Dramaknits
Portugal
Had potential but...
This drama had a very interesting premise, but somewhere along the way the story really fell flat. I feel this story had potential but it was somehow afraid to delve deeply into what it means to be out of time and wasted its premise on petty fights and boring characters. I have to say though, that they tried to pose some pertinent questions and themes about how short life really is and that one should seize the day and fight for their dreams even if they seem impossible to reach.The relationship between Choi Mika and Oh So Nyeo was the most interesting part of the drama. I liked their friendship and how they both cope with knowing everyone's life spans as well as their own. The main couple in my opinion had absolutely no chemistry whatsoever. I think both leads are ok on their own, but in my opinion, their personalities did not match. I kept watching thinking that it might improve, but in the end, it turned out to be a massive waste of time.
Personally, I would not recommend this drama, but if you like musicals, you might enjoy this still.
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Started well but...
This drama was a bit of a disappointment to watch, especially because the storyline was compelling and it had immense potential to become one of the best fantasy dramas out there. Unfortunately, the interesting plot details that were building up, all fell into nothing or were somewhat forgotten.The cast did a pretty decent job in my opinion. There was this happy yet sorrowful, with a dash of mystery kind of mood to both familial and romantic relationships, as if you're yearning for something that never happened or could never be. But even though it had all the elements to succeed, the execution was lacking. It's as if you started writing but then didn't know how to progress or finish the story. The entire concept around the magical tree was never properly fleshed out and the pacing was inconsistent. As for the ending, it was rushed, unsatisfying, and outright frustrating. Nothing was really solved or explained, you are left wondering what is going on and trying to make sense of something that has none because the writer didn't know how to explain or piece things together. It's ok to let things be mysterious, but at some point, the mystery does need to unravel in a logical way.
Overall if you are a fan of Lee Jong-hyun maybe you would like to watch this, otherwise, you can skip without regrets.
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Historical but not really
This whole drama felt a bit strange for me. This was one of my first historical dramas and I was not expecting the fantasy aspect of the plot. Even though I really enjoy the mixing of both genres, it was hard for me to reconcile both while watching this drama. On one hand, you have someone going back in time with all the knowledge of the past, while at the same time being faced with concepts of magic and strange powers that don't really fit with these actual historical figures.I watched this drama because of Lee Min Ho. He was my only reference going into this drama, and since I had never seen him in anything historical, I jumped in. I was captivated at the start, maybe up until episode 10 or 12. The story didn't make any sense, and plot-wise there was no clear path to any of the characters' actions or what they were leading to. It keeps going in circles halfway through the drama and in no way needed to have 24 episodes.
The romance between the leads was cute and I enjoyed some of their scenes. That said, it was hard for me to reconcile the historical figure LMH is portraying in this romantic setting. I would be ok with the fantasy side of it, had they been just regular people living in a universe with a different set of rules.
In the end, the only thing I really loved was the music, which I still remember and listen to from time to time.
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Get the girl and save the world
This drama seemed to have considerable hype at the time of airing. Probably because everyone was really looking forward to the Kame & Yamapi reunion. Personally, I was intrigued by the concept, since I generally like fantasy dramas, so I gave it a try.
Plot-wise, it is nothing new. A guy tries to win over a woman that is supposedly her soulmate, but he always manages to fumble his approaches and ends up getting the opposite result. The woman can come off as really dismissive and annoying, but considering a random man repeatedly comes at you talking about destiny, logically she is right to turn him down. That said I think it took a very long time for the characters to develop a semblance of a meaningful relationship, making the romance not particularly interesting in my view. Instead, the bromance between Kame & Yamapi's characters is definitely the best part of this drama, at least for me. I actually wish that there were more of them or more interactions with the rest of the cast overall. It is still worth a watch just for them.
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Action packed political drama
Personally, I really enjoy political and action-driven dramas, and this drama is certainly packed with a good mix of conspiracies, political intrigue, assassination attempts, and plenty of tension to go around. The drama was well-paced and the storyline kept consistent while adding ever-increasing elements of suspense that made you anxious for the antagonist's next move. As the drama progresses, however, there are some repetitive elements to the story and sometimes characters feel like they are fumbling around a bit, making it annoying for the viewer. That said, I don't think it was ever boring or that it lacked logical plot points. Overall this was a very entertaining drama with good acting and a well-constructed storyline that is certainly worth a watch.
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It's Fine
Being a huge fan of both So Ji Sub and Shin Min Ah, I decided to give this drama a try. I personally am not a fan of makeovers or transformation dramas, because the emphasis is usually put on the exterior rather than understanding the underlying problems.I did find that the main leads had good enough chemistry together and their personalities made their interactions entertaining. I appreciate that their relationship was not about a previous overweight woman winning over a man that rejected but rather two people getting to know each other and accepting their differences in personality and lifestyle. At points, the show might seem a bit superficial and perhaps insensitive toward the main female character, but I think the writers did an ok job portraying the struggles of trying to change and engaging in a healthy lifestyle, by showing slow progress, further highlighting the focus on health instead of instant results just for the sake of crazy beauty standards.
Other than that I don't think this drama had much else to offer. I didn't find the overall plot interesting and it seemed to lack direction. It tried to cover a bunch of different topics without actually delving deeper into any of them. It failed to develop and properly integrate the different issues it tried to cover and quickly fell into an abundance of fluffy and cliché romantic scenes that in my view don't really suit two grown adults. Overall I did find some episodes were well done, but I can't say I would rewatch this drama.
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Beauty is within
I decided to watch this because at the time it had really nice reviews and very appealing eye candy. I wasn't expecting it to be a masterpiece, but it could at least be entertaining. That was not so for me. I have not read the manga, so I cannot tell how well it compares to the source material.All and all it had an interesting premise. Both leads deal with problems of self-image. Kyohei hated the fact people would place too much importance on how great he looked disregarding him as a person and Sunako hated herself because she was regarded as ugly by others which made people not be interested in the real her.
The problem for me with this show is that it depicts the problems mentioned in a superficial way. The situations characters get into are over the top and the comedy is a bit cringe. There was nearly no character development or depth to the story, including the romance. Mainly a sequence of clichés and repetitiveness.
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Needed more depth
Not being a particular fan of melodramas, I went into this with no expectations and unlike many people I had not watched the Japanese original Ai Nante Irane Yo, Natsu, or the Korean movie remake, Love Me Not. This drama gets a lot of praise and many people have enjoyed it and wholeheartedly recommend it. I did like some aspects of it and it did grab my attention during the first part, but unfortunately, it gradually declined.At the start what immediately caught my attention was the beautiful cinematography. I particularly liked the color scheme and how they match it to the character's state of mind or personality. Also, the filming locations, background scenery, clothes, and overall mood, were really pleasing and soothing to the eye.
The cast did a decent job portraying the characters. The characters themselves were flawed and had nuance and depth to their personalities and actions. Jo In Sung and Song Hye Kyo had intense chemistry in my opinion and I would love to see them together in future dramas. I did find that Jo In Sung played the charming yet tortured conman brilliantly, and managed to show his character's duality convincingly. Song Hye Kyo plays a prickly blind woman that comes off as distrustful and a bit conceited. That makes her look strong and independent, and not some poor woman with a disability.
As for the story, it was intriguing in the beginning and had me so captivated until halfway. At parts, I could not connect the characters' personalities with their actions any longer. Especially the female lead. Was she strong or was it just a front that she put up? Her behavior was so strange, that as the story progressed I could no longer care much for what she did or said. Maybe because this was a melodrama, the exaggerated emotions sometimes came out as intense, other times as over the top, since it felt to me that the emotions did not match their actions, especially the romantic scenes. On top of that, the twists and turns presented along the way did not contribute to the overall development of the characters and did not justify their actions in a believable way.
In conclusion, the drama has interesting characters but it lacked depth and any meaningful development that leads to a sort of absurd ending which left me confused. Other than that, if you like Jo In Sung, this is still worth a watch.
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Amnesiac alien tries to fit in
This drama started out with an interesting premise. At first, it seemed like a quirky Sci-Fi romance type of story, or a slice of life from the perspective of an alien.Unfortunately, this drama went on aimlessly without really anything happening. We are never made to understand what Hoshio wants or desires, where he wants to go and he kind of awkwardly remains trying to navigate these people he was forced into coexisting with, and also trying to become Hoshio for Sawako. The romance was also not fleshed out enough for me to care for it. Sawako, perhaps out of fear of abandonment, acted like Hoshio was her pet or her possession. There is hardly any character development as the story progresses, only strange interactions that leave you wondering if all of them are aliens themselves.
Overall it was a strange and boring watch. You can skip this unless you're watching simply for Fukushi Sota, which I'm guilty of.
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The Power of Timing
I first started watching this drama because I was trying to get into longer dramas and as this one had such glowing reviews, I decided to give it a try. Soon it was clear that there was not much to the story aside from cleverly timed cliffhangers.Many things are going on in this drama. There is a love story, there is envy, betrayal, corporate greed, family troubles, but mostly: missed encounters. That pretty much kept this story going and the plotline flowing without anyone important meeting. Simply put, they could not meet. If they did, then everything would be solved right away. For me, that was the only thing that kept this simple and predictable drama going.
As for the main characters, they really tried my patience. Over the years I've watched my share of obnoxious, shallow, and completely out-of-touch male leads, but this one was hard for me to swallow at times. I think back then they pushed this type of character way too much. I love a good redemption story, but these types of characters really grind my gears. As for the female lead, she was the stark opposite. So much that she became bland and boring at times. I dislike characters that just take everything laying down. It's unfortunate when bad things happen, they are out of your control. But if someone comes at you, you are allowed to fight back instead of crying.
Overall if you like a repetitive makjang with plenty of crying, a ruthless stepmother, second male lead syndrome, and more episodes than needed, then prepare to suspend your disbelief, because this drama is for you.
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A very toxic relationship
I don't know exactly why I decided to watch this. I remember watching some clips on youtube and gave it a shot. I later found out that this adapted from a Japanese manga called Itazura na Kiss. I have never read it or watched the Japanese version or any other version, so I can't compare it to the original source material or any other adaptation.This was seriously hard for me to get through. The female lead in this story does not have an ounce of self-respect. She stubbornly pursues the male lead even though he rejects and treats her badly at every turn. I know that this is meant to be funny and exaggerated, perhaps I don't fully understand the shoujo genre, but to me, this sends an awful message. A message that says that as a woman you should remain true to your feelings to the point of obsession, no matter how severely mistreated you are, because all your whining will wear him down and you'll eventually get your way. And as a man, you don't really have to show emotion, or decency, or empathy because she will be there for you regardless of much you bully her.
I think I could even stomach this, if they started out as two flawed people and as the drama and their relationship progressed there would be visible growth on both sides, but it was not so. If you're a fan of the manga, you might want to watch this adaptation, if not, then you can skip this.
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Going back and making everything worse
I watched the Japanese original version and loved its premise even though the execution left me wanting for more. I went into this one thinking it could better than the original but something about it just didn't grab me.The idea of having a chance to go back and fix certain key moments in your life. Moments that you only realized were important in hindsight. Of course, that doesn't mean that the thing you're trying to fix won't end up much worse and completely backfire.
The story was good and so was the acting, I think there are some truly emotional moments from the male lead. Unfortunately, I don't think the female lead offered the same type of emotion to the story and to their relationship.
As the story progresses you are in for a frustrating, almost rage-inducing drama. You keep getting more and more wasted chances, more miscommunications, and all sorts of repetitiveness and clichés. To me, this actually hurt the story in the sense that everything started to get more and more insane that you start thinking if all of this is actually worth it. On one hand, if his plans work, then everything is solved and the show ends in a few episodes. On the other hand, he fails and things start repeating over and over, making the main characters seem absolutely idiotic.
If you don't mind frustrating situations and characters and enjoy some cute romantic moments, then this is for you.
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The start of Noona romance?
This drama was heavily recommended back in the day. I remember it being in everyone's recommendations of dramas you MUST watch. It was one of those iconic dramas from Korea that had an insane high viewer rating, so I decided to watch.Kim Sam Soon is the heart of the show. She is the one that drives the story and characters. When the story doesn't focus on her, everything becomes boring and pointless. I did not particularly care for the romance plot, but instead, I loved every time the drama focused on Kim Sam Soon's hopes and dreams, both professional and emotional. I especially loved all the baking metaphors. They were absolutely delicious. Not only that, this drama is filled with amazing quotes about life and relationships.
“There are two kinds of dough. Dough made with yeast and one without. Dough made with yeast rises right away, but one without yeast takes its time to rise. I think that’s so cute. I want to be a person without yeast.”
Kim Sam Soon felt to me like a real person. An actual normal-looking woman, not the usual slim and bland type. The things she says are sassy and argumentative. She is loud and harsh, perhaps a little too much. For someone that understands how to balance ingredients and the delicacy of baking, she is not that balanced or delicate. She is never afraid to speak her mind and fight for what she wants even if things might not go her way. She goes for the kiss instead of waiting to be kissed.
I really loved Kim Sam Soon's character. Unfortunately the same could not be said for the rest of the characters. They were not as interesting or well developed. Soon the drama fell back into the same cliches and repetitiveness, and that freshness wore off. The story was not groundbreaking or original. It pretty much followed the same line of other Korean romantic comedies.
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The best part is the music
I started watching this drama for Jang Geun Suk. He was one of the first actors that really got me into watching kdramas, so I pretty much tried to watch everything he was acting in. And of course, sometimes, that was definitely a mistake. The one thing that grabbed my attention about this drama, was the music. I listened to it even after it ended and it stayed with me even if the story and characters faded.This drama is your typical romantic comedy. It's cute, at times funny with plenty of eye candy. It follows a similar plotline from other Korean dramas. Over the top comedic first-time encounter between the leads, that follows into a rich boy and poor girl fake marriage contract. And now you have two very different people stuck together and all the family the problems that ensue because of it.
For this type of drama, one doesn't really expect stellar writing, but it should at least keep the viewer engaged in a plot that makes sense. You get strung along from one ridiculous scene to another without much logic to it and find yourself watching these characters going around in circles, dealing with unreasonable and selfish parents. You're definitely not missing anything if you skip this.
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Watched it for the kiss scenes
All and all this was a cute watch. But that was pretty much it. The main leads did a good enough job in their roles and provided some good chemistry and some lovely romantic scenes. That said, there wasn't enough of a plot to sustain this drama for 16 episodes. If you solve the characters' main problem, then what is left to progress the story further?The drama also changed the writer mid-way and you can really tell that the characters slightly changed personalities, making them seem sorta bipolar if you're not aware of the change. This also hurt the side characters, judging how they simply got forgotten, making the flow of the story seem inconsistent and messy.
If you like the rich man/poor woman romantic comedy trope with plenty of fluff, somewhat cheesy to the point of cringing, then this drama is for you. Sometimes you just want to see some happy couple scenes and that's something this drama provides.
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