This review may contain spoilers
This was.. meh, but Rowoon is handsome!:D
To be honest, this drama was a hot mess... I wouldn't necessarily say it's bad, but it was just a pretty weird experience for me and I am still not sure how I am feeling about this all (especially the ending)!But let's start with the good things!
-> The main attraction of the drama for me was obviously... Rowoon lmao. But please, don't scroll away and hear me out sksk
Of course, he is devilishly handsome, but what really surprised me the most is that IMO he topped the acting of Won Jin Ah although she is way more experienced in acting than he is. She felt pretty dull in this drama most of the time, and I believe that it was not the fault of the director or character writing but just her mediocre acting.
->The second really surprising thing is the consistency of the FL. I know many of you all shitted on her for her life choices, but I was truly astonished when she decided to go work abroad and stayed true to herself and loyal to her career goals. We may agree or not agree with that, but regardless of that we should appreciate the character for being realistic (to some degree ofc)
-> Speaking about realism, I think this drama shows every character's genuine intention and their true desires. We kind of get to see everyone's downfalls and understand that here we don't have (almost) anyone who will be just good or bad, this gives every storyline a real feel.
I wouldn't be myself If I wouldn't find a million things to get upset over lol, so now it's time for a little roast.
-> Remember I said that "(almost) anyone who will be just good or bad.."? Well, the "almost" is there for a reason. Because Chae Hyun Seung was absolutely unrealistically good in every possible (and impossible way). He is responsible, kind, a good worker, does things on time, patient, good with kids, has a nice house, nice car, nice wardrobe, he is handsome, loyal, has a kind and nice family, and the list goes on. Don't get me wrong, I am not stating that there is no way that these qualities could belong to one person, it's just..... his character feels really flat to me because he doesn't have a single major flaw that I can recall after watching the drama. Kudos to RoWoon for pulling this off, because the only reason why CHS felt okay while watching is Rowoon's charisma and his natural likability.
-> I have successfully predicted the fact that the chef-friend-of-CHS's-sister's-husband is gay, but for me, this storyline was weak af. I am really happy to see that Korea is waking up from a deep sleep and tries its best to show more LGBTQ+ characters in dramas, but almost every time I feel like they either completely ignore this character and they just feel useless in the story, or the character is portrayed in a weirdly twisty way. At some point, it almost felt to me that this chef man was a villain because of how everyone pitied CHS's sister, and how they put the emphasis on how sad was her daughter after she and her husband decided to get a divorce. Her side of the story was fully shown meanwhile we didn't get the slightest glance in the picture of what happened in the past between these two men, nor how they both felt about the situation later on. What really weirded me out the most it's that the chief disappeared completely from the drama after selling his restaurant. He wasn't mentioned in the ending either. This was really off-putting and IMO it's better to not include any LGBTQ+ characters at all than to represent them in a possibly harmful way.
-> The last major unpleasant issue it's the toxicity of the relationships. ESPECIALLY the main couple. I can't quite put my finger on it yet, but I think it's just a number of little things from the very beginning that never quite felt right to me? Let's remember a couple of first eps. ML and FL literally got the chance to get together because ML helped her to get over a painful breakup. Warning sign: I am not saying that he used her, or that he was acting creepy, it's just the FL was in her most vulnerable state and he saw the opportunity in this. Even if we will ignore the several previous sentences, their relationship just felt really unnatural, and forced by both of them??? Yes, they tried hard, yes they both, most probably needed that relationship at this point of their lives, but ...!!! (watch the next point lol)
-> THE ENDING: at first I felt pretty satisfied and fulfilled after finishing the drama because every character seemingly got their happy ending *happy ending by Avril Lavigne playing in the background* But the more I was thinking about it the worse it got. ML and FL liked each other when they first met and before FL went to work abroad they were, arguably a normal couple. But ..! The shit goes down right after the 14th episode. Forget what I said in the previous paragraph about forcing the relationship at the start. What really felt forced to me it's this fake-ass-speedrun ish-cotton candy-happy ending. And I am talking about the ML and FL only. I think that the best possible option to finish this drama was to leave an open ending. She came back to Korea, they saw each other, /maybe/a shot with her smiling longingly and then BOOM! the end. And let me tell you, I am the last person who you would call a fan of the endings that can be interpreted in 1387129839 ways, but their former relationship was so complicated that the two last ep would never make things up for me, no matter how well written, produced and played they would be.
P.S.: the last scene gave me humongous flashbacks from the heirs jsnjdks and not in a good way
Thanks for making it till the end, have a nice day luv<3
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To watch or not to watch?
I just finished watching this drama, and I am in a really good mood right now, because the ending was as fulfilling as an ending possibly can be!Let's start with the good aspects of the drama that I really enjoyed.
First of all, healthy relationships.
If you are looking for a show where the relationship between main leads aren't driven by misunderstandings and lack of communication skills, this is the one. I was honestly, really impressed by how the growth of the connection between main characters was so natural, anything wasn't rushed and it just seemed like the characters were making the best decisions for themselves and their loved ones.
Speaking of the characters, it's a really big plus for this drama. For me 50% of the show's success it's the cast, and here it is just brilliant! I could not imagine anyone else portraying ML so great in the context of this drama. If you are a regular drama watcher you also will be pleasantly surprised with a couple of surprising cameos here and there :)
To be blatantly honest, I gave this drama a 7, because even though it had great potential with its cast and the characters, the story wasn't anything revolutionary at all. Same old cliches we love and respect, same old scenarios and situations. The only positive difference, as I've already mentioned earlier, is the fact that even if "rich chairman-dad of the main character wants our female lead to break up with his son" situation feels like beating a dead horse, the way every character reacts to it feels new and refreshing, due to their logically tied actions and good motivations.
Overall: it's a nice drama to watch without thinking too much, maybe don't even binge it, just watch an episode or two when the boredom will get to you :) Get's a bit boring in the middle, but if you will get through it the drama will reward you with a lovely, warm, and satisfactory ending!
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To watch or not to watch? (yes, watch it rn!)
You can shit on me for this, but I'd really recommend everyone to give this show a try even after seeing all the negative reviews.It is intimate, captivating, enduring and perfectly captures the reckless nature of young relationships. It's rocky, imperfect, yet passionate and sentimental.
You will fall in love with side couples, and be allured in with beautiful cinematography and soft light.
I do not give a flying fuck about people saying that the relationship between main couple is unhealthy. They are as imperfect as the people are and the actors did an IMMACULATE job on portraying every emotion in the most raw, natural and beautiful way.
This drama awakens the most intense emotions in people, and you can see that by the amount of the negative reviews lol. You will either love it to death or hate it to death. Nothing in between.
"Nevertheless" is not about the morally right relationships and impactful plot, it's about intense emotions that people can experience thanks to each other.
I can't stress enough how much this was a breath of a fresh air for me. For the last couple years I've gotten so sick and tired of all the sweet k-dramas that we were fed, and this title is exactly what i wanted to see.
Even though we were left with some unanswered questions, I am guessing that we can find the answers for these questions in the manhua. ( but imo they aren't that crucial to how they ended this story).
If you still aren't sure is you should give this a try, than let me tell you, the intimate scenes are TOP TIER. The are never over the top or distasteful, the chemistry between the actors is insane and I felt like I was given a glance into someone's private life.
Also there's a wlw subplot that has a happy ending :') I am very thankful to netflix and JTBC for the cute , unsexualized and realistic portrayal of the wlw couple. It was relatable, fresh and warm.
OVERALL :
I will totally re-watch this drama next year. It's great and I am very curious in how my point of view on this drama will change over the course of time.
9,8 / 10
Because I loved it dearly but i still don't know what the hell was with that lighter lol
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The untamed is the show that will leave an unerasable mark on your soul :)
The first thing that I would like to mention, is that I was not familiar with the modao zu shi story before watching the drama at all.I have decided that it is time to fix that, and my friend suggested to me either to watch anime or drama first, and than read the novel. I think I will be forever thankful for that, because I could easily remember all the characters and clans' names.
I consider myself being a pretty experienced drama consumer for quite a long time, but I tend to prefer shorter stories, that I can binge-watch during one night lol. So, if by any chance, you are as used to a ''k-drama only 16 episodes'' type of situation as me, you may too share my deep dread when you see a drama that has +26 episodes.
As a fellow impatient and fast binge-watcher I assure you, you will fall in love with the plot, the characters (even the villains in this story are so charming that you can't hold grudges against them for a long time hehe), and the music in this show.
The two main actors are undoubtedly, the best for the leading characters. I applaud whoever casted them because Xiao Zhan is a huge discovery for me (ilovehimsomuchohmygoshfjek). Wang Yibo on the other hand was already known to me as a used-to-be-in-uniq-and-left-Korean-showbiz type of guy, but he also performed in drama phenomenally and I really envy him his poker face !:D
To wrap my emotional rambling up, I am helplessly in love with the modao zu shi universe, despite all my doubts about it being not what I would usually go for.
Side note: if you came for the bl aspect, it is absent in the drama, BUT the unconditional and honest love between the two main leads is undeniable so IMHO it is definitely worth your time!
P.S this was the first-ever review I have written so thank you so much for reading it till the end! xoxo
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This review may contain spoilers
the disappointment is immaculate
I won't even boter to write a detailed rewiew because of how mad I am atm.Honestly, Teh beacame absolutely insufferable , to the point where I just want him not to show up on the screen. He is extremely impulsive and immature. While Oh-aew is a cardboard, prettyboy who can't stand up for himself in their relationship.
Cheating was cliche but absourd simultaneously, and the relationship of the two leads felt dull and tenced, altho we knwo that they supposedly were madly in love with each other in ITSAU
I don't want to finish the story just to not ruin the ITSAU and it's characters for me completely.
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