Roxy
Canada
It's not your typical drama with a "Candy" female lead(which the drama was never ashamed of pointing out). Instead we finally get a realistic girl who does not love a man only for himself but also for his money. I know, right? Finally! Yes, those "Candy" girls are amazing creatures, but do they exist? Nope. Of course, there was some disadvantages to this along the way. Such as there was always this risk of disliking the female lead, which is definitely not a good sign. There were moments, when I wanted to throw my angry bunnies at her (which I can't, since apparently, they don't sell it *raises sad bunny*. Heads' up producers!). It's constantly at risk of turning to hate, but every time, the character manages to impress me. Whether from not running away as expected, or turning her boss to school. It was a love-hate thing. But I definitely loved her more times than hate though.
I like that this couple balances each other out. The drama's plot would lead us to believe that he's saving the girl with his money but really, she's helping him differentiate what's real and not. Also, she's helping him mend his broken relationship with his dad.
I considered giving this drama a 9 because of the ending, but when I look at back at some moments, I just scratched my head, so that's what kept me. I disliked how throughout the series, we're basically just waiting for the ball to drop. We know it's gonna happen, and hate that it's going to. It would've been great if they got that out of the way earlier. That way, I wouldn't have to brace for the impact throughout the drama, cowering down in fear of seeing poor Seung Jo hurt. This drama was far from unpredictable. But I do have to commend that there was really no villains, when there was, the conflict created by that villain didn't really drag for long.
There was tons of heartfelt moments, and I think it all added up to the "goods" of the drama, the reason why it far outweighs the "bad". The relationship of Daddy Cha and Seung Jo was just so awkwardly cute. It's the first time I've like an this much in-law in a while. I was actually surprised to care sooo much about the other characters besides the main couple. Despite characters that you could so easily hate, you understand their decisions, that they're just in the wrong path, and want them to come out of that tunnel.
Acting: If we're talking about acting and this drama, Park Shi Hoo should be the first name mentioned. He was all over this drama, all with his dorky self and his "kamsa" (gratitude). Really, I was just wishing for the girl to just throw him a bone here and give him tons of those. He carried most of the comedy by himself. I'm kinda worried for my next drama now, since having a Siwon and a Park Shi Hoo acting all goofy in my last two dramas would set the bar high. Next k-drama hero, you have a huge expectation to up-hold!
I was a bit disappointed with Moon Geun Young. She was good and she made me cry (as usual), but I was expecting a lot more. Throughout her performance, I was seeing shades of the awesome to come or the awesome she did in Cinderella's Sister, but instead I just kept thinking, "MOAR please". Maybe I set the bar too high, since she's that awesome since CS, but, she is capable of better. I was thinking if it was the character. Which, admittedly, was a bit dull, doesn't quite match up to Seung Jo's quirky self. That when they're in a scene together, you literally can see the light coming out of Seung Jo while on Se Kyung's side, it's all gloom. Or whether it's her acting, I can't figure it out. Those loving looks Moon Geun Young gives though, makes me swoon a bit. In this drama, she still didn't fail to bring in the chemistry despite the age gap (which never really occurred to me). Yeah, I'm bettin' it was the role. Maybe I'm biased, but turn around and, "SHHHHH".
I was pleasantly surprised by So Yi Hyun's performance. From watching Heartstrings, she was just 'downer ballerina' to me, who I wanted off my screen ASAP. But here, I totally believe her. When her world was in the midst of crushing down, her fear when realization hit, everything about it, made me root for her. I sincerely wanted her to get her own happy ending. Kim Ji Suk... MY GOD. I didn't like him in PT (didn't really find him that handsome), but wow... he's smart and sexy here. You've made a fan. Now, where's your own drama?
What kept me from giving the acting a ten, was Kim Yoo Ri. She wasn't good, not even near serviceable. She tries to too act cool, and fails, which kept her from giving the character any depth, with 'jealousy' tattooed all over her face. It doesn't help that her character was the epitome of predictable and every other villain we see in dramaland.
Music: I thought it fit the scenes. I gave it a 9 probably because of my bias for the song "Daddy Long Legs" by Baek Ah Yeon. Every single time it plays, I just swoon. And pair that up with a romantic scene, I'm a goner. The fact that the lyrics are subbed as well helps, it's just lovely.
Rewatch Value: There was a lot of cute couple scenes, so maybe rewatching snippets of those would be nice. But I don't really see the point of rewatching the whole thing. With this drama, you just want to know what would happen next, how would the characters turn out, but if you already know those, it would probably be boring.
Overall: Stand-out acting by (most of) the cast. Very surprising lesson at the end, with tons of heartwarming scenes by characters you care about and coupled with an amazing OST, I dearly recommend this drama. Yes, it can be predictable, but that's not really the strength of this drama. It relies on its characters, their reactions, and the acting. I'd gladly raise a happy bunny for this drama. And... PARK SHI HOO PARK SHI HOO PARK SHI HOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
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If you think what you can only take away from "King of Dramas" is the knowledge of making dramas, then you're wrong. It's so much more than that. It's quirky, and freaking hilarious, and there's also romance. Also, when you have such a cold, independent, pill-popping hero in Anthony (or Ansony? pfft.) who's so desperate in squizzing a juice advertisement in his drama's finale no matter how much it just doesn't make sense, and a money-crazed actor who values his CF's more than the drama in Hyun Min, this makes for some rich character developments. I'm still astonished by how they were in the begginning and how much they've grown. And it's not like they all changed in one finger snap and got possessed by someone else (I'm looking at you, DH2). Their growth is believable.
This drama also does a good job of making us care. You're all wrapped up about wanting them to succeed, that when the moment comes when they announce the ratings, you end up holding your breath right with them, and just smile unknowingly when they got what they wanted.
What kept me from giving the story a ten, was the sudden turn the drama went in the final stretch. It went to this melodramatic turn that did not fit the drama's tone and earlier episodes. It was out of place and given that Anthony's redemption arc was already done quite well, it was unnecessary. I find it weird that Director Oh, a character that was the main source of conflicts for most of the episodes, suddenly left the spotlight. The writers dropped the initial plots and changed the storyline in an attempt to salvage the poor ratings and fill air time to make up for the extension. What a shame since no matter how cartoonish of a villain (plotting his schemes in his office and making constipated faces) Director Oh was, it was much more enjoyable to watch rather than touch the melodramatic turn the the drama went with a ten-foot pole. It was such a shame to witness given how well this drama was avoiding standard drama tropes.
Acting: Amazing. Just as you would expect from Jung Ryeo Won and Kim Myung Min. Honestly, what made the melodramatic turn worth watching was because of their top-notch acting skills. They acted the hell out of it. Siwon actually surprised me. I never knew he was capable of such funny faces and his Hyun min character never failed to make me laugh.
Music: I thought the music is such a significant addiction to quirky tone and comedy of the drama.
Rewatch value: This is a drama that you would enjoy the second time around. There are some golden hilarious scenes and some heartfelt moments that would be worth watching the second time around.
Overall: It's a nice look at the drama industry with stakes that are high, rich character developments, and hilarious moments. Despite the melodramatic turn the drama went, the overall quality didn't suffer that much (thanks to some winning acting by the leads). This drama deserves to be right at the top of your to-watch list.
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This drama was toooo cute! Considering the fact that this drama was aimed at younger audiences, hence airing at the cable network Tooniverse, and with a very limited number of episodes with only 3, I advice you to adjust your expectations accordingly when planning to watch this drama. Its story is as simplistic as can get. The conflicts are far from crossing dramatic territory and that's just very refreshing to watch. I'm so used to watching dramas and immediately expect the worse for the characters when something big happens. I even caught myself during the drama thinking, "Oh crap! Irene will get outed!" But not with this drama, the conflicts are very simple and then tied neatly in a simplistic way just like the way it was first introduced.
I loved the fact that no one is all bad in this drama. The only one closest to being the villain (can I really even call him that?) was pretty harmless. I do have to add that, even with all the cute and light-heartedness, this drama never forgot to have a plot.
I do have to say that I never got emotionally connected to the characters in any way, but really, that's just one of the disadvantages of having limited episodes. I do remember craving for more after watching finishing it but I'm pretty sure I would've been bored if it had more than, 5? I'm just estimating how much more episode I could've watched and still enjoyed it wholeheartedly. So in my opinion, the number of episodes is just perfect for this type of series.
Acting: Kim So Hyun was soo cute in this drama. She had good comedic timing and she's one of the up-and-coming actresses that I'll be looking forward to in the future. She also had a cute chemistry with Sun Joong despite the age gap which never really bothered me. And I just have to get this out, she looks exactly like a young Son Ye Jin. Right?! O.O As for the rest of the young cast, Sun Joong and Min Hoo, I admit they made me cringe sometimes. I guess part of it is cause I had to adjust a lotsince my last 3 dramas had such amazing acting (NG, KoD, CA). But they're not really bad per say, just serviceable and enough for the role.
Music: Nothing stand-out really, it was just okay. Nothing I'm gonna download or that's gonna stick, it just fitted the scenes of the drama. I kinda perked up when I heard the song Suzy and Eunjung sang in Dream High though.
Rewatch Value: This drama have a high rewatch value in my opinion, I rated it 10. With only three episodes, there is no major time commitment required. It's a miniseries that just simply makes you feel good. Whenever you're feeling down, you can just go through this drama easily and come out with a huge grin.
Overall: This is a feel-good and heart-warming drama that knows what its strength is and never straying away from it, nowhere near going too dramatic with its plot and conflicts. The acting could have room for improvements though but it's not really noticeable when you're too busy squealing over the cute. I remember watching this in youtube and coming across a comment saying "they confessed already?! Too fast!". I remember thinking, "just wait 'til you find out it's actually the last episode", and nearly busting a gut laughing when I got to the last part of the episode and came across her other comment when she corrected herself. SO really you'll enjoy it more if you're aware that: it IS targeted to younger audiences and it only has THREE episodes so try not to get too attached. Just adjust your expectations and you're in for an entertaining 3 hours.
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*ehem* Biasness aside, time to be serious. Flower Boy Next Door embodies a relatable herione in Go Dok Mi. Maybe not to the extent of literally just locking yourself in your home for months. But to some degree we all feel self-conscious and scared to step outside our comfort zone just like her. One point down for an interesting and relatable herione huh?
Flower Boy Next Door is all about its characters, their relationships, and how they heal each other's wounds. Yes, it's quirky, adorable, has lots of eye-candy (seriously, there's a whole buffet of 'em), and hilarious, but at the end of the day, our big pay-off is the character growth. I loved (almost) every single character, and they got me right in here.
Of course, it's a drama not without its flaws. In the final stretch, I found myself thinking, "now what?". There wasn't any story left to be told and drama is really over by then. Despite maintaining the cuteness, the last arc contained no really interesting plot and if you compare it to the original material, there's no comparison. That's very disappointing and a lot of people were largely appalled by this since most of them watched it while airing and it's probably harder to watch a drama's downgrade if you have to wait weeks for the next episodes. But for me, I didn't have to wait so maybe I handled it better than most people. The initial charm of the drama was still fresh in my mind so by the time I finished it, I'm still able to rate it a solid 10.
Another problem I had are the secondary female characters. They didn't have much depth and I feel that the meatier storylines were given to the herione and the guys so there was no room left for the girls. But that's only a small problem. No biggie.
Well, it does have to be noted that the main couple had a wonderful chemistry. The most adorable couple I've watched in a while. And I'm not gonna say anything but as cheesy as it sounds... they complete each other. It's a statement that's very redundant, but it is actually the case for this couple.
Acting: Yoon Shi Yoon played his character so well and adorably at that. I just wanna keep him in my pocket. I'm now a fan and will follow him anywhere. I thought this is actually Park Shin Hye's best performance. Yes she was cute in YAB but I wasn't that emotionally invested with her role there. It probably largely has to do with the character, because here she had more chances of showing emotional range. Kim Ji Hoon played his character well too, a shame I didn't know him before this drama. And oh, I freaking loved the editor. She stole every scene she's in.
Music: The background music reminded me of To The Beautiful You. But in a different way. Both their bg music are similar but the matter of WHEN they used it are opposite. In this, the background music aren't misplaced and random (which got on my nerves in TTBY, ugh). But here, it works and adds to the comedy. I loved some of the OST's as well, one that I will probably download is Talkin Bout Love by J-Rabbit. *.*
Rewatch Value: Super cute drama with lots of heart-warming moments. As well as a couple who would probably make it to my all time favorite couple list. Even after just finishing the drama, I found myself re-watching cute couple scenes, and I still do. Goes to show how cute this drama is.
Overall: This is not your usual rom-com, it has depth and rich character developments. Even though it lacked an interesting plot towards the end there was still enough cuteness to go around that I never found a single moment dull. The acting is just soo awesome that I honestly wanted to hug my TV screen a few times.
I'm going through a withdrawal right now, I just freaking love this drama. "LOVE OF MIRACLE!!!"
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