Chingoochigum
Unfortunate Misuse of a Mostly Good Cast (with the obvious exception of Uee)
This drama was problematic due to a really weak script and a mind-blowingly bad peformance by Uee as the female lead.The reasons I rated it as highly as I did are the performances of Bang Sung Joon, Lim Ji Yeon, and Park Hyun Sik and the fact that the drama contained a storyline about parents that wasn't necessarily about their children (sometimes it seems like parents are onlyincluded in dramas in order to impact the romantic relationships of their children). Having said that, I will admit that I didn’t particularly like the storyline of the parents, I was just relieved by the fact that it wasn't solely focused on their impact on the romantic leads' romance.
I've seen other reviews that criticized the lack of chemistry between the leads, but I somewhat disagree with them. To me, the problem was one-sided; Uee should never have been cast. I was impressed by the amount of chemistry and connection Sung Joon was able to muster with a scene partner who offered nothing. I've been in that situation as an actor, and it is like working with a brick wall. It is also very exhausting. I applaud Sung Joon for making me believe in his character's interest despite Uee's ineptitude as an actress.
In fact, I enjoyed Sung Joon's subtle performance throughout this drama. From what I've seen, he has a talent for knowing how far to take his performance without pushing. I believe he is one of the best drama actors because of this.
Park Hyung Sik chaeboled as Park Hyung Sik does, though I would have appreciated a little more sweetness behind his hijinks in the final scene - he came across a little too much as if he was genuinely regretful. I also felt that Lim Ji Yeon's performance in the final scene lacked growth. Throughout the rest of he drama, however, they had a delightful chemisty.
Visually, there were some lovely moments - the scenes at the beach and at the beach house come to mind. I also think that Sung Joon was particularly attractive in this film (he appeared physically stronger, his skin was clear, and he had a great haircut).
Overall, the only way I would recommend watching this would be if you are a fan of any of the three leads that I mentioned above.
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Weak Writing, but Good Performances from ML and 2ML
As I began my journey into kdrama, I remember reading that I should never expect any of the medical aspects of the drama to make sense (I don't recall where I read that). If you go into this drama with that knowledge, you are more apt to enjoy it.Here we have another solid performance (of weak material) from Hyun Bin. As always, I particularly enjoyed his transition from mean chaebol to caring man - one of my favorite moments was when he jumped onto the roof of the cart when a certain something happened to get loose at the amusement park. We all know how well he is able to play both sides of the chaebol coin.
Han Ji Min's performance was adequate, but it lacked any sort of spark. Part of that was due to the weak writing (the premise was interesting, but the script itself was lacking), and part of that was due to her choiceses an actor.
This drama was my first introduction to Bang Sung Joon (now a personal favorite of mine), and his performance of less than mediocre material was good. I appreciated that he played the antagonist in a way that wasn't quite heavy handed (his moments with his hostage could have been played in a very one-leveled way, but he chose to create a more realistic kind of gray area (granted, it was dark gray) villain. One thing that I love about Sung Joon, which was evident in this drama, is that he is able to portray darkness in a way that can be frightening without going overboard.
Production values were also a bit weak with this drama (the circus scenes were a bit bland and low-budget, in particular).
Overall, Hyun Bin and Sung Joon carry this drama.
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Quality performance, quality production values
This was my introduction to Korean drama, and a welcome relief to my frustration with contemporary American film and television. I really appreciated the ensemble work as well as the performances of the leads, and it was refreshing to watch a love story (no matter how unrealistic) that focused on admiration, intimacy (in the real sense), trust, attraction, etc., instead of sex. In that sense, it was truly romantic. I also enjoyed the sense of brotherhood among the soldiers because it did not rely on the insanity of battle and violence.Also, who was able to walk away from this drama without wanting more Hyun Bin in their life? Definitely not me.
Im giving this ten stars, not because it was perfect (there were definitely things that could have been better - particularly in the writing), but because it piqued my interest in a way that very little entertainment has and it inspired me to see what Korean drama had to offer. Not going to lie, Hyun Bin certainly added to the score ;)
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Great Script, Great Performances
I am not a gamer in any way, so when I saw the premise for this I thought it might not suit me. I was completely wrong.This was only my second kdrama, but I still consider it to be one of the most creative scripts I've seen produced. I don't know how people who are immersed in the world of gaming would react to it, but I was fascinated. Fortunately, from my perspective, the writer didn't overload the drama with technical jargon, and it was simple to follow along.
I have since seen a great deal of Hyun Bin's performances, and I still consider this one of his best; the subtle changes in his physicality were masterful, and it was great to see him in an action role with some depth. I think that most actors develop a few tricks that they can come to rely on when performing (whether or not they are aware), and I was grateful to see a performance practically devoid of gimmicks. I also appreciated the maturity that he brought to the role.
Park Shin Hye was beautiful in this drama, and her performance was adequate, though I didn't get a real sense of urgency or chemistry from her. I will admit that I rarely feel any sense of chemistry from her performances, though.
I absolutely loved Park Hoon's performance as Yoo Jin Woo's former business partner - whenever he was on screen, my attention was immediately fixed on him (not just due to the character). Great job with a small, repetitive role.
Another great example of the old adage, "there are no small roles, only small actors" was the performance given by Lee Jae Wook. Intense, realistic, dynamic.
I highly recommend this drama, even to people like myself, who aren't into gaming and action films.
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Abysmal In Every Way
I would have given this negative stars if possible.I'll be completely honest and confess that the only reason I didn't stop watching sooner was because I normally like Sung Hoon, and his shoulders looked particularly lovely in this drama.
The biggest problems with this drama are the horrible writing, the female lead, and Sung Hoon's purple toupee. Candidly, I would have kept watching if even one of those things was not on the list, but added up, the drama was unbearable.
The script was horrible, even for a light-hearted fluffy piece. Maybe some of it was due to the translation, but I had the feeling that the writer had never had an actual conversation with another human being. Yes, the dialogue was that bad. Add in stale tropes, unconsensual power-play type touching from the boss, and a female lead who is a nutritionist who can't cook a decent meal, and you get this horrible mess.
Equally distracting was Song Ji Eun's complete inability to move her jaw when she speaks (no, not just when she was wearing the splash guard). I have no idea if that person can act or not because I was so irritated by her whiny lockjawed voice that it became almost impossible to notice anything else.
And finally, poor Sung Hoon. I think most people would say that he is well above average looking, but it seemed like the hair and makeup folks wanted to change all of that. His toupee was, I believe, unintentially PURPLE. That, in itself, wouldn't be too bad if it was normal to see purple hair on a wealthy executive, or even if the toupee was of good quality. It was, however, very poorly made, and the front was placed way too low on the actor's forehead. I spent an entire episode actively trying to ignore it, but I somehow became unable to look away. Bless his heart, poor Sung Hoon looked like he was sweating bullets under all of that man made hair.
If you can see beyond a bad script, jawless talking, and a cheap purple toupee, this might be an enjoyable show for you. Otherwise, don't waste your time.
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