addicted2dramas
India
What sets this drama apart is that everyone is likable. There are several side characters that make an impact along with the main characters. The cast had great chemistry and they seemed to gel really well. For me this drama was largely enjoyable due to the references to the current pop culture of Korea. The references to variety shows, idols and the cameos- OMG! It had me squealing out loud with laughter.
There were times this drama was a typical Kdrama. We have a love square here (like always) but for me it was a bit difficult to guess who would end up with who. Wish they had focused lesser on that and had continued the same format it had for the first 7 or so episodes. After that the drama became a bit repetitive at times.
It felt like the writer had no idea what to do with the story later on as the drama is so short. 12 episodes is way too less for me and I felt like so much more could have been explored had it been 16 or 18 episodes. It's kind of unfair, if you ask me.
Anyway, the cast is lovely and IU really surprised me with her acting. She was terrible in the beginning but she grew on me as the story progressed. Her character has the best growth out of all. Plus I loved Kim Soo Hyun in this. I normally don't like him (yeah, throw stones at me) but here he was hilarious. Gong Hyo Jin & Cha Tae Hyun were wonderful as well. But really- Kim Soo Hyun is the one who entertained me MOST here. Also the cameos like TaeTiSeo, JYP, Hani, Dara, etc. was a true treat to someone who loves kpop.
I like the OST as well and I would recommend the song 'And One' by Baek Ji Young for a listen.
Wish there would be a Season 2 and I can probably be satisfied for real. Anyway, I am glad I watched this drama.
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For some reason I could never get into School 2013 but this one was exactly what I would like in a school drama- an attractive cast, adolescent issues, mystery, suspense, thriller, romance and a whole lot of teenage hormones. Also this where this drama probably went wrong as well because of trying to fit in too many genres in one. Here comes a drama that I wish were 20 episodes instead of a mere 16 (I wouldn't even have minded 24). How can this be possible? Well- for all those plots and characters that it had me invested in begged to explore them a bit longer but this one ended too quickly.
This drama had a potential to earn a full 10 but I am here giving it a 9 only. Yes, ONLY. It's a shame when you think about what a masterpiece could have come out of this one. In the end what it ended up being was a fluff, no-brainer school drama.
Yes, it has heart. Lots of heart. Also lacks it in many ways. It will remind you of how life isn't always fair especially not for everyone but will also show you hope at the end of the tunnel. The silver lining of every dark cloud. I really like when a drama takes up issues like bullying, self-discovery and friendship (Jdramas do it so well). Here it takes up a lot and just ends up turning into a fairy tale in the end where good always wins and evil fairies turn into loving people. Well, kind of.
Ironically, I thought it would a heart-wrenching, dark tale but much like its poster but in the end it is just butterflies in the stomach. It has a lot of cuteness in it and the cast will steal your heart away. It has a lot of funny moments and just when you dare the story to pull something big, it goes woooosh. It isn't a bad thing but maybe I expected a bit more.
One thing this drama leaves me with is an excellent OST. The songs have been on my playlist as they kept releasing and I will recommend them to you. The songs are wonderful and even the background scores are amazing.
In the end this drama is another school drama for chicks. It's so very girly. Sadly the over excecution of un-necessities and necessities ends up leaving no room for any rewatch.
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The thing is, I expected to love it as much as I love Jo In Sung but... it wasn't LOVE love that I felt for this drama. I loved it but I wish I loved it more. There were a few issues with the characters and the storyline at times. Some parts were dragged on while others felt too easily handled. It's hard to explain the issues without spoiling it so I won't go into the details.
For me the weakest part of the drama was its execution of psychological problem of the main heroine. She is broken is what we understand but her struggle seems poorly handled after half the drama was done. They should have devoted equal amounts of time for the male and female leads instead of focusing entirely on the male. However, since Gong Hyo Jin played her character well I cannot complain any further. Guess who else shined in this drama? None other than D.O.!! I love Exo and I was thrilled to see him as a cute fan of Jo In Sung but after a few episodes- just wow. He was so important to the entire story!
The relationships between all the characters are handled well in the drama. I loved them all staying as roomies and what happens while they inhabit the same place. The sunbae, the two brothers, the guy pining for a young girl, the family relations- were all wonderful to watch plus the cast did justice to their roles.
The OST of the drama is a must-listen. The songs are so wonderful to listen to. I highly recommend listening to the tracks by Davichi and Chen even if you want to pass up this drama. In the recent times it is the most memorable soundtrack so far.
When it comes to rewatching, I believe this drama is fine. Not the best for a rewatch but maybe a few years down the line I won't mind watching it again. This drama is recommend for fans of psychological dramas.
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I think this story was simply genius. It was flawed but the way it was executed and the way they tied up everything made perfect sense. This is why the story gets a full 10. I love the broken and complex characters and the leads really put the screen on fire while playing their roles. I think Ji Sung especially outdid himself and now I'm really hoping he does similar projects in the future as well. Hwang Jung Eum is a good actress but for me she was kind of annoying in the beginning. Both her character and acting didn't really kick in till the very end.
I was surprised by how the story managed to get me hooked after its initial episodes. The story seemed to go nowhere for a while and I had my doubts but the writer- wow. Slowly everything was thrown in the basement! Like, literally lol. I liked the thrill of watching this drama the first time. It's like your very first Kdrama- the thrill to know what happens next is omnipresent.
The music of the drama wasn't my most favourite. I liked only one song and the rest were meh to me.
What sets this drama apart is its continuous twists and turns. Something happens in every episode. Usually dramas run out by the end but even the last episode was as important and eventful as the rest. The ending and the premise was all tied up together really well.
Watch this drama if you're in for something different and if you are bored of the usual cliched dramas. I think one should not pass this up.
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The plot is quite ridiculous honestly. It makes little or no sense. However, the cast is lovely and the main actress played her role quite well. I have seen her works previously and trust me, she has improved immensely here. This was a drama for me in which I stopped caring about the romance after midway. The murder mystery and villain was what it was all about! The villain is damn good and it helps that he was so, so attractive to look at. :D
This drama had some high-riding moments where you'd wonder who did what and why. A lot of things were wonderfully executed. For me this drama was a solid 9-9.5 till the last four episodes where things happened out of the blue.
This drama is no different from any other Kdrama because like every drama out there, it starts out with a bang and ends leading upto nowhere.
The OST was nice to listen to. It wasn't my favourite but it wasn't bad either.
I recommend this drama to people who don't mind mindless fun. Watch the first couple of episodes to judge if you like it or not.
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The story was cliche and it was hell boring. I was waiting for it to get over and it made no impact on me whatsoever. I waiting for the storyline to get better but it never did. It was confusing and the episodic format made it worse.
The casting was simply terrible. Nam Tae Hyun is a good singer but he doesn't have a good screen presence. The actress was at least bearable in comparison. Worse- I felt like the supporting/guest cast was way better than the leads.
I loved the main song because I love CLC. Do check out the song 'First Love' by them because it's so cute. That's one good thing you will get out of watching this at least.
Only watch this in case you are bored out of your wits or a die-hard fan of either of the leads.
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//Gushing of a fan starts
What was this drama? It was sheer randomness of.... attractiveness. LOL. I watched it just ogle at Lee Min Ho and Yoona- both easily among the most beautiful people in Asia hands down. There is no story. There is nothing and no purpose of making this apart from promoting the brand Innisfree.
Yoona is getting lovelier by age and Lee Min Ho is as handsome as ever. I really couldn't and probably never will get enough of looking at these lovely people. The reason the cast gets a 10 is because I'm a gigantic fan.
//Gushing Over
In case you are wondering whether to watch this or not- do so if you are fan of either or skip over and save your life's worth of 15 minutes.
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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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The cast is quite likable. I felt like they all fit their roles really well and the characters weren't hard to like either. I really enjoyed the characters of Chief and the interns in the ER department. Although the main guy Oh Chang Min lacked depth, the humour made up for the lack of it. For me he was the main love interest just for the sake of it and Oh Jin Hee wasn't special either. I must say, though- having an attractive cast helps. Some of the side actors were so cute that every time they came on screen I welcomed their presence.
The best parts of the drama were the romantic scenes. I enjoyed those- especially the jealousy scenes. I also enjoyed the scenes between the Chief and Oh Jin Hee. They were so cute together and the Chief was all cool, manly, cute and all that. I would have given this drama a 10 if it weren't obvious who she would end up with. Plus I am prone to the second-lead syndrome, you know. Not always but some times.
I liked the OST but didn't love it. The medical aspects of the drama were cool but after a while I wasn't interested in their cases anymore.
Overall this drama has a good entertainment factor and watch it for some mindless fun. If you dislike immature characters, stay away from it as you might end up hating the main pair itself. But you might like the supporting characters so you may never know. :)
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Firstly, the plot is fictional as well as realistic. It presents you the love between King Sukjong and Jang Hee Bin as epic and legendary irrespective of what happened in reality. It was a controversy in Korea but hell I don't care- I am not a Korean. It presents me a history with all the twists and tropes of a formulaic Kdrama. However whatever it presented was cute, sad and likable. But I have to say I was yelling in some parts because of having seen Dong Yi before (they are related, you see). So separating Dong Yi and Jang Ok Jung is crucial when you watch either of the two.
I loved the romance between Lee Soon and Ok Jung. Both Yoo Ah In and Kim Tae Hee are ridiculously good-looking people and had believable chemistry together. Their romance was for most part cutesy and angst-ridden. It's been a while since I've seen a drama like this one. I also liked the male second lead in it and plan to stalk the guy from now on. :D
There were moments when this drama had me tearing out my hair in frustration or left me plain annoyed. Similarly it left me very high when it had its good parts going. So this drama managed to make me feel a variety of emotions. It is even cheesy at its best in many parts where you just wanna LOL but it is so DAMN entertaining!
For me the drama was an interesting one-time watch. The OST wasn't great but I didn't hate it either. Overall, this drama is good and definitely worth the time.
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The drama has a good story and the build-up is pretty great. In spite of the simplicity of the plot, I was amazed at the depth it possessed otherwise. The feelings in the drama are very tangible and they left me feeling warm- much like its name. This is the happiest and lightest of all melodramas I have seen in spite of its sad elements. The plot isn't too heavy and is very smooth flowing until the very end. Only emotions drive the drama and keep you invested in them. The characters are likable (minus the 2nd leads) and I loved the chemistry the main characters had.
The otherwise robotic Song Seung Hoon surprisingly did a good job here. I suppose his looks were an added advantage in spite of his terrible hairstyle but he very well managed to put across the emotions his character was going through. Although he doesn't have an impressive range, I forgive him for that. I am not a very big fan of Son Ye Jin but she was downright lovely in this drama and acted with great poise.
Lately I have been a fan of stories having to do with fate and destiny and this one has that majorly. This drama treats love like fate and serendipity. It's about the inevitable and how something will happen if it has to. I loved the tone of the entire drama and it uses summer in an appealing way. You can see the beautiful backdrops and they are always quite in sync with the theme of summer. I love the cinematography and often dreamy, melancholic moments in the drama.
Although it has its sad parts, it isn't heavy or depressing. Another great thing about it is that it is not too majkang-tastic which often ruins most melodramas. I would like to compare it to Love Rain and say they have a lot in common- in a good way except this drama is better. This drama isn't too romantic but the feelings with which it is driven is fantastic. I also love one song from the OST which I will put on repeat till I get bored. I couldn't connect with some parts in the last episode and the ending isn't really satisfying but I liked how they filmed it. It at least didn't leave out the main question unanswered.
I would recommend this drama to hopeless romantics or those who don't mind a slow drama. This now goes down in my favourites list and I can say this is the best Season drama hands down with a memorable cast.
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This story is pretty good till the first 8 or 9 episodes. From then on it is a downward spiral. It has its moments though and the romance is lovely. At times this drama gave me a headache but it was a headache that I enjoyed lol. There is something addictive about melodramas and this is a similar case. There are all sorts of cliches possible used in this drama. This story has no depth and its characters are just meh. It is just one of those dramas where you can watch for the main leads in case you enjoy romance. The characters aren't that great and neither is the plot. Analyzing the plot will only make you hate the drama.
It was such a massive hit in those times and now I can see why. It has some amazing moments and has that pull factor which would make you want to turn on your TV screen every week. Like the other Endless Love series, this is also one which you can finish only after skipping a LOT. It gets hell repetitive in the second half and most of the episodes are just filler (like most dramas those days).
I love the music in it and the soundtrack is beautiful. Another reason to watch the drama would be the cinematography. If there were better HD cameras back then, it would be a feast for the eyes (much like Love Rain). I see a pattern in the way the writer writes her stories. It had a lot of moments which were reminiscent of Love Rain.
This drama is a mindless angst-fest. If you enjoy angst, watch this. Or if like me- you want to see what the hype was about you can check this out. This sadly leaves no room for rewatching but I am still glad I watched this drama.
I wanted to dock off a point for its ending but I can't rate it any lower. I hate the ending. It's probably one of the worst endings ever but overall I just can't hate this drama nor can I give it any lesser than 8. It wouldn't be fair since since I enjoyed a lot of its makjang moments.
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This movie is a true masterpiece by all aspects. It was so warming and I felt like it hit me in all the right places. Nothing felt overdone or underdone and the cast did a wonderful job of portraying people suffering from grief and tragedy. Although the movie is sad, it also has immense hope in it, much like its namesake. It is all about picking yourself up from the downsides of life and moving on with a smile. It forces you to think about all the harsh realities of the world and question the thin line between justice and fairness.
I have to really, really commend the stellar performances but on by the little girl and the actors who played her parents. It was too good to be true and felt too real. For a while, I lost myself in the movie and forgot that what I was seeing on my screen was not real. The irony is that it is real and at the same time not real. My heart goes out to the family of Nayoung and hope she is doing well in real life.
However, the reason to watch this movie is mostly to take a cue from it and smile in your life. This movie is indeed very inspirational and the direction is flawless. There are no bits of it I would want to change. Everything from the casting to the script were smooth and neat. A thorough masterpiece of a film that manages to capture a lot of reality and present it to you without any sugarcoat. It tells you how if you end up with a bitter candy, swallowing it won't make the bitterness go away. You rather have to live with chewing the candy and ingest the bitterness that comes along with it.
Do watch this movie if you are looking for something different. But be warned and prepare yourself with a box of tissues.
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Well, there are a lot of things that happen in this drama which you must have seen in other historical dramas as well. So what sets this apart from all the rest? I think the answer to that lies in the whole drama itself. After watching from ep 1 to 62 I realized that it is one of those dramas which need to be watched in entirety before one can fully appreciate it.
This is a cleverly written drama. It has a nice script and all the right elements in it keep you engaged. For a drama to have that pull factor, the characters need to be fleshed out well. It is a cherry on the top when you also have the right actors to play these characters to make them more real. Here the cast is made up of actors I consider a class apart like Ko Hyung Jung and Kim Nam Gil. So of course, they HAD to be good. These two actors not only impressed me as usual but blew me away is the right way to put it. They probably took the drama to an entirely different level than it would have been otherwise. Apart from them, Lee Yo Won, Uhm Tae Woong and Yoo Seung Ho also did a great job. The cast seemed to have been chosen wisely and had great chemistry with each other. I would also like to mention Nam Ji Hyun here who did a spectacular job of playing the child version of Deokman and I daresay made more of a lasting impression than Lee Yo Won did. I have liked Nam Ji Hyun's previous portrayals as well and she never disappoints.
I liked the entire span of the drama. Right from the historical events depicted in the beginning to the childhood episodes to the ending. Most Korean dramas (especially historic) are a disaster with their endings and here is one which did it right. All writers should take a clue on how to end a drama from this writer. The events were always flowing at the right pace and surprisingly- the melodrama in this was kept lower than I expected from such a long one. There is makjang in it but it somehow seemed smart makjang than something used as filler.
I also loved how the drama focuses on its title. The queen is actually given importance and we get to see her be one. I loved Deokman's character. She was smart, flawed and strong. She always knew how to do the right thing and pulled out from every hole she fell into. Of course- she had two amazing guys beside her which made life better for her. Yushin is seen as nice, righteous and loyal. Bidam is sly, calculating, fierce, passionate and much in need of love. LOL. I can never ever forget Bidam's amazingness thanks to the almighty Kim Nam Gil. He made the character impossible not to love and made him so real to me that I felt his every pain and happiness as he did on-screen. I also loved Yushin but I prefer Bidam a bit more. Deokman was lucky enough to have such amazing guys who loved her more than anything. Although romance is not a central part of the drama, the dynamics between these three characters were exceptional.
The fight scenes, costumes, sets, politics and battles always keep the drama going. There is a lot regarding the throne and battle for power in this drama. It will always make you question what is right and what is wrong and what is fair and what is not. It shows how big a burden power can be. This is the driving factor of the story in the later half.
Plus, the characters are all so wonderfully messed up and tragic. They all have abandonment issues, mommy issues and what-not. They constantly go from good to bad and vice-versa, taking you on the crazy ride with them. The character development of Deokman and Bidam was phenomenal. I liked how Deokman acted like a ruler when she was one. She was pretty believable in her struggle to fit into the role of a queen. Now this brings me to the hotness called as Bidam. I wanted to hug him because of all that emotional baggage he seemed to carry with him. I have a thing for misunderstood bad boys like him. Mishil is one of my favourite antagonists ever now. She puts all Kdrama antagonists to shame with her badassery and cunning attitude. Others can only hope to be half as awesome as she was.
The soundtrack of the drama is pretty good. The song 'Windflower' by IU has become one of my all-time favourites. The background score and ending score in the drama are brilliant. I can never forget the ending score. It will always bring back all the feelings and memories.
I can go on talking about this drama and it will never end. LOL. So let's just end it here and go watch the drama if my point of view convinced you even one bit. :D
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While the plot has clichest of cliches, the Taiwanese version was very successful- enough to have a Korean remake. While I could never get onto the boat for its Taiwanese version, when I got to know about the Korean adaptation I wanted to try it out nonetheless. It doesn't disappoint in any way. While the story has its funny, romantic and some typical eye-rolling moments it never loses its magic. Even the repetitive and slow parts of the drama arrive, they still keep you glued to your seat.
While I had my issues with the story, I can't help but not fall for it. The entire credit goes to its cast. Jang Hyuk and Jang Na Ra are both actors I love immensely. My love for them increased ten folds after this drama. They have an electric chemistry and make you feel what their characters are feeling. When they cry, you'd want to cry and when they smile, you'd want to smile. They are the heart and soul of the whole drama. Both of them acted so well that they had me close to tears several times in a drama and mind you- I never even tear up while watching Kdramas.
The OST is terribly repetitive but for me personally it contains two songs I can never get bored of. Baek A Yeon and Ailee both have wonderful voices and the song 'Goodbye My Love' is one of the best songs all this year.
Apart from that, the drama is flawed in several places and far from perfect. It still manages to give you a light yet angsty watch, while creating a lasting impression on your mind. I recommend this drama to all lovers of romantic dramas because that's one thing this drama sold me on- its romance. It will be on my mind for quite some time.
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