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CherryBunny
Cherry's Corner ________…………©
Now,if I enjoyed this drama as much I claim, why did I end up rating it a rather mediocre 7 you may ask? It's simple. Oguri Shun. As the main male character, I felt his acting was extremely weak. In fact, at no point in the whole drama did I actually feel he was conveying any semblance of a personality whatsoever. He seemed bored and uninterested in being there the whole time. Some may argue that is just the character of Sano, but I disagree. It never changes, even after the point where Sano is supposed to start feeling and expressing more interest. There is also no chemistry between he and the lead actress at all, either romantically or friendly. There's just no chemistry on screen at all when he is in the scene, no matter what kind of scene it is, period.
Would I recommend this drama this drama to others? Yes, but with the strong warning about how terrible Oguri Shun's acting is. Everything else is actually really good, but one will have to be willing to overlook the lead male's shortcomings I think.
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It was not like I expected it to be at all. I had started it thinking it was going to be another light hearted, cute and somewhat cheesy rom-com. What I got instead was a truly sweet, heartwarming story about a young woman who, slowly, thanks to her neighbors and especially one very special neighbor, learns to let go of her insecurities and traumatic past and face the world once more.
There were definite hilarious moments that cracked me up, such as the scene at the end of episode one and the start of episode two where Enrique storms over to Mi Dok's apartment without any pants and starts banging on her door. There were also a lot of sweet, touching moments, too, such as the scene where he sings in the last episode and then what Mi Dok says after. It could be very sweet and light, but it also could become serious and portray such subject matter as bullying and depression quite realistically without just glossing over them.
One of the best things about this drama is that conflicts that end up arising pretty much get handled rather quickly. Unlike many dramas, it doesn't drag out a misunderstanding over countless episodes. If something happens, it is resolved pretty much by the next episode.
I think all the actors did a great job in this, especially Park Shin Hye. She is one of my favorite actresses and extremely talented. She pulls off this quiet, serious and extremely self conscious young woman who has shut out the world very well. I had seen her in Tree of Heaven, so I know how capable of an actress she is when it comes to the more reserved, serious role. She did not disappoint.
In conclusion, I would recommend this drama to everyone. It's definitely a 10.
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I got all the way to last twenty minutes and then gave up. To be fair, at least the movie is a tad bit better than the book, I'll give it that. Still, though, at it's core, the story is pretty much just about a horny guy who is also emo, as are most of the other characters. I felt no chemistry between any of the characters, and most of them just seemed rather confused the whole time.
Seriously, though, I really feel it fails as a deep, moving drama, which it was meant to be, and instead comes across as a pretentious, whiney teenage melodrama.
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Let me first address about the pace of the drama, since I think pacing seems to be so crucial to a successful drama, and something even many of the best dramas mess up on. The pacing of the storyline in You're Beautiful is dang near perfect. Never, in both times that I have watched the drama, have I felt the plot was either rushed or dragged out. It has the perfect balance of flow. As I said, I think that is very rare in dramas, even the best ones.
Next up, the cast. Now, I don't think I have read hardly any negative reviews for this drama, but I have, here and there, read of some people's negative opinions on a couple of the actors and their characters. I will start with them first. Park Shin Hye as Go Mi Nam brings a sweet performance. There are some people who think her acting is weak, but I think she portrays the innocence and complete naivety of the character perfectly, complete with wide eyed surprise and openly displaying her emotions.
I've also read in various places about how some people consider Jung Yong Hwa's performance of Shin Woo as weak. Again, I'd have to disagree with them there. After watching again, I have some to appreciate the character's quiet strength and silent affection. Just because a character is quiet and does not assert himself does not make that character weak, nor does it make it the actor weak in portraying them. I think he did a great job.
Now, as for the main lead, Jang Geun Suk as Tae Kyung, I think he was excellent. You're Beautiful was the first thing I ever saw him in, and since the first time I watched it, I have seen some of his other works. I've read how some people say his character in You're Beautiful is the same as the character he plays in Love Rain, but I totally disagree. Besides being arrogant, I don't see any similarities between them. I think his role as Tae Kyung is a lot different than any other he has played. His facial expressions are peculiar to that character, the tone of his voice, his whole style. When watching You're Beautiful, I don't see so much Jang Geun Suk as I see Hwang Tae Kyung. That is the mark of good acting. He truly makes the character's many personality flaws endearing and lovable, especially when he scowls.
A special mention here would be Kim In Kwon's supportive role of Mr. Ma. OMG this guy is HILARIOUS! First of all this has got to be the best written secondary character ever and the Hong Sisters deserve a special award just for coming up with him. Kim In Kwon makes every little hilarious thing Mr. Ma does so natural and does it all with a perfectly straight face. He steals the scene wherever he is, and many of his funniest moments are just doing little things, such as a little pleased congratulatory dance to himself while walking dawn the hall. The man is a comedic genius.
Finally, I want to add something that I only really noticed the second time around. There are many hidden meanings throughout the drama. This, I think, is what really makes me feel that the Hong Sisters were genius with this drama. If you pay attention, you're catch a few things and it's pretty cool. One that I noticed that many people may not....just watch how many times 'O tu Ka Jo?' ('What should I Do?') Is uttered throughout the drama. ;)
In the end, this drama is absolutely one of the best dramas I have ever seen. I certainly recommend this to anyone and everyone.
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Now, let me make it clear that I do not enjoy melodramas. The constant turmoil and depressive situations of those kinds of dramas wear me out and turn me off. From most of the comments and reviews of Tree of Heaven, this was what I thought it was going to be. Something told me to watch it anyway, and I am so glad that I did. Make no mistake, though. There is conflict and it is a very emotional storyline. If you can't handle that sort of thing, if you want your drama a to always end up with sunshine, lollipops and rainbows, then you will probably not enjoy or appreciate this drama. If, like me, you enjoy well made, touching dramas, then you will not be disappointed if you give Tree of Heaven a try. Despite the conflicts and difficulties the main characters face, there are quite a few cute and sweet moments, and even one or two that might make you giggle. Those moments are why I cannot say that this is a straight melodrama.
This is about two people that have been lonely all their lives, that are brought together by the marriage of their parents. Both have gone through the pain of losing one of their parents, and so have a common bond. Despite her new oppa's autism and aloofness, Hana can immediately accept him without judgment, openly giving him her heart as his sister. Such love and acceptance touches Yoon Suh profoundly, and it is because of Hana that he is finally able to come out of his self-inflicted shell and begin to smile and laugh again. It is also the start of a deeper love for them both, one that is forbidden, for how can a brother and a sister love each other as lovers do? Being American, living in a society where, though such a thing might raise an eyebrow or two but is not unheard of or even illegal being as they are not blood related, I did have trouble fully understanding the taboo of the situation, at least at first. However, I have seen a couple of other dramas that touch briefly on this subject and so am aware that this is how it is in Korea and Japan, that once your parents marry, even if you are not blood related, by law and in society, it is seen as the same thing.
The cast, I think, was brilliant. Lee Wan as Yoon Suh did an amazing job first by portraying a young autistic man who had trouble dealing with new, powerful emotions, then later as a conflicted man caught between wanting to be beside the woman he loved and ultimately protecting her. Plus, he will absolutely melt your heart whenever he utters Hana's name. He does it so softly and with such tenderness.
I was especially impressed with Park Shin Hye's portrayal of Hana. I have liked her in the other dramas I have seen her in, especially You're Beautiful, but this was the first time I have seen her in a more serious, dramatic role. What makes it even more impressive was that she was very young when she acted in this. I think only sixteen. For being so young at the time, I think the casting was of her was brilliant. Even though her character was a couple of years older than her real age, I had no trouble seeing her as an 18-20 year old at all. Plus, her youth just made Hana's innocence and trust so natural.
In the end, if you decide to watch this drama, yes, you will get conflict and yes, it is very emotional. However, you will get a very moving, very beautiful love story, a love story more beautiful and haunting than most others that occur in dramas. It will stay in your mind and in your heart long after the final episode. I hope more people will give this drama a try and be touched as much as I was.
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All in all, though, it wasn't bad. It was cute and funny, but I just can't help but compare it to You're Beautiful, and in so doing, it just ends up as lacking.
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The ONLY good part of the whole drama was the old lady that Aya befriends. She was sweet and was the only likeable character in the whole drama. I still can't believe I watched the whole thing through. I wouldn't recommend this drama to anyone. There's supposedly a sequel but I don't plan to watch it.
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