Zoe
I watched this with the family. We did plenty of marathoning. It’s an easy show to watch with great little arcs that are quickly completed so annoying people/events aren’t dragged out unnecessarily. I do feel like that is one of the killers in Korean dramas, especially if you’re watching it with others and can’t press the fast forward button as liberally. The plotlines and the setups were intriguing, thought-provoking and feasible.
I enjoyed the pacing in this show with all the neat and tidy arcs. And the show maintains its consistency and quality all the way through. That’s noteworthy. At first, the comedy felt forced, but in general, the drama was everything – funny, sad, meaningful and intelligent. All the characters are fun and don’t waste their screen time.
The start is a little shaky as most Korean dramas are. But it settles in nicely. The characters are smart, funny, quirky and loveable.
One of the main things that stands out to me with this show is their problem solving, friendship and communication. Because they all dream about each other’s lives, it’s hard to keep secrets and they all talk about their problems together. This is awesome.
Jae Chan – male lead
This is probably one of the first LJS dramas where he’s not this perfect upstanding guy. I liked his flaws. His character development is wonderful and his backstory fits in nicely with his philosophy and attitude.
Hong Joo – female lead
I loved how respected she is in this show. She is well positioned in her workplace and she gets to play a significant role in problem solving. At times, I’m annoyed that she just thinks she’s helpless in the face of her nightmares.
Woo Tak – aka Batman
This guy was hands down the most favourite character. He is so good-natured, handsome, and strategic. His involvement in the show made everything better. I loved him so much from beginning to end.
Yoo Beom – bad guy
This guy is handsome too but he can also be hella annoying. Still, I liked his character and how he contributed to the troubles of our team.
Was this review helpful to you?
I think the charm of the premise is this dignified scholar falling in love with this ridiculous young lady from the future. In many ways, she gets to appear competent because he has no idea what to do in the modern world.
The music at times could be truly beautiful and poignant. Similar to the Korean version, I adore the use of the traditional instruments.
Romance
Our hero has a lovely way of looking at our heroine like he is really listening to her and interested in what she’s going to do or say next. She’s really nothing, but he thinks she is the greatest. And I find that so incredibly cute.
“I like your personality very much.”
The pair have a very nice dynamic that is innocent and simple. They make each other happy.
“Seeing you there is hope and I have courage.”
It was very cute seeing Gong Min pine away for Xiang Xiang even when he couldn’t remember her. It kind of made their love feel more substantial. Even when he doesn’t remember her he can’t do without her.
I like how even though he is always strong in front of Ying Yue, his grief over losing Xiang Xiang is so great that he can’t hide it from her.
Kdrama vs. C-Drama
I appreciate that the interactions between characters are not exaggerated. There is a sense of normalcy with the pair without having to overdramatise everything.
Was this review helpful to you?
I like Min Ho as an idol person. I’ve never seen him act before. It’s clear he’s not that good.
Min Ho is still a 30 year dude when he goes back in time. So it seems slightly pedophilic.
The drama is pretty boring and it took me a while to bother to finish it.
Some of the time-wimey stuff is interesting. Especially with the events that happen to other people because Min Ho knows how to avoid them.
Was this review helpful to you?
Chinese dramas take a while to introduce their topic and I don’t really have the patience for it.
I didn’t think I’d be interested in middle aged people’s stories. But I was. This show has a good sense of balance. When the bad guys scheme, it doesn’t drag on and on and on and their plans often go bust. There’s a good sense of satisfaction and triumph that their evil ways don’t go unpunished. They suffer immediate consequences often.
I liked the beginning and then I had to skip a bit through the intro episodes of the 12 years later because it was like starting a new show where the bad guys were still exactly the same but you had to reacquaint yourself with the good guys.
I found Yi Bei’s childhood story incredibly sad.
The cruel and manipulative lies are so frustrating. The selfishness is appalling.
There are some things towards the end that I liked.
1. seeing who decided to come clean and who didn’t.
2. linking the fact that Yun Kai was always joking and then Yi Bei decided to also joke towards her elders and the grandmother asked if she was being influenced by Yun Kai. (Because Yi Bei is always so serious)
Guo Guo
Guo Guo is stereotypically bright and sunny and nice to everyone except her hero. I like that motherhood makes Guo Guo a stronger person. She has something to protect and fight for so she won’t let anyone step on her. I love that she doesn’t let people guilt trip her as the drama goes on. There are so many manipulative people but they don’t stand a chance when Guo Guo has made up her mind. She was so impressive towards the end how quick she was at revealing the truth. She was truly formidable. When she decided to go head to head there was no stopping her. I loved her despair/angry acting. She so seldom gets worked up, but it seemed so genuinely distressing when she did start shouting at people.
Yun Kai
Yun Kai as an adult is a real character. You can tell he puts up a front a lot of the time. He loves making people feel uncomfortable. And the actor does a good job of showing how he can act charismatic and sarcastic but he has a lot of hidden depths.
For someone with such a painful childhood, he does a wonderful job of pretending to be a happy-go-lucky kind of guy with minimal brooding. It’s almost like he’s just decided to give up on the people around him and just have his fun where he can. Every second sentence out of his mouth is a joke. I like that he can rock wearing shorts in such a fashionable way.
Romance
“Why do I think you’re unhappy? Tell me! Who bullied you? I, the great lawyer, will help you punish the evildoer. Hurry, tell me who it is.”
It was interesting to see our heroine not really giving a stuff about our hero for a good long while. Her antagonism against Yun Kai gets to the point of awkward that she continues to push him away without explanation. I really enjoyed seeing Yun Kai fall in love with Guo Guo.
“Don’t worry. There is someone who dotes on you and your mother too. He will definitely court your mother and marry her.”
The show takes the time to see him looking at her with such hope and expectation. Even though he gets pissed at her he just steadfastly continues to like and hang around her.
“Let’s go. Don’t move. I will pack this. You need your hands for embroidery, so you can’t do manual labor. I’ll do it.”
He gets involved with the high drama and helps to protect the ladies in his life with all his lawyer training.
“For the two most important women in my life, I can run until my legs break.”
I like that he appreciates Guo Guo’s cooking.
It’s a bit strange that even though Yun Kai should technically feel betrayed by Guo Guo, she’s just so antagonistic towards him he never even gets a chance to breathe his grievances. Despite seemingly endless immaturity, when it comes to the big moments in his relationship with Guo Guo, he is surprisingly mature. And despite Guo Guo’s attempts at dumping him at every corner she sticks it out with him too.
Guo Guo - “I didn’t not believe in you. I just...I just don’t know how to face it.”
Yun Kai - “I need your trust because I love you to the point that no medication can save me.”
Yun Kai - “I already made myself clear to my dad. In this lifetime, I will only love you.”
Yun Kai’s delivery of romantic lines is really on point. For once, I understand the heroine’s insecurities about the hero’s love. She has so many people in her life putting her down it’s crazy.
“If you give me up because of my mother’s opposition, then won’t I be too pitiful?”
I like that he gives her a chance to see if she wants to go the long road with him, because it’s so obvious that she’s putting on the breaks. And he makes himself clear how he feels about her. It was so satisfying when Guo Guo started to finally fall in love with him too. But just when you think she’s going to be nice to him, she goes back to acting like he’s an annoying fly. This frustrated me. I lived for those moments when she smiled at Yun Kai. It was so freakin’ rare.
Twisty Things
In a way, despite the terrible plot twist of Yun Kai believing someone else is Yi Bei, it was so nice to see how his love for Yi Bei as a child was different from his love for Guo Guo and how he treasured Yi Bei. If the show didn’t do this, we wouldn’t have seen this wonderful side of Yun Kai not caring who “Yi Bei” is in the present, and loving her anyway.
Le Tong
This little girl is so magnificent. I love the way she approached and talked to the adults that they forgot they were arguing with a 5 year old when she spouted her philosophical wisdom.
Chinese Vs. Kdrama
I always have a little note about the differences between the countries’ productions since I’m mainly a serial Kdrama viewer.
Recently, I have been really enjoying Chinese dramas just for something different and for more comfortable and less over the top romances.
One thing that remains consistent is the strange character development or deux es machina that occurs with relationships. People reconcile, or resolve differences just because and there is not much story telling in that aspect.
Was this review helpful to you?
I enjoyed the show way more than I think it’s worth.
There is nothing much to the plot but before I knew it, I was at the end. So I guess it was entertaining enough to keep me marathoning.
I really liked how the drama showed the three cousins being distant with each other but also getting more comfortable with each other. They remained prickly and antagonistic, but the way the circumstances shoved them together, you could see they were starting to feel more warmth about their dysfunctional relatives.
The step family really makes it feel like Cinderella in the way they are just hopelessly petty. I did appreciate that they really love Ha Won’s dad though.
Ha Won – female lead
Ha Won can be aggressive but she’s polite and easy going too. Her smile is so genuine and sweet. It doesn’t feel like she’s pushing the cheerful heroine, it seems so sincere. This show is so over the top. It has so much high drama. Of course she’s a hard worker like most Kdrama heroines but I liked that her mission was more relational and she had to think about how to win over the boys’ personalities.
My favourite parts were when the boys all had to react to announcement at the same time and how their personalities were so different. It was so fun how they came together for Ha Won’s sake. They all loved her so much. I liked how they were so impacted when Ha Won just casually called them chingu in conversation.
A drama always gets extra points from me where the heroine isn’t belittled for her looks or her brain.
Ji Woon – male lead
I wasn’t confident that I would like this actor because his looks just isn’t my cup of tea. But I really came to like him. This guy seems like the oldest to me because he is so serious. I like that he is distant and isolating. He doesn’t go out of his way to be mean. He just consistently tells her to get lost.
Romance
Ji Woon has a very nice way of looking at Ha Won. He isn’t the most handsome guy but he does have this aura about him that is very gentle and charismatic. I liked the orphan spin on this drama that both Ha Won and Ji Woon are both very alone in this world. The pair have a subtle way of connecting over their parents.
General Secretary
I love dramas that have that stereotypical stern guy that is uber polite and professional.
Kang Min Young – second male lead (?)
This guy starts out pretty stereotypical but he became such a funny character later on. I like the way he talks. He isn’t the best of actors with the more dramatic scenes. But he is good at skinship. He just looks good when he’s next to a girl.
Was this review helpful to you?
I like the idea of the story being about the king and queen of the school that don’t really cross paths. Young Sook leads the girls and Joong Il leads the boys and there is clear segregation.
The girls have a very structured hierarchy and order to their gang. The boys are rather scared of them.
“You’re Gwang Sik’s girl.”
“Who says? We just have an alliance.”
Was this review helpful to you?
This is the key guys. I kind of like that the whole saga of the hero loving Luo Han gets flipped around and it becomes all about Yu Xi’s love for her sister. This drama is really different from other shows. I can't quite put my finger on it.
This is the shortest C-Drama I’ve seen. A very pleasant 20 episodes. Chinese dramas often have very painful starts. But if you can get past the first few episodes, you’re set. I like that the pair don’t feel any romance or attraction to each other at first. Zhan Cheng and Yu Xi are bottom line a mature couple. I enjoyed how they spoke into each other’s lives, and gave story examples to communicate with each other. I loved that their miscommunication lasted about five seconds. They sorted things out so quickly.
The drama’s quite good with keeping its consistency. For example, I liked that Yu Xi forgot to control her expressions around Zhan Cheng, because she was so used to him not being able to see her. Or when Zhan Cheng didn’t know who people were even though he’d met them multiple times.
I appreciate the way the characters have romantic moments at separate times from each other. For example, Yu Xi might suddenly feel caught up in the moment, but Zhan Cheng doesn’t notice anything and vice versa.
This show has a totally different boss/underling romance style. They’re very even footing on a relational level even though Yu Xi puts herself in a very supportive role. She doesn’t even consider that her boss might like her despite his tendency to spoil her. I like that she innocently wants him to find someone to love and never considers herself a candidate.
Zhan Cheng – male lead
Zhan Cheng doesn’t have any super powers, but he is talented and smart. I like how he reasoned things out in his mind. He knows how to connect the dots and he really analyses conversations so that he can figure out the meaning behind a person’s motivations or intentions.
Our hero is actually pretty darn good. He’s not unnecessarily mean or overbearing. He’s quite charismatic and he’s gentle, which is really sweet. I liked how kind he was despite Yu Xi’s terrible personality and work ethic. He has these little smiles that are so cute when Yu Xi isn’t looking. I loved his funny expressions – it was almost Kdrama worthy.
He’s very loyal to Yu Xi as well.
I like that he’s not always sure how close their faces are, so it’s a bit of a moment for Yu Xi but he’s just concentrating on whatever they’re doing.
I like how he asks her if she’s hurt all the time.
And he’s really affected by the tone of her voice.
I really loved how he came to trust her.
It was so funny how he let her lie to him and he’d tease her about it later.
He lets her get away with a lot of things, he’s rather indulgent. But still, it’s nice to see such a generous hero even when the heroine is pushing it. I mean he really just loves her flaws.
I love the way he tries to keep a straight face. It always looks like he’s trying not to laugh around Yu Xi. It was cute how Yu Xi would handle him and he began to find her touch meaningful, but she was just being practical and going about her job.
Zhan Cheng is very mature. He’s never petty, doesn’t get jealous, and he’s overall a real man.
Yu Xi – female lead
The show gives us a terrible first impression of our heroine. Honestly, I thought she was the worst heroine ever, so I was kind of shocked at how much I liked her after a few episodes. She’s actually a really good character. She starts of incredibly obnoxious and dumb. She gets upset at Zhan Cheng for being blind. WHAT EVEN. She’s loud and aggressive for no good reason. But her thick skin character is somewhat necessary to break through all of Zhan Cheng’s defenses.
Then of course, I really liked that when she persuades him to try something new and she gets beaten up trying to make sure he doesn’t get hurt, she doesn’t complain at all.
I like how many times in the show when someone asked here to do something she was like, “I’m working right now.” And she always checked in with her boss no matter what it was.
She does a lot to show her support of him. I like how she learned to help him and in ways that are practical. She knew her duties of counting steps in rooms and etc. I like that she reassures him of her presence and that she’ll be there for him. She’s concerned about him feeling safe. I liked the dynamic of it being ok that she looks after him and he readily accepts her help.
When the pair get together, she’s completely comfortable with skinship and she doesn’t act awkward at all. It’s lovely. I like she doesn’t overthink it. She just accepts they’re together.
She’s a really great romance partner in the way she affirms her darling’s feelings for her and communicates her trust in him.
Yu Xi also gets thrown into the deep end with roles that she’s never been trained in but she shows common sense and attention to detail.
Secondary Characters
Assistant William
I like that this guy got some opportunity to be more than just a comical, or stupid character.
“Do you know who you just provoked?”
“Ever since I met Zhan Cheng, I have never been afraid.”
I enjoyed William’s relationship with Yu Xi too. How they teased each other but united in their care for their friend Zhan Cheng.
Bo Yan
This guy is handsome and sometimes he is sincere, or at least thinks he is. But his best shining moment was when he wrote up those pregnancy notes. I mean, that was just so hilarious. I don’t think it was even supposed to be a funny thing, but how he so seriously prepared the information was so great.
Fashion: I like Yu Xi’s personal assistant clothes.
Was this review helpful to you?
I was really baffled at how the drama would handle the romance of the show with Soon Ae at the reins in someone else’s body. But how cute is it when the two of them become friends? Na Bong Sun kind of becomes drunk on the charisma that is a Kim Seul Gi character. Kim Seul Gi just totally commits to whatever she’s doing. Her crying is tragic, her terror is so gut wrenching and her happiness so freakin’ contagious.
The story telling really becomes strong as the drama moves along. I enjoyed the characterisation and the events that happen as it escalates towards the deadline that is Soon Ae’s ghost life.
Sun Woo – male lead
Sun Woo is your typical arrogant, famous, rich, proud kind of guy. I was impressed that he just liked Na Bong Sun even with her “mental illness”. But in general, he was a hero that I didn’t really connect with. He’s unlikeable and I don’t know what he’s thinking. This means that it’s pretty adorable when he loses it over Bong Sun. He is a rather awkward character but he definitely shows his vulnerability when it comes to his lady love.
Romance
Of course Sun Woo is shocked by Bong Sun’s transformation and I liked how he grew to respect her new personality.
He also became less confident around her. I appreciated that he began to be aware and concerned about what she thought of him. It was kind of hilarious how scared he is when he thinks he’s upset her.
I like how the show demonstrated that Sun Woo did have a connection with Bong Sun through her blog.
It was a bit jarring how the possessed Bong Sun kept throwing herself at Sun Woo, but it was kind of cute how Sun Woo started to have the giggles over it too.
Sun Woo becomes a much better person thanks to Bong Sun. I really liked the transformation and the sensitivity he developed towards her.
The show explores the troubles that Bong Sun goes through because of the relationship building that has occurred when she wasn’t conscious. e.g. Soon Ae likes blood sausage and Bong Sun hates it. So there are so many things that Sun Woo is bringing up because of what Soon Ae told him. But it also gets meaningful when he begins to say things he appreciated about her and what made him like her and they were all things that Soon Ae did for him. It’s a shame that he could never really connect with Soon Ae especially when he admits that he loved her too.
I enjoyed the time of separation that Bong Sun and Sun Woo go through. For once it was done well and was effective for the plot instead of just an in between period to play sad songs and mope around. Also the show demonstrates nicely without too much drama that time is rather healing.
After Sun Woo finds out everything towards the end it is endlessly entertaining as he figures out who was who throughout the whole drama.
Joon/Corden
Big shout out to this character who was so hot and funny and cool and nice. He was one of those random side characters that rooted for the main couple.
Was this review helpful to you?
Things happen, get resolved, victories occur for sad looking people. The show gives a lot of respect to its characters. No one is unnecessarily shamed. The media scandals look like they’re going to be a big deal but they eventuate to nothing, so I was relieved.
The girls in this show are great. Of course, they have their stupid, weak moments. But there are so many shining moments when they are just being normal adult women that we so rarely get to see in Korean dramas. I really like there isn’t someone constantly telling them off or telling them they’re stupid. Even if Young Shim keeps turning up late (WHY?) her boss just is chill.
Also the level of English in this drama is really good. Both the leads can successfully pull off speaking in English. Han Ye Seul is particularly stellar.
Gong Ji Won – male lead
Kim Ji Suk looks very sleek. It was really nice to get so much of him on my screen.
Gong Ji Won is very much a character that you’d see as a second lead syndrome kind of guy. I really love his gentle acting. He’s so sweet and manly at the same time a real winning combination. I liked how mature he was and secure in his identity. He’s so wonderfully easy going and not petty at all. Even when he’s upset, or jealous, he doesn’t take it out on anyone. I like how you can see his vulnerability even as he tries to hide it.
He is really nice to the women in the show. Treating them with respect and giving them compliments.
Sa Jin Jin
Sa Jin Jin has it all. Money, fame, beauty and a wonderful relationship with her parents. And she’s not boy crazy. I love how she schools her emotions and restrains her thoughts when she’s working. Professional woman for the win. Also she can hold her liquor. OMG. She is definitely one of my favourite heroines ever.
It’s always great to have a composed and successful woman who is good at what she does. She’s not bitchy (though she can be tough). The drama shows how kind she is without being preachy about it.
Her parents are the kind and sensitive type who try and figure out carefully what their daughter needs from them.
I like that Jin Jin didn’t care what she looked like in front of Ji Won and she wants to be his friend.
Even with Jin Jin’s misguided crush on Anthony, I like that she wasn’t fanatical about it even though she is his fan. She just went out of her way to do little kind acts that he could choose to ignore. This girl has got so much dignity. She doesn’t have to be sly or use any manipulation to “snag” the person she “loves”.
Parents
The drama seems to take great pains into showcasing different styles of parenting.
Young Shim’s parents = mum pushover nice + dad super mean
Ah Reum’s parents = dad pushover nice + mean mum
Jin’s parents = nice dad + nice mum
I like that Jin Jin’s mother didn’t ship Jin Jin and Ji Won. Or at least not openly.
Friends
I appreciate that the girls were all different shapes and sizes. When reviews stated that the friendship was good, I wasn’t sure how good a friendship it would be. But it’s the chemistry and the camaraderie that makes these girls’ silly conversations and interactions stand out to me. They’re not funny, or deep, they’re just natural and comfortable, and that’s what makes it so meaningful.
I like that everyone has respectable jobs and they’re all in a stable stage of life.
Sometimes, they’re too busy for each other, but the girls have good instincts and know when one of them needs a pick-me-up.
Ji Won fits surprisingly well into the rag tag bunch of friends. He reacts, and responds with as much interest and enthusiasm as them and he plays along with their jokes and stories.
Romance
I always appreciate a normal meeting between romantic characters. The relationship between the two is so simple. He likes her, she likes him. They are so blissfully comfortable with each other. Yay. I actually haven’t seen childhood sweet hearts reunited, so it was nice to see how Ji Won was remembering how much he liked Jin Jin when he was a teen. Ji Won is very straightforward in his romancing and his intentions with Jin Jin. He’s not pushy at all though, and in fact rather the slow. He’s in it for the long haul. I also like that the drama explains the reason he’s going slow, it’s also because of his past and the fact that Jin Jin is so gaga over his brother. The push and pull of the romance is really perfect.
I like that their relationship isn’t rife with near misses and awkwardness. Jin Jin really shares stuff with Ji Won in a happy way.
I really like that he doesn’t laugh when she’s embarrassed, he feels bad himself because that’s what love is.
Another win: consensual kissing.
Young Shim
Young Shim’s family is small and quiet with a grumpy father. Young Shim is so sweet and loyal to both her parents despite her father being so gruff and mean to both his daughter and wife. I like how Young Shim looked out for her mother. Young Shim can also drink – good job show.
Even though Young Shim is the shy one, she’s also the studious one. Once she gets a job there aren’t a lot of workplace dramas of her getting abused verbally by her boss (just the cleaning lady) so that’s great.
I really liked her functional relationship with her boss. He has such a nice face when he talks.
“Sunbaenim, by any chance, would you like to eat with me from time to time?”
“Mondays and Thursday? If that’s okay with you.”
Ah Reum
Ah Reum is kind of the throw away character. But I like that she’s good at her job. And when she makes a choice she sticks with it. She is quite pathetic, but when she decides to move out, despite all the bumps and potholes, she’s happy with her decision and she copes. I loved that. I also became interested in her love line as well and the compromises they had to work out with each other.
I especially appreciate that her more pathetic character didn’t have a smashed kiss, and that she was also credited to be romantic and worthy of a slow mo/replayed kiss as much as I hate them.
Anthony
This actor is a bit of a flat face. I feel like the other actors were giving their all to provide him with some chemistry but he was so emotionless and expressionless. It was a strange dynamic of not knowing how the brothers felt about each other’s relationship with Jin Jin. It was like they were both hesitant to go forward but couldn’t help themselves.
Was this review helpful to you?
This drama is everything. I loved the pretty, the filming, the story telling, the characters. I don’t even usually care about feeling or atmosphere, but I noticed how the setup was so freakin’ awesome and delightful. When I got to the third episode I was so sad, I didn’t want to let go of the drama just yet.
I really like shows that tell stories about people who are good at what they do.
Cha Sik and Yoon Seol meet each other in such normal and affable circumstances, it was such a nice setting. I expected them to meet through a misunderstanding or some form of aggressive combat.
I like how the characters can receive criticism. Cha Sik literally just says, “Acknowledged. Keep going.”
Yoon Seol
I know Kim So Hyun is a popular little actress. But I hadn’t seen her in a main role and I didn’t realise how good she is until now.
Her character in this show starts of prickly. But she soon starts making her own decisions. I like that she defends Cha Sik and she is loyal. She just doesn’t let him take any abuse.
Yoon Seol has these sort of mocking moments that always follow with her sincerity on the topic. For example, she’ll say something mean to Cha Sik, but then follow it up with a sentence that shows him she meant it for herself (unless when she was teaching him).
She also uses parallels of his sport and how that relates to piano. I like that she thought about his point of view when he wasn’t understanding something.
I think one interesting thing about the drama is that Yoon Seol does get tricked because she can’t see. But it ends up better for her that people are tricking her for her own good. In the same way that she says she can’t get embarrassed because she can’t see, she also can’t let her pride get in the way because she can’t see.
Cha Sik
“I know it doesn’t make sense but I will make it so that it does make sense.”
I have loved Ji Soo in everything he’s been in. He’s got crazy good chemistry with everyone. In this show, he really shines as the easy going, optimistic and honest sports student. I have only ever seen Ji Soo play angry, over the top broody and intense characters. Here he keeps the intensity, but instead he is over the top energetic and excited, which is so wonderfully fun to see Ji Soo smiling and being so happy. He is such a simple and open fellow. I almost couldn’t believe that he is the same person because of the other complex and closed characters he’s acted as – he’s just so good. Even when he gets into fights, he’s so jolly, it’s great.
He keeps that beautiful innocence though and it’s just so heart breaking. I was so impressed by his character.
“I you tell me, I will steadily show you my improving fashion.”
“Please don’t misunderstand. We’re meeting to promote a healthy youth appropriate matter.”
“At first I just seem shabby like scrap paper, but after digging in deeper, I’m pretty awesome!”
Cha Sik just gets better and better as the drama goes on. I love that he used sound to make Yoon Seol laugh.
Cha Sik’s mother
Cha Sik and his mother are such a great pair.
“Crazy. Is he some kind of celebrity?”
“Wow Mum, I’m so disappointed. I’m tell you this great secret because you’re my mum!”
Jin Mok
I grew to like him quite a bit and he had some very meaningful moments. I love that he kept Yoon Seol’s curler.
Umm, that ending was rather bizarre. But the whole show was so feel good, let’s just forget what happens after the competition. Oh gosh what a weird ending.
Music
I like that they made some attempts at showing the high level of Yoon Seol’s piano ability. I like the way she bobbed her head to the beat that Cha Sik was missing when she was listening to him play.
I very much doubt that Yoon Seol couldn’t tell the difference between Cha Sik and Jin Mok’s playing. Ridiculous.
Also, no way Jin Mok would be on the same page as Yoon Seol with a piece that speeds and slows down like their arrangement. It would’ve been a hot mess most likely since they’d never played the piece together. Bit of a shame that the climax of the show was based on this impossible musical scenario. A duet of all things is such a form of serious connection between two players.
Musical complaint – a sight reading test is testing skills that are completely different from memorisation tests….
Was this review helpful to you?
“What is it to you if I cook him ramyeon or a meal with 18 side dishes?”
“Nobody can beat someone who’s having fun.”
As the show goes on, itbecomes clear that the girls suck at life and the boys are good atwhat they do and get praised. The girls get chewed up and spat out.
Ko Dong Man – male lead
I’m a Park Seo Jun fan. Hischaracter in this show is...loud. And kind of a country hickKorean-style.
His acting is always sonatural.
“Is this what they callsexy? I look like a 90s office worker.”
Seo Jun is actually really soamazing. I really believed he was this awkward, gangly, impatientman-child.
I love Dong Man’s softheart.
“You’re, you’re notreally crying are you?”
“Pat me. Go ahead.”
And Dong Man as a kid is justgold.
Ae Ra – female lead
Ae Ra is a bit of a nagginghousewife. She does view Dong Man as more than a friend. But I likehow she’s so fierce and scary but she also is very vulnerable andsoft-hearted and doesn’t mind admitting it.
SECONDARY CHARACTERS
I liked all the characters andthe side plots. That’s really rare for me.
Coach: “I’m more afraid ofAe Ra than any woman in the world.”
Landlady: Hey, 102, fighting!
Dong Man: What did she say?
Joo Man: I think she justcursed at you
Joo Man and Sul Hee give the drama a great feel of relationship exploration. I love it when shows think past the HEA.
“Sul Hee was like the vast ocean.”
I like the way they paint Sul Hee’s character. Of this never ending giving loving person but so annoyingly weak. She’s a typical useless kind of girl but she’sso nice and warm you feel happy in her company. I loved the dramatic part of her relationship with Joo Man and what a calm and great person she was.
PARENTS
The parents dynamic in thisshow is really good. In a way it’s nothing new but the show just does it so darn well. The main characters become like children againaround their parents but they’re striving to prove themselves. And the parents really show how well they know their children even though sometimes it looks like they’re estranged. The relationship between Sul Hee and her mother, Joo Man and his mum, Ae Ra and her dad.
Dong Man’s relationship withhis father was so typical and familiar. A dad who doesn’t know howto say what he wants to say so it just comes out as criticism andinstruction. I actually really liked this segment because it was soclose to home.
ROMANCE
“I can’t take all the burden for you but I’ll take 2 out of 3 bullets for you.”
Dong Man and Ae Ra are like siblings. They fight squabble, and cry.
“Only the microphone moron can awake the sleeping Hulk.”
I really like that Ae Ra know show Dong Man reacts to anyone messing with her. She fears for her adversaries when Dong Man shows up.
“You can’t even look after yourself yet you’re always trying to defend others.”
Was this review helpful to you?
The story telling goes round and round and the logic and rationale of characters is frustrating.
There’s so many times you want to shake them and tell them to get a grip.
Our heroine’s characterisation is not too bad. She isn’t the best heroine, but she’s strong as a human being and I can always support a character like that.
Moo Gak
He’s ok. He’s played in a typical Yoo Chun style. I find Yoo Chun’s romance not at all my cup of tea. But his comedy is fine. He is good at the straight face delivery.
Lieutenant Yeom was one of my favourite characters and I laughed at most of the other detectives' antics.
Bad Guy
The show just loved the bad guy so much. So much gloating. At least he was handsome. And I’m glad how they finished him off.
Was this review helpful to you?
Hye Jung has a high IQ, street smarts, confidence, and she knows how to fight. Hello, dream Kdrama heroine. I love how it was impossible to rattle her. She’s just aces at avoiding uncomfortable situations. I love how she handles these annoying people in her life. She’s not overly moralistic. She’s practical.
Even though they make a big deal about Hye Jung not having a life, she is really passionate and happy about being a doctor. Even though she doesn’t like being close to people she grows to trust and reach out to others without any fanfare or big life learning curves, which I appreciated.
I read reviews that complain about hospital politics. It’s true. They’re useless, but they’re easy to skip over. And I was still riveted by the story telling right through to the end.
Romance
Communication is so sexy. You’re not going to find a couple like this that is so efficient and effective in their ability to get the message across to each other.
“I like that you’re not afraid to admit what you don’t know.”
They make efforts towards each other to be nice and take care of each other. There’s no awkwardness or tension between them. They’re both polite and mature but there’s still chemistry – could it get anymore perfect? Even when they might have romantic things happen between them they’re still so comfortable with each other. That’s not something you see in Kdramas.
And here’s another thing. They are already so equal but if Hye Jung sees the tiniest ahjussi symptoms in Ji Hong she calls him out. I was impressed at her philosophical musings about their potential romance.
“He must feel like a parent who favours their weakest child.”
The pair together is dynamic. I like how the show lets us see them becoming closer in a platonic way. And how they respect each other as individuals and human beings. I like how level their footing is. Ji Hong is impacted by her just as strongly, if not more strongly. Hye Jung is very mature in her handling of their acquaintanceship. Ji Hong can’t help but respect that. Hye Jung is a girl who knows how to cut ties. I was really impressed by her ability to be so selfless even at her young age.
You can see that Ji Hong admires Hye Jung and wants to share things with her. I like that Hye Jung didn’t just crush on him first, but they fell in love simultaneously at the same time.
It was funny how Ji Hong invited Hye Jung to assume the masculine roles of the relationship.
“You like these things. Protecting and looking after people.”
The show just kicks stereotypes in the teeth. I love that despite Hye Jung being tough and everyone viewing her that way, even Ji Hong assumes she wouldn’t enjoy romance.
“There was nothing romantic about it.”
“I thought you hated those things.”
“Why would I hate it?”
“That’s right. Why would I think you hated it?”
“I don’t.”
I love the feeling that I understand why Ji Hong is so enamored with Hye Jung. I can also share his affection her when you see her in action and you’re just like, “She’s fantastic.”
The drama also touches on the dynamic of working together with your significant other. Their relationship is one that I didn’t get tired of. I liked seeing them grow together.
Ji Hong
Ji Hong is easy going and happy but he’s not a push over. He’s not dark and mysterious but he is a cool dude. He’s not an arrogant ahjussi, he’s caring and his gentle side is so sweet and vulnerable. Sometimes he does silly things but it’s fun because he’s older and he’s a very steady character. He is so magnanimous and tender-hearted. I loved the way he loved Hye Jung. So supportive, vulnerable and yet strong.
I love the characters in this show. So well rounded.
Do Yoon
Do Yoon has such funny facial expressions. I loved him in Pinocchio. He gets more screen time here and he’s awesome. His relationship with Ji Hong is gold.
Ji Hong of Do Yoon - “He’s cute. That dork.”
Do Yoon to Hye Jung, “How’s the revenge going?”
Love this guy.
This show is funny! I didn’t expect to laugh so much.
Side note: That quick joke about the scalpel and the watermelon was SO HILARIOUS.
Side note 2: Isn’t hella awkward to have a relationship with someone who STILL calls you “Teacher” in casual conversations?
Side note 3: I like that Hye Jung’s friendship with Soon Hee helps Soon Hee be strong.
Secondary Female Lead
Sung Kyung’s character is pretty annoying but she had some great lines at the end.
“How have you been living your life? Have you only seen those kind of people? What about nice people? Do you think weird people like that make up the entire population? Is that how you decide to treat people?”
Was this review helpful to you?
“ ‘I love you’. Wouldn’t that be enough?”
“That’s for flattery. That’s just to calm her down.”
“Why do you always interpret that phrase like that?”
“That phrase just doesn’t fit this situation.”
“The phrase ‘I love you’ is always the right thing to say.”
I wasn’t sure if I would get this drama. The slow story telling, the basket of crazy but boring characters. And then by Episode 7 I GOT IT. There’s something really different about this show. I like how they make you tired of the constant OHY mix ups and then they make fun of the premise with their own clueless characters.
I never get bored with the “you treat us so bad and we hate you most of the time, but when you’re hurting we’ve got your back” cliché.
I really loved how they looked at step-sibling relationships. They are so harsh with each other, but fiercely loyal and there’s that dynamic of adult siblings house-sharing.
“I was going to fabulously have a go at you and leave.”
“Just come at me. Then leave.”
One of the things that stood out to me is that dramas often portray the concept of, “we don’t really know why we like each other we just do”. And this show consistently shows that it’s strange and stupid, but I can see that they like each other to the extent that they really make each other happy. I kept asking these characters, “Why on earth are you attracted to each other?!” But the point is they are convincingly in love despite all the “buts”. Seriously, so many times I’m like, “You guys are so dumb...but I’m glad you’re all smiley”
With the start of this show, the logic of everyone is really weird relationally. The pacing of the show is much slower especially after I just finished a university drama.
I didn’t have much love for the characters in the show. They don’t have very appealing personalities. Our heroine gets drunk, glares at people and is generally out of control. The hero is just quiet and isolated. It took till episode 3 before I could see the potential of the couple.
And this drama commits the great crime of way too repetitive and lengthy flashbacks.
Do Kyung
“You shouldn’t control people with fear, Do Kyung.”
I’ve never found Eric Mun attractive. Usually, if I don’t like a hero’s face at the start, I’ll like it at the end, but this is my second drama with this actor, and I still think he’s ugly. Sorry! To top it off, the drama takes a long while for us to get to know him. Usually even if a hero is gruff to his heroine, we’ll get some good scenes when he interacts with others. But not Do Kyung. Showing affection to no one – not his friend, his brother or his mother or sister. That being said, sometimes his personality comes out when Hae Young is around and I started to see the beauty that is his character. I really appreciated how his character sometimes really embarrasses himself or does silly things and it’s just gold.
The idea of being a sound director is really interesting. I like that Do Kyung is so aware of his auditory environment.
“Insert the sound of sunlight coming in.”
Hae Young – female lead
I kind of like Hae Young’s glasses look. Hae Young is chatty, which is obviously necessary to fill in the fact that Do Kyung doesn’t say anything half the time. But she also points out her observations of Do Kyung’s nature and personality, which surprised both Do Kyung and me.
I like that despite her being one of the worst heroines ever, when she decides to be hard-assed she goes all the way and stops with the crying.
“If you like me 89 on the scale, not 100 then tell me so. I will like for the same amount.”
The actress for the female lead is actually really good. Despite me disliking her character I really came to appreciate the actress ability to make her lines come alive, and be full of emotion. The way she talked drew me in, her acting made me care about a stupid and idiotic character.
Parents
Hae Young’s mother is fierce and loyal to her daughter. Actually Hae Young’s parents probably gave me the most laughs and I loved how they were so sensitive and thoughtful. They really seemed very in tune with Hae Young.
“Of course. My daughter is wonderful.”
I really like the way Hae Young is also wanting to tell them everything and allow them to comfort her. I also like how Hae Young’s dad looks to his wife so he can be in sync with her or be prepared to stop her.
Soo Kyung
This actress gets some weird roles. And I didn’t want to like her, but as it went on, I kind of did. I like that her love interest is ridiculous but also really quite weighty. I really love what a cold and miserable character they make her. I actually really felt for her. And I love how multi-faceted she was and how you think she’s going to be a stereotype but she becomes an interesting and well-rounded character with a good amount of warmth for family.
Other Hae Young
I really appreciate that we got to know the other Hae Young. I like the way they explain her. The drama makes a good show of showing how the “pretty Hae Young” is jealous of plenty of things about Hae Young’s life. And how the pretty Hae Young lacks the things she wants.
Jin Sang
“You used to beat the crap out of me for petty things.”
Kim Ji Seok is a really decent actor. I’ve seen so many transformations of him and he always delivers his character so on point, it’s impressive.
Somehow I came to love the side characters when I didn’t think I’d ever pick up a pom pom and cheer for any of them. I became interested in what they were up to and their stories. I even really liked OHY’s office friends.
Was this review helpful to you?
I enjoyed the strong sunbae culture and it was also nice to see the protagonists being the sunbaes instead of the hoobaes.
I like the show deals with mental health issues. And that people don’t just become depressed because they break up. It’s very rare for a heroine to have a breakdown over something or someone that isn’t the romantic line.
The character have sad back stories, but they just suck it up and deal with it simply without drama.
Random note: I like the different names of the characters, instead of ones that I’ve already known from other dramas.
Joon Hyung - male lead
Nam Joo Hyuk’s acting gets better. In the beginning, I really wasn’t sure what face he was trying to pull. He has some really great one-liners throughout the drama.
“People either really like me or hate me, y’know.”
He’s used to people being pissed at him that he’s come to the point that he just shuts it out.
“Relationships aren’t like sports. Effort does not guarantee success.”
“I’m yours, so I have to listen to you.”
I like that Joon Hyung was only a little adverse to therapy and it showed how he was challenged but he just got into it quite easily. He’s really a very gentle soul and the actor who played him when he was a kid was just perfect. Nam Joo Hyuk also has a very puppy dog vulnerable expression. I appreciated his shyness when it comes to emotions, but also how he is quite in touch with his.
Joon Hyung’s relationship with his bro is so funny. I like how well he knew his brother and wanted to support him. Joon Hyung has a very middle aged man personality actually.
I liked the way he acted towards his parents, maybe it’s because of his inexperience, but it felt like his character was also acting a certain way, putting on a show for his parents.
His stand out trait is his loyalty. I love how kind he is to lots of people but of course the way he cares for Bok Joo and is concerned for her is beautiful. He really goes out of his way to make sure she’s ok. And he thinks about how to approach her and puts thought into how to talk to her or make her feel better. He has some of the best moments of sincere gentleness and kindness that I’ve seen in dramaland.
I love the swimming pool analogy and what it means to Joon Hyung.
Bok Joo
I like that Bok Joo wears really unflattering clothes constantly.
Usually I would dislike a storyline where the heroine is in love with the wrong person for a majority of the show. But Joon Hyung’s gentle and kind support of her made it ok. It’s a bit funny how scared Joon Hyung is of her.
It’s unusual, for me to see a heroine really go for her misplaced love, and in a way it felt a bit more realistic that just because he’s not the hero of the show, doesn’t mean that it’s not hard to get over him.
I like that Bok Joo is so good at what she does. That Joon Hyung has to work hard to keep up with her athletic achievements in his own field.
Romance
“Is this a home shopping channel? That sounds ridiculous.”
I like that you can see that Joon Hyung is so polite to his family to the point that it’s stiff. So it’s really meaningful the way he can relax around Bok Joo.
Bok Joo’s way of comforting Joon Hyung is really genuine and I like that she avoids cliches, and is so real about what she says to him.
Best Friends
The best friends of both Bok Joo and Joon Hyung were borderline stereotypical. But they had some nice stand out moments.
“Did she eat ginseng or something? What’s wrong with her?”
And it was funny to see Joon Hyung’s best bud get involved with Bok Joo’s girl friends.
Female Role Models
Coach Choi was a great character and I loved the way she yelled at people like a lion. Not your usual high pitch barrage that you get with female characters but a very guttural roar haha.
Ah Young
“It’s good to love someone, but you need to be loved to boost your self-esteem.”
Si Ho
Also, I like that I got to love the crazy ex-girlfriend too. There’s something really cool about her.
Jae Yi
It was a bit funny to see the nice guy, “second lead syndrome” personality get a bad rap for hurting people with his consideration.
“Seriously, I had no idea that treating you well would create more distance between us. Agh, do I have a disorder?”
Jae Yi - “You were quite scary when you got angry. I thought you’d punch me.”
Joon Hyung - “I may seem sweet to you, but I can be quite tough.”
Cameos
We have some beautiful scene stealers! This show had the best cameos – all my favourite actors. LJS didn’t even try and act, but come on, it’s LJS. Ji Soo, however, put his whole heart into his little scenes. Love that guy! And had to squee when I saw Kim Seul Gi too.
Was this review helpful to you?
