Krys
This review may contain spoilers
A perfectly romantic fairytale!
My synopsis for this show would read: "A prince and princess are forced to marry, fall hopelessly in love with each other, and then have to deal with far too many people trying to separate them."This was my definition of a well written fairytale. There was a beautiful love story, evil villains, sword fights, and even though there was no magic, hypnosis was used as its replacement.
Li Qian was a wonderful hero. He was given so many moments to shine. In the beginning he is intrigued by and cautious of his new wife (and at times frustrated by their differences). He is cunning and swift when both mentally and physically sparring with those who want to destroy him. And he can also be playful and adorably confused when he is allowed to lower his gaurd around people he fully trusts and loves. But by far, my favorite Li Qian moments were when he was loving his wife Ming Yue. While he certainly wasn't a pushover and told her when he was unhappy, this man was one of the most devoted and loving heroes I've ever seen. Several moments come to mind when his devotion and love for his wife took my breath away, but I refuse to spoil them because you deserve to enjoy them like I did. But trust me, he loves her. And he is determined to live a long and happy life with her.
Ming Yue was a character who might annoy some, but definitely captured my heart. She is cute as a ladybug, impulsive, brave, loyal, smart, and a little wild. She was not as certain as Li Qian that they could endure anything. There were moments when she gave up or didn't trust him as much as she should have, but those moments gave Li Qian an opportunity to showcase his patience and love, and they also gave her an opportunity to grow as a character. She loved him as much as he loved her, but they were different people so they handled love differently. If giving up meant he didn't have to suffer she would do it, and she would rather trick or hypnotize him than risk him feeling a painful emotion. No, these weren't her choices to make but they came from love and she learns better.
This has become one of my favorite all time romances.Truthfully, neither was a perfect person, they were both so stubborn, but even that was presented in such a cute way that I enjoyed their fights. He knew when to be a little scared and give her space, and she knew how to smile and appease him when she went too far. For the first time In all the years I have been watching dramas, I found myself looking forward to people plotting against the lead couple because everytime they did it drove Li Qian and Ming Yue closer together. It took me a few episodes to catch on to this theme, but when I did, my enjoyment of the show increased immensely. They always resolved their problems together and talked things out.
Oh, and the kisses! You know how in some movies a house or a city is so important to the story it feels like another character? Well kisses are used that way in this story. They don't just kiss often, they kiss when it adds to the story. They kiss when they are comforting each other, they kiss when they are flirting, they when they are facing a separation, and they kiss when they are reunited. I never felt like the writers were trying to fill a kiss quota so they stuck in a kissing scene, but I also didn't feel like they were afraid to put three kissing scenes in an episode. They let them kiss when it makes sense to kiss, and each on was beautiful.
Now a few thoughts on the other main characters:
Pugu Yunsi is a difficult character to discuss without spoilers. He's not quite a second lead, he's not quite a hero, and he's not completely a villain. He was in a unique situation that clearly brought out the worst in him. But you could tell that he would have been a great man if things had played out differently. I would love to see that character lead his own drama. The actor would be excellent as a lead.
Qiao Hui Xin was a fantastic villain. Her slow decent into evil madness was an adventure in itself. Because she started as such a docile and lovely person, her transformation was all the more enjoyable and scary to watch. Her love/hatred for Li Qian becomes a destructive force. One scene in particular defines both her character and Li Qian's love for Ming Yue. After doing something particularly cruel to Li Qian and Ming Yue, Hui Xin says to Li Qian, "I can't have your love, at least you can hate me! An unforgettable hatred for a lifetime!" And she is met with Li Qian's breathtakingly beautiful response of "Whether it's love or hate, in my heart, there will always be only one woman, Ming Yue."
Li Xun is Li Qian's older brother who has the misfortune of being in love with Hui Xin. Loving a woman who is obsessed by her unrequited love for his brother, brings out the worst in him. He is an almost Irredeemable character. But both the actor portraying him and the writers keep you guessing as to whether or not he will let his jealousy of Li Qian win out over any love that he has for him.
Now even fewer thoughts on the supporting cast:
The supporting cast was just that, support for the leads. They loved both Li Qian and Ming Yue and did whatever they could to help them through their trials. They also provided some comical relief even when our leads were going through trials. None of the support characters had growth of their own, but so much happend with the main cast that I'm glad I didn't have to split my attention too much. That cut down on the confusion I usually feel when watching historical dramas.
I reccomend this drama for fans of fairytale romances with satisfying endings. I'm very impatient when it comes to Chinese dramas and even more impatient when it comes to historical Chinese dramas, but I only felt the need to fast forward through one particularly repetitive episode and faithfully watched the rest without touching the fast forward button. It was entertaining from beginning to end.
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And, what a sweet romance! Not only did the man fall in love with her at first sight, but he also knows about her abilities from the first episode and finds her more attractive because of it. It's also nice how patient he was while Bong Soon sorted out her feelings for another man. The Male lead in this drama was definitely too sweet to be true.
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This review may contain spoilers
It's a very cute, lighthearted show that reminds me a lot of A Love So Beautiful and Put Your Head on My Shoulder. The male lead has as big of a crush on the female lead as she does on him. It's rare to find a high school/college drama where the Male lead crushes this openly. Unfortunately, he likes her so much that he is oblivious to the fact that she likes him back and is too scared to tell he how he feels. He then spends too many episodes pushing her away and waste a lot of time making up for the stupid stuff he does. When they do get together, they are adorable, and they give you several episodes of cuteness. I felt like the wait was worth it, but I also fast forward quite a bit. I don't think I would have liked it as much if I wasn't so comfortable fast forwarding.
The ending was also very abrupt and rushed. But because it came out of nowhere, only last and episode and a half, and was resolved quickly, it didn't ruin the show for me. It was a weird ending but not a sad one.
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And when they weren't fighting for their careers, the main couple were supporting and loving each other. Can't count how many times one of them dropped what they were doing and ran to cheer the other up.
Even though Ae Ra hated seeing Dong Man get hurt, that didn't keep her from being there when he really needed her. And Dong Man always made sure to give Ae Ra a shoulder to cry on when things got too tough. Their chemistry as both best friends and romantic partners was ever present and too much fun to watch.
The secondary storyline involving Dong Man and Ae Ra's best friends started out interesting, but became boring to me towards the end of the show. That's the only reason I didn't give this drama a 10. Just wasn't fun watching people who loved each other be so pretty and thoughtless. I was all smiles by the end though.
Also, I have to take a minute to talk about how adorable the actor who played Dong Man is. It is completely superficial, but thanks to this drama and What's Wrong With Secretary Kim, he is now my favorite romantic comedy hero. Not only is he handsome (always willing to give the fans a shirtless scene too), but no matter who the actress is, he looks at and kisses her in a way that makes you believe he really loves her. This isn't an easy thing for an actor to do, and Park Seo Joon is something special. If he and Shin Min Ah ever do a drama together I'm not sure my heart could take it.
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The plot was also a little muddled and included too many frustrating cliches that K-Dramas seem to be moving away from in recent years.
This was not a bad show, and I actually plan to rewatch it soon so I can enjoy Jun Li Hyun and Lee Min Ho again. I always enjoy stories about mermaids because they can be everything from scary to beautiful, and both actors did a great job with the content they were given.
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But after a while, even the anticipation for new episodes couldn't make me enjoy the misery the male lead put the female lead through. I actually liked the male lead, he was very handsome, and I though his acting was okay. There was even one particular episode that was sweet and romantic. But a cute male lead and one romantic episode couldn't save this one for me.
What could have saved it was a good ending. And this had to have been one of the most rushed and disjointed endings I've ever seen. It felt like everyone just got sick of the darn thing and put it out if its mercy.
So I'm going to be merciful to myself and end this review now.
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While I hate the cruel way makeup and fat suits are usually used. I felt like it made sense in this drama. Shin Min Ah's character was not depressed or ashamed because of her weight gain, however a recent breakup with her longtime boyfriend inspired her to make a change. There is nothing wrong with someone deciding it is the right time for them to become healthier, and if makeup and padding were necessary to tell this story, than I'm okay with it.
I really liked that Yeong Ho found Joo Eun just as attractive before she got in shape as he did after. What he liked most though was her ability to work hard without giving up. And more than anything, he supported and encouraged her journey to become healthier. Sure most of the romantic stuff happened after she lost weight, but that was because they knew each other better not because he wasn't attracted to her.
I also love that Joo Eun had her fair share of lustful moments when it came to Yeong Ho. He was a very handsome man and she openly appreciated that. As much as I like the demur and shy heroines in K-dramas it's always nice to see one who isn't ashamed to be attracted to her man. Overall, they were one of the cutest couples I've ever seen. They supported and complimented each other well, and this was a great drama about their sweet relationship.
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Min Jun was not nice to Song Yi when they first met. Although he had his reasons, his cold and at times rude behavior towards her was annoying. And I felt like the writers let this go on for too many episodes. That's the only reason this is a 9.5 instead of 10 star drama.
Jun Ji Hyun is one of my favorite actresses because she has such an expressive face and she's always willing to do what it takes to get a laugh. Her kind of athletic, physical comedy is always funny, and she did a great job making Song Yi appear to be sweet but strong, shy but outgoing, and confident but vulnerable. Sometimes when Min Jun was being particularly cold I wanted her to walk away and refuse to put up with it, but because she was so confident when it came to most things in her life, I knew she was only putting up with so much. She would have walked away when it became too much.
Luckily she didn't walk away because once Min Jun loved her, he loved her more than anything. Kim Soo Hyun is a great actor too. Because Min Jun was so emotionless in the beginning, I mistook that for a lack of personality. As soon as Min Jun cried for the first time, I cried, and I cried right along with him everytime after that. Kim Soo Hyun's portrayal of Min Jun was subtle but perfect. His calm personality was a great companion to Song Yi's feisty and open personality. She brought the fire out in him and he gave her peace.
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Although she was naturally pretty, Bok Joo was also plain and more than a little awkward. So watching a golden boy like Joon Hyung not only recognize her outer beauty (without needing her to have a makeover), but caring much more about her work ethic, loyalty, personality, and all around awesomeness was so refreshing.
There sweet and supportive relationship was a ray of sunshine in a sea of manipulative and frustrating romances. And for that reason, along with the overall joyful feeling I got from watching this entire drama, I will always come back to this show when I need a smile.
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"Aw, look how sweet he is to her."; "Aw, are they really kissing again?!"; "Aw, her clothes and earrings are so cute!";"Aw, they both haves such great families"; and "Awwwww yeeeaaah! He's taking his shirt of again!"
This is the kind of show you watch when you are in the mood for a cute overload. This is the giant fudge sundae of dramas. If this drama were a diamond, it would be at least 6 carats. If this drama were a color, it would be the brightest, happiest color you could think of. I could go on and on with my comparisons, but I think you get the picture. This is a happy show.
While there is a little mystery added to make things more interest, this show is mainly about relationships. And not only the relationship between Kim Mi Soo and her boss. They focus on just about every relationship there is and they do it in a very healing manner. Even when people fought, by the end of the fight they were closer and understood each other better. I defy you to watch this show and not walk away feeling at least a little optimistic about your life because I really think that's what the makers of the drama set out to do. They didn't want to make the kind of drama that frustrated you and made you cry. I think they almost tried to make up for those other dramas. It was as if they were saying "I know those other dramas made you sad so come here and let me make it all better."
This focus on happiness and beauty was a great things, but it did sacrifice some of the interest in order to keep the themes so light and fluffy. After the mystery was revealed (Wasn't really that much of a mystery in the first place.), they focused even more on the romance. This isn't a bad thing, I like romance, but it could feel like a bit too much at times. But it was very nice to watch a drama about people being in love instead of just falling in love. I got to see how the main couple and the side couples worked through their issues, and that showed how solid their relationships really were. It was great that Kim Mi Soo accepted how conceited Lee Young Joon was, but she also wasn't afraid to let him know when he was going too far. And Lee Young Joon loved how hardworking she was, but would be the first to let her know when she was focusing too much on the wrong things. Their relationship was surprisingly relatable. There were also three equally as adorable side relationships that could have easily been the focus of their own drama. Great romantic writing!
And before I go, I must write a little bit about how much I adored the main actors Park Seo Joon was just as handsome and charming as ever, and Park Min Young is just about as pretty and adorable as they come. How two people can be that good looking and still have the nerve to be likable, I don't know. But I do know, I had a great time watching their characters fall in love. They were "partners" in the truest sense of the word. From the very first episode, it was obvious how much Young Joon respected and appreciated Mi Soo's skills at her job, but it didn't take long for him to realize that he also appreciated and loved her for what she added to his life. Watching him chase her, and seeing how much she enjoyed being caught, was a lot of fun. And I can't wait to watch it again soon.
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The cast had wonderful chemistry with each other. Not only were the leads great together they had memorable moments with the secondary characters. The relationship between the female lead and her bestfriend, was so well written and fun to watch that I wish the drama had incorporated it more. There is also an interesting secondary romantic relationship involving the two lead's bestfriends that was very interesting, but had an unsatisfactory development.
I can't recommend this one, but if your like me and don't mind fast forwarding when you get bored, the actors are worth the effort.
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Okay, I have more to say now.
I've watched a few crime dramas before and enjoyed them so I thought I knew what to expect from Come and Hug Me. But I was very very wrong. This is not a crime drama, this is a drama about fighting for every grain of happiness you can find in life. Yoon Na Moo and Gil Nak Won suffered so much during this show but never gave up on living. It would have been very easy for then to decide to become terrible people or at least gaurd themselves from caring about anyone for fear they would just end up losing them, but they never did.
I am trying so hard not to spoil anything by using vague language so I will just say that both Na Moo and Nak Wok forgive and love people at times when forgiving and loving is the most difficult thing to do, and that was beautiful to watch. Yes, there is romance, but even the romance is done in a way that shows you how selfless and caring both of these people are. And thankfully, their selflessness was never once portrayed as a weakness. It made them stronger.
Yoon Na Moo's father was by far the most evil character I've seen in a drama. He was filled with so much hatred and violence. But as bad as it was when he physically hurt people, the emotional torment he put his victims through was much worse. It didn't matter if he was behind bars or not, he always found a way to increase their sufferings and I hated him for that. This means the writers and the actor portraying him did their job. And he wasn't even the only character that evoked these strong emotions in me. All the villains had me waiting anxiously for the moment they would finally get what was coming to them. I know I'm invested in a story when I care that much about even the bad guys.
But as ugly as the villains were there was just as much beauty in this drama. Yoon Na Moo's mother was just as beautiful as his father was ugly. This woman loved her children with every thing she had. And the best part is that her sons were not related to her by blood. Sometimes TV and movies neglect to show that blood has nothing to do with true family and this show went out of it's way to prove that. Almost all of the true relationships in this show were not connected by blood but selfless love. This is a message I can get behind!
And of course the way Na Moo and Nak Won loved one another was beautiful. While I would have understood Nak Won not being able to be around Na Moo because her reminded her of his father, I was so happy that wasn't the case. So many people, including Nam Moo himself, judged him based on his father's crimes so the fact that she never did was a breath of fresh air. She loved him because of who he was. She knew he was a great man and refused to allow his father to change how she felt about him. She lost so much thanks to that evil man, and I was happy she didn't allow him to take Na Moo away from her too. There isn't a ton of romance in this dram, but when it happens it was very welcomed and impactful.
This drama is not for the faint of heart. It's very violent from beginning to end, but the violence is not used simply to shock the viewers. It serves a purpose.
I could go on and on about this show for several more paragraphs, but I will end this review by telling you that the ending will not disappoint. Everyone may not end up where you thought you wanted them to, but they will end up exactly where they belong and there are absolutely no loose ends. So watch this drama and then either ask for or give a hug to someone who loves you because hugs can be very healing.
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And while I like both of the lead actors and think they did a fine job in this drama, the chemistry wasn't as good as I was expecting. It wasn't bad chemistry, I just know what it looks like when they have great chemistry with other actors so it was a bit of a let down.
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While I dont want to rewatch this one, I vividly remember loving a lot of things about it, and think it was one of the best shows to come out the year it was released. Maybe if I could have wrapped my head around the multiverse idea, I would have enjoyed it even more.
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