in. I also liked the development of the relationship between KO and Hao Mei, even if it is never explicit.
Acting
I really liked the acting in this, it was really well-lived and natural. The chemistry between the leads was very good and also between all different friends. None of the performances stuck out in a bad way, even if some of the mwere slightly exaggerated for comic relief.
Overall thoughts
I really enjoyed this drama a lot, and never found it boring. Even though it lacks the usual conflicts and dramas, it never stops showing this characters relating to each other, and that's fascinating in itself. I recommend it if you have ever been part of an online community, or if you are in the mood for something fluffy and cute.
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Story: The story is very cute and sweet. It perfectly mixes the in-game story and the real world story, making it both a fantasy and a coming-of-age movie. Some parts of the story where rushed because of the small time frame for the movie, but the most important parts where there. I really liked that they included a lot of gaming to the second part of the movie, showing how you can relate to the people you care about through games, too. I also liked that they showed the characters failing some times, that made it more relatable and realistic. One part that I didn't like was that they hid Xiao Nai's motives for the first part of the movie, which made it really hard to care for him or understand him; it would've served the character better if his motives and intentions were clear from the start.
Characters: I believe that this is what the movie sacrificed the more in service of the story. It had so much story to go through, that we were not able to get to know the characters as deeply as I would've liked. The character that really stood out was Bei Wei Wei. She was strong, temperamental, brave and deeply compassionate towards the people she cared about. For me she was the best part of the movie by far. Xiao Nai was a good character but we didn't really spend a lot of time getting to know him; he's your typical alfa-male. Because of this, the moment that I liked him the most was when he was going through a hard time, since it's the only time where I was truly able to see how he processed emotions and information. As for the supporting characters, they were basically non-existing since there was no time to develop them, which was truly a shame.
Actors: The standout for me was Angelababy. I had seen him in a drama before and I wasn't impressed, but here she shone through and gave a very emotional and nuanced performance. Jing Bo Ran did the best with what he was given, but as mentioned above, we really didn't get that much insight to him.
Comparisons with drama
I'm still going back and forth with wether the love story was better in the drama or the movie. The movie rushes through their romance, but once it's there it portrays it beautifully. Another thing that I really loved in the movie was that they were equals in their relationship, and collaborated and worked together. And the actor had great chemistry.
The pacing of the story was a lot better in the drama, since it had more time to breathe, but the movie is also able to remove fillers and concentrate on the main parts of the story.
Final Thoughts
This is a very light and sweet movie. It's not the best movie in the world but it is a vey good adaptation and can stand on its own. This is also a very good altenative if you're not willing to invest the time to watch the whole drama. You will especially enjoy it if you have ever been part of an online gaming community, or forums.
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Story- I love sport movies, and this one was no exception. I loved both main characters, one who was very talented but didn't wamt to swim and the other one who was less talented but trained a lot and was pressured by his dad. I specially liked the bromance between Wu Sang and Won Il, it was my favorite part of the movie. The weakest part of the story for me was the romantic part. The female lead was shallow and poorly written so I could never understand how they would fall in love with her? What did they see in her?
Acting - I already knew both SIG and LJS could act really well, they have proven it before, and this movie was no exception. Seo In Guk nailed his performance of an orphan rebel kid, bringing life and joy to a character who could've been very tragic and Lee Jong Suk also excelled in his role of a pressured kid who doesn't know how to have fun. Sadly, I can't say the same thing about Yuri. Saying that I suffered watching her acting was an understatement. I understand that the producers were trying to attract a younger audience and that's why they chose an idol for the love interest, but why did it have to be Yuri? She barely knows the basics about acting and her character seemed too plastic, taking credibility from the love story.
Music- Again, it was a weak part of the movie, way too mellow and pop-ish.
Rewatch value- I will definitely rewatch this again because it's the kind of movie that you enjoy watching several times
Overall, if you're looking for a good sports movie about friendship and bromance, this is your movie! PLUS! Lee Jong suk and Seo In Guk shirtless 95% of the movie! :D
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This movie is a perfect masterpiece, which combines a heartbreaking story about a mentally handicapped man who becomes a victim of the law, stunning visuals and top notch acting from every member of the cast. All this creates one of the most beautiful movies I have ever watched.
The story has a sad tone, but it also manages to makes us laugh a lot of times. The relationship between Ye Seung and the prisoners of cell No.7 was definitely the highlight of the movie, creating heart warming and tragic moments at all times.
The acting was excellent. The movie relied a lot on Kal So Won, the little girl who played Ye Seung and she definitely delivered. She was the one who set the tone to the whole movie, because we saw the movie through her eyes. If I had to name the weakest link, it would be Park Shin Hye. Not because she lacks acting skills, but because she felt really disconnected from the rest of the cast.
The music blended perfectly and it added a lot of feelings to the scenes. It let us know when to laugh and when to cry, and it was so natural that you didn't even notice it.
I will definitely rewatch this movie a lot of times, and it will still make me cry and laugh like a baby.
I would recommend this movie to anyone, because it's the kind of movie that makes us appreciate the humor in tragedies, and even though it's tragic, it reminds us that there is love out there, that there are good people.
Seriously, if you haven't watched it, go watch it now!
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As many of you probably know, the crew of this drama was the same staff that produced Queen In Hyun's Man, and it definitely shows. Not because the stories are similar (because they're not), but because they have the same quality. There are few to none plot holes and the every single detail is taken care of. So let's start digging a little deeper now.
Story-the story is about a man who has a chance to change his life and fix all of his mistakes. This in itself is a wonderful theme because it gets us thinking about what would we change of our life if we could and what would be the consequences of that change. What I loved about this story is that it never was predictable, you never know what's going to happen next, and it manages to mix romance, action and character development in a completely natural way. I personally loved the ending, it was fitting to the rest of the drama. I really liked that even though Park Sun Woo kept going back to the past, he almost never changed anything for his own benefit, but for the benefit of others. Even when he makes a mistake that turns his life completely upside-down (and not for the best), he refuses to go back and fix it.
Acting- I can honestly say that it was genius. Lee Jin Wook's portrayal of Park Sun Woo was right on spot, bringing us to tears one moment and making us choke laughing at the next moment. Jo Yoon Hee also did a great work with her character, being irresistibly adorable, completely straight forward with her love but at the same time managing to be innocent. I have to make an honorary mention at something she said because I literally rolled in the floor laughing because of it. At one point she says to PSW while throwing a tantrum "You're going to ruin my life by letting me die a virgin!!". And that brings me to the chemistry. The chemistry between the protagonists was sizzling,making the love story not only believable but relatable. Rhey made you root for them as they went through many obstacles together. The rest of the cast was also amazing, making us not only focus on the romance but also on friendship and family relationships. The only weak link on the cast was Jeong Dong Hwan, who over acted his role and made the EXACT same face EVERY single time he discovered something (OoO).
Music-It wasn't bad but it wasn't anything special either.
Rewatch- i will definitely watch this again soon, if only to get all the details and contrast of this complex story.
This is a really good and neat drama that will never get you bored but keep you on the edge of your seat the whole time. If you like action or suspense dramas, or dramas that will get you thinking, this is definitely your cup, I highly recommend it.
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I think almost everybody who is familiar with this story knows that there are several adaptations for it. It all started with the manga, then the anime, then the 1995 movie and then 4 drama adaptions from China, Taiwan, Japan and Korea. This version, the JDrama one is my favorite. Reasons? Here I go.
Story:
The story isn't your typical Cinderella. Yes, there's a poor girl and a rich guy and yes, he falls in love with her, but this Cinderella definitely doesn't want the charming prince to return her glass slipper. For me this story is a master piece not because of the love story, but because of its crudeness. It deals bluntly with heavy issues (even more forbidden in Japan) like bullying, rape, tolerance, corruption, class differences and the general injustice that is high school. I think this a story that every teenage girl should know of, because it says that you don't have to be anything to please a guy.Instead, you should worry about the things surrounding you and how you can make a change.
The love story is pretty good and addictive too. You have a strong female character who deals with a LOT of things throughout the story. She isn't searching for love, she has her hands already full with school and her family. She isn't pretty OR nice. Neither is she elegant or flirty. BUT, she is loyal to her friends and always defends people against injustice. She is honourable and honest, she always speaks her mind, even if it will get her in huge trouble afterwards. She's also fearless and does what most people are afraid to. Watching this now, I realize that Makino has been my role model throughout my teenage years and has helped me morph into the person I am today. I am still very far from being like her, but she's a truly inspirational character who makes me always push myself harder.
Then there's Domyouji, who is far from your perfect prince charming. To put it mildly, he's a total jerk and a bully. He's used to getting his way and everybody is afraid of him. He's a really rotten human being, if that can even be called human. But, when Makino confronts him instead of running away from him, he falls instantly in love with her. For me one of the greatest thing about HYD is seeing Domyouji slowly changing from being the monster that he was at first to a truly beautiful human being. His love for Makino makes him grow as a person, become someone kind and adorable, and he learns a little more about life, and accepts that he can't always have his way.
Acting:
All the cast does a perfect job. They made the characters from the manga come alive completely, instead of changing them. The chemistry between Inoue Mao and Matsumoto Jun is so real that I often wish they were a couple in real life while watching them, and the chemistry between the F4 is great too. They really came together as a group of friends who always have their back for each other.
The thing about this story is that you don't say: wow this person is a great actor/actress. It is the kind of awesome acting that makes you forget they're acting. It's simply natural and perfect.
Music:
The OST is really good. It's not mad good, but it's the kind of music that gets stucked in your head for several days in a row. It has been on my iPod for several years, and I sometimes use it as a ringtone from my phone.
Rewatch:
I've watched this several times and I will keep rewatching it, because I learn something new about it every time I watch it.
Overall:
This is one of those dramas that for ME, is really a must. If you haven't watched it, I recommend it greatly. I don't know if you'll think of it as high as I do, but I seriously think you'll like it, what are you waiting for? :)
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There were a lot of things that I liked about this drama and a lot of things that I didn't.
The acting was one of the best thing of the drama. Each actor and actress did a great job portraying his or her character and they complemented each other perfectly as a family. Sometimes they fought, sometimes they cried and sometimes they were plain hilarious, but each time they did it as a family. Seeing them like that kind of made me wish I had such a huge family like them!
The music was a lot better than I expected, I even learned the lyrics for the songs! There was one that was specially catchy, the one with the ?vis a vis face to face? chorus.
Now to the main part: the story. This is a really long drama,so the story is like several stories put together. The first chapters were really frustrating for me to watch because every character is really annoying and dumb. They made me just want to smack them really hard.
But then, as the story continues you learn to love these characters even with their flaws, and feel what they're feeling. Maybe, you will even learn to relate to them.
In my opinion it was a wonderful story, because it wasn't the kind of story that made you want to dramathon through the drama, but it grew on you slowly and made you want to keep watching what happened to this crazy family, and how each character grew (they really needed to grow, ALL of them).
The downside of this drama for me was that it was extended. I think the drama would've been a lot better if they had finished it in episode 39-40. The last 5 episodes were a torture for me to watch, because I felt like I had already witnessed the end of the story, and that the last few episodes were a really LONG epilogue, and no one wants long epilogues.
Overall this a really funny, light and heart warming drama. It is constantly entertaining and you will never get bored watching it, there's always a crazy scene waiting in the next 5 minutes. If you're in the mood for something like that, this drama is just for you :)
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The romance (or the story) between Da Ren and You Quing started 15 years before the drama started. And the thing is that we obviously wouldn't want to watch those 15 years of story because it would've been really dreadful, but one could've at least expected that the part of the story that we DID get to watch, didn't drag for so long.
There is no story, the whole drama is just about Da Ren being hopelessly in love with You Quing and you Quing treating him like crap and saying "why can nobody love me?? I'm so OLD and I can't find anybody!!". I wouldn't have minded that if it were a movie, but a drama only about that??? You could've watched the first episode and the last 2 and still would love the story, because that's all there is to it.
As for the love part, I love the idea of friends becoming something else, but in here it was just really pathetic and not romantic. If the story had been backwards with You Quing chasing Da Ren all over the place, a lot of people would say "ugghh, this is so sexist, how can they show this? Girls need to have self-respect and love themselves before loving anyone else". But seeing as it's the guy chasing the girl, people say "oh, how romantic". But well, that's sexist too. Guys should love themselves,too. A love relationship should be equal, not one chasing the other until the other accepts, no matter their gender.
The chemistry between Berlin Cheng and Ariel Lin was splendid, they definitely got in touch with their characters and portrayed them perfectly, and I loved how Ariel portrayed You Quing. You Ching is like the anti-heroine in all aspects. She's strong, selfish, not innocent, has had a lot of boyfriends and sometimes she acts like a total b....bad person. Still, the way in which Ariel portayed her made me love her with all her quirks and defects. Berlin Cheng also did a great job portraying Da Ren, but the isuue I had with him was that he sometimes crossed that thin line between in love and pathetic.
I'm not saying that the drama was bad, not at all, it had many strong points, and it was overall enjoyable, but really frustrating at the same time, and sometimes for the sake of being realistic and connecting with the audience, it kind of pushed the romance part aside. The music was not great, but it fit the scenes accordingly.
So, if you like the kind of stories where the guy falls for the girl first and need to do everything to conquer her, or if you are looking for a drama full of awesome friendship and cute moments, this is the drama for you.
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To be able to appreciate this drama at its full, I made me forget that it was a Hana Kimi remake. Hana Kimi was the second drama that I ever watched and I loved it. It's funny and full of friendship, silly scenes and cartoon-ish effects.
To The Beautiful You is nothing like that. In fact, this drama reminded me a lot more of You're Beautiful than of Hana Kimi. It's a drama full of super cute scenes that just made me giggly and giddy the whole time.
The story is really nothing special. I liked that it was light and not over dramatic. Even if there was a secret, that secret wasn't the focus of the story, it just made it move along, so it didn't really drag.
One of the things that I liked the most about the drama, where the parts where Tae Joon got ....excited...because of something Sulli did, or how she looked. It may look like I have a dirty mind, but it's not really that. I liked that because that's how real teenager boys think. When you're a teen you're just going through this roller coaster of emotions and hormones, and you can't even control anything. That's why I think that the portraying of teenagers here was great, very much like in Reply 1997.
The acting for me was one of the best points of this drama. The 3 main actors had great chemistry together, so you could really believe the scenes. Min Ho did a perfect Tae Joon, going from a cold boy to a really sweet one because of love. Sulli also did a great job with her role. The danger with a character like Goo Jae Hee is that she's so naive and innocent that it could make you want to strangle her sometimes, but Sulli pulled it off perfectly. She portrayed the character as a very sweet girl full of light and warmth, but not annoying at all. As for Lee Hyun Woo, he was a flawless confused boy, the new Jeremy. He was so pure and sincere with his love towards Jae Hee that it made you inevitably root for him. I loved one of his lines: "Boy or girl, it doesn't matter, we're all humans".
The music was good, specially J-Min's "Stand Up", but it did get kind of annoying at some parts the exaggerated advertisement of SM music.
I will definitely rewatch this drama again, because it's one of those dramas that just make you feel good, and like you're one of the characters. I will watch it evry time I feel bad, or every time I want to remember what innocent first love looks like.
Overall, I loved this drama. I get why some people won't like it, because it really has no much content, but I got swallowed by the fluffiness of it, and boy, did I enjoy it! :D
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The cast is great (specially with Busan accent, which I love), the music is awesome, too (it had a lot of songs from the 90's that I recognized. I specially almost cried when "Ode to my family" by The Cranberries played, and when "The Scientist" by Coldplay played too). In rewatch value.... I don't think I'll rewatch this again soon, but I'll probably rewatch my favorite parts.
But, the main thing about this drama, is the story. This storty isn't your typical romcom. It doesn't start at the beggining, or finishes it at the end. We get to see parts of their life as they grow old, and have like 7 flash backs in one, but I really felt like I was watching like the 10% of their real lives, not the whole thing. And that in itself, was genius. I didn't like some parts of the story, but then I realized it was because it resembled real life, and it real life things don't always go the way you want them to go.
I loved this drama not because it was a masterpiece or because I couldn't stop watching it. I loved it because it made me remember of when I was like that too. It made me remember my first love, my high school friends, how I felt when I was just like them. And that is the idea of the drama. Reply 1997 is like saying "answer me, 1997 me". Like remembering the person you were back when you were that age, and going through that. I think this is why this drama has gotten so much attention.
I'm not saying is a must watch, but I am saying that if you do watch it, you'll probably be thrown down memory lane, and will relate to the things the characters are going through. You're going to say "Oh, I had one of those bags, shoes, tamagotchis" or "I loved that song", or simply "Oh, I did that too". Maybe you'll like it and maybe you won't, it's your decision in the end. I know I almost didn't :)
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It's such a shame because the story had a lot of potential, and it all went down the drain. So yeah, I understand if you start clicking your "Not helpful" button right now, but at least hear me (read me?) out.
I'm not going to spoil in how many ways this was frustrating, and in which ways the story lacked (A LOT), but I AM going to say that I,a big Hong Sister's fan, was really disappointed by this story- It gets to a point in which there ceases to be a story and it's just going around in circles time and time again, and the way it ends is awful, too.
Even though this is one of the worst dramas I've watched in a long time, it definitely can't be blamed on the cast. The whole cast was outstanding. The characters were awful, but it seemed very real, there was no bad acting in any part of the drama.
The music was normal, same as in most kdramas.
For the rewatch value, I definitely will NOT rewatch this. EVER again. I almost drop it the first time, NO.
Overall, this is a drama that had a lot of potential and got screwed big time. And as much as it pains me to say it, it's all the Hong Sister's fault, because the story didn't live up to its potential or its cast.
So, who do I recommend this to??? NO ONE. Maybe someone who's just starting to watch dramas, and differenciate between a good drama and a bad drama.
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The writing was simply superb. It's amazing how they paid attention to each little detail. There weren't any holes anywhere. There was nothing that wasn't explained in some point of the story. The whole story had me in my toes the whole, waiting too see what was going to happen next.I loved the way they used an unoriginal concept and turned it into something completely different, without using the usual things. For example, I loved that Boong Do was so practical and smart, and that instead of focusing on how much he was lost, he focused on learning all kind of new stuff and trying to adapt to the future. I also liked that both times in the story were important, not just the future.
The cast was perfect. The chemistry between Yoon In Na and Ji Hyun Woo obviously can't be denied. I hadn't watched anything with Ji Hyun Woo in it until now (I'll be sure to correct that mistake), but I had watched Secret Garden and The Greatest Love with Yoon In Na, and I never thought possible she could be that good acting. That just proofs that looks DO deceive, because I thought of her as just another actress playing small mean roles. The secondary cast was great too, if sometimes a little annoying.
The music was really according to the drama. It's not something I'd have on my iPod to listen to all the time, but it did fit perfectly to the drama. It was so good that even the actors used it to get in the mood for the sad scenes, how awesome is that?
I'll definitely rewatch this sometime soon, when I'm in the mood for some epic love story.
Overall, a pefectly well deserved 10.
PS: This has some of the best kisses I've ever seen on a drama!
Enjoy watching!
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The first thing you need to know about this drama (you're reading this probably because you haven't watched it, right?) is that it's very fresh, and different from any other kdrama.
For me the most awesome thing about this drama, and the reason why I'm giving it a 10 it's the story. The writing is superb. Each character exists completely, and it's really human. You can feel all they're feeling.
The story doesn't have any cliché and unlike other "musical" dramas (coughheartstringscough)the musical part is really there. Musical is part of the character's lives so it becomes another character in the drama, making it more beautiful and allowing us to feel.
The acting is quite amazing. The performances that, for me, need to be like high lighted were Oh Man Suk's and Im Joo Eun's. They truly stole the show, and their characters were the best.
The music was for a musical but it had different genre and I must say that the vocal part of the songs were great. I hadn't realized Daesung had such an extraordinary voice until this.
I don't think I'll watch this again because this is the kind of drama that you must watch once to be amazed by it and discovering each character little by little, so I don't think I'll feel as deeply as I feel now about it if I watch it again.
This drama left me with a feeling of change, like I was a different person just by watching it, as if by watching it I was somehow becoming part of the story, so I'm happy to say that this is a drama that I won't forget soon, because it taught me a lot, and it definitely has a special corner in my heart, so I hope that by reading this, you'll also want to have that experience! Go watch it! Oh Man Suk rocks! =)
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