Lavender is quite dated and the subtitles are a mess. Ambrose Hsu's acting skills are primitive here at the onset of his career. Sometimes he speaks in English and sometimes in Chinese. It's rather bizarre.

However, the real downfall is the juvenile story line. Two children fall in love and agree to meet at age 20. Their reunion lacks credence and the double love triangles are very contrived. The best romance is the second leads, the older sister and her boyfriend. They have more chemistry. Unfortunately, their story ends in the middle of the drama. The viewer is then forced to watch episode after episode of misunderstandings with the lead romance and their other partners.

The relationship is best in the last two episodes, but by then I was too bored to care. I felt little angst at the ending. If you haven't started, don't waste your time. My Lucky Star, Fated to Love You, and Autumn's Concerto are much more memorable.

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This is a classic "slow burn" love story. The writer (Sorry I Love You, A Love to Kill, Thank You) is a Shakespeare disciple and destiny/fate is a common theme. The love, longing, and pain are all very intense. You have to like this kind of drama. I'm a fan.
The storyline is not unique. What some do not like is the ending. However, you know the ending long before you get there. There are several referrals to what their fate will be. So, the ending is not surprising or ambiguous. Yes, I think many of the sweet romantic scenes are at the beginning of Episode 11 before all the pain. But I think the story beginning and ending are all memorable, as is the music.
What make this drama so wonderful is the gorgeous couple. Their acting makes you believe in their unforgettable love. Yes, I've already rewatched it.

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Is this true that this writer also wrote the masterpiece Secret Garden? Perhaps my expectations were too high. I love most dramas, but it took me several weeks to get through this. It can best be described as "Frat Boys Still Live Together at Age 40". There were no dramatic moments such as in Secret Garden.
Here are my main criticisms : 1. The main tension or conflicts didn't ramp up until the second half and I was already tired of the slow pace.
2. The main female, Seo Yi Soo, was too immature and childish as a 35 year old woman. It was annoying to watch her stomp her feet and shake her body at constant embarrassment like a 5 year old having a temper tantrum. Her reaction to a handsome admirer giving her a kiss was one of a startled deer wide open eye looks. She's supposed to be a mature teacher of challenging teen males and a baseball umpire. This did not fit at all and I did not see a love connection with depth.
3. There was absolutely no kissing between any of the other romantic couples. COME ON! One couple is married and one is getting married!
4. There was no time spent on the most interesting couple. How did a poor playboy marry a sophisticated wealthy heir? And he's unfaithful at that. Quite improbable, but there was at least potential there.

In summary, this could best be described as cutesie or "men having fun." If you don't like the first few episodes, it doesn't get better. I regret watching 20 episodes when there are a lot better.

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There aren't many dramas that I stay up watching. You get drawn into this young group who courageously leave their comfortable jobs to start an advertising agency. The four are individually talented, and have great chemistry together. You feel their joy, laughter, creative dreams, disappointments, love, and sadness as the venture along. The journey centers around lowly Toko (Fukatsu), the office manager. And you quickly come to realize she is the true spirit of the group. The underlying romance builds slowly until you have to know the resolution. Will the firm succeed? Will they stay together? The acting, music, and story line are all superb. Sometimes the older dramas are the best.

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Delightful Girl, in my opinion, is the best K rom com and the best writing by the Hong sisters. The dialogue is witty and reminiscent of My Girl and Full House. Even when the lead couple is bantering back and forth, you know they are hot for each other. And what a gorgeous couple! It's easy to imagine them in an intense love relationship.
If you watch this and are familiar with Winter Sonata, Sorry I Love You, and Full House, scenes in Episode 16 are a parody from those in those dramas. This was an enjoyable ride from beginning to end. Yes, I love all these older classics!!!

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Hilarious! I laughed so many times and in general, I hate rom com. Xiang Qin reminds me of a female Bill Murray. She acts so stupid and innocent that you really sympathize with her. Zhi Shu does a great job acting indifferent and you keep looking for clues that he might just like Xiang Qin. You are always rooting for them to get together besides also liking Ah Jin. 30 episodes go quickly!
The music was great with different moods and tempos.
My only disappointed was the last scene which I did not think was funny. It should have been sweet and romantic, I think. I didn't want it to end. I wanted more kisses and romance. I'm looking forward to Part II.

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Why did this not get better ratings? It's awesome!
The love triangles pull at your heart because you end up liking them all and understand why they are the way they are. Rain and Shin Min Ah have great chemistry together. I especially like how Rain keeps his feelings inside (most of the time), so you're guessing whether he loves or hates her. Why did he passionately kiss her?
This writer also did I'm Sorry I Love you which has the same intense feelings. There are a lot of witty lines if you listen to the dialogue. Often writers have a difficult time with endings and I think this was the case here. I don't like the direction he took, but the lyrics to the music tell the story ahead of time. You pretty much know how things will end with the mood of the drama.
The music is outstanding and will keep this drama in your head for a long time!

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If you liked Meteor Garden I, you will like the second half of this drama. Episodes 1 and 20-30 are really good. The story focuses on the rest of the cast, all of whom are wonderful. Of course everyone wants to see the adorable Shan Cai and Si get together. Just skip the ridiculous amnesia episodes where everyone looks for Si as he is befriended by another woman. The boring episodes are 2-12, but you could also restart with episode 20. The ending is wonderful and there is also romance for Mei, so it is definitely worth watching Season 2. I differ with others. I like Meteor Garden better than the Japanese version. Shan Cai is tougher and more charming than the Japanese version. But I enjoyed both.

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After watching Iris as a perfect 10, this can only rate as a 6. The storyline and acting were not at the same level. The storyline was contrived and not believable. What undercover cop meets with the police chief and keeps his cover? Yes, there were some twists to keep up the interest, but the ending made me feel as though the writer ran out of time and wanted to tie things up in a bow. Bang! Bang! Bang! M

Choi Ji Woo has been the queen of Korean romance for over a decade. But this is not her best performance. Here she totally lacked emotion and her love did not feel real.

Rondo was billed as a romantic thriller. Two quick pecks do not translate into a "willing to die for you" thriller. The passion was missing and this suspense would have been better without the "romance."

Takenouchi Yataka is definitely a heartthrob and a good actor. The cop part was better than the lover part.

If you like suspense, you may like this. But don't expect a titillating romance. Better yet, watch Takenouchi Yataka in Ice World which is a much better suspense/thriller/romance. And there is more than a few chicken pecks with that drama.

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I'm a big fan of melodramas. I watched this because Stairway to Heaven is one of my favorites, also with Kwon Sang Woo. This was difficult to rate because the last 8 episodes were a 9 and the first 12 episodes were a 3.
The main problem is the storyline which is ridiculously contrived. The first 12 boring episodes were spent just setting up the main crux of the drama, the love triangle. A lot of these episodes took place in America. What a mistake! The American actors were the worst I've seen! From Willie to the sleezy school girls, the acting was wooden and talentless.
The drama felt outdated in the beginning with the fake looking nightclub screen set. And although, I loved the theme songs, at times it was obvious the songs Hye In was singing were added later as the volume was too low. In one ridiculously impossible scene she was singing outdoors at a ski slope to a huge audience without a microphone! Who could hear?
Yet, I loved the last 8 episodes: two handsome men fighting over a beautiful woman. And Kim Hee Sun sure is gorgeous. The last 8 episodes were the typical: music playing as the heartbroken individual is crying and fantasizing over past experiences, Yes, the acting from these three made the last 8 episodes worth watching. So zoom through to the end of episode 12 and start from there. Or even better, watch Stairway to Heaven.

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Often the screenwriter leaves the actors to carry the show and this is the case here. Kim Rae Won and Kim Tae Hee light up the screen with their sizzling romance. There are genuine emotions and feelings, hot, sexy kisses, and lovemaking from the onset. This is why I love some of these older dramas. You don't have to sit through 16 hours for a mere henpeck of a kiss.

If you've seen Sunflower, you already know the talent Kim Rae Won exhibits. And Kim Tae Hee is the wicked stepsister you love to hate in Stairway to Heaven. Then in Iris, she is the cool agent the others all vie to win over. Yes, these two are electric together.

Unfortunately, the storyline is full of holes. Kim Tae Hee as a Harvard medical student with time for 2 jobs, volunteer work, and dating is ludicrous! And poor Lee Jung Jin is reduced to a groveling, rejected, lovelorn suitor the entire drama. No normal person would hang on that long!

If you are not a romance fanatic, skip this one. If you are, you will be rewarded. This is, after all, dramaland where the story does not always have to be realistic to work.

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