Marooya
쿠웨이트- クウェート
“Your job needs to be something more than just a source of income”. Ok Da Jung.
Don’t let the cover picture nor the description fool you! This is no rom-com and I actually mean that in a good way. I have missed the old typical rom-com K dramas, which had meaning and had strong message to carry on. I was almost losing hope in finding good quality typical K drama BUT I finally found Ms. Temper & Nam Jung-Gi! At first it may give you the impression that it’s just a silly, funny, shallow typical k drama with lots of clichés and predictable plot. Yes, it is to some point predictable I’m not going to say it isn’t BUT is it typical? No, in my opinion it isn’t. First of all, take any rom-com drama out there (especially work related ones) and take out the “romance” element or the “comedy” element what are you left with? Basically nothing impressive, this drama on the other hand has so much more to offer you other than just romance or comedy.
The story took path where we as viewers couldn’t predict; it wasn’t really focused on one certain element but all elements and all characters equally. I loved how the work environment is the most essential element here and loved the way it was presented. They took something real and serious and presented it in a funny and humeral way at the same time kept it realistic. Therefore, you as a viewer not only will you have fun and great amount of laughter while watching but also you will appreciate/understand the message behind each and every episode here.
Ms. Temper & Nam Jung-Gi as a drama has given importance for the side characters just as much for the main characters and that is something isn’t often seen in drama land if you ask me. The story allows you to slowly understand the characters each and every one of them and takes you along with them so you will be able to understand their actions or why they decided to live their lives the way they do. In opinion what makes this drama special isn’t the story as much as the well-written characters. I wonder how the writers were able to make them so interesting and fun to watch at the same time kept them down to earth real. No perfection, no bad or evil characters here just different perspectives and different way of looking at things. Life is hard enough, we fight constant battles each day to survive we don’t have the luxury to worry about others so how far are we willing to go in order to survive? Does that make us bad/selfish people or timid spineless people? Or does it just simply make us people?
I will take a moment here and appreciate one of K drama’s best female character ever created and a true role model Ok Da Jung (Lee Yo Won). She is a strong, righteous and great person who knows exactly how to stand up for herself and wouldn’t fight using dirty methods no matter what. She may seem harsh and too blunt but she isn’t a bully and she cares mostly for the company and staff. You could learn so much from Ok Da Jung and you will probably wish you had such a great boss to work for in real life.
I think Lee Yo Won did great accepting this project, at first I was surprised because I am used to watching her in melodramas or more dark serious plots and entirely different characters than ODJ so I wondered why would an A-list actress go for cable project and with such unknown cast but I still trusted her judgment and as her fan I respect her for taking this risk. This is her first rom-com project and I’m happy she decided to explore her talent, she was wonderful as Ok Da Jung it will be almost impossible for you not to love her. The rest of the cast did splendidly especially Yoon Sang Hyun as the timid nice angel Nam Jung Gi and Hwang Chan Sung as the boy who has still yet to learn to grow into a man who can handle responsibility. It is fair to say that even the guest actors (Lee Jung Jin & Yeon Jung Hoon) did an amazing job for short appearance; I was delighted to have them on the show.
I generally do not rewatch dramas but I do have few ones that I'd rewatch. However I think this drama can easily be rewatchable material for anyone who would rewatch dramas in general because I do believe it will be just as much fun as it was the first time and frankly you never get enough of Ok Da Jung & Woo Joo's scenes.
Overall
I can see this drama will be one of the underrated dramas here on MDL and will go unnoticed. I don’t know if my review has helped or not but if you are looking for your typical fluffy romance then let me tell you this isn’t it. This drama does not focus on the romance in fact you can barely see it but you most certainly can feel it. The thing is "romance" in here is presented in mature manner but that's also has its beauty so don't let this stop you from giving the drama a chance. Ms. Temper & Nam Jung-Gi has so much more than just comedy and romance; this is a fun enjoyable ride if you are willing to appreciate what this drama has to offer. After all as Nam Jung Gi says, “Does a relationship between a man and woman have to be melo or lovely dovey fairytale? Why do people expect that?”.
Also Ok Da Jung and Woo Joo make the cutest most adorable couple ever don't miss out on that :')
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Misaeng aka incomplete life, is my life and your life and everybody’s life out there. You may see the cover and think “this is office life it has nothing to do with me” yes to some point it is office life and all the struggle and challenges office workers go through but it’s LIFE in every way possible and in every level. It’s how life works and all about enduring, facing challenges, not giving up and learning human interactions. These things aren’t just in office it’s in our daily life which is what makes Misaeng LIFE I don’t even want to categorize it as a drama because it isn’t. We are all still living an incomplete life and working our way to make it complete.
• “Even if you think you won’t make it, fight to the end. In life, there are many things you start even if you know the predetermined end”. Oh Sang-Sik.
• Courage isn’t defined by readily jumping into risky situations, avoiding these situations and silently going on your own path requires courage too. Jang Geu-Rae.
• You made it anyway so try to survive here, surviving means going towards a complete life. We are all still incomplete lives. Oh Sang-Sik.
• Just because you forget a dream doesn’t mean it stops existing, just because you don’t see the road doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. Oh Sang-Sik.
• Sometimes life throws tough tests at you to make you feel helpless, then leaves hints for you in funny places. But, of course there’s no guarantee that you’ll come up with the right answers. Jang Geu-Rae.
• A path is not simply for walking. Its purpose lies in moving forward and improving oneself. A path that fails to do so is not a path. The path is open to everyone but not everyone can walk it. Jang Geu-Rae.
And finally my favorite of all “What do you think life is? Life is a collection of choices. The choices you make in each moment make up the quality of your life” Han Seok-Yool.
Thank you Misaeng, I will keep this in my mind and remember everything I’ve learned here or been reminded of and I promise you I work my way through it and whenever I feel that I’m at the verge of giving up I will give myself another Miseang dose even if I had to watch it all over again, I’d be glad to do so.
Story?
To some it could be a boring, dull, raw, depressing real office life with no action no thrill no twists no comedy and certainly no romance thus no fairytale. Why watch something which is practically taken from real life, a spin of life I shall say so why? Yes, that’s a good question. We all want to run away from our real life and enter the drama world, where we get to enjoy a whole new different world than the one we live in. Our lives are stressing enough we don’t need to go through the same things while watching drama when dramas are supposed to be fun right? You are absolutely right I won’t argue there, but sometimes we need a wake up call sometimes we need something which reminds us “Still, it is a life worth living” I know I did. I needed this in my life. Let’s face it, as much as we want to run away from reality as much as we always desperately search for something that could help us get through it. No matter how old we get we still learn, leaning never ends especially when it’s about life. Wouldn’t you love to invest your time on something that not only gives you “hope” and fills your spirit with “positive energy” but also teaches you valuable lessons? Misaeng has all that and much much more. There are no words good enough to express my feelings about this (not a drama) but a journey into life.
For the first time in my drama history that a story challenges me mentally and emotionally to the point where I could not bring myself to watch more than 1 ep (2 eps max a day) and would take a break the next day. I have never thought I’d ever come across a show which I absolutely cannot marathon no matter how much I wanted to (and I mean it in a good way). The thing is, when I’m done with one ep I cannot start the next because I would be thinking of that ep none stop and grasping the whole thing in my mind, thinking about the message in that ep and the characters’ expressions and the way they behaved and taking note of everything that I’m supposed to grasp from that ep. Misaeng challenged me mentally in a way no other drama or movie ever did and it’s not even scientific (where your brain is needed) but each ep carried on a very strong heavy content which I felt I need to think about and take my time through it. It would be waste for me to watch Misaeng and marathon through it like I normally do with other dramas. This is not a drama every minute/second is precious here and should not be wasted.
Acting:
I’m sorry, no matter what I say no matter how many rows I write in regards of how well the cast did it won’t be enough and won’t give them 1% justice. Possibly the most justified 10 I have ever given for acting. I am thankful for the production company for tvN and for everyone who participated in this drama but mostly for choosing this cast! I wouldn’t take any other way. I’m not only talking about the main cast; I’m talking about the whole team from main to supporting to guest everybody is perfectly selected here.
I’ll mention the characters which affected me the most:
Lee Sung Min: Chief Oh, would you please be my mentor? I would do anything to have a person like you as my real mentor sir. I LOVE YOU FROM THE BOTTOMN OF MY HEART. Kudos to my favorite mister of all times!
Im Si Wan: Jang Geu Rae, whenever I look at Siwan now I think my heart will ache because all I’ll be seeing is Jang Geu Rae forever... Jang Geu Rae I love you but I also hate you because I am you and you reminded me of myself many times and that was very painful for me. To all the Jang Geu Raes in this world I’d like to hug each and every one of you and say “Fighting” stay strong.
Byun Yoo Han: Han Seok-Yool, is an example “never judge a book by its cover”. The best character development I have ever witnessed in drama land. I loved his character the most maybe because many of the situations he went through I have been through them myself so I could totally understand/relate to him from the very beginning I never judged him. Though his character is the sweetest character on the show and his scenes gave sweetness and funny moments to the show but he had his own battles to fight constantly and even then he would still be there for his friends and support them with at least a hug. I have so much respect for him for the fact that till the very last moment he never gave in to the wrong temptation and stood still by his ethics and principles. Byun Yoo Han, yet again stunned me with his wonderful flawless performance. An actor whom the industry and us the audience are lucky to gain in drama land :)
Overall:
Misaeng is a must watch by everyone but it is not a drama for everyone. It is a must watch drama because projects like these will add something to your life and we don't get such a privilege very often (almost never). When I say it's not for everyone, that's because as I said you have to be willing to give up your fantasies which we normally have in mind when watching a drama in general. You will have to be ready to embrace Misaeng the way it is and the purpose it is created for. If you are willing to do that then I can guarantee, you will see the beauty in this one ^^
If I could I would go personally and thank everyone who participated in making this happen <3
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As a an old drama fan it is a shame that I have only seen this almost 14 years later when it should have been one of my first dramas. Nonetheless it is better now than never. Once again old dramas never seize to amaze me, watching them 10-14 years later and they win my heart like no recent drama ever does which is why they are special to me. Normally people would think after all that time have passed and after watching so many great dramas, old dramas which are usually full of cliches will never stand a chance but the thing is that is exactly why they win me over and capture my heart because even with all that time they can get my heart fluttering in a way no recent drama will ever do. This rating is nothing compared to how I feel about this drama and how it made me feel, this number is nothing when I think that I actually watched this now in 2016 and it won me over just like that (I'm very tough for a drama to win me over).
4 eps long drama which gave me that depth and that beautiful warm classy feelings that I've missed and longed for such a long long time. Only 4 eps but to me it has accomplished what other dramas with recent filmography could never do, at least not to me.
Friends is a South Korean-Japanese short drama it was the first time in drama history that the two countries collaborated to co-produce the show in both South Korea and Japan. Which makes it even more special. Allow me to say, what a beautiful collaboration! It doesn't get any more beautiful than this.
The story is very simple, about a man and woman from two different worlds met in one place and due to certain circumstances they got to know each other while none of them could speak the other language so communication was a tough mission and yet as a viewer I could see that they were communicating very well through their eyes, I can feel it. I did not feel that they had issues with delivering the way they feel it's like they've clicked the moment they've met and I have clicked with them.
In case some of you don't know about Korea-Japan relationship, this relationship has always been sensitive and still is. Even though things have gotten much better now but there is still that tension between the two countries. This drama was trying to teach us what kind of complications a Korean person and Japanese person could face not just in falling in love with each other but also as people. What it takes for a Korean person at that time to travel to Japan and vice versa. Also culture wise, society, language and most of all family complications. Can love really overcome all that? Considering that both countries value these aspects a lot.
Personally even though I watched this knowing pretty much everything I could know about Korea-Japan history but Friends 2002 still taught me things I wasn't aware of. The most important thing that I got to feel which I never did pay attention to before is the fact that there must have been people from those two countries who actually fell in love with each other despite all these complications, which makes me wonder did they ever get their happily ever after ending?
I loved both main leads here character wise and acting wise I really loved them. I have seen Won Bin before and he is one of the best actors but all I had for him is respect as an actor I never really did warm up to him or fall in love with him. This is the first time I warm up so much to him and I felt I saw something in him here which I never saw in his other projects and that made me happy. However my absolute favourite one and the one who stole my heart RIGHT AWAY is Fukada Kyoko. I can not believe this beautiful lady stole my heart the moment I laid my eyes on her from the very first scene. She was the one who made me feel "I don't know why but I think I'm going to fall in love with this drama" (I watched the drama without reading the synopsis because I simply love to discover things on my own). Fukada Kyoko's way of playing Tomoko forced me to believe her pure innocent way of falling in love (which is very hard to pull off since in real life we always ask ourselves "can there really be such a pure innocent naive love?"). To be honest I really believed her, I believed her feelings, I believed her tears, I believed her innocence, I felt that it was her first love and she was overwhelmed, I felt her confusion and lostness and most of all I really did believe her love as naive as it was. I've never seen an actress who can pull this image so perfectly and so raw and real. Now I can only see her as Tomoko.
Music: Classic, one of those OSTs that I will never forget (it is a given since it belongs to the year 2002). I fell in love with every melody and song here but my favourite is One by Lee So Jung.
I don't rewatch dramas, I have very few that belong to my rewatchable list and this one definitely makes it to the list. It made it to my all time favourite :)
This is a must watch drama only for those who appreciate simple but carries deep meaning kind of story, those who appreciate classics and classic vibes, those who like dramas for the "feels" it delivers and finally those who like to see love overcoming boundaries and to see the bonds that bind people together.
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This is a movie for those who love character driven stories because it is pretty much all about the "man and woman"'s feelings and how they react to them despite their real life and responsibilities towards their beloved ones. Don't get me wrong the story isn't original, nothing new about it but the way it delivered the "feels" is top notch classic. I felt like watching a movie from the 70s and 80s I really wholeheartedly enjoyed every bits and every second of this beautiful full of feelings story.
Acting: It is not surprising that Gong Yoo would steal my heart and make my heart beat like crazy with every gaze he gave to the woman he loves. This is has got to be one of his best performances! He didn't even had much to say in the movie there wasn't much dialog for him yet he was able to deliver such powerful intense feelings which isn't really new for Gong Yoo he has done it before and he EXCELS in it. Jeon Do-Yeon was perfect she delivered those complicated "silent" emotions in such a good way I was so happy she was GY's partner in this movie (excellent casting choice). As I said "A Man and A Woman" doesn't really have new story there is nothing new here or mind blowing but GY and JDY brought this normal overused story into life and made their characters so real with intense emotions even though they didn't have much dialog. I felt their stares, i felt their gazes, i felt their strong desire for one another, i felt their longing... I swear I almost felt "there has to be something going on between those two in real life howw else can they deliver all that silent intensity just by looking at each other". Thank you for this amazing wonderful performance.
This isn't a movie for everyone, you have to be a classic lover to appreciate this. If you are into the "feels" and "emotions" delivered, if you are into character and emotion driven movies then this movie is for you. If you are looking for happy fluffy romance, if you are looking for a romance where you can cheer on and can justify then this is not your movie. The reason I say this, is because I do believe many people here are low rating classic dramas which had the same feels to this movie so I realized it doesn't appeal to everyone. I've seen this one in the cinema and most of the audience were middle aged and older I guess I wasn't the only one who thinks this is classic one :)
Thank you for this beautiful movie.
Another thing I appreciated is all the whiteness (snow) in this movie even though it was for a short time but it gave me the chills because I remembered my most beloved drama Winter Sonata (not story wise only the sceneries).
Bonus:
Gong Yoo's interview regarding this movie
http://mydramalist.com/profile/Marooya/feeds/1GJQDXtb
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This is a story about 6 people (who are somehow connected to one another). No Jin-Woo (Yo Ah In) is a famous star in Korea who can't forget his "love at first sight" lady. Jo Kyeong-ah (Lee Mi Yeon) is a beautiful drama writer who is always about work and don't like things to get personal. Ham Joo-Ran (Choi Ji Woo) is a woman in her 40s flight attendant she is whinny but very naive and cute and she feels that her life is over because she is old since all her friends already got married and she is still alone but she's not pathetic and doesn't feel sorry for herself. Kim Ju Hyuk (Jung Sung-Chan) is my kind of a man, he is someone who can easily be your best friend before becoming your boy friend. He is sweet and very dependable what girl wouldn't fall for him?. Lee Soo-Ho (Kang Ha Neul) is a pianist who is an anti social for personal reasons, and has never fallen in love or opened up to someone other than the people he already know. Jang Na-Yeon (Lee Som) is a sweet girl who has some issues at work and finds comfort in Kim Ju Hyuk as a friend. 6 persons 3 couples, though the story is full of cliches I can't say it's unique and I can't say it's unpredictable BUT what I can say is that with all the cliches and predictable plot this is slice of life pretty much realistic story about people who found each other and fell in love with each other. I loved all the love stories here and I can't choose which couple I loved the most as I liked them all but I think I have one that left me with more smiles and special feelings among the 3.
Acting: I know why they keep giving YAI older actresses the man has an awesome chemistry with them! I can't believe this is the guy I'm watching in Six Flying Dragons, I had to remind myself over and over it's him because he was totally different. I know it's a given that he'd be different but still it doesn't mean I won't be impressed by this change. Only great actors can give you the feeling that they are different person every time they take on different role and YAI is a master in that. Lee Mi Yeon and Choi Ji Woo what can I say about these two wonderful actresses? I love both them and to have them both in one movie is a dream come true. If you have never seen dramas for these two lovely ladies I suggest you start now it's never too late. Kim Ju Hyuk I haven't seen anything for this guy but I will surf his profile and start adding his work because he has earned enough credits with me here. Kang Ha Neul I've seen him many times before but this is my first time actually appreciating his performance. Lee Som never seen her before but I would like to see her in more dramas.
I'm glad I decided to drag myself to the cinema in this cold winter with my bad mood and chose this movie to watch because it completely changed my mood within seconds. I was smiling and laughing as sweet as it was. If you are looking for light hearted, romantic, sweet, funny and touching movie with great cast, full of cliches but still enjoyable then I suggest you add this to your list. The movie's title "Like Me Please" we all want to be liked and loved don't we? ^^
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Parents are God's precious gift to us, so never take them for granted. Feel blessed for having them in your life and feel blessed if you had them at some point in your life. There are so many people that don't know that kind of love. It's an emptiness beyond compare, don't take them for granted and let them know you love them because you never know when they'll be gone. Don't let life keep you busy from them, life will always be busy this won't change, don't forget as we grow up they grow old too.
I started this drama expecting it to be an average enjoyable family drama, I did not expect to learn so much and feel the way I felt while watching it. This is such a beautiful realistic story about family, parents, mothers.. I doubt anyone can't relate to the mother daughter relationship, or son father relationship, or daughter father, son mother, bother sister and finally husband and wife. The way family bonds were portrayed here allowed me to connect on the personal level with how the characters were behaving and those relationships. I have seen many family dramas, All About My Mom is the 2nd family drama that I consider a masterpiece and an outstanding one.
Story: Your regular family, with issues of favouritism and conflicts between siblings and between kids and parents. The family bond is pretty much the core story of this drama. It's about those people's daily life and how they learn to live with each other. Siblings feeling inferior to each other because of favouritism. Parents feeling guilty for mistakes they've done in their life while raising the kids. A mother who loves her kids equally but shows it differently. A daughter who feels left out all the time, A son who feels burdened by his mother's over love and special treatment. It's almost impossible that you won't relate with any issue in this drama because this is life, and this is what family is all about. What can I possibly say about mothers? What words would do them justice? Mother: the only person who wishes you to be a better person than her and have a better life, the only person who will not love herself over you, the angel who will always give and give without expecting a return. No love in this world can be compared to parents love, no love in this world can be compared to a mother's love. This is the story that gives this beautiful angel the credit and regards she deserves. Nothing I can say in words that would describe what is a mother, but this story is more than qualified to do so.
Acting: 100/10. An award winning performance.
Here we come for the best part, the acting. The acting here in this drama makes other dramas with an outstanding performance look like nothing in comparison, and no I'm not exaggerating. What made this drama so popular with high ratings? what makes it special? Nothing about the story new or special. It's the way those wonderful, amazing, incredible cast have performed it. Brace yourselves this part will be long!
Go Doo Shim: as San Ok. Man, I need to stay away from you faaaaar away! I can't believe this wonderful woman brought tears to my eyes several times during the whole journey! I can't believe I cried like a little baby. I'm far from someone who can cry for her own problems in life, let alone for a drama. I loved it but also hated it, I loved that she melted my iced heart and broke me from the inside but also hated seeing myself cry for a drama. She made me reflect on myself many times and slapped me in the face with every lesson I learn on how you should appreciate your parents. We are not angels and we tend to think that just because we are humans and just because they are our parents they'll love us no matter what. Stressful life, upsetting things, depressing issues, having the hardest time in your life, does not excuse any selfish behaviour towards your parents. Go Doo Shim's acting wasn't acting, she was a true mother, a real mother image to the point where I felt the need to hug her so tight. She broke my heart several times as if she was really my mother. She won the Daesang award for her role here (2nd time winning). Her performance is what makes this drama a 10/10! She is officially my second favourite actress. My favourite sentence of her "Shut da mouse" aka "shut the mouth".
Oh Min Suk: as Hyeong Gyu. My most hateful character but my 2nd favourite actor in the cast! I hated him so much, I really hated him from the bottom of my heart. The amount of hate I had for him I thought for sure even if the dramas ends his character will have no redemption from me, but the writer proved me wrong. Oh Min Suk as an actor I've seen him before but never like this! Even as a villain in KMHM he did not stand out, an yet he is not even playing a villain here but that performance, man that performance...made me speechless! He is such a great actor, those scenes will forever be engraved in my memory I will never forget his scenes because I learned from him so much. The way he managed to make people hate him so much even though he wasn't a villian but at the same time appreciate his acting skills. All the comments all the reviews about this drama is regarding the cast and how emotionally flawless their performance is. While watching I'd always see such comments and reactions from people "I hate him so much I hope karma gets him, but the actor deserves an award". Officially fan.
Kim Kap Su: as Dong Chul. My 3rd favourite character and actor in the cast. I never really bothered feeling anything about any of the old couples I've seen in previous dramas. I never cared about parents relationship as husband and wife in previous dramas. I never paid attention to that aspect, but here it was totally different. Instead of the kid's love life and the kid's romance I cared more about the mother father relationship as husband and wife. I loved how this part of the story was written because based on real life experience it's very relatable and real. I loved the relationship and though his character is not the lovable character I still couldn't help but love him! He wasn't the perfect husband he wasn't what you'd want for someone like San Ok but he wasn't hateful person too. It is impossible to hate him! Though he has his selfish moments and carefree moments he also have his sweet moments. To me Dong Chul wasn't a bad husband, but he falls short in comparison to San Ok. San Ok is too wonderful of a person that people think she is too good for him. The way I saw it those true truly and sincerely portrayed what a husband wife relationship is, how it is when you have you companion with you all these years. I adored the way Kim Kap Su played his character! He is the cutest, sweetest, adorable father/ahjussi I have ever seen and the way he talks, the way he laughs, the way he calls his wife "Okaaa" aka his wifes name is the sweetest thing ever. I find it really cute that he calls his wife by her name and not "honey" like most married couples do in K dramas.
Eugene: as Jin Ae. Well, Eugene is forever one of my favourite actresses and I never skip any drama of hers. One of the reasons I started this is her. Jin Ae is the first surprise for me, because I wasn't expecting to relate and understand a character as much as I did with her. Her frustration, her feelings of being left out I can relate to it all. Her conflict with her brothers, her mother.. very relatable and her character the hard working person who always tries her best to win her moms favour. I'm sure many of you can identify her and relate to her. Eugene once again proved herself as a worthy actress, specially her scenes with her mom, the thought that this is all "acting" won't cross your mind. Jin Ae is the sweetest daughter a mother could ever wish for and you can learn so much from her.
The rest of the cast I loved them all, I may not liked all the characters but I loved the actors.
Music:
I loved all the OSTs, but the reason I'm giving this 10/10 is because of one song, "To My Wife" by Tae Jin Ah. The only song that actually manages to make my eyes tear, I still can't believe it but it had such an impact on me. The song was used perfectly in the drama, in the perfect scenes which stimulates all your emotions and you find yourself tearing up. I have a friend who cried without watching the drama, only from listening to this song. The singer has such a powerful husky voice and he feels so much in pain while he sings it. The lyrics are simply beautiful, from a husband to his wife.
Rewatch:
I don't rewatch dramas, I have very few special ones that I might rewatch. However family dramas in general are rewatchable and this one I think belongs to that list.
Overall:
Though this drama has romance but if you came here only for the romance then this drama is not for you. Yes it has romance, and more than one couple but the essential element here isn't the romance, it's the family bonds. If you came here hoping for makjang, plot twists, melodramatic events, things happening all the time...etc then this is also not for you. As I already mentioned this is purely family drama, it's all about mothers. A daily life of a regular family with normal daily issues nothing out of the ordinary. However if you want to watch something that hold such great values, something that could teach you valuable lesson and remind you of things you love and value, a drama that hold such beautiful meaning and carries a noble message about a creature we call angel, about mothers...Then yes I most definitely recommend it. I will miss this drama dearly.
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"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains UNAWAKENED" I wholeheartedly agree and believe in every word.
I cried myself to sleep every time I finished one ep of this drama it's been a wonderful but painful journey. I'm not someone who cries easily not in real life and not for movies or dramas. Imaginary Cat touches a personal issue for me and every ep it felt "bittersweet". I'd laugh while watching and cry while sleeping. The drama has brought back beautiful flashbacks (which I never forgot) but it has also torn my heart into pieces like no drama ever did.
I'm a pet owner who had her heart torn into pieces the moment she lost her beloved companion and it took me forever to collect the pieces. I knew if I start this drama it would kill me a thousand times every time I watch that beautiful friendship that wonderful inexplainable bond, though I knew it I couldn't stop myself from doing so. I didn't care how many times this will kill me I didn't care how long will it take me I to recover and move on after this I just had to watch it (Bok Gil is a Scottish Fold cat and my cat was a Scottish Fold how can I possibly not watch it?). This drama is a gift to all those who lost a beloved pet, it's a gift sent to me how can I not watch it...
Thank you Imaginary Cat Team for this priceless gift to me and to all animal lovers and pet owners in the dramaland. Finally a drama which speaks of the beautiful bond between a human and an animal. Finally This wonderful bond this amazing relationship this unconditional love this unexplained attachment is presented in K drama. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Imaginary Cat:
Story
Jong Hyun (Yoo Seung Hoo) is an orphan, he has problem socialising with people. He find it hard to express his feelings so he ends up isolating himself from others. He has lost someone he cared for in a tragic way and from that point on Jong Hyun has always been building up walls between him and any person who approaches him. He is cold and mean on the surface because he doesn't want to open up to anyone but his cat Bok Gil. Though Bok Gil is a cat in the drama they make it easy for you to understand her character through her thoughts (narrative voice).
This is a beautiful story between two abandoned friends/companions who found each other. Jong Hyun's love for Bok Gil and their relationship is something beyond words, words never could describe the bond between humans and pets it's forever a mystery only people who owns pets understands. Give this drama a chance and look beyond what the description is trying to say and maybe you can feel it and understand it too.
While watching Imaginary Cat eps I envied every moment and every scene between Jong Hyun and Bok Gil, watching them together was both happiness and despair it was a reminder that I no longer have those moments anymore all I have are flashbacks and an everlasting pain.
Acting
If you see the scenes between those two (Jong Hyun and Bok Gil) you will hardly believe its acting!! Those two were flawless!! You can act/fake out relationship between humans but how can you act fake out relationship with an animal? this isn't a just normal pet story the story is completely focused on the relationship between those two. As a pet owner myself I must say the chemistry The love displayed here didn't feel fake or acted out those two were so believably breathtaking.
You Seung Hoo: the more I watch him the more I'm proud of him. When this boy cries my heart truly aches he is the only actor that does that to me. YSH and the cat were perfect combination I don't think it would have felt the same without YSH I'm sincerely thankful and gratful to him for taking this role.
The cat owner should be very proud of her I know I am.
Music
Beautiful melodies
Rewatch
How can I not rewatch it I would gladly take all the pain of rewatching it again if I can enjoy watching those two again. Bittersweet.
Overall
To some this might be a silly drama and to some this might be cute drama, I know it's hard to sell a drama such as this one unless you are a pet owner yourself. I don't know if my review did this drama justice it may be a selfish emotional review (I apologise if it feels this way to you) I only know that it's only right to express my sincerest feelings for the drama. This review has been written with my tears all over it, I hope there is someone out there who loved this drama in the passionate way I did
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This drama is for melodrama lovers, it was a decent melodrama (though it doesn't say melo on the genre) but it's pretty melo makjang drama. I was looking for something similar to King Of Baking Kim Tak Goo with the same vibes and checked this drama's 1st ep then decided to watch even without subs and I'm glad I did (I'm surprised that it doesn't have any review even though there are people who completed this which is why I decided to do one).
Story: is pretty much familiar to all of you melo fans, family issues, abandoned, greed, selfishness, evil, ridiculous nerve racking plot but addictive one so basically all the elements a melo fan would look for in a drama. This is a Daughter on Mother story, I'm not sure if there are other dramas that presented such story before but for myself this is the 1st I've seen (daughter taking revenge on her mother). I loved the early stages of the story with the kids and to my surprise I liked the adults as well specially Cha Yeong.
If you came here for the romance then this drama is not for you, because even though it says romance, it's not the kind of romance that most may expect. This is mostly evil and revenge and wrong doings, the main character goes through so many things that she becomes only blinded by revenge. Romance plays very small part of the story (which is plus point to me) because it does not follow the typical plots and the story was presented without distraction.
Another note to those who hate annoying 2nd lead girl and can't handle that, I guess this drama is not for you because the 2nd lead here is pretty much as evil and pain as it gets but that's what makes melo a melo and keeps me entertained.
I loved the intensity of the story, I loved the intensity in the mother daughter relationship. I liked all the craziness and nerve racking situations in this drama and most of all I loved Hong Ah Reum performance.
Acting: For the rest of the cast it was decent, but for Hong Ah Reum and Yun Seo I think they were the drama's strongest point because they delivered all that intensity very well (I must say Yun Seo managed to make me hate her and Hong Ah Reum is meant for melo).
Music:
Decent.
Rewatch:
Maybe to some of you but not for me.
Overall:
Looking for good melodrama? Watch it. I can see that even if this drama gets subbed it probably be forgotten because of the unknown cast, I hope you don't judge the book by it's cover.
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God bless you TV network and may you always entertain us with such dramas that I consider jewels. I can't possibly think of a any better way to say goodbye to year 2015 and welcome year 2016 than watching this beautiful masterpiece. I'm not the best writer and I'm not english native speaker, I don't have much vocabularies to support my reviews or to say the least about this drama so I really thought this over and over and decided to write one even though I'm sure it won't be good enough (that's how much I loved this drama).
I never had feelings for any show the way I have for this one, as soon as I open my eyes in the morning and as soon as I close them at night this drama never left my mind all day long. How long has it been for me to think about a drama during my daily life, and recall scenes and smile by myself just from recalling flashbacks? To be honest I don't think it ever went to that extent with dramas that I've seen, I don't think I got attached this deep before. I'm definitely going to have hard time letting go of this one and hard time getting back on track with other dramas.
Story
Taken from life, there is nothing new here everything you've seen and watched and might even have experienced. Two childhood best friends, never relaised their feelings for each other because of certain circumstances. Their friendship is so beautiful you'd wish you had someone like that next to you. I've seen friends turn into lovers but I've never seen it or felt the way I felt with this one. I love how simple yet deep this story is. As I'm writing this review now I find myself smiling...The story had so much depth had so much feelings to share. I find it hard to relate on the emotional and mental level when I'm watching dramas or shows because at the end of the day I'm very much aware that all this is created even if it's presenting real life it isn't real and those are actors.
However Bubblegum has managed to connect with me in every level possible I can't express enough how happy I am with this and how long I've waited for such a drama. To some of you this might be seen as a slow based story because unlike other dramas this drama does not have side stories, pretty much no events happening therefore it is taken as it's going no where and dull. I don't know how can I explain that this is not the case at all I really wish I can and I will try to. This is not a dull not a slow based story this is actually the THE ONLY drama that I've seen so far has something new each ep. In every ep the story has new feelings to share and new development of feelings. I never watched drama with a smile on my face all the time, I never cried in a happy scene in my life. In fact, of all the dramas that I've seen I cried in only two of them and they were sad scenes, I never thought that I would tear up for a happy scene. I guess I have completely forgotten that this is a drama I'm watching and those people aren't real, I felt for them I was supporting them I cheered for them I got hurt for them I felt their pain and finally I felt their happiness. Nothing was taken for granted in this story including their love it wasn't taken for granted and it wasn't easy to make it happen.
Acting
Lee Dong Wook as Ri Hwan: I love this guy, I respect him as an actor he never disappointed me even if his drama did. I was feeling sad for him because he's such a great actor yet his past dramas after Scent of a Woman were all flops. Everyone was telling him to take on a cable drama and I'm so glad he did!! I can never imagine Ri Hwan being anyone but LDW. This is when the character is written well enough which gives a great actor a chance to prove his worth and show his acting skills. Ri Hwan as a character is someone you will definitely be thinking "Can I have a friend like him" He is so sweet so kind and so caring, he chose to be traditional medicine doctor in consideration for those who fear hospitals (as his best friend did). I could't help but feel envious towards Haeng Ah for having such a friend. Ri Hwan's "Believe in me, if we are together we will be Happy".
Jung Ryeo Won as Haeng Ah: She is such a wonderful actress with a great smile, I always admired her which surprised me how come I have only seen few of her dramas!! This will change as I'm definitely going to be watching everything I missed on. I can't imagine anyone else as Hang Ah other than JRW she took in a simple yet deep character and gave it life and more depth I really believed that she is Haeng Ah and when I searched it turned out that she felt the character was very close to her personality (no wonder why it felt so natural). Haeng Ah is simple kind girl, she's very caring and sweet to everyone but not weak. Her character just like all the characters in this show felt real, not over the top not angels or devils but simply normal human beings with flaws. Haeng Ah's "The Happy Child is the meaning of my name, and I want to be happy".
Park Hee Bon as Yi Seul: One of the drama's strongest points, she portrays a very rich girl but how was it presented in this drama? very much different than all that I've seen so far, she is not skinny (which in korea means fat thick huge... you name it), her face is very much natural (I find it pretty) but according to their standards Big = Ugly, she doesn't dress up like all the rich female characters in every other drama, she is down to earth the most modest the simplest girl I've ever seen in drama and the most natural one. Korean dramas finally presented someone who I could see as normal and could be the girl next door, the girl I can see in my real daily life. Even though her self-esteem is broken because of her mother (which is also a character that is taken from real life as I know some mothers are like that) she still stands up for herself and makes a point without disrespecting her mother. She continues to be herself refusing to change anything she believes that is her true identity, yet she is still the obedient daughter who would listen to all her mother's demands as long as it does not involve her changing herself.
Kim Ri Na as Tae Hee: I love this character very much I love the kind of female character she is presenting. Tae Hee is a very straightforward woman, she speaks up her mind without the slightest of hesitation. Her spirit is strong, her personality is strong, she is open up with her feelings and is very comfortable to talk about them. She would go straight up on a guy and tell him that she likes him, she doesn't waste her time playing around with words or worrying how strange people would think about her. She may seem cold on surface because she's very honest but deep down she's very caring person and always looks out for the ones she love. I really admire her character and I wish to be as strong as her.
I would love to write about each and every character is this drama because I loved them all but because I loved all of them that's too many which would make review even longer. I love every single character, I love ALL the female characters (this never happened before). Every character was essential I wouldn't imagine it any other way.
Music
Beautiful!! I loved two OSTs
Because I by Lasse Lindh: This is my favourite, it's so beautiful that even my friends who haven't watched the drama loved the song so much they will watch the drama.
My Time Towards You by Alex: My 2nd favourite, I don't know how were they able to make such fitting OSTs 10/10 doesn't even begin to say it.
Rewatch
Are you kidding me? I'm rewatching this as soon as I submit my review. I have it saved on my computer.
Overall
When I talked about this drama I'm not just talking about the main couple's story, it's not just their happiness or their love story. It was about every single one of them every character got to share his/her story and love and their pursuit of happiness. This drama has different feel to it, so it may not appeal to some of you, I think it takes much more than reason of "entertainment" to watch this. I do hope that there are people who enjoy, love and appreciate it the way I do. All I can say is that I do very much from the bottom of my heart recommend this drama.
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Story
NO ROMANCE that's the best thing about it because it is fully focused on the story no distractions no useless characters or side stories or scenes. I can't really explain much about the story without spoiling it, I wouldn't say the perfect story cus it's not it actually has holes which weren't covered. However, the story wasn't just about crime, mystery, thrill it actually delivers feelings and meaning behind it all.
Acting
I gave it 9/10 because I think if it wasn't for everyone's FLAWLESS (except for one person) performance this drama wouldn't have worked out. Though all dramas require great cast with great acting skills, a drama with these genres in particular requires much more than great acting to pull it off. No matter how thrilling the storyline is without the right cast it will never work out. I personally give BIG applause to Shin Eun Gyeong, Yook Sung Jae, Jang Hee Jin and Choi Jae Woong the most. Surprisingly though in terms of performance Moon Geun Young was the weakest of them all (I don't know if it was because of the character).
Rewatch
Definitely not, the kind of category that this drama falls in makes it a none rewatchable drama. Once the mystery is solved there is no point in watching it again (at least not to me).
Overall
This drama needs to get more audience on the (currently watching) it's a good one and worth the attention. One more important point it's thanks to this drama I started to like this genre even more now. I highly recommend it
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This is a story about friends and how they deal with their emotions, life, and the fact that they are growing into adulthood. Again the feelings that are delivered in this drama, all the emotions are just too refreshing, beautiful and really enjoyable. In fact, (I can't believe I'm saying this but) I fell in love with Choi Min Ho after watching this. I never ever considered him a decent actor he was just an idol like the rest of the idols getting casted with no acting skills. I've seen him in (To The Beautiful You) which I dropped and I remember very well that he couldn't act back then!! When did he improve like that?! He was absolutely AMAZING I was watching the drama and can't help but be taken by him (wait it's Min Woo I'm talking about o_O)!! I can't respect him enough for the hard work and improvement he has done for himself I never thought it's possible when you don't have "it" within you but he proved me wrong, any drama that he takes from now on is on my Watch List.
This drama makes you feel like smiling the whole time you will be watching it as simple as it was,,, What is love exactly? What's first love means? Can we really forget about our first love/crush and move on? Well let's watch and see,,,Simplicity is beauty indeed. I highly recommend it.
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Story
Very well written very well put together very well presented I could not see any flaws and I would not change a thing with the story I absolutely loved it with its development with its events everything was perfectly done in the best bases. This is the first revenge drama that discusses the consequences of choosing revenge and It's the first revenge drama that approaches revenge in this way a revenge that results in another revenge isn't the idea itself is interesting? One more thing I liked, there are no villains in this drama you won't be able to hate any character there is no "bad person" only people you will feel very sorry for and won't be able to take sides and I find that pretty amazing a story that can confuse me in this way is a beautiful one.
Acting
Lee So Yeon was FLAWLESS, she did one of the best complexed character I've ever seen. I absolutely loved her the best this is by far her best performance!! As for Bae Su Bin this ahjussi always excels as a villain to the point of me hating him so I won't say this is his best performance BUT his best drama indeed. Jin Tae Hyun I never seen this guy before so I'm glad I get to know him here he's an amazing actor. Everyone did good job from main roles to supporting roles everyone did good.
Music
This drama's OST is a story telling itself!! with the lyrics perfectly describing the complex emotions that this drama presents! Specially "Broken Heart" by Yoo Seung Chan I loved the lyrics of this song so much that it inspired me to draw a sketch! best quote from that song"The pain that you caused me I'll pay you all that back,,, even If revenge is a crime doomed by Heavens I'll gladly take my punishment".
Overall
If you are a revenge melo fan you have to have this drama on your complete list! It is a must watch drama not only a worth watching drama a must one. I watched so many dramas too many that I can predict any plot in any drama, but with this one it did have surprises that I could never have predicted it. That fact alone is amazing imho.
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Story
Definitely unique and original! it really is different in every aspect!! It has romance but not the kind that we are used to see in dramas. Though the main point of the story is the romance it's not the kind that comes into your mind when you 1st read the word romance. The story does not cover the process of them falling in love but the consequnces of that love. Therefore it does not have romantic scenes but memories and flashbacks of what they had and this is one of it's uniqueness. A love like no other a devoted man that is torn between resentment and hate and love and yearning. The story also does not address "revenge" in the way it is usually addressed in K dramas. Finally, it is the only drama that addressed the "slaves" side of the story in those times (Maids is also another drama that talked about slaves but it is in no way can be compared to this one).
Acting
WONDERFULL, AMAZING, OUTSTANDING, INCREDIBLE!! Loved loved loved JH!! This is his best ultimates performance It does not get any better than that!! and the rest of the cast they all were amazing!! My only disappointment is LDH. I used to love her in (My Girl) which was 10 years ago I think and I remember very well that she used to be very a good actress but here she simply sucks. She's actually one of the things that irritated me in this drama (she was supposed to be a slave yet she's the only one who had clean face and full make up on!!) she cared so much about her appearance than making the character believable!! and to add to that her acting was really horrible I wish I can find even stronger word than just horrible. But on the bright side she wasn't given that much screen time or dialogue so THANK GOD. I can't believe this is the actress I used to adore. Nonetheless she did not matter the one who really matters here is JH and I'll say this again JH DID AN AMAZING JOB as
Lee Dae Gil (one of those characters that you will forever remember).
Music
One of the best OSTs I've heard in dramas, all of it no exceptions!! The kind of OSTs that is hard to forget.
Rewatch
Possible but not for me.
Overall:
If you are looking for originality, looking for something different, worthy of your time, and specially If you are sick of the recent ones and miss the old good stuff which made you fall for dramas in the 1at place (which is my case) then I suggest you give this a try. However if you are looking for romantic love story with romantic lovey dovey scenes, love triangles, dark revenge etc... then this is not the drama for you and one more thing I'll let you on Two small but essential tips:
1)One of the best endings ever made in dramas.
2)Hot guys everywhere with chocolate abs (6pack) exposure (all over the screen!! you will find it hard to focus at first) XD
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Story
A perfect combination of reality and life presented in the best manner it could be presented in. The writer managed to keep the story true and realistic with real life issues (based on experience it's all real) and yet kept it fresh and fun to watch. This drama carried out a strong message "it's better late than never" "the present is really a present (gift)". Try to live your life without regrets, live your life first for YOU before anyone else, appreciate the time you have now and live it to the max. This is the 1st drama that made me think of my own life and gave me hope and refreshed my memory with my past life and made me think of my present and future. This drama has boosted my energy and gave me positive insight even with all the issues that were discussed in the drama there is always bright side to everything. For once no villains no insane characters.
Acting
The whole cast were so true and natural to their characters but Choi Ji Woo and Lee Sang Yoon are the show's strongest point!! They had an amazing on screen chemistry they seemed so true so real and so adorable. They managed to present such normal average characters and bring them out into life in a very delightful manner (and people say it's the character that makes the actor) that's not true at all even with such plain characters those two have managed to show us how wonderful of actors they are.
Rewatch?
Definitely YES I would rewatch it over and over again because I need something as positive as this to boost my energy and remind me that it really is never too late.
Overall
Are you a drama lover? This drama fits everyone's taste because it's a slice of life and yet it has everything that we as drama fans love and would wanna watch. If I could I would personally go and thank everyone who helped making it.
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Story:
I finished this drama in one night one day!! from the very 1st ep I got the feeling that it's definitely a special one and it is!! My expectations weren't as close as right this is NOT a cliche story it is not just melo sad story Winter Sonata is more than that its a journey it takes you with it and makes you feel you are living every moment with them you feel their pain and sorrow together and that snow it really remains in your head that whiteness that coldness it's simply just beautiful.
Acting:
The best part of this drama is the acting performance!! all of the cast the main lead who wouldn't love them I really believed every pain, tear sorrow, touch, longing...etc I believed everything they felt and felt it together with them I actually think that now I won't be able to see those two as actors anymore to me they are Joon Sang and Yu Jin I think it will take time for me to see them as normal ppl again.
I understand now why Bae Yong Jun is considered a legendary actor, the character he portrayed the man he presented I've never seen like him. Kang Joon Sang /Lee Min Hyung was a very classy man a true gentleman. When he falls in love he cares for the girl he loves without forcing anything on her, I loved how gentle and understanding he was. If there is a true gentleman this is the man.
Music:
I fell in love with it from the very 1st ep, it takes so much for me to actually like OST let alone fall in love with it. I came to realise now that all the classic shows really do have different level of music unlike nowadays shows the old ones do remain in my head and I never grow tired of them. WS is no difference it has a BEAUTIFUL OSTs my favourite is From The Beginning Till Now (the song itself makes me tear and I'm really really hard to tear up).
Overall?
If you are really a true drama fan for the sole purpose of being a drama fan then you know just as much as I do that your list is never complete without watching WS, I doubt that there is anyone there who hasn't heard of it and let me just tell you it DESERVES all the recognition it got it's ONE of a kind. To me it's definitely a REWATCHABLE one I just truly wish that I was from that generation when all the beautiful shows were made.
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