PrettyCarEye
Very light on plot, the leads had no chemistry whatsoever, the acting was wooden ... at best. There were some beautiful shots, but the story went for a walk and never came back. I think the problem lies in the premise of the film - a woman randomly walks into a stranger's apartment and begins a sporadic affair with him. Each time the woman's cell phone rings she'd disappear for days then return without explanation. Baffled and unable to help his fascination with the mysterious woman, the hero takes her in each time even though he knows next to nothing about her since she flat out refuses to tell him anything meaningful about herself.
He wonders, like we do, whether she's high or just crazy due to some very bizarre and erratic behaviour. Why he falls so hopelessly, head over heels in love with her is anybody's guess. She basically leads him around like a dog on a leash and not in cute romantic way. The entire film resulted in him trying to solve the puzzle that was this woman. Problem is, though, her story wasn't interesting enough to hold my attention. In fact, I thought it was rather ridiculous.
First of all, who behaves in this way? I find both their actions so bizarre and unbelievable. A woman walks into some guy's, who she doesn't know from Adam, place and takes up residence just like that? And the hero letting this strange woman in, giving her a key to his apartment when he doesn't know if she's setting up to rob or kill him? Come on now. Who does that?
I'm sorry to say it was a waste of time. The whole thing was just very poorly developed and executed. I watch a lot of films and being a filmmaker myself I'm very lenient on how I judge other people's efforts. It takes a lot for me to completely fail a film, but this simply left a lot to be desired.
There were no redeeming qualities except that the hero was absolutely gorgeous. But if you need a little more than a pretty face to hold your attention, don't bother with this one. Not even the romantic scenes were interesting enough to carry this lacklustre romantic drama. I doubt I'll ever watch it again.
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As it turned out, this wasn't your average high school movie at all.
At its core this film is about love, loyalty and growing up. Watching it through a Westerner's eyes a lot of things took me aback (for eg, if I was Boeun's mother I'd never marry her off so soon no matter the circumstances), but upon further reflection I thought what a beautiful selfless act of love for one's family. And ... it was funny to boot!
The lead actress did an amazing job. She was just as sweet and innocent as she was in Innocent Steps, but with a little more feistiness to her character. I totally loved that about her. Her and Sangmin's bickering was so hilarious to watch. They made an awesome couple and I didn't get that creepy cradle robber feeling about their relationship as I got from watching Innocent Steps, a movie which featured the same actress playing a character who is also considerably younger than her male counterpart. (NB: In spite of this Innocent Steps was a great little movie too and this comparison should not deter you from seeing it).
In My Little Bride Sangmin and Boeun had great chemistry. I know I'm always complaining about the lack of believable physicality between characters who are supposed to be intimate with each other (for eg husband and wife) in a lot of South Korean movies, but I have to say I didn't miss it here. Setting aside the age difference, in some cases a film just works without it and this was one of them. Sangmin, Boeun's husband, was adorable in his dedication to her. I trusted that he'd never do anything she wasn't ready for and that the strong bond they'd forged during childhood would hold them together for years to come.
This is getting a high overall score from me not just because of it's re-watchability or even the great performances, but because of its beautiful portrayal of family and taking care of each other. If it's one thing I absolutely love about South Korean films, and the South Korean culture as a whole, it's this.
Highly, highly recommended!
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Basically what I disliked the most was its message that a woman's worth is determined only by her beauty.
The story, about a selfish, cocksure playboy architect who falls for an "ugly" woman due to a temporary vision impairment, was pointless and shallow. The hero was a jerk for most of the movie. He did little to endear himself to me, and the supposedly "ugly" heroine was anything but. I think if you're gonna make a movie about a playboy falling for an "ugly" woman don't cast a woman who looks like a supermodel, put fake buck teeth in her mouth and pass her off as ugly. That's just weird, disingenuous. Cast someone plain then at least the movie might have acquired a little authenticity, if nothing else.
I was surprised to learn that Kang Ji Hwan who I recently saw and liked in LIE TO ME was the male lead in this movie. His acting was okay, but I didn't like him in this role. There was no growth to his character. He started out being a shallow bastard who takes advantage of women and pretty much remained that way 'til the end.
I've heard a rumour that South Koreans are unusually fixated on looks. If there's any truth to that I guess this film isn't so far fetched. Nevertheless, I couldn't get over the blatant objectification of its female cast members.
I try not to judge East Asian culture through the prism of western ideals, and for the most part I don't mind that they adhere to traditional gender roles, but it's hard to suspend belief or maintain a laissez-faire attitude when certain liberties are taken. I worry about what lessons impressionable South Korean girls (and boys) will draw from this film.
I wouldn't recommend it. Watch My Little Bride instead. It's a lot sweeter, funnier and the hero is a decent guy who appreciates the heroine in all her adorable quirkiness.
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This review may contain spoilers
Where to begin? There were so many things I loved about this drama! I'll try to keep this review brief, but please bear with me if it gets a bit long. Be aware also that minor spoilers may be contained herein, but don't worry no major plot points will be ruined. A Gentleman's Dignity was an absolute treat to watch!
The mature, adult feel of it was very appealing. I get so tired of all these teeny-boppy tv shows or those dramas in which adults behave like high schoolers. ADG was a refreshing change of pace. It dealt with adult themes in an adult world. The players acted and responded to their circumstances according to their age without resorting, for the most part, to childish theatrics.
While a bit too metrosexual for my taste, the four male leads had wonderful chemistry and played exceptionally well off each other. It was fun to watch their often humourous banter and shenanigans. I loved that they all had unique personalities that set them a part from each other.
I loved the hero's charming, debonair persona. I LOVED how he loved the heroine, from day one. The WAY he went about sweeping her off her feet ... awww. Heart-melting! When it comes to the female leads, my favourite was Se Ra. It was really good to see her develop and grow into a better person. Lead actress Kim Ha Neul's acting wasn't to my taste. It's not that she did a poor job, I just didn't connect with her style. Her character was a bit annoying at times too, though with good reason.
All the ladies portrayed a good balance of independence, strength, vulnerability and self-sufficiency. Sometimes all the hysterical crying -- typical in most K-dramas -- got on my nerves, especially Meahri's, but they were all likable and well-matched to their respective male partner.
I loved that all the lead characters in this show were not cardboard characters. They were well crafted with clearly defined personality positives and negatives. The heroine dealt with some serious emotional baggage which many people will be able to relate to. When I found myself becoming annoyed with her I'm reminded that there's a good reason she behaves the way she does. This lent a certain sense of authenticity to the character.
I don't typically take notice of music in TV dramas or films unless it's truly outstanding. The music in AGD was pretty good. Big Baby Driver provided some beautiful, evocative vocals which enhanced the production value of the show. She has now gained a new follower and I'm pretty sure I'm going to use her music in one or more of my own films.
Yes, AGD was pretty great, but not entirely without fault. As good as most of the story was this drama was just as frustratingly formulaic as all other K-drama. I predicted the unfolding and or the outcome of many scenes long before it happened.
There were a lot of the episodes that felt draggy to me, and some story arcs I wish the writers hadn't pursued. Moreover, I did not care for the small prologues attached to each new episode. While humourous and insightful about how the men became friends I felt they stood in the way of the story taking place in present time. A lot of these scenes, for me, were skipped and I didn't feel like I missed anything.
My biggest, and perhaps only, major complaint about South Korean cinema is how they deal with sex and intimacy between adults on screen. I've yet to see the k-drama in which this is dealt with in a natural, believable, mature fashion.
In most K-dramas I've seen sex/intimacy is the huge pink elephant in the room. Normally it is neither acknowledged nor explored in a way that makes sense. As a working filmmaker, I don't understand why this has to be the case because you can create believable physical intimacy between the actors without them getting naked. It's frustrating to me that the actors must resort to childish antics OR the writers use formulaic tactics like having the phone ring or someone walking in to avoid the issue. To not portray that intimacy when the story calls for it makes otherwise great dramas disappointing for me. Maybe because I'm an artistic purist who believes acting should be naturalistic and not constructed.
With regards to a A Gentleman's Dignity, the lack of intimacy was an issue, but at the same time I have to applaud the makers for not completely shirking the issue. There were some sexual references and the kissing scenes, though few and far between, were pretty good. No brushing of lips here. I especially loved the nightclub kissing scene. Not only did I like seeing the woman take the initiative for once, the ensuing tonsil hockey was off the charts, get-a-room HOT! But way too short .... grrrr! :)
Overall this was an enjoyable drama that dealt with recurring themes of friendship, unrequited love, doing the right thing, getting old and second chances. Great storytelling alongside wonderful performances equals awesome entertainment. There were very few dull moments and there wasn't a character I didn't like.
The ending was great! All the hopeless romantics like myself can rejoice! It will fill your heart and make you smile at the wonder of love.
Will I ever rewatch A Gentleman's Dignity? You betcha!
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Movies are like card houses. All pieces must fit perfectly together for the house to stand: story, performance, production values. Take away one or the other and the house falls down.
This is pretty much what happened in Helter Skelter.
What started off as an interesting premise for a movie -- namely a character study of a lost and broken young woman's longing for human connection -- meandered off into bizarre twists and turns that could have been cut to make the movie more effective.
Many people think this movie is about the protagonist's addiction to plastic surgery, but to me the PS is just the effect, not the cause of her downward spiral. If you factor out plastic surgery this girl is battling some pretty serious personal issues stemming from her childhood and the potent influence of a callous, almost sadistic mentor. But while the plot may have been dubious at least there was some story there, so check.
What about performance? Well, it felt very stilted to me, as if the actors rehearsed the scenes to death, one too many times. For a movie so dark and edgy to have any impact at all on it's audience the acting has to come from an organic, natural place. In my opinion, that didn't happen in Helter Skelter.
With all that said, though, the thing that bothered me the most was the production values on this film, or rather ... the lack thereof. I didn't believe the story being told to me. The direction lacked vision and purpose. The production design and cinematography were tacky and amateurish. I mean animated, fairy butterflies in a world of darkness and deprivation? Come on. Moreover, where was the glamour of Lilico's world? After all, she's a major superstar, isn't she? Japan's own Cameron Diaz. We should have been totally immersed in her glamourous existence by the movie's tone and mood so that we, the audience, can better appreciate the toll fame and fortune has had on Lilico's psyche. Instead what you got were set designs akin to a tacky porno movie rather than a bird's eye view into the lifestyle of Japan's rich and famous.
After spending 2 hrs watching this film I came away from it thinking what the hell had I just watched? And not in the good sense. I doubt I'll be seeing this again, ever.
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First a brief introduction because the one here on MDL doesn't really sum up the show well enough:
Unexpected You is about driven career woman Cha Yoon-hee, who is newly married to the dashing Korean-born, American-bred doctor, Bang Gwi-nam. Because Gwi-nam was raised in the US he’s presented as prime husband material. He's willing to follow his wife's lead & capitulate to her every wish. Yoon-hee's pleased with herself for having landed such a "perfect" man, and best of all? NO worrisome in-laws to fuss and fight with since his adoptive parents are back in the States. Life’s sweet for our Yoon-hee. With a cute, somewhat neutered husband & no pesky children running afoot she can focus on her work AND rule her roost the way she sees fit. As fate would have it, however, Yoon-hee's blissful existence comes to a screeching halt when they unknowingly move in across the hall from Gwi-nam's biological parents.
Sounds like fun to me. So I used my one week Easter break to watch this drama. I jumped right in hoping for a hilarious, heartwarming family drama.
Let me now explain to you why these hopes were dashed.
What I Liked:
1) The fact that we had an established couple who were happy & affectionate toward each other for the entire drama. I haven’t seen that many dramas, but this is a first for me.
2) In the long run I didn't care for the character she played, but I do like lead actress Kim Nam Joo. Mature actresses tend to get a raw deal whether they're in Hollywood or Korea. However, KNJ proves that dramaland is better off with older artists whose life experience adds layers to their performances. I think in a better role, where she's not trying too hard to push an agenda & prove a point, she'd be great.
3) Lee Hee Joon as the witty, smart talking, smooth operator, Chun Jæ Yong. He turned into a lovesick fool toward the end, but for the majority of the show he was absolutely hilarious. I thought he was very well cast in this role. Just the way he spoke, his mannerisms, provided some really good comic relief.
4) The youngest Bang son & his family. My mom always tells me to look at a man's heart, not his face. Jung-bæ and his family are like a visual reference of this lesson. The guy isn't much to look at by any means & his wife is a complete ditz who a lesser man would have come to belittle & ridicule over time. But in Jung-bæ she couldn't have found a more devoted and loving husband.
5) This drama broke away from the usual clichés. Not completely, but for the most part. And whilst the story itself never quite took off for me, most secrets & lies were revealed within a 10 episode interval which was nice. I hate it when they drag things out until the very last minute before everything’s out in the open.
What I Disliked:
1) The script - it had a few great moments. I thought the overarching story of the lost boy who reunited with his real parents was pretty okay. But the individual stories of the Bang women were underwhelming & frustrating. There were a few twists & turns in the plot that made you go WTF? The script felt constructed, rather than fluid. As a result, characters, both old & new, appeared out of nowhere at the most inopportune times in the most inopportune of places & caused the story to go off on a tangent that was better left unexplored.
2) This drama had an agenda & it got very, very preachy - Now don't get me wrong, there's absolutely nothing wrong with the show's attempt to challenge gender stereotypes and the sexism Korean women face in their society. I'm all for female empowerment and bettering the status of women, but beating your audience over the head with all this stuff defeats its purpose. Every woman has her own definition of "empowerment" so a tad more subtlety would have engendered more of my support for the women’s situation. There was too much righteous grand standing. Characters literally preaching at each other -- and thus the audience -- about gender equality, what they should think & believe. Too much. It got very annoying. Furthermore, it's funny that this drama is about empowering women, and yet most of the conflict arose from pitting women against each other.
3) This drama was dripping wet in cheese & not the good kind - Those who know me here on MDL know that I'm a romance junkie. I love love. I do. I love when my heart is touched by a good love story, but please don't go overboard. I get that, in Gwi-nam, the writers wanted to present a man that’s more sensitive & supportive of his wife’s needs as opposed to the old-fashioned, insensitive, uncommunicative Korean man. But it was too much, especially for a couple who, though newly married, has been together for a while. Instead of making me sigh, I was gritting my teeth while skipping that sh**. All the grand romantic gestures came off very inauthentic and felt too much like wish-fulfillment rather than a realistic portrayal of love between two grown people who've long since left the playground.
4) The women - This drama was very popular in Korea & if I had to take a guess maybe it's because the drama was an outlet for frustrated Korean housewives who harbour grudges against their in-laws & husbands. For me, as an outsider who doesn't live the same reality, this show was somewhat burdensome to watch as it was a complete & utter whine fest.
That's also probably why I couldn’t identify with any of the women. At the start I liked Yoon-hee a great deal. She was put on this pedestal as the ultimate woman's woman, and at first she did project an aura of strength that I liked. I also sympathized with her struggles in a very sexist work environment. But as the series progressed she slowly took on a cloak of victimhood & wore it like a trophy, especially when it came to dealing with her in-laws.
I really have a problem with shows in which women wallow in victimhood. If Korean women want to be the only queen in their hen house, make a drama that encourages them to break with tradition & live on their own with their families. To me it's a better solution than pitting woman against woman the way this drama does, albeit unintentionally.
By the end of the show my perception of Yoon-hee was that she had turned into a shrill, selfish, entitled and conceited woman. Pretty much everything had to go her way ALL THE TIME. She bullied her husband with emotional & sexual blackmail. And ironically, instead of sympathizing with Yoon-hee, I ended up feeling like the mom-in-law was the real underdog.
The other women weren't any better. One, a self-centered, spoiled, bratty gold digger; another a clueless, childish virgin who was sooo hot & cold it's a wonder any guy was able to put up with her; the mother who was filled with covetousness and resentment toward her husband and children; the older daughter who cast herself in the shadow of a man even though she says she wants to be an independent woman. They were all very human characters, but given that I encounter these people every day in real life, I'd rather not spend time with them in my entertainment too.
5) Last but not least Bang Gwi-nam, the female lead's husband - At first I liked him, but he seemed to lose his manhood as the show went on. He’s incapable of standing up to Yoon-hee, even when she’s out of line. To me Gwi-nam was not an ideal partner. Sure, he's a gentleman, but he was also a complete wuss. I fear most men in real life will never be able to live up to his lofty ideal, not for long anyway. So I'm not sure planting such unrealistic expectations in women's minds is a good idea. Moreover, guys like Gwi-nam end up like the desperate housewives who capitulate and sacrifice too much until the day they cheat, walk out or both.
This is a drama for women, but not a woman like me. That said, I wouldn't encourage people NOT to watch this because there’s a chance this drama was made for a woman just like you.
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Padam Padam was an amazingly well conceived drama all around. With well drafted, fully developed, flawed characters, an original complex story with elements of crime, fantasy and a whole lot of emotion, this show was able to pack such punch it'll leave you wanting long after the final episode. Exactly my type of drama. I jumped into watching this because I love a good redemption story, and having completely fallen in love with Jung Woo-sung after seeing him in A Moment to Remember and Season of Good Rain, I did not hesitate. The acting, especially his, was just superb.
From the opening scene to the final montages, I was hooked. Even when I wanted to stop watching and run away from all the emotional turmoil this show unleashed.
Jung Woo-sung plays adorable, working class man-child Yang Kang Chil. Loyal and tough he isn't afraid to take on anyone who threatens his loved ones, but having lost his youth to the Korean prison system he looks at life through the eyes of a child, discovering and marveling at such simple pleasures as owning his first car, riding the train or going to the zoo. I adored Kang Chil's innocent world weariness. In this role Jung Woo-sung gave one of his bravest, most poignant performances. I loved the relationship he had with his family, esp his mom, who was so movingly portrayed by actress Na Moon Hee. The way she nurtured Kang Chil with her tough love was heartwarming to watch, and there were some hilariously funny scenes between them too.
Unlike many of the mostly western dramas that I've seen where the leads fall in love on sight and get together within the first 2-3 episodes, this was not the case in Padam Padam. The love story between Kang Chil and Ji Na took time to develop (over 10 episodes to be exact). This was torture for me because I was practically foaming at the mouth to see them together, so mad was their on-screen chemistry. In hindsight, though, their budding relationship was appropriately played out.
After all, here are two people, each with their own emotional baggage to overcome. It's only natural that they would look at the prospect of a having a relationship together from completely different standpoints, and this was what you got from Kang Chil and Ji Na. They had to overcome both internal and external obstacles before they could come together as a couple. When they finally did, their love story was so sweet and romantic it'll take your breath away. As usual, I wish there was more physicality between these characters. After making us wait so long, what we got was too tame. Of course, I wasn't looking for explicit sex, but some deep, ardent kisses would have suffice. That said though, their interactions were all heartwarming and beautiful.
I can not praise this drama enough. This is a show that will impart valuable life lessons. I wished I had known certain things before investing so much of myself in the characters. This drama took me on an emotional roller coaster ride that I'm not sure I liked. It weighed heavily on me days after I had seen it, but this was a good quality production. I'd recommend it. There's a lot of sadness and heartbreak, but I think it's manageable if you know going in that that's coming. I'll probably be able to re-watch it after many months have passed.
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This was pure mindless entertainment with little of the substance I've come to associate with Korean films ... which is probably why I enjoyed it. After film after film with deep, heavy themes, gut-wrenching emotion, angst, heartbreak and or eminent death, I was just happy to watch something light and uplifting.
The acting was a bit cringe-worthy, especially, sorry to say, Daniel Henney's. Everyone's performance just seemed a bit forced. Maybe because of the dual use of language, English/Korean, throughout the movie? I don't know. It was definitely a bit weird for me listening to the actors speak two different languages to each other, but I get why it was done. Many times we understand a lot more of a language than we can speak it so it was a clever way for Korean audiences to get the best of both worlds, I suppose. For me, however, as a native English speaker, the speaking of Korean and English at the same time was quite jarring. But really, who cares about acting and language when you have a gorgeous man like Daniel Henney dominating your TV screen for a couple hours? I was just content to stare at him for the duration of the movie. lol
All in all, this was light and fun with a happy ending. It will not leave you with any big impressions (maybe a blessing if you watch a lot of heavy drama). You'll probably forget it a few days after you've seen it, but if you want a break from the usual gloomy fare of Korean/Asian cinema, this is it. I'd re-watch this movie if I need a Daniel Henney fix.
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The story was quite original in its premise and could have worked nicely in this genre had the plot not been so ill-conceived. There were too many plot holes & common sense failures. For the observant viewer an important, identifying detail about the villain was quite noticeable only a quarter way thru the movie, which makes the big reveal of who said villain was later on a rather anti-climactic experience.
Acting wise, I was disappointed. With a guy like Son Hyun Joo -- one of South Korea’s finest character actors and my motivation for watching this movie -- if all else fails, the acting shouldn’t. Just watch him in Golden Empire or Men Don’t Cry. The man is on fire. This should have been a GREAT role for him, but Hide & Seek squandered his formidable ability to deliver captivating performances. The writing is too shallow, the direction too elementary, to really make him shine.
His character actually reminded me of that annoying Hollywood chick who always falls or screams at the most critical moment, complicating the efforts of those trying to stay alive. I hate that stupid witch. What a crying shame Son’s character is reduced to the same dumbassery. I did a lot of eye rolling watching him maneuver his circumstances, esp when there was a fight scene. #smdh
Anyway, everyone else delivered okay according to what they had to work with, but really nothing about this thriller felt like it hit its mark, not the writing, not the direction and as a result, not the acting.
I’m giving Hide & Seek a 6. It’s watchable, just don't expect a masterpiece of any kind. You’ll have to suspend belief, if not check your brain at the door all together. But it’s entertaining enough.
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Yawn. Right?
For a romcom, it sure was light on the humour. Mom's tendency to lace her speech with hilarious sounding, heavily accented broken English did produce a few chuckles but that's about it.
It isn't that it was a horrible story or that the acting, though nothing spectacular, was bad. It's just that nothing about it really stands out. The story has been done to death, the acting is acceptable but under the radar, no good kisses or noteworthy physical interaction between the leads (they are supposedly in love but tend to sit miles a part from each other), no eye candy, no good soundtrack.
Of all the movies out there to watch there's no real incentive to pick this one. You've seen it before, and nothing new or fresh happens to warrant a second viewing. Just the same old trope. But if you have 1.5 hr to waste go ahead and give it a go, if you insist.
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Good potential for some great drama, I thought, but I almost lost my patience with this show in some of the earlier episodes.
I really did not care for the lead actress when she reverted to her 18 year old self. Talk about annoying! She got on my last nerve with all her childish antics, and I felt really sorry for her husband who patiently put up with a lot of crap from her, including losing his very lucrative acting career because of her foolishness.
I kept watching, though, hoping things would get better and it did. In the later episodes, once Hae Chan started acting her age and the action moved away from High School and into the adult world, I started to really enjoy the show. It transitioned from a teen sitcom -- which I did not sign up to watch -- to an adult drama dealing with adult themes, namely two people who love each other, but have difficulty communicating properly, trying to save their marriage.
But even though I liked their chemistry, I wasn't entirely happy with how the story was executed. I think a lot of good opportunities to heighten the tension between Hae Chan and Bong-man were squandered. Too much screen time was given to the High School scenes and the Noon/Hae Chan story arc. As far as I could see those scenes served no real purpose in driving the plot, which was to save Bong-man and Hae Chan's marriage. The story arc with Bong-man's mother was also really good, but far too brief.
I liked the acting ... for the most part. I liked Bong-man/Sang Young, the husband. He was quite handsome with a really great, boyish smile. If he lost about 10kg and got some sleep he'd have been smoking! :)
Anyway, before watching the show I read a review that claimed he was sexist toward Hae Chan, but I couldn't see where he was sexist toward Hae Chan anymore than every man is sexist toward women around the world. Sure, his character adhered to what I suppose is the cultural norm in Korea for the home and its upkeep to be woman's domain, but that hardly makes him a villain. In fact, he was just the opposite. I thought he really tried to care for Hae Chan. You could see that he really loved her. In fact, this was one of the things I loved about the show. Hae Chan was plain, but she had this amazing, famous, handsome guy who would do anything for her. She did whatever she wanted, even when he told her he didn't like certain things.
As for Hae Chan herself, I didn't dislike the actress' efforts, but I didn't like it either. Perhaps by no fault of her own, her character was annoying to an extreme. I'm not even sure 18 year olds act the way she portrayed. She kinda went overboard, in my humble opinion. She was overly bratty, immature and selfish. She gave Bong-man a whole lot of grief, even though he showed her nothing but love, patience and support from start to finish. I was frustrated and angry right along with him when she went off and did something stupid.
The adult supporting cast were the best (the younger supporting cast annoyed me -- maybe because I didn't want to watch a show about teenagers). They all did a great job, esp Hae Chan's feisty younger sister, Hae Won, Bong-man's lovelorn agent Mr. Shu (hilarious guy!), and Bong-man's grandfather the Dictator/Prince of Evil (who, it turned out, had a soft core under his cantankerous exterior).
Another issue I had with this drama is the lack of intimacy between the leads. At first Hae Chan's wariness of her husband's advances made sense under the circumstances, but as the show progressed it just got ridiculous. These people are supposed to be married and not once do they even share a kiss? Come on! Their entire interaction seemed very juvenile, like a playground crush rather than a true romance between adults. Grrr
Perhaps this is due to some sort of censorship on onscreen intimacy in Korea, I don't know, but I've noticed the same thing in other Korean dramas and some movies I've seen, and it's very frustrating. Not because I'm eager to see the actors get naked, but where this sort of activity is naturally required by the story I don't want to see adults acting like pre-teens who don't know what sex or kissing is. It makes absolutely no sense for a married couple or even a boyfriend and girlfriend (in many cases, who have been together for a long time) to just hug and hold hands and act all shy around each other.
Finally, the production value on this show was a bit low. I didn't like the format this show was shot on. Or rather than the format, perhaps it was just shoddy post production work. The picture was too bright and there was basically no colour grading. I was almost blinded by all the brightness, brightness of colours, brightness of the actors' faces and surroundings ... even when I adjusted the contrast on my TV screen.
With all that said, the show was okay. The leads had good chemistry and despite certain flaws in the story their marriage was believable. Moreover, by the end of the show, I believed their marriage would last. And I suppose that's the most important thing considering this was the question at the beginning. I could have loved this show, though, had it been done differently, technically and artistically. I don't think I'll be re-watching anytime soon, if ever.
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The story was simple, one I've seen a number of times before in western cinema, but interesting for me nonetheless because of the exotic location and culture in which it plays out. Ever since I started watching Asian films on a regular basis a whole new world has been opened up to me. I'm discovering a lot about a region of the world I didn't really know or care so much about until recently.
The heroine's wide-eyed innocence took a little getting used to, but overall she had great chemistry with the hero. I did have difficulty suspending belief from time to time when it came to their romance because the age gap was just a tad distracting. Chae-rin didn't look a day pass 14 (even though she's actually 19) whilst Young-sae looked to be in his mid-to-late 30s. Every time I'd see them together I'd cringe a little because the cradle robber factor was coming across pretty strong. Haha. Also the fact that Chae-rin constantly referred to him as "sir" and "mister" served to only compound the issue.
That being said, however, there were a few very comedic and sweet moments between the two, and it was nice to see that under his gruff exterior Young-sae had a good heart. I think every once in a blue moon I might re-watch this.
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Thankfully that didn't happen here. Once they got on board with each other, they stuck together and I enjoyed the show a lot better. And definitely they were the best thing about this drama. They had incredibly GREAT chemistry (a few decent kiss scenes & some sweet, cuddly moments, though not enough for my tastes) and played massively well off each other. They seemed very convincing as a couple. I think these two genuinely enjoyed each other's company as they were filming because it came through very well on screen.
And can I just say, the ML is sooo hot. I dunno if his voice was dubbed or not, but I loved listening to him speak. His bad boy swagger will have you drooling all over your computer. Can't believe the actor was only 27/28 at the time of filming; he had a more solid, big man vibe to him. I really loved their interactions & dynamic as a couple. This was a mature and strong couple who communicated well and worked out their problems like grown adults. The ML more so than the FL.
ML was the perfect modern gentleman. He was a protector, he doted on the FL (I love how playful & teasing he was toward her), gave her a lot of space & leeway to be herself and do her own thing. Sometimes the FL didn't seem to appreciate how much he cared for her, which was a bit off-putting when considering how chivalrous he was. At times she was a bit on the immature side, a little too self-absorbed and entitled as many modern women are. There were moments that felt like she took the ML for granted, acting in inconsiderate ways without thought or consequence for his feelings. Or putting other people before him. Perhaps there were some cultural codes at play that I didn't fully grasp (guanxi), but I didn't like how she handled certain things. Loyalty is super important in a relationship and at certain times she didn't appear very loyal at all to me.
Her good points were that she was ambitious and capable, but not as obnoxious as some FLs are in western shows. This definitely was a drama geared toward women with a clear feminist undertone, but it wasn't man-bashing and I certainly hope Asian shows never go that route because I really hate how woke culture has destroyed western entertainment. Most western shows have basically become totally unwatchable for me. Overall, FL was a good heroine and I guess both of them can't be perfect.
I wasn't a major fan of the 2nd lead couple. They both seemed too immature to really know what they were getting themselves into. I think both their parents were right to be concerned. The 2ML was particularly earnest, but I just couldn't warm to them as a couple. Qin Qing seemed too spoiled and self-centred to care about anyone but herself in the long term. And maybe because I much prefer alpha male leads than sweet cuddly ones? That's definitely a part of it, but not entirely. I would have much preferred to see more scenes with ML's rival and his wife than these two.
Some of the negative comments against this drama are a bit frivilous (typical on MDL :/). People down voting the drama for product placement and a ring tone ... ::eyeroll::
Sure, the product placement was quite obvious in this drama. You really couldn't miss it, but that's kind of the point, isn't it? And at least they incorporated it well into the story, rather than just randomly placing it in scenes where they don't belong. I've seen worse product placement attempts in K-dramas. As for the ringtone, yes, it was a bit repetitive and quite odd that everyone had the same one, but it wasn't a big deal. Certainly nothing to give this show a bad rating for. Those first 2 reviews on the drama's front page are totally out of line, imo.
Anyway, it's been a minute since I watched a K-drama, but overall, this drama to me is a lot better than half the K-romcoms I've watched over the years and somewhat of a huge improvement on other C-dramas I've seen. While there's a lot of censorship in both C-dramas & K-dramas, I like how C-dramas deal with love, romance and familial matters better. Sometimes K-dramas are just way too conservative and cringey in their portrayal of modern day romance. Moreover, I couldn't imagine a lot of the stuff going down in this drama happening in a K-drama (ie. cohabitation b4 marriage & 2ML telling off his interfering mom & not groveling to her later on). On that alone, Love Designer scores major points.
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