I'd like to divide this review in two parts- one, talking about the drama independently and other- talking about it in comparison to the Japanese version.
Firstly, I went into the drama without knowing who the cast was. I never saw its promo or checked it out while it was airing. However, it was a surprise seeing actors I knew come together in this drama. The cast is what made the drama for me. They were so good- all of them.
The story is obviously good but I liked what they did with this version. They didn't outright copy the Japanese version. I loved how they took parts of it and turned it into a type of Kdrama we all love to watch. I have to admit this version is easier on the eyes due the colours and glamour Kdramas usually have. Plus, they always have such attractive actors. Oh my. *_*
May I just take a moment to talk about its lead actors? Kim So Eun is so pretty. She has an innocent face and she looks lovely. In fact, she looks lovely in every single frame. I can't help but gush over how cute she was in this drama. Totally kawaii. Then is Lee Sang Yoon. I did not like him straight away but as the story progressed both him and his character grew on me. He was so attractive as Woo Jin. He really brought out the depth in his character. Last is Shin Sung Rok. Although he isn't necessarily my type of guy I acknowledge his good looks. He was handsome and tall in this drama- TALL. He's so TALL.
Towards the second half, I wondered if I would have liked this drama better in case I hadn't watched the Japanese version. Not saying that I didn't like it (I obviously did) but maybe I was expecting only puzzles and no melodrama at all. This has in fact both. The puzzles keep it going and the show is well paced but it also focuses quite a bit on the characters, their backstories, etc. At the very end I wasn't interested in that anymore and wished to only focus on the game.
One thing which probably makes it better than its Japanese counterpart for me is the hints of romance all through the drama. Yes! It was what was missing in the Japanese one but here it is bit more clear and the handful moments shared by the leads were adorable in spite of their slight age gap. *swoon*
In case you are wondering if you should watch this then YES do so. But I will like to warn the loyal fans of the manga/dorama to stay away if you can't deal with the... un-Japanese-ness of it. To others- just go watch it!
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