My favorite thing about the show was the female lead. Very strong, very badass. I loved her.
I liked the male lead as well, but I didn't find anything particularly remarkable about the story.
It was fun to watch, but I wouldn't do it again.
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A very generic story, cringe moments that are too much to handle, the characters have zero charisma, and I finished the drama without caring about any of them. Even doing something this bad requires effort, so congratulations to the writers, I guess.
The love triangle they're trying to sell doesn't work because both the male characters are toxic lunatics. The male lead is extremely aggressive, and the second lead, in addition to being aggressive, also makes a living bullying her and other people. The female lead literally has to choose between a dirt cake and a dirt cake with embedded stones. Well, at least she chose the least bad option, but still: just no.
She basically has no personality and no charisma. And considering that a character who suffers so much doesn't evoke any sympathy in me... Yeah, she's really bad.
Besides those three, I don't care enough about any of the other characters because I found them all very forgettable. The only thing that stands out in this drama is the absurd cast, but this proves that if the script is bad enough, not even a powerful cast can save it.
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Some people don't, but I personally love clichés. I just find it annoying when they're not well done, as I've seen in other dramas. Everything works here.
The secondary couple stole the show a little, but I don't think that's a bad thing. The main couple is also very cute and has great chemistry.
It's fun, it's lighthearted, the characters are good, and the soundtrack is iconic. Nothing less.
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I don't think the story is bad or that the execution is poorly done; I just came to the conclusion that this type of drama isn't for me. The most memorable thing for me is the opening theme song, which is PEAK.
The characters didn't captivate me, but I don't think that's the point of the drama. You're supposed to look at them and think, "damn, they're messed up." And when you see how they end up, you don't know how to feel. That's what it is.
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That ending traumatized me, especially because I had hoped for a happy ending for her and Pildo. But they pulled the rug out from under me and said, "no, that's not it."
It was a bittersweet ending, but that's the premise of the drama, so the execution was great.
The highlight of the drama for me was the plot twist revealing the true identity of her father. I was so gagged and it was very well done.
And despite being a short drama, it has one of the best pilot episodes I've ever seen in a series.
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The main couple could have been stronger; I didn't feel that much chemistry between them. And the last few episodes felt a bit dragged out for me and were hard to finish. Those are the only negative points for me.
Aside from that, I loved everything. It's a show that teaches a lot about the pain of letting people go from your life and the grief that remains in those who are left behind. The bride episode was a real standout for me; I confess I even cried a little.
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The main leads did an terrifying job of showing how much they love each other. I don't know how they did it, but I bought every second of it.
The only thing that takes points from this drama for me is the slow pace. The storytelling style really isn't for me, and it took me a while to finish because of that.
But the story is great and I was happy with the ending, especially because I was expecting a sad one and thankfully they weren't cruel to that extent.
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The chemistry is really the highlight here, and I would really like to see the two actors doing something together again. One of the first k-drama couples that I became truly obsessed with.
Me loving them so much contributed to the show's ending stressing me out. I hoped everything would work out and that they could find another solution, but the inevitable happened and I hated it. That open and unsatisfying ending is what lowered the show's rating for me.
Aside from that, it's a good drama and will entertain you from the first episode to the end, if you ignore the final episode lol.
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One of the things I really love about this drama and it was one of the things that stuck with me after I finished it is how they don't try to demonize makeup.This trope of the girl considered ugly who suddenly becomes beautiful overnight and now has to live with two identities is a very classic one, but in most of these stories, you'll always see the author clearly stating that makeup is the villain and girls shouldn't use it, that you should just "be yourself".
But here, the self-esteem and self-discovery of the female protagonist doesn't come from her abandoning makeup and living like that forever, because it's just lazy and too shallow. On the contrary, the female lead is genuinely interested in makeup and even ends the series working with it. It was nice to see.
About the love triangle... There's no triangle, lol. There are just two people in love with each other and a poor dude who falls in love alone on the side. To be honest, the only thing that stressed me out were the arguments involving those three.
I always see people saying that she should have chosen Seojun because apparently he "loved her more" (based on what? I don't know but anyway). But the thing that always goes through my mind is: even if he loved her more, why would she have the obligation to choose him for this? "He deserved to be happy" and Jukyung didn't? She never liked him, never saw him as more than a friend and never even gave him hope, but she should have stayed with him, even though she loved another guy, out of pity? This is horrible and honestly Seojun and Jukyung deserve better.
I mean, the scene of him crying on the stairs is very sad, but the guy made peace with his best friend, took the weight of Seyeon's death off his shoulders, and fulfilled his biggest dream of life, which was to become singer, but somehow he got the worst possible ending because he didn't get the girl at the end? It doesn't make sense to me.
Also, don't get me wrong, I love my guy Seojun, but him getting close to Jukyung with the sole purpose of hurting Suho and ending up developing a one-sided love always seemed more like karma from the universe than an injustice to me.
The main couple is cute and I like their development. I don't think they have screen-shaking chemistry, but I really like them together.
It's not a super original story and it relies on thousands of different clichés, but that's the premise and the drama doesn't hide that, so it ends up being well done. It's a good execution of what they set out to do.
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I've never really understood the second lead syndrome people have with this drama. I particularly like the couple that the drama presents, he's a jerk at the beginning, but he redeems himself, and I ended up liking him in the end.One crazy thing to me is how they try to make me believe she's considered ugly when she has THAT face, but anyway. South Korea and its weird beauty standards.
I found it funny that their grandfather called the musician useless when he's the only one of the three who's actually doing something productive with his life. Meanwhile, the lives of the other two are a mess lol.
I enjoyed watching it, but I don't think it's amazing, and there are things that annoy me. I like clichés, but sometimes I felt they were poorly executed here.
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I love that the premise of the story is basically: "What would happen if Ariel fell in love with Flynn Rider instead of Prince Eric?" and it's beautifully done.The dynamic between the main couple and the main group of characters is the highlight of the drama for me. Very fun, very enjoyable to watch.
The male lead is introduced from the start as someone of dubious character, so him being an jerk to the people around him was never a problem for me. There are a few moments where he tries to control what she wears, and that reduced some points from their dynamic for me, but I'll give the show a pass because it's from 2016 and I know it took a long time for this type of behavior to stop being normalized at these korean shows.
It was my first drama and it holds a very special place in my heart.
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I think I can say with absolute certainty that Vincenzo has ruined all other K-dramas for me—I’d even go so far as to say it’s ruined other shows as well.I started watching it and finished it in 4 days. To finish a 20-episode series with episodes over an hour long in 4 days, one of two things is true: either you’re unemployed or the series is some kind of drug. In my case, it was a mix of both, since I watched it for the first time during the pandemic and spent practically 100% of my time at home. It was quite an experience—and what an experience it was.
Starting with our beloved protagonist, Vincenzo Cassano. And what a performance by Song Joong-ki! It was my first drama starring him, and he didn’t disappoint. When I saw that he’d be the lead and would play a murderous mobster, I was a bit skeptical. The actor had a baby face and didn’t give off the vibe of a bad guy. In my mind, there was no way this could work. And I’ve never been so happy to be wrong. Vincenzo was MADE to be played by Song Joong-ki. I can’t imagine any other actor capable of conveying the character’s coldness and “almost” psychopathic nature, while at the same time captivating the audience with his charisma and making us root for him throughout the entire drama.
I have to admit that when I got ready to watch a series where the protagonist was an antihero, I thought they’d take the character down a path of redemption. The fact that they didn’t do that was a relief. Vincenzo is a man who does terrible, cruel things, who has clear moral flaws, and he remains that way until the end. Many times during the drama, I found myself forgetting about that side of him, precisely because he’s such a charismatic and even funny character, but the fact that the drama is a mix of action and comedy added an extra layer to that. You’re there laughing at a scene, and suddenly the drama pulls the rug out from under you and reminds you: he’s not the good guy in this story.
Following a story where the protagonist isn’t a moralist and makes people pay for their actions is nothing less than satisfying. Vincenzo won’t refuse to do something evil just because he’s “better than that.” In reality, he’s worse. Vincenzo finds justice weak and hollow; he lives by the principle that you only pay for your actions if you suffer an equivalent punishment. I confess that even my own principles were called into question during this series, especially when I found myself laughing out loud at the sight of a woman being burned alive.
I love how, in this show, the famous “power of the protagonist” doesn’t need to be used — at least not as often as it is in other dramas. Simply because the protagonist is self-sufficient on his own. Vincenzo manages to get out of impossible situations because he’s extremely intelligent, but the drama justifies this. He’s the mafia’s advisor; it’s obvious he’ll always be thinking one step ahead of everyone else, he was trained for that. It’s not unrealistic. He loses several times, but for realistic reasons as well.
His growth is also admirable. We clearly see at the beginning how he is a guy completely closed off in his own bubble; he only cares about his own problems and the things that affect him. He pretends not to care about his mother even when he visits her; he has emotional blocks and nightmares that keep him from sleeping due to the violent environment in which he lives. It’s beautiful to see how he gradually develops affection for the building’s residents, begins to understand and forgive his own mother, and falls in love with Chaeyoung. These are such human feelings, but ones he never thought he deserved to feel, since he was taught that “villains don’t deserve love.”
Since 2021, I’ve watched this series more than 10 times, and yes, I stopped counting after the tenth time. I’ll definitely watch it again, because I never get tired of it.
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Ko Munyeong is truly something else. You'll hate her, you'll love her, you'll understand her, you'll laugh with her, you'll get stressed out by her. And that's a perfect example of a great main character. She is someone who will make you feel things, good or bad, but you will remember her. Definitely.
Moon Gangtae is a character who might seem boring and uninteresting at first, but as the story progresses you realize he's not that person at all. He is someone who, from a young age, had to develop a social mask to live, and this caused terrible damage to his psychological well-being and behavior.
Munyeong is the one who inspires him to break out of his shell and be who he truly is. Gangtae is the one who inspires her not to hide behind indifference and to show her vulnerability. They unintentionally end up initiating each other's healing process.
The fairy tales are beautiful and carry lessons that I will take with me for life.
I also need to applaud the performances. The script is incredible, but the story wouldn't have hit as hard if it weren't for the brilliant performances of the main cast.
One of the best series I've ever seen, without a doubt.
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But, for me, it simply didn't work.
My biggest problem was the main couple. I tried to get involved with the romance, but I couldn't feel any chemistry between them. Instead of rooting for the relationship, I spent a good part of the time watching the scenes and thinking that something was missing. The interactions that should have been exciting or romantic conveyed almost nothing to me, so the story ended up losing the impact it should have had.
In addition, I found the pacing extremely slow. There are many contemplative moments and scenes that clearly intend to create a melancholic atmosphere, but for me, they only made the narrative drag. In several episodes, I felt like the plot was going in circles.
In the end, I don't think the show is bad. On the contrary, I completely understand those who consider this drama a masterpiece. It has marked a generation of fans. But sometimes, a story can be very well-made and still not work for you.
And that's exactly what happened to me.
It's a drama I recognize as well-produced, but it bored me most of the time and never managed to convince me to invest emotionally in it. It simply wasn't for me.
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