Original storyline, great romance, & terrific comedy

I didn’t watch this drama until 2020 because I didn’t like the storyline. But after seeing Hyun Bin in “Crash Landing On You” I wanted to see more dramas with him in it. He’s such an amazing actor with great visuals. I was worried that everything would look old and outdated or the cinematography and special effects would be really bad. I have to say that the clothes, cars, and scenery looked very modern and fresh. And the cinematography was great. If someone told me it was a 10 year old drama I wouldn’t have believed them. Don’t let the age of the drama hold you back.

At first glance it looks like a typical rich CEO falls for a poor working girl type of drama that we’ve all seen tons of times. But the soul swapping along with great action scenes from the female lead as a stuntwoman gives it a nice twist to the usual story. And then finding out that there’s a deep underlying meaning to the soul swapping makes it even more interesting. I also like that the female lead is a badass instead of some weak woman that always needs to be saved. The male lead is strong and never waivers in his determination to be with the female lead. I’m always a sucker for a guy that knows what he wants. And the comedy was really good. When they soul swap it was absolutely hilarious. Seeing him try to figure out a bra just killed me.

Some people might be turned off by the male leads behavior towards the female lead in the beginning. He would say rude condescending things towards the female lead about her being poor or living in a shabby place. But then he would say she was even prettier when she was angry. Or he would tell her how cool she was because she was a badass. The male lead is trying to understand why he is so obsessed with her so he waivers between insulting her and then treating her really nice. And every time something bad happens he moves heaven and earth to fix things for her. I enjoyed watching him come to terms with his feelings for her. The romance moved at a normal pace and was very believable.

Overall this drama takes a cliche storyline and breathes new life into it with original ideas like the female lead being a badass stuntwoman. Or like having them swap souls or having the secret garden where mysterious things happen. It’s a really good drama all kdrama lovers should watch. There’s a great romance with real kisses, cute side couples, lots of eye candy (did I mention Lee Jong Suk cameo’s in it?), great comedy, family drama, office politics, and a great bromance. There’s angst and melodrama and sadness but not of it goes too far. I hate dramas that stretch the sad or angsty parts out for several episodes or has over the top evil characters. None of these characters are overly evil (as in trying to kill someone or ruin them) though the male leads mom is awful the whole time but she’s not evil. There’s sad touching parts but they aren’t sad for too long. I really like how balanced this drama is. It has a little bit of everything in a very balanced way and the acting is top notch. Stop reading reviews and just watch it. You won’t regret it!

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This is a boss and employee drama between a shy insecure girl and a confident take control type of guy. I’m not crazy about female leads that are weak and shy but this girl has tons of character growth. She starts out feeling inferior to the male lead which leads her to make some poor decisions. But she really becomes very strong and confident as the show progresses. I like that once he starts to like her he never waivers in his feelings for her. And he’s very protective of her. There’s not really a love triangle because the male lead never gives the second female lead a chance. He tolerates her behavior only because they grew up together and she’s like family. But the second female lead is really annoying in her behavior. There’s a little bit of everything. There’s comedy, romance, family drama, and office politics. I really liked the romance aspect of it as there’s lots of skinship and kisses. I also like that the drama doesn’t end after the male lead and female lead get together. I really prefer dramas where you get to see their lives together after they’re together.
The main drawbacks of this drama is the very annoying second female lead that goes too far. And the female lead is annoyingly timid and shy in the beginning but thankfully she gets a backbone and starts to stand up for herself as the drama progresses. But it’s a little bothersome in the beginning because you want to shake her and tell her to speak up for herself.
Overall this drama is really good and I highly recommend it for those who are looking for a sweet romance driven drama with lots of skinship and kisses. If you’re into action packed dramas with deep plots then this is not for you.

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Great plot with a steamy romance

This is one of the rare dramas that I actually rewatched several times. And I’ve watched hundreds of dramas so that’s saying a lot for me. If you like dramas where the male chases the female first, there’s a contract marriage, there’s lots of real kisses, lots of skinship, the leads spend a lot of time together as a couple, and romance is the central focus then you’ll love this one.

As for the storyline, it was pretty interesting. There are car chases, kidnappings, hidden identities, and lots of twists and turns that keep things interesting. And there are a couple of cute side couples too. The female childhood friend that was obsessed with the male lead was very annoying and cliche but at least the male lead never waivers over her or falls for her games. I was pleasantly surprised when they didn’t keep her as the main villain of the drama but switched to a much better more convincing one halfway through. It definitely made things more interesting. The second male lead is the cutest little puppy that stole my heart and almost gave me second lead syndrome. I like that they gave him a happy ending and didn’t leave him all alone and pathetic. I loved his loyalty to his best friend and their great bromance. There’s lots of character growth here too, especially for the male lead.

There aren’t too many things I didn’t like about this drama. But it did have a few cliche drama tropes like amnesia, the stereotypical obsessed female friend that won’t take no for an answer, and a wealthy CEO paired with a poor girl that’s down on her luck. But you see these things in just about all of the dramas nowadays so they really can’t be avoided. And this drama handles them very well and even puts a fresh new twist on them.

The one thing that bothers many people is that in the beginning the male lead tells a big whopper of a lie to the female lead. And he continues with that lie for quite some time until he’s found out. I’m not usually okay with that type of behavior but in this instance it’s understandable given his upbringing. His mother abandoned him and left him to deal with his overbearing, cold, domineering father when he was only 8. And that man made sure that work was the central focus of his life. So when the main leads meet he has no life outside of his work (as a CEO) because of how he was raised. No hobbies, no social life, no friends, nothing. All he knows is work which usually entails hostile takeovers, buyouts, acquisitions etc. He treats his personal life just like work because that’s all he knows. So it made sense that his character would approach his love life in a cold calculating manner just like a businessman would. Seeing his character grow and change was a joy to watch.

Overall this drama is a romantic comedy with a little melodrama and angst thrown in on the side. But the angst and sad parts aren’t drawn out for too long. I like that things get resolved fairly quickly. It’s mostly just a really steamy, sweet, cute drama that focuses heavily on romance. So if you like really deep, heavy, sad, or tragic dramas this will not be the drama for you. But if you like really romantic dramas that are funny and cute with a pretty good plot then you will love this drama. As for me I would highly recommend it.

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A true romcom worth watching

This is a good romcom but it makes a couple of mistakes that keeps it from being truly great. It’s not a bad drama, I enjoyed it, but it could have been so much better. First, it makes the second male lead too perfect. He’s almost irresistible to the audience. Few people can resist the lure of a super hot bad boy that’s manly and tough on the outside but a sweet wounded little puppy on the inside. And then matters are further compounded by not giving him a love interest of his own to turn to for comfort. No, instead we always see him off by himself in some corner crying his eyes out. Their making him so pitiful only fired up his fans. People were firmly on either “team Suho” or “team Seojun.” Any drama that creates a strong second lead syndrome like this should expect mixed reviews with some loving it and others hating it depending on whether or not their crush got the girl. And those negative reviews will only end up hurting viewership and ratings.

The second mistake they made was that the only thing they focused on for 10 straight episodes was the misunderstandings between the main leads and the female leads fear of being seen without makeup. The story just didn’t have enough depth to hold my attention span for that long. It was cute in the beginning but got tiresome after a while. I can see why some may have dropped it. Fortunately around episodes 11-12 it gets better. The story finally gets a villain and bullying and unrequited love are addressed. The side characters become a bit more fleshed out too, often providing comedic relief during the sad and angsty parts.

The one thing that really confused me was why everyone was calling this a love triangle when it clearly never was one. The dramas description only mentions two characters, Joo Gyeong the makeup goddess, and Suho the boy who helps her “find her true beauty.” It even describes these two as “finding love with each other.” So one would have to be a fool not to know who the main leads are and who the girl will end up with. And in the drama the female lead never flirts with or leads on the second male lead. It’s very clear that she only sees him as a good friend. So the whole “love triangle” tag and those who commented about how angry they were when she chose the male lead had me scratching my head. I mean, did you even read the dramas description? Is it a love triangle? No. Is there unrequited love? Yes.

The second male lead having a big fan base might lead you to believe that the main male lead isn’t that good. But nothing could be further from the truth. Not only is he strikingly good looking, but his portrayal of the sad, lonely chaebol that is tortured by the death of his best friend is spot on. Having lost his mother early in life and then having his father neglect him and leave him on his own since middle school has left him emotionally stunted. His character growth is touching. You can’t help but love him. It’s no surprise that he has a huge fan base of his own rooting for his character.

One thing I really liked about this drama is that it continues to be a romcom throughout, never spiraling into a melodrama at the end. It stays true to its genre with lots of great comedy and romance. There is some sadness and angst but it’s never overly sad and the misunderstandings aren’t drawn out for too long. It has more of a light fun hearted feel to it.

That being said, the comedy was exceptionally good and had me literally laughing out loud. I would rewatch this drama just to relive some of the funny moments. The other great thing about this drama is the romance. The main leads have great chemistry and real kisses. There were at least a half dozen kisses and they were all long kisses too. There’s also piggyback rides, hugs, cuddles, and surprisingly enough, a bed scene. High School/college romcoms don’t usually have that much skinship so I was quite surprised. This drama is worthy of a watch just based on the comedy and romance alone. But be prepared for things to drag a bit in the middle and to have your heartstrings pulled by the second male lead. I did like that the story had a positive message of how true beauty isn’t superficial but it’s really about what’s inside that makes you truly beautiful. It’s not perfect, but definitely worth watching.

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Very touching and sweet

At first I avoided this because of the storyline. Most female cross dressing dramas make me feel uncomfortable for the male lead. Seeing his discomfort as he falls for someone he believes is a guy makes me uncomfortable too. But the male lead finds out she’s a girl very early on so I really liked how they handled that aspect of the story.

The other thing I don’t like about modern cross dressing dramas is how unattractive the female lead often looks when dressed in male attire. I can’t help doubting the male leads attraction to her when she’s dressed in men’s clothes with super short hair. But this female leads outfits look like something a cute tomboy type of girl might wear. And even though she’s in a wig for most of the drama, her long slender neck makes her look very feminine and graceful. Her small delicate oval face also gives her a very dainty appearance. I think she looked just as cute with the wig as she did with her long hair. And that’s saying a lot because I usually absolutely hate it when someone wears a wig in a drama.

When I heard that the male lead picks on the female lead a lot I was worried I wouldn’t like him. Boy was I wrong! He doesn’t pick on her in a mean way. You can tell he likes to tease her because he finds her reactions adorable. His cute little smile he flashes us every time she gets all feisty or does something he finds cute is so endearing. I think his adorable smiles made him so appealing and charming. And the way he always took the blame for her when she was about to get in trouble was so sweet.

I also really appreciate that the female lead isn't weak or easily pushed around. She’s feisty and stands up for herself. And when she retaliated by putting wasabi in the male leads toothpaste I just about died laughing. It was made even cuter when the male lead laughed about it too. You just can’t help but love him.

This drama has a lot of great side characters that you can’t help but root for. You can feel the warmth and friendship of this group of friends as they help each other through various trials. The underlying theme of how fate and destiny play a big part in our path in life is intertwined throughout the drama. And they did a great job of incorporating the unicorn theme into it too. The unicorn symbolizes the courage and strength of youth. But when the male lead tells the female lead that the unicorn also symbolizes unwavering love and gives her a unicorn necklace, I won’t lie, I got misty eyed.

What I didn’t like about this drama was the excessive amount of cliches. It was overloaded with them. And sometimes it got a little cheesy. But they redeemed themselves by putting a refreshing twist on the cliches. And the acting was outstanding which helped tone down that little bit of cheesiness.

Overall this drama was very touching. When it ended I was left feeling really emotional and very touched. It’s been a long time since a drama has made me feel that way. Don’t miss out on this gem.

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The race to save Dali & the art museum

From the title and comments I was expecting a very lighthearted romcom. And this drama did have a lot of lighthearted moments that made me laugh a lot. But what I wasn’t expecting was the numerous sad yet poignant moments as the female leads life was turned upside down. Every time things are starting to look better for her she faces bitter setbacks. I couldn’t help but root for her. I went from disliking her tough no nonsense character to being touched seeing her grow and mature. I liked how multifaceted the female lead was. She was scared and vulnerable yet brave and stood up for herself when she needed to. For example, when she was headed to the police station to face the man who had attacked her she was visibly shaking. Yet once she came face to face with him she bravely faced him without flinching even though he was threatening to kill her. Her character was very relatable.

In the beginning the male lead comes off as a shallow money obsessed jerk. But as the drama progresses you start to see more and more of the sweet little puppy that he truly is deep inside. And you learn more about what lead him to become that way. His character becomes more and more charming and endearing as the drama progresses. I was especially touched by his character growth.

The acting was very good, way above average. And you’ll see some familiar faces like the male leads dad or the male leads secretary (loved her in What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim). The superb acting is what really stands out in this drama.

So if the characters were so great, the acting was superb, and it has high ratings, why did I not give it a 9 or 10? Well my headline at the top sums it up well. The entire drama consists of watching the female lead being attacked in every way possible, even physically as she struggles to keep her families beloved art museum afloat. And this all happens immediately after her fathers sudden death so she’s still grieving. It was difficult to watch sometimes. But her angst wasn’t the problem. It was because her getting attacked over and over again got a bit too repetitive. At first I found it very interesting but after a while I found myself sighing and groaning when she faced setback after setback. It became predictable. So I deducted one star for the overly repetitive and predictable storyline.

The drama did introduce some side stories to spice things up a bit. There was a bit of a love triangle as the female leads ex fiancé relentlessly pursues her. Then there was the drug dealing business going on behind the scenes at the art museum. I found the issue of how people in Asia view those who are adopted quite interesting and wish it were explored a little better. There was also the whole murder mystery whodunnit scenario as we keep seeing someone confront the female leads father then leave him to die, but the culprits face is never shown. So there were a lot of other side stories going on. But instead of making it more interesting it made the drama more confusing as if it didn’t know where it was heading or what point it was trying to make. If this was a longer drama and more time was spent exploring each issue it would have been perfect. But with only 16 episodes they tried to cram too much into this drama. For this reason I deducted another point.

Now let’s talk about the romance. This is a romcom so the romance is a big part of the show. In the beginning I found myself getting butterflies and feeling very touched. But in the end I felt let down and disappointed. The kissing scenes are great and the main leads had great chemistry. And their little flirtations and cute interactions are adorable but it just doesn’t go much further than that. There were no back hugs, no piggyback rides and not a lot of skinship either. If the drama is a romcom and they put the main leads names together in the title, you expect an epic romance that’s very focused on them, right? And even though the romance was cute, it wasn’t what I would call a passionate romance. It was more of a cute light romance like what you would see in a school drama. Therefore yet another star was taken off.

Overall I would say this is a good drama worth watching. If you’re looking for a great romance with lots of skinship then this isn’t the drama for you. If you’re looking for a riveting storyline that keeps you guessing then this isn’t for you either. But if you want something that’s a short easy watch with lots of cuteness this is definitely your type of drama. Im glad I watched it but I have no interest in rewatching it.

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If you liked Boss & Me you’ll love this

Watching this drama brought back so many memories of Boss & Me. It’s like an upgraded modern version of it. I like that the female lead is a lot smarter and more confident in this one. She’s not shy or unsure of herself. And the romance has a lot more spice to it. The male lead is very similar to his character in Boss & Me which is fine with me because I loved him in that drama. It’s very similar in that it had your typical cliche second leads that were obsessed with the main leads and caused a lot of problems. And there was a big gap in the leads ages and social status which caused problems for them. So, just like Boss & Me, the basic setting of the drama isn’t fresh or new. But the dialogue and how they interacted with each other was very touching. I also appreciated that there were no tripping into the male leads arms, no drunk confessions, no noble sacrifice, no unnecessary breakups, and no accidental kisses. There was some angst and tension but it was never overboard or too much. And most conflicts were resolved pretty quickly which I prefer.

The romance was refreshing because it grew slowly over time and seemed very realistic. It was surprisingly mature and had a natural feel to it too. There’s lots of steamy kisses and skinship. If you haven’t seen this male lead kiss before you’re in for a treat. He is very passionate and tends to dive right in enthusiastically, especially after she gives him a brief peck on the lips which he always claims isn’t enough. I really liked the romance in this drama. The leads were very comfortable and flirty together and had amazing chemistry.

I loved the female leads character. Not only is she smart, confident, and talented, but she is also a gifted clothing designer. Her clever creations fusing Eastern and Western styles catches the fashion industry’s attention. But her goal of getting Chinese embroidery and fabrics into mainstream fashion throughout Europe is a lofty one most consider unattainable. She has an uphill battle ahead of her in the fashion industry. Unfortunately, at the same time she also has to deal with several jealous females that constantly cause problems for her. One is jealous of her successful career, another is jealous of her boyfriend, and the other is jealous of her popularity. I see a lot of this at my job so I could definitely relate to it. There’s way too many women being jealous of each other instead of empowering each other nowadays. But the way the female lead stands up for herself and shuts down her haters with clever responses made me admire her so much. I really enjoyed watching her character learn and grow.

The male lead reminded me a lot of the character he portrayed in Boss & Me. He’s rich, smart, talented, and a super romantic boyfriend. He is put into a difficult situation by the second female lead. Despite his clear lack of interest in her romantically, she sacrifices everything to be by his side and help him. She gives up her dreams of being an artist and switches to his college to learn business management. Then she becomes a constant and indispensable fixture in both his family’s business and in his families personal lives. Her actions puts tremendous pressure on him to be with her. Everyone, especially his mother, thinks that he is obligated to marry her despite his lack of romantic feelings for her. Since she’s sacrificed so much it seems like the most honorable thing to do. So many look down on him when he rejects the second female lead. He ends up having to fight for his right to choose who he dates and marries. I admired him for never wavering in his firm stance to be with the woman he loved. He made it clear he would marry her or not marry at all. Yet he was still honorable and respectful to his family. You just can’t help but love him.

For the most part this drama was way above average. The acting was phenomenal which is not surprising since the leads are well known veteran actors. And the set design and wardrobe were gorgeous. It was obviously a big budget drama. The biggest negative about it was the very cliche setting of the drama. And there were a lot of annoying jealous females that go a bit too far. The other negative is the female leads hairstyle. Why do Chinese dramas make the young female leads have childish hairstyles? Seeing the female lead run around in braided pigtails or a braided ponytail for the first half of the drama was annoying. Then in the second half she often has the “Apple hair” where a small portion of her hair is pulled up into a small ponytail on top of her head. It isn’t attractive and looks far too childish for a graduating college student in her mid 20’s starting a career as a designer. Fortunately she is very pretty and her wardrobe was gorgeous so the pigtails and Apple hair didn’t look too bad. It’s just sad that we didn’t get to see her long beautiful hair down in a more mature hairstyle very much.

In conclusion, if you can get past the cliche setting of this drama you’ll love it. It’s cliche but cliche done right. I don’t mind a cliche drama if the acting is good, the leads are likable, and the chemistry is on fire. And this drama has all of that and more. These talented actors bring their characters to life and make you love and admire them. I loved all of the characters, even the trouble makers (well except for maybe one of them). There’s also a couple of side romances that were cute and fun to watch too. This is a very sweet light fluffy romance drama with just the right amount of angst and tension. If you’re looking for a riveting action packed thriller or a melodrama with lots of angst then this isn’t for you. But if you like sweet romantic dramas where the leads communicate well, have great chemistry, and have a healthy relationship, then you should watch this drama. Personally I loved it and will definitely watch again in the future.

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Lighthearted feel good romcom

When I first started watching this drama I felt like it was too silly and way too unrealistic. And the story had no depth either. And then both the male lead and second male lead fall head over heels in love with the female lead very quickly and for no apparent reason since they barely knew her. So I thought I wasn’t going to like this drama very much. Boy was I wrong! It wasn’t perfect but it ended up being awfully cute and funny.

The storyline:
If you stick with it past the first few episodes the story gains some strength and gets much deeper and more interesting. It ends up that there’s a reason both men like the female lead so intensely and so quickly. There are hidden pasts, amnesia, political intrigue, hidden identities, and lots of great comedy. It does get a bit confusing on the four clans and their past and present issues with one another. But overall I enjoyed the uniqueness of the storyline.

Set design, costumes, & CGI:
The sets were very elaborate and realistic. And the costumes were quite elegant and attractive. It looked like they had a generous budget for this drama. There were beautiful gardens, impressive homes, lovely rivers, and quaint old villages to enjoy throughout the drama. The CGI was okay but nothing amazing. They chose an obese, unattractive, stubby legged, animated cat instead of a real one and it was a poor choice. Many compare it to Garfield but I don’t agree. Because even though Garfield is chubby he’s super cute. This cat just wasn’t attractive at all. The way he stood up to run or walk was just weird and not catlike or cute at all. And since the cat was a big part of the drama, it did detract from the overall experience.

Romance:
The romance is what really shines in this drama. The lead couple have great chemistry. There’s lots of kisses, cuddles, hand holding, and skinship. And even though there are some misunderstandings, nothing drags out for too long. The romance can be a bit cheesy sometimes but I still found it touching.

My verdict:
This isn’t for everyone. It’s a lighthearted feel good romcom that doesn’t take itself seriously. So if you’re looking for something with some depth or something serious and realistic, then this isn’t the drama for you. Yes it does get deeper as it goes on with some angst and sadness. But it still has a very silly funny lighthearted feel to it. And the romance gets a bit cheesy sometimes. But I still found myself enjoying it and looking forward to watching the next episode. If they had chosen a better cat, if the romance wasn’t quite so cheesy, and if there wasn’t a disappointing 10 year time jump, then this would have been a much much better drama. But that being said, I still have to say that this is a good drama worth watching.

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This cured my drama slump!

I’ve been in a drama slump lately after watching a number of disappointing dramas. Back in 2010 when I started watching Asian dramas there were so many great dramas to choose from that I didn’t know where to start. It was a veritable feast of top notch dramas and I stuffed myself near to bursting. Since then dramas have dramatically changed. Some changes were good and some were bad. But lately it’s been bad, or maybe I’ve just chosen the wrong dramas to watch. But I’ve especially disliked the trend to have ambiguous endings making you scratch your head in confusion wondering what exactly happened. Or having a sweet simple romantic comedy turn into an angst filled melodrama in the last few episodes. So I reluctantly started this drama with low expectations. I’d watched numerous dramas with glowing reviews like this one only to be sorely disappointed so I was prepared to be letdown yet again. So I was quite surprised to find myself binge watching this drama. It’s simply refreshing and quite entertaining.

The storyline:
The storyline has depth with a few unexpected twists and turns. I expected the whole going back in time plot to be predictable and unrealistic. But it was presented in a very interesting way that kept you hooked and coming back for more. There was angst but it wasn’t overdone or annoying. There were no plot holes and no questions were left unanswered either. I liked that each character, even the side characters, were well fleshed out with depth and their own unique backgrounds. I have no complaints about the storyline except that I wish the drama had been longer so they could go into more depth but they did well with just 12 episodes to work with.

The acting:
The acting was above average straight across the board for everyone. There weren’t any stiff actors that seemed unnatural nor were there any actors that overdid it and came across cheesy. I don’t understand why they keep giving Sung Hoon short dramas like this when he has such good acting skills. And his kisses in the romantic scenes were fire, but we’ll get to that later. But overall the acting in this drama was very good.

The Cinematography:
The special effects and camera angles were quite good. The lighting, music, and settings were all well done. The wardrobe and set locations were perfect. I have no complaints here.

The romance:
This drama has a number of good kissing scenes that will make you blush. When Sung Hoon told the female lead that he couldn’t wait any longer then devoured her I blushed. This isn’t a sweet cutesy drama with piggyback rides and princess carrying or anything like that so if that’s your vibe you may be disappointed. It’s more of an adult romance with some sweet moments but mostly a more mature more realistic romantic vibe. The romance was very touching and definitely worth the watch.

In the end I liked everything about this drama and was pleasantly surprised at how well written and how well acted it was. It had angst but not too much, it had an interesting storyline that made sense, there were no plot holes, it had a balanced and even flow, and the romance was swoonworthy. The only reason I took off one point and gave it a 9 was because of its length. More time was needed for such a deep complex storyline. But it’s definitely a drama worth watching so I highly recommend it.

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Touching and memorable

This is a drama that touched my heart. Were there a lot of cliches? Yes. Were some scenarios predictable? Yes. So why did I like it so much? The characters! There are so many great characters in this drama that are so endearing and have great character growth. I know everyone talks about the male leads son (yes I know it’s really his orphaned nephew) and how adorable he is. And I loved watching him push the main leads together, he was very cute and funny. But I found the main leads best friends quite interesting too. The way the female leads best friend has her friends back no matter what and always has a sassy comeback to anyone challenging her just made me love her. And the male leads best friend has tremendous character growth which I just loved. I also loved the female leads parents and how supportive they were of her. I know most of these characters are very cliche and typical in this type of drama. But there was just something about them that drew me in.

Even though the storyline wasn’t unique with amnesia, a cold CEO with a past trauma, a warm hearted female lead that heals him, an opposing family member and a rival female that causes misunderstandings, I still found myself binge watching it. The pacing and flow are impeccable with just enough angst, romance, and intrigue. And it was just so well acted too! The characters were very likable and the angst was pretty balanced. It wasn’t full of so much angst that I wanted to scream and pull my hair out. But it wasn’t so light and fluffy that it was boring either. It was just right. There are misunderstandings but they don’t last overly long. It stays interesting with a kidnapping, some car chases, hidden pasts are revealed, memories are restored, and there are several cute couples.

If it’s a romcom then we HAVE to address the romance. I hate it when reviews barely touch on this when romance is the main focus of the drama. The main leads (and even the second couple) had great chemistry with passionate kisses. There’s princess carrying, back hugs, piggyback rides, and lots of very realistic kisses. The romance in this drama was done very well. It’s not super spicy and steamy but it’s not one of those shows with just a slight romance either. I’d say it’s right in the middle.

So why didn’t I rate it a perfect 10? I took off a point for the excessive amount of cliches in this drama. It wasn’t very original or unique. I also took off another point because the whole drama builds up towards the moment we all find out what really happened during the car accident that caused the male leads amnesia, then they let us down. He wrecks his car and wakes up to the female lead explaining everything that happened to him in the past. Then it’s over, there’s no confrontation with the villain, we never even see their faces. Those responsible for the tragedy are never seen or heard of throughout the drama. And their demise is never brought up either. The buildup throughout the drama was huge so I really felt let down. So why do I have a score of 8.5 when I took off 2 points? I had to give back half a point because of the great ending and how they gave us a lot of time with the leads as a couple. I despise those dramas where they get together at the last minute then it’s over. Thankfully this isn’t one of those dramas. Even though it’s a bit cliche it has a lot of memorable characters that will touch your heart.

I would definitely recommend this drama to anyone that likes a sweet romance, lovable side characters, an adorable kid that will steal your heart, low angst, and doesn’t mind a cliche storyline as long as it’s well acted. If you’re looking for lots of angst or something that will make you cry or something that is full of action and suspense then this is not the drama for you. It’s light, fluffy, and cute with just enough angst to make it interesting. It’s no masterpiece by any means but I found it quite endearing and was touched by it. I would definitely recommend watching it.

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Light fluffy romcom done right

If you like light fluffy romcoms light on angst and heavy on romance then you’ll love this drama. There’s no breakups, no rude parents, no stupid misunderstandings, and no love triangle. If you liked Love o2o and Put Your Head On My Shoulder then you’ll like this. It’s very similar to those dramas because it’s more of a slice life drama than an action drama or a melodrama. I wouldn’t say it’s quite as good as those two dramas but it comes close.

The FL is a super popular highly acclaimed singer that’s sassy, confident, and hardworking. The ML is a child prodigy genius that’s in his senior year in college. He’s an internet star and has a huge following in the gaming community. The first ten episodes are about how the main leads meet online and fall in love. These are some of my favorite episodes since the games had lots of different settings so it never got boring. Sometimes they were like spies (just like James Bond), or they were soldiers fighting in the jungle, or they were scientists. And the costumes and set designs were outstanding.

The romance:
I like how the main leads didn’t instantly fall in love (or lust) at first sight like in some dramas. They didn’t even know what each other looked like since it was online. They fell in love gradually over time as they got to know each other. There’s lots of real kisses and they’re steamy. There’s also lots of back hugs, cuddling, hand holding, and skinship. The romance is what makes this drama stand out.

Storyline:
The storyline is a very simple slice of life story that gives off that warm relaxing vibe. I appreciated that the characters were multidimensional with layers to their personalities. For instance, even though the FL was a superstar with lots of confidence in herself, she wasn't without flaws. Seeing her awkward clueless side when playing the online games or her shyness and insecurity around the ML made her seem more human and likable. And even though the ML was super smart and a little nerdy, he had this very charismatic suave personality when he was around the FL. His flirting with her and teasing her was too cute. I just wished the storyline had a little more depth and that the characters had more growth. But overall, the storyline was quite endearing.

A couple of areas where it fell short:
They chose a 50 year old man to be the second male lead with a love interest in the FL who is 26 years old. I thought he was her father or uncle at first. The age difference (24 years) is blatantly obvious. And it’s a shame because he was amazing in love Designer and deserves better. His unrequited love for her made most of their scenes awkward and a little creepy. My other complaint is the second female leads storyline. She gives up her career, a lifelong friendship, and all of her dreams over an incident in the past. Throughout the drama they hint at some devastating incident that traumatized her. But when you find out what happened it’s a BIG disappointment. I kept thinking ‘That’s it? She gave up everything over that?!?!’ She’s a great actress but her storyline fell flat and wasn’t believable. So I deducted two stars for these two reasons.

This is a good drama with great acting, a romance that has lots of chemistry, adorable and funny side characters, and some terrific music. Yes there are some flaws but the good far outweighs the bad in this drama and I’m glad I watched it. I think you will too.

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Light easy to watch romcom with great storyline

I like how Chinese dramas are having more strong female leads like this one. The female lead is no clumsy naive simpleton, she’s a genius college student. And she’s super confident and very outgoing. I love the relationship she has with her cousin and her bestie in college too. I also liked that even though she was a big internet star, she was genuine and down to earth. She has a very likable personality. On the downside, be prepared for some odd outfits that are a bit oversized and for her hair to always be pulled into a half ponytail. It’s been a terrible trend with Chinese dramas lately. I don’t know why they can’t leave the hair down and put close fitting figure flattering clothes on the female leads.

As for the male lead, at first he comes off as your typical cold unfeeling hot guy thats full of himself and ignores all of the females vying for his attention. But once you get to know him you realize he’s not full of himself or trying to ignore anyone or be rude. His upbringing made him clueless about social situations and an event in the past has him hyper focused on winning the world championship for China in CTF (Cyber security). Plus he co owns a big cyber security company and runs the entire Chinese branch by himself. So he doesn’t have the time to put much effort into friendships or relationships.

Fortunately for the male lead, the female lead comes along and turns his world upside down. Because of a misunderstanding, they have to pretend to date for a while and she teaches him so much about relationships and how to be a good friend. She sees through his rough exterior to the warm caring person he really is and helps his character to grow tremendously. I love their romance with the real kisses, hugs, and cuddles. It’s very sweet and they have great chemistry. The romantic aspects of this drama were done perfectly.

Another big plus for this drama is the CTF (cyber security) gaming competitions. I loved how the teams worked and lived together. The camaraderie and team spirit was quite touching. They seemed more like family than friends. And the way the male lead was more of a father figure to his team than a friend was endearing. The gaming storyline made it much deeper and more interesting than your typical romance drama.

I normally don’t even notice the music in a drama. It’s just not my thing. But I have to say that I found myself humming along to a lot of the songs. I even looked up a couple of songs and downloaded them. The entire soundtrack is really good and added a lot to the drama.

There are a lot of well fleshed out side characters that you’ll love. The male leads grandfather is just adorable. I couldn’t get enough of him! And his gorgeous and talented cousin is so quiet and mysterious. The female leads parents relationship was so funny and cute too. And the whole K & K CTF team is pure eye candy.

In conclusion, I would say that this is a relatively light easy to watch romance drama with an interesting storyline. There’s not too much angst or sadness. It’s there but it’s not drawn out for too long making you want to scream at your tv. The acting is absolutely amazing with a great cast. It flows well never leaving you confused about what happened. All of the questions are answered and the loose ends are tied up in the end too. My only complaint would be that there are way too many flashbacks to the past throughout the drama. They hint at what really happened in the past between the group of friends for way too long. But I guess no drama is perfect, right? But this one is pretty close to perfect in my honest opinion. I would definitely recommend watching this drama.

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Perfect blend of mystery & suspense & romance

Usually mystery and suspense dramas have little romance or don’t put the proper time and energy into the romance for it to touch the audience. And romance dramas often try to incorporate mystery and suspense into the storyline but fail miserably because so much focus is put on the romance. But this drama somehow fuses both mystery & suspense and romance seamlessly into an intoxicating drama you will binge watch.

The male lead is a genius criminal profiler that can take one look at a crime scene and tell you all about the person that perpetrated the crime including his personality and lifestyle. He specializes in catching serial killers so he needs to stay focused with no distractions so further deaths can be prevented. But despite his high IQ he has problems interacting with others due to his low EQ. So when the female lead steps in as his assistant to help deal with people and handle all of the small tasks for him, they find that they work really well together. Watching the male lead learn so much about himself and grow as a character was touching. And I loved how the female lead was strong, smart, and loyal instead of the silly and dumb female leads we often see. There are some really great side characters that you’ll love like the male leads best friend and their great bromance. Or the female leads childhood friend whose loyalty is so touching. Then there’s the bad guys that are just so great in their acting with their over the top crazy evil villains they portray so well that I just can’t even put it into words. I was really impressed with the acting in this drama.

The storyline and suspense in this drama will not disappoint you. There are so many twists and turns you will never guess who is good and who is bad and who is behind it all till the very end. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. So it was nice when the sweet romantic moments would periodically pop up and slow things down so I could relax a bit. There are some nice kisses, hugs, and touching scenes between the leads. You could feel their chemistry and their romance was very endearing.

The one thing that might put off some would be the grisly crime scenes and murders. When the male lead is figuring out what happened at a crime scene he often imagines himself as the criminal and re-enacts the crime in his head. So we often see these re-enactments which are gruesome and detailed. It didn’t really bother me but it might bother you so be forewarned.

Overall this is an amazing drama that seamlessly fuses two genres together into one cohesive and addicting show that’s hard to stop watching. If there were less blood, gore, violence and disturbing crime scene footage I would have given it ten stars. But if you’re okay with that type of stuff then this is the drama for you. It has a unique storyline, excellent acting, a good romance, and lots of character growth. I don’t often rewatch shows but I had to go back and enjoy this one again.

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Unique story with excellent acting

This is one of my favorite dramas. It has great acting, a unique storyline, it’s fast paced with lots of action, the leads have great chemistry and a touching romance, and all of the side characters are well fleshed out with depth and growth.

Storyline:
I’ve watched hundreds of dramas and I don’t think I’ve ever seen a plot similar to this one. The male lead is a specialized courier that transports highly sensitive goods at a premium price. He’s extremely talented and is similar to James Bond in his skills. There’s a lot of scenes that will remind you of James Bond or Mission Impossible. One of his jobs requires him to get close to the female lead who is a rookie reporter. When they find out that not only do they have a shared past but that murder was involved, they decide to solve the mysteries of their past together which puts their lives in danger. The action scenes are really good, there are some great side characters, the romance is touching, and there’s lots of character growth.

Acting:
The male lead (Ji Chang Wook- a favorite of mine) pulls off the wounded, unwanted orphan that wants to be left alone really well. He draws you in with his sad and lonely life. And as you see him go from a tough badass to a sweet little puppy so seamlessly, you can’t help but be impressed with his acting skills. The female lead with her quirky little dances and spunky personality endears you to her. This is early on in Park Min Young’s career but you can already see her great acting skills shining through. From the female leads dad, to the genius hacker, to their madly successful reporter friend, the acting stands out in this drama.

Romance:
The romance is done so well in this drama. They fall in love gradually, at a realistic pace. But once they finally get together their chemistry is explosive. They never doubt one another and always have each other’s back. There’s lots of kisses, hugs, cuddles, and skinship. And yes, the kisses are realistic and steamy.

This drama will take you on a journey of emotions from sad and crying to laughing to being on the edge of your seat. It has just the right amount of sadness and angst too. There’s just enough to get you interested without being too over the top and upsetting you. And the mystery and suspense is really good. If there was anything I found fault with it was how convoluted and complicated the story was which was hard to follow sometimes. If it weren’t for that it would be a perfect 10. But it’s still an excellent drama worthy of watching multiple times.

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You’ll love it and hate it. But it’s worth the watch.

I’ve watched hundreds of Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and Thai dramas but I’ve never seen one with such diverse reviews. One reviewer tears it apart while another raves about how great it is. So I didn’t really know what to expect when I watched it. But I can honestly say I understand both the love and hate for this drama. You really get pulled in both directions. I’ll try to explain my thoughts on why I think this happened. There’s slight spoilers but no names are given and most situations are alluded to so that you kind of know where it’s going but not who, how , or when. So it doesn’t really spoil too much.

Why some hated it:
Throughout the drama it’s repeated numerous times that one of the main leads will sacrifice themselves to save the other one. So everyone expected an ending like Goblin, Gu Family Book, or A Korean Odyssey. And let’s be honest, this type of drama usually ends with an open or sad ending. So when the drama took an unexpected turn and let the main leads have their happy ending but killed someone else off (that was quite popular), a lot of people were understandably upset. And I honestly felt their pain. Not only was a popular character killed off but the ending for the main leads seemed too good to be true for a lot of those drama lovers that like sad (or open) but realistic endings. That paired along with some inconsistencies in the plot was upsetting for many viewers.

Why Some Loved it:
There is a sacrifice but it’s not who you would expect it to be. But I have to say, having a villainous type of character have a change of heart to the point of sacrificing themselves for someone else shows tremendous character growth and it really touched my heart. I was sad, then happy, then angry, then very touched all in the span of a few minutes. This unexpected twist along with a happy ending for the main leads sent us all on a very emotional journey. Some loved it, some hated it, and some were just very touched and enjoyed the ride (like me). Even though there were some unexplained situations with the plot leaving some confused, the character growth in this drama along with some great acting saved this drama and made it worth watching in my opinion.

Story:
He’s a nine tailed fox and powerful mountain god that has become quite jaded with the world. His first love was a human that sacrificed herself to save him. Since foxes mate for life he’s tormented by her death and pays a high price to have her reincarnated. After 600 years she is reincarnated but does not remember him. Instead, she is obsessed with finding out what happened to her parents on the night they disappeared. But this isn’t just about their love story. It’s much more than that. This is about the battle between evil and good. It’s about how much we are willing to sacrifice to protect innocent people from an evil threat. It’s about breaking the rules to do the right thing. And it’s about how family has each other’s backs. I like that this drama had a little bit of everything. There was horror, comedy, romance, fantasy, mystery, and suspense.

Cinematography:
The fight scenes were well executed. And when the male lead leaps off of a rooftop to save the female lead, it was well done and very realistic. They put a lot into the production of this drama and it shows. From the costumes, to the scenery, to the action scenes, it was all top notch.

Acting:
This is one of those rare dramas where I don’t have a complaint about one of the actors. Usually someone is a little wooden and stiff or someone is a little over the top and over does it, but not this drama. Everyone did a great job, especially the main characters. Lee Dong Wook somehow pulled off being powerful and godlike one moment then a sweet ice cream loving puppy the next moment so well. I loved the complexity of his character. Jo Bo Ah had me rooting for her sassy, courageous, and super clever character too.

Overall thoughts:
The acting is great, the romance is decent, there’s lots of character growth with some really great side characters and it was really touching. But my main complaint is that while it starts out with some really riveting episodes in the beginning, it soon starts to falter. By episode four I found myself getting irritated at being repeatedly teased with snippets of the past but not being given enough information to know what’s going on. Several episodes seemed to consist mostly of hints at hidden identities and past secrets with lots of mysterious new characters being introduced. It got repetitive and confusing. Fortunately, by episode 8 everything comes together and the action picks up considerably. Also, in two different scenes where the female lead is standing in pouring rain, her hair stays perfectly dry. I was disappointed at their lack of attention to detail in some scenes like this. And there were some minor inconsistencies with the plot. But if you can get through those few episodes and you’re okay with the unexpected happily ever after fairytale ending, then you’ll like it. It’s not the best drama I’ve ever seen but it’s not a bad one either. But it touched me and I’m glad I watched it.

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