Camelot
New York
The most appropriate way to describe Pinocchio is intelligent. This is one of the most well written, well thought out, and well executed dramas I've ever had the pleasure of watching. It managed to save the crime genre for me and made me finally realize the reason for the hype around Park Shin Hye and Lee Jong Suk.
I will admit the first half of the show was rather slow. There was a lot of backstory development as well as having the characters establish themselves in their careers. It took a lot of time away from what I, and I'm sure many others, consider to be the more interesting or fast moving plot of the show's second half. I feel that they could have easily cut this drama down to 16 episodes. That being said I clearly enjoyed this drama since I scored it highly. The above mentioned criticism is really my only glaring problem with the show. As for the aspects I loved there are too many to name. First lets talk about the plot. It's thought provoking, heavy on morality, and really encapsulates how different people can react when pushed to the end of their rope. Each character is challenged and broken. They either rise above, fall short of, or overcome these challenges, but the unique and believable actions of each character solidify the artistry with which this show was written. Even the addition of the fictitious and silly sounding Pinocchio Syndrome does not detract from the realism this drama embodies. If anything the syndrome adds to it by allowing the audience to see that though someone may never lie they can still be mistaken and fall short of the truth. My applause to Park Hye Ryun for her magnificent writing. The way the syndrome forces our female lead to confront her feelings is also a huge plus for me. This brings me to the romance. This is my favorite couple pairing for both Park Shin Hye and Lee Jong Suk. Their chemistry was off the charts and I felt that their friends to lovers relationship was organic and believable. They knew when to put their partner before themselves and when to put themselves before their partner. The relationship was mutual, healthy, and endearing. They were each other's biggest support system and their relationship had a note of maturity thanks to this. Even when things got tough or the relationship seemed like it wouldn't work out they never truly gave up on each other. Everyone's reaction to the relationship was also appropriate if not frustrating. In fact all of the characters had logical reactions to just about every scenario the show presented. When a character got mad I too was angry, when a character made a bad decision I felt that I would have chosen the same course, when a character finally broke down and cried it was at just the right moment. Everything was well balanced and above all logical. For me this logic, so lacking in most dramas, was the crowning achievement of Pinocchio.
I will admit the first half of the show was rather slow. There was a lot of backstory development as well as having the characters establish themselves in their careers. It took a lot of time away from what I, and I'm sure many others, consider to be the more interesting or fast moving plot of the show's second half. I feel that they could have easily cut this drama down to 16 episodes. That being said I clearly enjoyed this drama since I scored it highly. The above mentioned criticism is really my only glaring problem with the show. As for the aspects I loved there are too many to name. First lets talk about the plot. It's thought provoking, heavy on morality, and really encapsulates how different people can react when pushed to the end of their rope. Each character is challenged and broken. They either rise above, fall short of, or overcome these challenges, but the unique and believable actions of each character solidify the artistry with which this show was written. Even the addition of the fictitious and silly sounding Pinocchio Syndrome does not detract from the realism this drama embodies. If anything the syndrome adds to it by allowing the audience to see that though someone may never lie they can still be mistaken and fall short of the truth. My applause to Park Hye Ryun for her magnificent writing. The way the syndrome forces our female lead to confront her feelings is also a huge plus for me. This brings me to the romance. This is my favorite couple pairing for both Park Shin Hye and Lee Jong Suk. Their chemistry was off the charts and I felt that their friends to lovers relationship was organic and believable. They knew when to put their partner before themselves and when to put themselves before their partner. The relationship was mutual, healthy, and endearing. They were each other's biggest support system and their relationship had a note of maturity thanks to this. Even when things got tough or the relationship seemed like it wouldn't work out they never truly gave up on each other. Everyone's reaction to the relationship was also appropriate if not frustrating. In fact all of the characters had logical reactions to just about every scenario the show presented. When a character got mad I too was angry, when a character made a bad decision I felt that I would have chosen the same course, when a character finally broke down and cried it was at just the right moment. Everything was well balanced and above all logical. For me this logic, so lacking in most dramas, was the crowning achievement of Pinocchio.
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