addicted2dramas
India
This drama is no masterpiece. Some might even call it bad. However it's one of those crazy dramas which are so bad that they are good. LOL. Does that make sense? Okay, let me sum it up for you shortly: it is basically a story about unlikable people- the kinds we avoid at all costs in real life but prove to be fun to watch in a drama. I can never imagine myself falling for a guy like the main lead or befriending a girl like the main heroine. Actually, that's what makes this drama such a compelling watch. It's fictitious and realistic at the same time which I thought was an applause-worthy aspect of it. Just a word of caution though- it can prove depressing to some.
The writer actually created a very clever story using the standard K-drama recipe but managed to inject doses of reality in it. It's a story about greed, desire, love, betrayal, obsession and more at its core. It constantly plays with these realistic aspects of day-to-day life in a very entertaining way. The drama is highly addictive, such that once you find yourself even a bit invested in it- it becomes difficult to let go.
While I enjoyed the drama as a whole, I also hated parts of it. Its characters were frustrating and made me want to throw things at them. I wanted to shake them out of their stupidity or shake them into being smart. The characters were unlikable at best- especially Soo Jung, Jae Min and Young Joo. In Wook was the only "normal" character in this crazy drama.
Apart from that the casting choice was excellent. Jo In Sung (*drool*), Ha Ji Won and So Ji Sub (*drool*) all together in a single drama was like a dream cast come true. They did fantastic jobs of their characters and really made them believable. The cast was what held the drama in place and they never let go even till the very last scene.
That brings me to the best aspect of the drama- the ending. SERIOUSLY. Just watch the whole drama for its ending if you're into something dark and melodramatic. If you think you like out of the box or 'different' endings- this one's for you. I appreciate creativity any given day and I am glad the writer took a chance to deliver just that. I can think of so many ways this drama could have ended but this one fits well. It really left me clapping out loud. I could see why the finale reached almost up to 40% ratings in those days. Obviously the whole country would want to turn on their tv to catch the finale if it were drama like this.
The music in the drama was fine. It wasn't anything memorable but I liked it fine. However, the one thing this drama lacks in is the rewatch value. As much as I enjoyed it the first time, I refuse to watch it for a second time because it wouldn't be that much fun nor would I have the patience. Anyway, go watch this drama NOW if you're looking for something good. It was definitely worth it. :)
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This review may contain spoilers
It took a long time for me to finish this drama. Generally, I have a short attention span for dramas with a slow pace, heavy storyline and stretching upto 20 episodes. I don't like certain types of dramas which have a tragic note attached to them, but this can be counted in the exceptions. It is difficult to write a review without giving away spoilers, but I will try my best.49 Days is a very beautiful story. It has the power to touch you if you understand it, or it would plainly annoy you. Even if this isn't the usual type of dramas that I watch, I liked it nevertheless. It is a complex and very well woven story. I have to say that the writer is quite talented. I have never come across a story of this sorts before so it had a lot of mystery and suspense for me to hang on to. It has its high and low points, but overall it is done well. Most of it is good because of such great characterizations.
I have never witnessed such immense character growth in a female in a Korean drama before. Ji Hyun's character grows magnificently until the end. Her whole journey is so touching. Her transformation from a naive, clueless girl to a strong girl who fights for her survival was really great! And that is what defines this show. No matter how many characters and sub-plots there were, in the end it all pointed back to Ji Hyun's growth as a character. Only with her maturing and becoming stronger along the way, the story progresses. Everything was centric on her actions and feelings. I personally loved her. Both the actress who played the real Ji Hyun and the one whose body she possesses are superb actors. But since Lee Yo Won had more screentime, she made a stronger impact on me. Her emotional variations shown through her acting were commendable. She is simply fantastic and playing two roles at once must have been so difficult.
Out of all, the second best character was that of Han Kang's. What he had for Ji Hyun is what is what I call true love. His actions touched me till the end. Also, he had an amazing character development from withdrawn, moody and cold to loving, kind and compassionate. It took time for him to grow on me, but he has made a lasting impression. The actor was also quite talented.
While these were mostly the plus points of the show, the secondary characters were simply bland. I never cared about them and wanted to especially strangle In Jung. She was such an inhumane character. I also enjoyed Jung Il Woo as the Scheduler.
The strongest parts of the story were placed at random places, and it felt terribly dragged towards the end after the 16th episode or so. I didn't care all that much about Song Yi Kyung and I loved her best when she interacted with Ji Hyun or was possessed by her. And the show was kind of slow for my taste. But that wasn't that much of a problem once I got invested in the storyline. I had planned to drop it because I knew the ending but the I hate to leave my questions unanswered, so I came back to it.
While the ending was not something I liked, I won't say that it happened out of nowhere. There were subtle hints from the beginning about the outcome. Anyway, it was still sad and decreases the rewatch value. So, this drama is best seen once. Either way, I do not regret watching it and would probably recommend to anyone in search of a good story.
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I have seen the Japanese version of Hana Kimi and I had thought that was silly, yet entertaining. But compared to that version, this one loses so badly! Pardon me for making the comparisons but I can't help myself. If I had probably not known the story originally I would have dropped it way sooner. I tried and gave a chance for the characters to grow on me but they instead faded pretty easily upto the point where I was annoyed- especially with Jae Hee. I admit I liked Kang Tae Joon much more than Sano in the original version. He probably changed better than every one else and in spite of being 'cold' came off as nice and sweet. The character I was looking forward to most was that of Eun Gyeol because he was playing the role of Naktsu from the original story. First of all, his hairstyle was hideous. It made him hard to stand. Once I got over it, he seemed to lack depth and instead bored me terribly. Jae Hee is also disappointing.
Now I think the cast wasn't that great and neither was their performance. They all could have improved but fell short due to poor writing. There isn't much emotion visible on any of the three main leads. I probably enjoyed Kim Ji Won's acting most. She's the one who made me laugh. She's really cute!
While the main Hana Kimi manga itself had a ridiculous plot, the entertaining aspect of it had been its colourful characters and the hilarious situations that take place. Here, the plot drags on for way too long. Eun Gyeol not finding out the truth till the second last episode was a big turn off. While I generally enjoy watching a character struggle with their sexuality, here it got tiresome to watch. While the basic plot remains the same I thought in this version the characters lost their essence. What's worse was that the writer didn't try to make them special in any other way. He just left them bland. The best good thing about this drama was its good cinematography and a decent soundtrack. Other than that, it falls flat.
I can never imagine myself wanting to watch it again because the first time was so difficult to get through in the first place. I suggest only fans of the main leads watch the drama. For others- it's upto them.
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I had been craving some Yamapi and I haven't seen him in anything romantic since Buzzer Beat. All the glowing comments and the main couple were enough to convince me to watch this drama. While I have not read the manga, I still liked the story. It was cute and refreshing. I went in to watching it without realizing that Yamapi plays a monk here (yes, really!) and it turned out to be hilarious. Although he would have been hotter in Western clothes, traditional suited him nonetheless. Plus, he had enough of shirtless scenes to keep me satisfied.
I loved the cast. They were all good-looking and easily likable. The best part of the drama were its multiple love stories instead of focusing too much on who the main girl would end up with. There wasn't a single couple I disliked and I liked all permutations and combinations of all characters with each other. Lol. However, the highlight of this drama for me was the love story between Arthur and Momoe. I just could not get enough of them and Arthur was pure pleasure to watch. The actor impressed me immensely and I might check out more of his works. Plus, he spoke really good English!
I expected the drama to not drag at all, but it did and became repetitive towards the end. The will-they-wont-they drew out too much even though the answer was obvious by midway. But, the characters in the family and at ELA never became dull. The temple characters (especially granny, you stupid woman) weren't my favorite except the little kid who killed me with cuteness. <3
The music was okay and nothing fantastic. The strength of the drama lies in the cast who did a wonderful job and an interesting part was the amount of English spoken in the drama. The cast did seemed to have worked hard on their English speaking and I guess it must have been hard for them to memorize so many lines. So kudos to that.
The ending was cheesy and the main love line annoyed me a bit towards the end. However, it was good entertainment throughout and I enjoyed watching the drama. However, it is not really worth a rewatch apart from Arthur-Momoe scenes (BL!!!!).
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Now, as for the story- it is very simple. It focuses on the friendship between four friends and their daily lives. There was nothing out of the ordinary here except a bunch of feminine issues thrown together and made into a movie with good actresses and good fashion. This is mostly a movie to watch when you want to relax. There isn't anything that makes you mad but makes you feel lighter. But ONLY if you enjoy random chick flicks like I do.
Honestly, I am tired of watching movies where somebody gets cancer or they are physically handicapped. At least the writer tried something different for this. This movie is the corniest version of Hollywood chick flicks, but not for Korea. So in that sense, it can be deemed as 'different'.
There is nothing great about the screenplay or direction. It is a no-brainer movie for most part but the issues they brought up were real. Anybody in their 20s can relate to these females. Be it confidence issues, commitment issues or a pregnancy scare- this movie has it all. I suppose the writer wanted to write a relatable plot so he included everything females go through. That part was ridiculous, but at least it entertains you. The movie is boring in some parts but the rest of it is alright.
I'd say this is pretty good for a one-time watch. I don't know if I would watch it again or not, but I still liked it. It is definitely my favourite Korean chick flick. I don't know why so many people hated it but I would say it is not that bad and go ahead and watch it.
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S1 + S2 = Wholesome drama
Review for Part 1 + Part 2:When 'Love like the Galaxy' was announced, I thought it was one of the coolest Cdramaland pairings ever. I was not wrong here at all. Zhao Lusi and Wu Lei are the best possible actors for their roles in the drama.
Owing to the new rules on restriction on number of episodes for airing dramas, I thought this drama would be split randomly. However I was wrong and it does seem like two different seasons of a larger narrative.
PLOT:
I would argue that the drama is more centered on the FL rather than the supporting characters or even the ML. We literally see Niao Niao from her younger, isolated days to her journey in life. This drama reads more like a character sketch and the events that unfold are plot devices leading to the growth of the character. Of course, there's family, friends, betrayal, lessons, mistakes, love and all of that along the way. This drama is really about a modern-thinking woman trapped in the ancient patriarchal society which was an interesting perspective.
CHARACTERS:
Niao Niao was not the kind of FL I usually like. She's incredibly flawed and yet I couldn't help but root for her despite her shortcomings as I, as a viewer, knew that she isn't a bad person deep down. She was more selfish than I could count and was definitely dealing with trust issues stemming from her childhood hardships and abandonment. Her parents loved her but her relationship with them was so strained. I loved the conflicts between her and her mother but the Season 2 plot focused on other aspects.
I loved the ML owing to the amazing performance from Wu Lei. I sympathized with him and he also frustrated me like Niao Niao at times. However the bond they had with each other was lovely and very realistic.
Among the supporting characters my favourites were Niao Niao's father, her siblings, the Emperor and his wives and a few others. S2 is largely amazing owing to the Emperor whereas S1 was more fun due to Niao Niao's smart wits. Her smartness stays constant and I loved that she never wanted to be rescued by a man and instead preferred to look out for herself.
ROMANCE:
While I expected some epic romance, this is a wholesome drama and mixed with many genres. Romance is not the key focus but a somewhat important one in Niao Niao's journey to maturity and womanhood.
With whatever little Wu Lei and Lu Si had to make it work, they absolutely rocked it. They literally seem like a perfect match which I never would have imagined! Their BTS were too cute and I hope to see them reunite once more.
WHAT WORKED BEST:
-Solid writing, great cinematography and the big budget in the drama were very evident
-It's got one of the best acting I've ever witnessed by such a large cast in a Cdrama
-Amazing leads!!
WHAT COULD'VE BEEN BETTER:
-The ending : it was okay but it was the biggest flaw of the drama
-More skinship : I'm a sucker for WL-LS pairing and some more lovey-dovey moments would have been great
OVERALL:
It took me a while to finish it and I admit to skipping couple of plots but it was one of the best dramas I've watched till date and arguably the best of 2022 among all Asian dramas.
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It was easier to enjoy this show because I was so familiar with the cast. Horikita Maki has probably acted in the best Jdramas. And I was so glad to see Mukai Osamu whom I had liked in Seigi No Mikata as well. He is a pretty likable actor. I also loved Kaname Jun- he was a real eye candy on the show. I wasn't pleased with the presence of Yamamoto Yusuke. I tried not to be, but ended up being biased this time around too. I don't know why he ends up being the most annoying in every show that he acts in. This show did permanent damage to his image in my mind and I probably won't watch something that he stars in in the future again. He was hard to stand in Ouran High School Club Host too. Anyway, I did like the rest of the cast. They are all good actors and I was surprised at Seto Koji's performance. He is completely different from how he was in Koizora. The character development of all the characters was present until the end.
The pacing of the show was good uptil the eighth episode but after that it got too dragged. Had they finished it in 9 episodes instead of 11, it would have been an excellent show. Other than that, the Shinzo flashbacks also got boring after a certain number of episodes.
My FANGIRL highlights: I probabaly liked Chisato and Sho scenes the best. Even though they had very few scenes, they were all memorable to me. One of the biggest cons of the show is its lack of romance. Chisato and Sho had great chemistry with each other and I wished they had focused more on that. Also their forbidden romance as stepmom and son was a great compelling factor to root for them. In any way, they are definitely one of my favorite Jdrama couples. This show gets an 8 mainly for Sho and Chisato. They really got my heart beating faster whenever they kissed or whenever they fell on each other. I also kind of wished that they had been given proper closure in the end. I don't like open endings.
I think this show has a decent rewatch value even if I won't be seeing it again. Well- probably apart from the scenes of my favourite couple.
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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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Most romantic comedies are poorly written- with cliche characters, cheesy romance, lots of angst, little to no character development and just unbelievable makjang. Okay, I do enjoy that stuff but I say this drama doesn't fall into any of those categories. It's definitely one of the best-written romance dramas I know of. It's fresh and unique.
What sets this drama apart from the rest of the dramas in its pool is that it's funny, fresh, mature and original. Even though it does have lots of cliches in it, it presents them in a way that's quite different.
Ma Hye Ri is one of the very few strong, cool kdrama heroines. She's smart, naive and also has the right amount of vulnerability. What I loved about her was how she grew till the end. Her character did test my patience a lot of times but I was quite happy with her by the end. There were some unbelievable things about her too but that was a given since this is a kdrama after all! I think the actress did a fabulous job portraying her and had it been any bad actress I would have hated Ma Hye Ri's character. Also, her character is quite different not as pathetic as so many drama females. Thanks to the writer for that.
Seo In Woo makes it to the list of my favorite Korean guys ever. He was just SO COOL. He's one of the best written male protagonists ever from any rom-com drama in existence. He was pure perfection for me because he was different! He isn't a jerk, doesn't harass the female, is always there to support her and also has the tragic past we all want our male leads to have. His character had a lot of struggle with himself and between what he wanted to do and what had to be done. Park Shi Hoo gave quite a memorable performance. He made me fall in love with Seo In Woo completely. His handsome looks and charm also had him at an advantage. :D
Yun Se Jun aka our second male lead is also a likable character. He wasn't as pathetic or as perfect as second leads usually are. I also like the actor who played the role. He was cool and till maybe ep 5 or so I totally shipped him with Ma Hye Ri.
Jin Jung Sun aka the second female lead was also very nice, mature and easy to like. This is such a rare thing to come across nice second female leads. She's probably one of my favorite second leads ever too. :)
Apart from that I love how this drama stays faithful to its title 'Prosecutor Princess'. Their cases were written well and kept me interested. This drama didn't drag as much as most dramas do and I believe it's a great thing. The ending was cute too.
I also liked its soundtrack. The songs became a bit repetitive towards the end, but I liked the background scores in most scenes. The cinematography was nice too. All the scenes shot under the sakura and in the parks looked amazing.
This is probably is and will remain as one of my favorite Korean dramas.
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The characters were interesting and I liked who Naomi ended up with. I saw that coming from the very beginning. Okay, somewhat irrelevant but I was liking Maki's longer hair till she cut it off and went back to her own short hair. LOL. I thought she looked cuter with longer locks.
I was excited when I saw Emma Roberts in it. I thought she should have been given a bigger role (yeah, I remember this is a Japanese movie). The English being spoken was awkward and funny. The narration of the whole story is a fun ride.
I loved the soundtrack of this movie. It has some great tracks which doesn't let you get bored. The film got dragged in some parts, but the cinematography was pretty decent.
Overall it is a likable movie. I was worried about tragedy occuring because we have a 'dark' character in it but it was happy all the way. I liked the end, by the way.
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I just spent the last 4 hours laughing and cracking up at random stuff. This drama is nonsense and full of cliches and yet, a thorough entertainer. I am glad I saved this up for the right moment because this drama just uplifted my mood. It was breezy and the best part is that you don't have to think while watching it.
The story is a reverse of usual nerd-to-model transformation stories. It is about a girl who hides her true self and only dresses up well and puts on make up while going to school. She wants the world to see her as prim and beautiful- hence, she is the most popular girl in school. Other times at home, she is nasty and as she puts it- very 'unladylike' (and somewhat gross). Her character is quirky, fun and she overacts during every situation. She is a very different female lead from usual ones because she has no manners, has a lot of sexual fantasies about the guy she likes and farts openly without embarrassment as long as she is in her 'OFF' mode. All this is meant to be entertaining so don't expect any deep characterizations.
I loved the main guy- Arata. I would love to meet a guy like him. He is also different from usual male leads because he wants to hide his true self by seeming ugly. He is cute and easy to like. He and Nika had good chemistry together and mostly, it was like the perfect romantic comedy. Actually, this whole drama is centered on their romance.
While there was unnecessary situations, they remained well within the limit of bearable. There was some drama just for the sake of drama. This is far from a serious drama and probably the first among all Jdramas that I have seen till now where characters aren't that deep. There is a sad past and all- but they don't give much emphasis to that. It never made me depressed and the comedic element remained so +1 for that.
And the ending- while the episode as a whole was mostly pointless (with the teacher and what-not), I loved the last few minutes of our leads together. It was sweet and there were some very cute kisses in this drama too. With only 25-ish minutes for each episode, it was a fairly quick watch and nothing drags on for too long. They could have made it longer and explored the side characters fully, but this wasn't bad either.
I recommend this drama to fans of cute romance, anime humour and to those looking for some silly, fun drama to watch! Plus, the rewatch value is great. I can definitely see myself watching this again and laughing again. :)
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It emphasizes a lot on family and loving and caring for others. It remained cute till some time but after that it went downhill. The plot became repetitive and everything felt dragged. I love Yui Aragaki but her character was at times difficult to relate with. She annoyed me at times. Sato is a perfect nice guy but even he gets boring after a while. My favourite part of the whole show were probably the kids. The little girl was really cute and funny. That made up for a lot.
I wasn't crazy about the soundtrack and the song they played in the end was just okay.
Overall, I'd say if you're looking for a lightweight drama here's one for you. It is a decent drama. But sadly, no rewatch value for me.
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While the story was nothing original, it is definitely enjoyable. It has a great cast and I particularly liked both the leads. The actress is likable and the guy was equally cute. Even though this movie is cheesy at its best, it is not corny. I loved the lead pair together. They had good chemistry. I was worried that I would get annoyed by the main girl but that didn't happen. I enjoyed every scene of hers. The actress is really good.
The comedy really had some great LOL moments. I was really laughing out loud. Its humor is the usual anime type humor we usually see in Jdramas. I enjoyed the progress of the movie and particularly the ending. The ending scene was cute and touching at the same time.
I have been watching very slow and boring movies lately, so this was refreshing to watch. It didn't drag that much and kept me hooked till the end. I wasn't at all bored and it was a very light watch. This movie can be enjoyed by kids and adults alike. I can't find anything that I was displeased with in this film. This movie is quite predictable but it never seemed dull to me.
I would really recommend this movie. It is a much watch. It can definitely lift up your mood. And it has a great rewatch value. It's probably going to remain as one of my favorites.
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This movie is very confusing from the start to the end. Sometimes we are alternating between reality and imagination, and it gets hard to keep up especially during the last half an hour. While the pacing is kind of slow, it manages to build a certain amount of curiosity in the viewer because nothing can be predicted about it. While the idea of this film is pure genius, the screenplay isn't nearly as good. It could have turned out a lot better.
Seems like too much was left for the end for the 'shock value'. Both the direction and editing are lousy within the last half an hour and at the same time that is the best part of the movie. Too much happens which is difficult to take in at once and understand it. I had to go back and watch certain scenes to fully confirm that what I understood was true. However, the ending managed to shock me. And I realized how well the things were connected with each other. We are given subtle hints about the ghost and the sisters right from the beginning. I would say it requires a lot of observation to be able to figure out things before the movie ends.
Since it is psychological horror, that element is definitely present in it. While I never got scared watching this film, it managed to surprise me and creep me out. The wardrobe scenes and the younger sister getting her period were both creepy.
Unfortunately, this movie falls short of a few things which don't allow it to be a masterpiece. Still, the overall effort is really good. I initially felt that the movie was overrated, but it is definitely not.
It has a good rewatch value because I think these kinds of movies get better with each watch.
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I hope my review can convince you to watch this because trust me- you won't know what you are missing out on unless you do. Although it is a standard kdrama with it has multiple genres all in one. It will give you a bit of everything and yet leave you wanting more. I have to commend its excellent and versatile cast for bringing life into the drama and playing it so well until the end. They make you forget that these are the actors we've seen before. Even the child actors are lovable and play emotional parts with ease.
The story is complex and there are bits of it which seem random at times but tie up really well as the plot progresses. The emotional parts of it are very touching and might bring you to tears. Apart from that the comedy is really the laugh-out-loud type. Plus the friendship between the four young detectives is absolutely delightful to watch. The at times dysfunctional relationship with their Team Leader and others at their workplace is another fun aspect with an equal amount of emotional depth.
The other great part (and very memorable) is the romance. It's not the in-your-face kind of romance that Kdramas usually have but it has the right amount of scenes and a good build-up till the end. Lee Seung Gi and Go Ara are both talented actors and they'll make you fall in love with them as their characters fall for each other. Their pair was believable and cute at the same time.
While most dramas that start off well get lost midway or towards the end- this drama is pretty consistent in story telling as far as kdramas go. Every episode is good and I never felt like skipping much. The main reason I am giving this drama 10 isn't what I mentioned above but because of its ending. It is hands down THE BEST ending I have yet seen in a kdrama. It is fulfilling, sweet and leaves you wanting more.
As for the OST I loved most of the songs and my favourite ballad is sung by Taeyeon (one of my favourite singers).
I usually never give high ratings to dramas for rewatch values because I hardly ever do but this one has a decent value. I am not going to rewatch the entire drama but I surely can relive the scenes of one of my favourite pairs of all-time again. If you're done reading this- go and watch NOW. You won't regret it. :D
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