BlackPanther
I really tried to delay as much as possible writing reviews of shows that I have liked, just because I want the 'high' in me to die down and give them a proper review. It's been months though, and the 'high' in me regarding this show is still there. It's now tied for my all time favorite drama, and this is coming from a 21-year old foreign exchange student who shouldn't be liking melodramas yet. To think that I was even asking then if this show was as good as something in the rain (which actually turned out to be a really average drama), makes me feel pathetic for not realizing sooner. With that, for everyone else who hasn't watched it, I advise you to watch this.
Also, don't read the fucking synopsis or initial plot because it really does a bad way of describing this show. "3 brothers blah blah blah...." how the fuck will that entice viewers? It seriously doesn't do justice.
It should've been "A story about how life will fuck you over continuously, and how you'll realize that some unexpected people are the ones who are actually helping you breath."
Story:
There it is. My first 10. My favorite drama of all time, Goblin, didn't get a 10 for me because even after thinking hard in myself that it should have, some details and parts of the story wasn't properly closed. This show is perfection at its finest though. Just looking at it makes is seem so unfair. You would think to yourself how the hell were amazing scriptwriters and an amazing director dare work on a single production? It's just beauty from start to finish. It's a melodrama, but it will keep your eyes on the screen like a rom-com and make you feel fear and despair like a thriller. The thing that I liked most about this is how they were able to accurately portray the unexplainable reality of life. Nothing will ever go your way if you don't let others in. You'll only grow as a person, if you help others and let them help you. The protagonist was a really poor girl who had nothing but hate and sadness in her because of the rash, unfortunate events she had to go through growing up. In a nutshell, this story is about how her heart warms through the voice of a man who is a sincerely good person by heart, but is just as pitiful as she is in other aspects of life. That story is mixed with other bitter-sweet storylines from supporting characters which all lead to point to one lesson: "You won't always get what you want in life, but it shouldn't make you stop working from achieving it." I won't spoil anything in this review, but this drama is tied (if not better) for the award "Best Ending" in a drama with Tomorrow With You (another melodrama)
Acting:
I hated IU's acting before, but this drama changes it. That's one hell of a jump in terms of acting level. Would honestly not come as a surprise to me if she ends up racking all possible awards for her role in this show, because she nailed it. Everyone else nailed it too, from 'Mister' Park Dong Hoon, to his 2 brothers, to the bar owner, to the douchebag wife and her surprisingly young looking but actually old lover, to Ji An's mother, everyone else seemed so natural and adept at the roles they portrayed. They all showed us complex characters who reflects real life people; they are all unique characters, just like how each person in our world really is unique in their own little way. If I were to pick out my favorite character from this show that excludes the two main leads, I would pick Yoo Ra. Kwon Nara continues to surprise me with her acting. She only had 1 previous show where she had significant screen time and I honestly thought she nailed it. Her acting on this show however was superb because she was able to showcase one of the hardest personalty of a character in this show; a tragic actress who has failed in life, but was able to garner strength once again upon knowing that someone important to her was also at their lowest. She was incredibly cute and strangely precise. Lastly, I believe this is borderline cheating; having a really good script for an already stacked cast only does the show good. Their lines suited their personas so much
Music:
The music was beautiful and accurately represented everything in the show. However, as a musically inclined person, what I'm looking for in an OST is something that I can listen to outside of the show and still feel connected to it, both thinking of the characters of the drama and not thinking of them at all. In a simpler way, both the tune and the lyrics of the songs should be dynamic enough to be able to stand on their own without prior knowledge from the drama, but still make you feel connected to it in every way. Goblin had that kind of OST and although I'm half regretting saying this, the tragically awful Uncontrollably Fond also has that kind of OST. I only felt it, and cried while at it cause the genre and message was bittersweet, at a single song in the OST of this drama and that's Sondia's "Adult". I'm not saying the OST is bad, because it is actually good. I'm just saying that it didn't have a wow factor for me to remember it outside of the show.
Rewatch value:
Hands down, the one and only melodrama that I would probably be happy rewatching. So many quotable scenes, even for such a slow paced show. If I want to be bored to death by the slowness of the pace of a drama, I'm only willing to do it crying and smiling like an idiot to this show alone.
Overall:
Even if you're a rom-com lover (most kdrama fans), a comedic type of person, someone who prefers thrillers, likes a legal setting (i belong in there), or basically someone who doesn't like melodramas, give this show a chance. It will change your perspective in melodramas, and you'll have faith at humanity again. Who knows, you might even start searching for your own mister after watching this show.
Also, don't read the fucking synopsis or initial plot because it really does a bad way of describing this show. "3 brothers blah blah blah...." how the fuck will that entice viewers? It seriously doesn't do justice.
It should've been "A story about how life will fuck you over continuously, and how you'll realize that some unexpected people are the ones who are actually helping you breath."
Story:
There it is. My first 10. My favorite drama of all time, Goblin, didn't get a 10 for me because even after thinking hard in myself that it should have, some details and parts of the story wasn't properly closed. This show is perfection at its finest though. Just looking at it makes is seem so unfair. You would think to yourself how the hell were amazing scriptwriters and an amazing director dare work on a single production? It's just beauty from start to finish. It's a melodrama, but it will keep your eyes on the screen like a rom-com and make you feel fear and despair like a thriller. The thing that I liked most about this is how they were able to accurately portray the unexplainable reality of life. Nothing will ever go your way if you don't let others in. You'll only grow as a person, if you help others and let them help you. The protagonist was a really poor girl who had nothing but hate and sadness in her because of the rash, unfortunate events she had to go through growing up. In a nutshell, this story is about how her heart warms through the voice of a man who is a sincerely good person by heart, but is just as pitiful as she is in other aspects of life. That story is mixed with other bitter-sweet storylines from supporting characters which all lead to point to one lesson: "You won't always get what you want in life, but it shouldn't make you stop working from achieving it." I won't spoil anything in this review, but this drama is tied (if not better) for the award "Best Ending" in a drama with Tomorrow With You (another melodrama)
Acting:
I hated IU's acting before, but this drama changes it. That's one hell of a jump in terms of acting level. Would honestly not come as a surprise to me if she ends up racking all possible awards for her role in this show, because she nailed it. Everyone else nailed it too, from 'Mister' Park Dong Hoon, to his 2 brothers, to the bar owner, to the douchebag wife and her surprisingly young looking but actually old lover, to Ji An's mother, everyone else seemed so natural and adept at the roles they portrayed. They all showed us complex characters who reflects real life people; they are all unique characters, just like how each person in our world really is unique in their own little way. If I were to pick out my favorite character from this show that excludes the two main leads, I would pick Yoo Ra. Kwon Nara continues to surprise me with her acting. She only had 1 previous show where she had significant screen time and I honestly thought she nailed it. Her acting on this show however was superb because she was able to showcase one of the hardest personalty of a character in this show; a tragic actress who has failed in life, but was able to garner strength once again upon knowing that someone important to her was also at their lowest. She was incredibly cute and strangely precise. Lastly, I believe this is borderline cheating; having a really good script for an already stacked cast only does the show good. Their lines suited their personas so much
Music:
The music was beautiful and accurately represented everything in the show. However, as a musically inclined person, what I'm looking for in an OST is something that I can listen to outside of the show and still feel connected to it, both thinking of the characters of the drama and not thinking of them at all. In a simpler way, both the tune and the lyrics of the songs should be dynamic enough to be able to stand on their own without prior knowledge from the drama, but still make you feel connected to it in every way. Goblin had that kind of OST and although I'm half regretting saying this, the tragically awful Uncontrollably Fond also has that kind of OST. I only felt it, and cried while at it cause the genre and message was bittersweet, at a single song in the OST of this drama and that's Sondia's "Adult". I'm not saying the OST is bad, because it is actually good. I'm just saying that it didn't have a wow factor for me to remember it outside of the show.
Rewatch value:
Hands down, the one and only melodrama that I would probably be happy rewatching. So many quotable scenes, even for such a slow paced show. If I want to be bored to death by the slowness of the pace of a drama, I'm only willing to do it crying and smiling like an idiot to this show alone.
Overall:
Even if you're a rom-com lover (most kdrama fans), a comedic type of person, someone who prefers thrillers, likes a legal setting (i belong in there), or basically someone who doesn't like melodramas, give this show a chance. It will change your perspective in melodramas, and you'll have faith at humanity again. Who knows, you might even start searching for your own mister after watching this show.
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