Shmeetes
Unfortunately Overrated
I was really excited to watch this drama because of the immense hype around it.After the first 3-4 episodes, I thought it would become one of my favourites. I loved the backstory they created for Park Saeroyi's character. Those episodes really make you hurt for him and root for his ultimate success. Unlike some Kdramas (e.g. Heirs), it was unique to see the male lead really stand up against bullying and class differences at school, and I was expecting an epic and satisfying revenge arc for his character.
Unfortunately the drama started to go downhill from that point. What could have been an amazing story fell flat. I expected the plot to be more layered and complex than it was. The episodes became excruciatingly slow, and the main female lead increasingly unlikable. Much of the dialogue became stunted and contrived, with excessive pauses and blank stares. Character motivations were difficult to justify, and felt cartoon-ish and unreal (particularly in the case of negative/villain roles). The social justice messages in the drama were also conveyed in a very long-winded, preachy and non-subtle way. And without saying too much - I also found the final few episodes laughable. It seemed as though the writer didn't know how to end the drama, or resolve loose ends, so they decided to throw together a cocktail of cliches and coincidences to make it work.
I understand that for a Kdrama, it was definitely unique and progressive for featuring characters from different backgrounds, in terms of race and sexuality. For that I give it credit. The actors did a great job too, and the OST is brilliant. But unfortunately, those things don't save it from being poorly written. I hope in 10 years they decide to remake the show, with the same premise, and a better ending!
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Love in Its Purest Form
I just finished watching this drama and am now in a state of post-drama blues. This drama shattered me emotionally. I cried and cried while watching the last few episodes.It really does epitomise the most purest form of love. Love without definition. Love which is unconditional, where each party gives everything they have to keep one another safe, while expecting nothing in return. This kind of love isn't strictly romantic or platonic, but is a delicate balance of both. It's the kind of love that remains within social boundaries, and transcends it, all at the same time.
I place the relationship portrayed in this drama between Park Dong-hoon and Lee Ji-an among my favourite literary couples - Jane Eyre and Edward Rochester, Elizabeth Bennett and Mr Darcy, Margaret Hale and John Thornton, Mister Stevens and Miss Kenton, Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan. It saddens me that I cannot share my deep empathy for these characters with anyone I know in the real world, and it saddens me further than this kind of love is so rare in this day and age.
I hope these words find their way to someone who is considering watching this drama, and convinces them to take the leap. Highly, highly recommend. My favourite Kdrama yet!
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This review may contain spoilers
Nostalgic Young Love Story
I noticed quite a few negative reviews on this drama after the final episodes aired, so I wanted to put forward an alternative perspective.I think the reason why people are reacting so strongly to the ending is because they had expected a certain outcome, or had formed some theories in their minds surrounding Hee Do's daughter (MinChae). But for me, it was quite clear from the beginning that MinChae's role is merely a storytelling device - she is the means through which the audience discovers Na Hee Do and Baek Yi Jin's love story. Her mother's story is what also helps MinChae rekindle her passion for ballet.
The writers definitely wanted to portray Hee Do and Yi Jin's love story as an idyllic romance from a distant past, which so many of us have experienced and left behind. It was always clear that Kim MinChae is not Yi Jin's daughter, and that Hee Do and Yi Jin are not together in the present day.
There are many such beautiful love stories in the world that end before they even begin. Love stories between people who have been friends for years - whose lives repeatedly cross paths, collide and intertwine - but ultimately unravel and fall apart very quickly as soon as a difficulty arises. This is a story about two young people who only knew how to be happy around each other, enjoy each other's company and to unconditionally support and encourage one another towards their goals. But when it came to prioritising their relationship alone, it failed. It is much easier to be a supportive and loving friend, but not that easy to be fully present as a romantic partner.
I do not blame Yi Jin for anything. He came from a family who had it all but lost everything. As the elder son, he felt the responsibility to succeed so that his family can once again live together and be financially secure. This was the reality of his life. He loved Hee Do immensely. He was affected by her infectious positivity when he was with her, but when he went to New York, the deep unhappiness he was harbouring came to the surface. Words unspoken and life circumstances is what drove them apart - they were sadly victims of "the times".
Ofcourse - I do not think the drama is perfect and there could have been some things done differently. I do agree that the last few episodes were rushed and more time could have been spent on building up the conflict in their relationship. I also didn't like the way Go Yu Rim's character did a 180 degree flip midway through the series. The way she intentionally belittled and hurt Hee Do in the first half of the series did not match with the fiercely loyal and affectionate friend she ended up being. I did really enjoy her romance arc with Moon JiUng, they were super cute. The actor Choi Hyun Wook did a phenomenal job and was refreshing and loveable to watch. All of the main cast members were great, in my opinion.
Overall I think the drama was one of the better ones I've watched so far - it was charming and engaging, even without being heavily plot driven which is an achievement in itself. I just wanted to offer my alternate perspective on the Hee Do and Yi Jin's story, to make sense of it in my mind and hopefully help others rationalise it too!
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Had Potential
This drama was definitely addictive and fun to watch. The creepy serial kidnapper/murderer storyline was particularly interesting . The villain did a great job with his role. Park Bo-Young was so loveable and adorable. The juxtaposition of her tiny frame with her immense strength was amusing and entertaining, and very well done.The romance was also very sweet and I actually cried for Guk-doo. The dynamic between the leading triad was done very well. Park Hyung-sik also did a phenomenal job and I couldn't help but fall for his exaggerated expressions and antics.
What let this drama down were the comedic sub-plots. I resorted to skipping many of the scenes with Baek Tak Party and its members, which in my opinion got way too much screen time in the last few episodes. They served their purpose well in terms of providing people for Bong Soon to beat up, but otherwise added nothing to the story. Similarly with the doppelganger Mr Oh at Ainsoft - I skipped many of his scenes too because they were distasteful and unnecessary. Because of these side characters, the storyline felt like a restaurant menu with too many options. The drama could have benefitted from a strong editing hand and less characters.
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It's certainly a drama for those who appreciate the journey and not only the outcome. What makes this drama work is the undeniable chemistry between not just the two romantic leads, but also the supporting cast. The level of acting is excellent. Every actor seemed to play their characters with ease, and the dialogue and interactions felt natural. I found Oh Jung Se's portrayal of Sang Tae particularly outstanding. He played an autistic character with so much respect and love, and was really endearing to watch. He captured the mannerisms so well, without it looking forced or mocking. The sentimental moments between him and Gang Tae (Kim Soo Hyun) moved me to tears, and it felt like they were truly brothers haunted by a troubled past. I congratulate Kim Soo Hyun's performance here as well. I also enjoyed the way Seo Ye Ji's played her character. She was regal and powerful, and carried her costumes with class!
What fell short was of course the story line. It was very one-dimensional and not fleshed out well. It took a backseat in the drama, and honestly made little difference to its overall appeal. I'm also growing tired of the overdone Kdrama trope where the main leads bond over a shared childhood trauma, or an intertwined destiny. I was hoping this drama would take a new approach to romance, but unfortunately it did not.
Overall, I still thought the drama was enjoyable to watch. It was visually enchanting, with a dark storybook feel to it that was unique and intriguing. I'm a huge fan of Kim Soo Hyun and hope to see more from him in the near future!
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I've been looking forward to watching Goblin for a good while now because of all the rave reviews I've been seeing online. The drama appears to be heralded as one of (if not 'The') best Korea has to offer, which I'm quite surprised about. Six episodes into the show, I expected the pace to have quickened and the story to have developed further. To me it appears as though the writer created a promising premise, and an interesting universe, but did not think deeply about the main conflict of the story and how that will pan out over 16 episodes. A story needs to have enough substance to be able to fill each episode effectively. 'The Goblin is cursed with immortality and only his bride can emancipate him from this anguish - but will she?' seems to be as far as the writer got. The painstaking process of waiting for her to make a decision is simply boring and holds no tension beyond 1 or 2 episodes. To me, the show appears to be all style, and no substance.
I understand that not every drama needs to be fast-paced, or each episode does not need to end on a cliff-hanger for a drama to be good. Sometimes, the emotions between two people in love, or the lingering tension created by the threat of something tearing them apart, is enough to sustain interest from an audience. But this only works if the two main leads have undeniable chemistry. Unfortunately, the age difference between the leads kills all the chemistry, and makes it unsavory to watch. The female lead behaves even younger than she is while the Goblin appears too mature and stoic. I feel like I'm watching an Uncle supervise his niece as she frolics about like a child. Even Gong Yoo's superior good-looks is not enough the light the spark here. And I don't blame the actors either - they've done a good job with what they've been given.
Of course, when we have an immortal being like the Goblin, his age difference should be irrelevant because eventually there will come a time when the girl will catch up to his age and surpass it. The writer could have used this idea to showcase a love-story that blossom over her lifetime. But alas, I don't think that's where the show is heading.
I'll keep going for another episode but sadly, this one might be going into my Dropped pile.
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This review may contain spoilers
Queen of Fillers
I had high hopes for this drama after watching the first 7/8 episodes. I was hoping it would be almost as good as Crash Landing on You but unfortunately it didn’t deliver.I’ll give it credit for the good things first: the acting was top notch across the board. Some of the emotional scenes did make me cry. The storyline in the first half of the show was really engaging and they set up a great premise.
But a few things made it fall short:
- I think the story about the MLs marriage could have been handled better but it was done in a superficial way, mostly through flashbacks. They focused mainly on the romance, in both the past and present. But this was not enough to really tell the story about how and why their marriage fell apart, and really flesh out the main characters. They should have used episodes 1-4 for this purpose but they didn’t.
- there were a few too many filler scenes/episodes in the second half of the show, up until the last 2 episodes where they quickly wrapped all the storyline’s up in a convenient way. There were a few things that didn’t make logical sense especially around the FL’s memory loss (it was very inconsistent). This made it hard to suspend disbelief. It would have been much better if they used more time in the final episodes to develop the plot, rather than for filler. There were too many romantic scenes that seemed almost repetitive in the second half.
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