purplebass
Italy
Acting: The acting was great on all sides. Even the kid actors were good. We had veteran actors like Kim Soo Ro and Kim In Kwon who created a strong bromance between the main *dead* leads and younger actors like Rain who was able to be funny and comedic but also show a melancholic side of his character. His friendship with Oh Yeon Seo's character was really believable and she also was able to pull off a manly character reborn as a woman. Her scenes with Rain are one of the funniest of the drama, haha. Lee Min Jung seemed more like a second lead in this drama. Compared to other of her works, she was quite laid-back. On this drama we also had Choi Won Young who plays yet another insecure and manipulative character. Like on "I Remember You" where he played a psycho, this part suits him very well. Hope in the future he acts in a drama where he is not crazy, though!
Music: The music suit the mood of the drama very well. There were sentimental songs for the sad/reflective/longing scenes and pop music for the funny moments or the fight scenes - yes, this drama also has action!
I would advise to watch this drama if you're looking for a compelling story that comprehends action, comedy, drama. It has them all, and they also combine quite well because you discover things step by step and they don't seem to be thrown out there. If you want a romantic story stay away, because there is the love but it is a more of a family and friendship kind.
Was this review helpful to you?
Acting/Cast: No doubt Eric is a star and lately is living his moment of success again. He is such an outstanding actor and is able to portray realistic characters. His Kang Tae Joo was a guy who mistreated women and didn't care because his only aim was money and whatever money could buy. At times he was really narcisisstic and egoistical that you could believe he was really like that. He was able to show us the redemption of his character. Although I would have loved more development on his part, I felt like how he acted and the consequences of what he did showed the audience that thing I talked about earlier, that life doesn't always go like we want. He and Jung Yu Mi had an amazing chemistry on screen and I loved their interactions; they were able to transpire passion on a korean drama because of their not-so-standard kisses for a drama of 2007. Jung Yu Mi portrayed Han Eun Soo well too, although at times I felt this character was flat because she was silent and often closed herself to the world. The other protagonists did a good job as well even though they were despicable in some parts.
Music: Catchy song in the beginning and on most of the previews at the end of the episodes, also a nice tune for the scenes of the main couple.
In conclusion, this is a good drama but I wouldn't rewatch it because I think it's repetitive and at times cannot be interpreted well. There were some parts that made me roll my eyes because they weren't explained like you would expect, but nothing compared to other dramas. I would suggest to watch this drama if you love the main actors or you love melancholic stories with a usual plot but not a usual storytelling. It is a very mature drama so if you're looking for a romcom or something with laughs, this is not a drama for you.
Was this review helpful to you?
Acting wise, I believe the couple Kang So Ra/Yoo Yeon Seok had great chemistry. Their first kiss left me a bit mmmh, but then they make up for it. I like when Korean actors are able to act kissing scenes well. After all, it is censorship that limitates the passion during a romantic kiss, but the actors do that as a job and I suppose they also know how to kiss. Back to the couple, they were cute and I felt they were comfortable around each other. The other actors were also okay. I didn't like how some delivered their lines, but I can't have it all...
In the music department, the OST got stuck in my head. They played the songs a lot, that is probably why. They were likeable, especially "Butterfly" and the one by Hyorin.
Overall, I would rewatch this if I am bored because it is not a tough drama. But I would not define this a masterpiece because the plot has been used and overused in kdrama land. Honestly, I expected more from Hong sisters but I don't dislike what they have created.
Was this review helpful to you?
This is more of a romantic comedy with melodrama aspects rather than a real melo. It has a lot of funny moments and characters, and a lot of plot twists. The story was nothing new but just when you think things got better or worse, something else happens, but it doesn't turn out like you imagined. The writer was very good at overturning situations and destroy old kdrama cliques we were fed up to roll our eyes at. It literally happened the unpredictable, and this is what makes a kdrama enjoyable. The main couple had a lot of adorable moments that made me like them a lot. If you like romcoms, this has a few RC moments and believe me, even if you don't like heart transplant dramas, this is nothing like usual. Everything about it is addressed and given an explanation.
The cast is excellent. I loved both leads and the secondary characters. Jung Kyung Ho was awesome as Kang Min Ho and he shifted from a heartess man to an eccentric and cute teddy bear in the span of a few episodes. His character will definitely be one of my favorites ever. Kim So Yeon played an 'iron lady' character, which is her best kind of role. She was very good at it and her chemistry with the male lead was spot on. The second male lead Yoon Hyun Min also had a surprising role of an evil man with greed. It really looked like he hated the male lead, when truthfully they are best friends in real life! Literally one of the few evil characters who did anything to get his way, somehow I applaud him because of his desperation.
I loved the music as well. The main theme Paradise by Davink caught me at the first listen and I still listen to the OST now.
I would definitely rewatch this several times, so you should watch it too! I assure you won't lose your time. :)
Was this review helpful to you?
Story: the story is nothing new. Typical revenge/birth secret plot where everything is overturned by the end. Here things were presented in a stereotypical yet innovative way, that I often find in old kdramas. Things were told step by step and even in the end some things were left unsaid, perhaps to let the viewer imagine. The whole plot was very ambiguous. The characters had their own strong or dull way to deliver their feelings. Most of the times, especially in the latest episodes, the main leads above all were silent and didn't talk for loooooong. That, despite is a way to have dialogue, annoyed me so much. I get that silence can be meaningful, but perhaps that is not my piece of cake. I'd rather have the characters talk and conclude something than being silent for 20 minutes. Maybe I am an idiot, who knows! But I don't think so. I just believe silence was overused in here, and it can annoy so much. Wow, how many times did I say annoy in this paragraph?
Acting: This is the only high value of this review. Despite the story being blah (even tho it was handled okay), the acting was superbe. SJS is always the best when it comes to melodrama and his "omg, I have so much complexes inside of me" - face - is perfect. He made his Cha Moo Hyuk character really deep and complicated that you always wondered what was going on in his head. He made him look very unpredictable, which is cool because it gives the audience more surprises. JKH despite being only 21-22 in this drama, also did a good job. He has such a beautiful smile and he is able to show a lot of emotions through it, because you know, a smile can also be bitter and sad. All the times I have seen him, he trasmitted me joy or sadness according to what his character felt. This male pair was awesome, I regret that perhaps they didn't get enough screentime together. The female protagonists also acted well, but honestly they didn't make me become a fan of theirs. Most of the time ISJ's Eun Chae was like Moo Hyuk, she was unpredictable and it annoyed me how she behaved. I understand she loved both guys the same way, but she had to choose at some point.
Music: Okay. The instrumental songs on the piano were cool and I also like Choi Yoon's song very much.
Rewatch Value: I would rewatch this only if paid. I ended up bored and as if I lost my time watching this. I can take melodrama, makjang, thriller, but this was too much. I can't put up with the ending, I felt totally unsatisfied. It has meaning, of course, but I still find it MEH. The only drama that left me like this was What Happened in Bali, casually SJS did this in the same year of Sorry I Love You. If you have watched that one and were rolling your eyes at the ending, you may do it again with this, so don't watch!
Was this review helpful to you?
Healer has it all: romance, family drama, dark past, but above all action and suspense. It is able to build tension and release it through sweet and touching moments. Nowadays I am seeing less and less dramas able to do it, so I think you should watch Healer if you want a taste of a quality drama.
If we look at the story, it is well-built. Every episode new clues were revealed and made you wonder. There was an intricate map behind the story, and the writer was good at creating it. The characters were deep, and full of layers. They were stereotypical, but not fully stereotyped.
Each actor gave their best and especially the main leads Ji Chang Wook and Park Min Young, made me love their couple really much. They have a lot of chemistry and could pass as lovers, haha! I ship this. Their romance built up at a medium pace with the girl falling for the guy first. Then he also fell for her because his pain had become unbearable and he needed support. He had denied himself a lot of things since he became the Healer, and this time he really found someone and something worth fighting for… Love.
The music was really good. There was a song in english as the main OST, and it stuck in my head because of that. Sometimes it is hard to let a Korean song get in your head because of the language barrier, so I was glad they decided to come closer to foreigners by using a song that everyone would understand and like.
What are you doing, still reading this review? Go and watch Healer! ;D
Was this review helpful to you?
A Gentleman's Dignity is a realistic story about four men in their forties and four women of various ages. The themes discussed on the show were mature, truthful, and the pace was nice. It didn't have one moment that I hated or fastforwarded. There was no irrational love triangle nor annoying secondary characters. Each one of the males and the females was given importance and you came to symphatize with their story. Ah, to have more dramas like this. I could not erase anybody from this drama because they were like the pieces of a puzzle, they completed each other. And each one of them had their own funny personality; I laughed a lot while watching this. Each matter was treated with the due attention without delaying too much or drag the story like many other shows do. When an issue came up, the writer was quick to resolve it in a mature and smart way. So compliments to her!
The cast was amazing. I said I don't check out dramas with senior actors if I don't know them beforehand (I prefer <40 actors). The cast completely surprised me and I think every one of them was fit for their part. I can't see others play their parts. Each couple had chemistry, even Im Meahri and Yoon despite the age gap of the two actors.
The music was enjoyable. Each couple had their own "theme song" that fit their journey towards the end.
Overall, it was a very good kdrama to watch. If you are looking for something smart, calm, funny, mature, this drama is for you. You won't regret watching 20 episodes! ^^
Was this review helpful to you?
1) It may sound absurd, but for my taste I love when there is one or more evil characters on a drama - they make things more fun and the main leads' reunion at the end more earned. This didn't happen over here. We had great material: the cold halmeoni, the calculating uncle and Do Hyun's mom... not to mention Cha Ki Joon (the cousin) or Chae Yeon. Every time one of them appeared on screen, I expected them to make a smart move and surprise me, but all they did was utter the wrong words. Seriously, I REALLY expected some serious threats to make the whole situation more anxious and interesting! This was a big let down. Maybe as a melo and makjang fan who has probably seen a lot of things whil pure evil enemies, was waiting for something more. Ok, but this can be forgiven because what is important here, is the DID and the road to recovery. Let's say the seemigly "bad people" including Do Hyun's father were only a backstory to that.
2) There were too many flashbacks and at some point it was confusing. Ok that they could help us viewers understand the backstory more, but do not let the footage be longer than 5 minutes! On the last episodes it was really TOO long, and could have been told through another telling method. In my opinion, a shorter FB gives a mysterious tone to the narration and makes the audience would want to look out for more. The FB's almost told everything we still needed to know, dragging the whole thing.
3) And this brings me to point 3. I honestly felt that up from episode 15 to 20, the writer just wrote stuff to "fill" the episodes, since they had them. I felt like 16 episodes would have sufficed. This is why the long flashbacks and long scenes with the main leads with basically 5 minutes or less of screentime for the secondary characters that as I wrote above, could have been given more 'evil' things to plot, instead of just walking away emotionless as they did. I don't like stories that drag out too much.
4) This may sound silly, but I was REALLY disappointed by the romantic part. I had watched Ji Sung and HJE in "Secret Love" and loved them because they portrayed a sweet yet bitter kind of romance. Here the romance was also messed up because of the personalities and the "triangle" between Do Hyun, Se Gi, and Ri Jin (quadrangle if we also add Ri On or pentagon with Chae Yeon). Don't get me wrong, I think they had the chemistry but somehow, when they kissed they seemed uncomfortable. Their kisses were just too simple and lasted FOOOOOREVER, I felt like sighing everytime. Bear with me, but if they are potraying something that has romance in it, to make me feel the whole thing, the romantic part has to be done in a way that I could enjoy, and here it was partially done so I feel a bit let down.
5) And maybe last point. I think the writer focused too much on the psychological part and the overcoming of the past. Like I said above, the romance is important when I watch something. If the ulterior plot besides the romance is not played in a way where it compensates for the lack of it, then even if it's well written like in this case, it leaves me with nothing much but a story about things I have studied in school (yeah, I was a psychology student). Had it been more evil touches and conspiration, I would have been more forgiving on this part. But since it didn't happen, I can just say I really appreciate how the writer explained this disorder and was creative about the personalities and what happens to people who suffer of DID, I can just compliment him/her on this aspect.
Finally let's talk about the cast and acting. I have already mentioned that I first saw Ji Sung and Hwang Jung Eum on "Secret" two years ago. They did not disappoint me. I find both of them good actors, JS was really good at playing seven different personalities - it really felt he was a different person each time. HJE was also good but when she shouted I didn't like it. They were good together, you could tell there was already a friendship between them, but I felt that one of them (maybe JS) was restraining themselves while acting. Maybe I'm wrong, but that's how I perceived it. Nothing to say to the other actors, they were ok and no one stood out more for me to comment about them.
Musically speaking, the only song that remained in my head is the main one with the rapper and the female voice. It is a good song with nice lyrics about the drama, and I'm surely not going to forget it soon. The other songs were ok.
This being said, I will give the whole drama a 7.5/8. Even if I complained, didn't mean I haven't enjoyed the whole thing... ;) I think it is worth the watch.
Was this review helpful to you?
Story: This drama is your usual romcom drama. It has a very US tvshow feel because the audience is lead to discover stuff about the main leads' past very slow. The stories also have a realistic pace, unlike some dramas where the main leads fall in love or kiss each other after four or five episodes but you don't understand where their attraction came from, making that romantic side of the story not much believable. Thankfully, DOR's story, which was realistic yet very simple, tried to explore how two people behave in a relationship and what happens when you meet your ex again and the inners dilemmas and issues of men and women of our modern society go through and not the stereotypical storylines of kdramas. This drama was alright and while I watched I felt myself agreeing or getting mad at the characters as if they were real and not fictional. When a drama makes me feel something, whether it be a bad or a good feeling, it's a good thing. In this the drama didn't fail, but I would have loved more mystery and intrigues - guess I'm asking too much from a romantic comedy.
Acting/Cast: I came to watch this drama not only for what I mentioned above, but also because I had liked Sung Joon on "I Need Romance 3", which had the same writer of this drama, I think. I didn't know Eric nor Yu Mi, and I was pleased to see them acting together because they have great chemistry. I rooted for them from beginning to the end because compared to Sung Joon and Yu Mi, I felt more for that couple and it was the exact kind of couple I look for on a romcom. Speaking about SJ again, I think despite he's younger compared to the other two, he has nice chemistry with noonas, but it's not yet perfected so I hope he will improve that in the future. Everyone acted believable portrayals and they really felt like true characters to me, as if I knew them in real life. The side characters were good as well. Han Yeo Reum's friends were funny and they made a cute couple.
Music: It was cute but honestly, I already forgot about it. I like that there were a couple of english songs put there casually, like in the last episode.
Rewatch Value: Well, despite I enjoyed this, I don't think I would watch it again for the moment. It's a light drama, but very predictable, so one could be bored if they know the story already, since it's not that big of a story.
Overall: I would give a 7+ to this drama. If the story had been deeper, perhaps it would have caught more viewers and would have gotten more of my love as well. In general, it was a nice thing to watch to pass the time. If you are looking for something that doesn't require too much attention and you loved the "I Need Romance" series, then this is perfect for you.
Was this review helpful to you?
The story was your usual drama story. People who end up caring for who they shouldn't, leading everyone to a twisted path. This drama was intricated from the start, and the writers put obstacles that I didn't find annoying most of the episodes. Rather, I got mad more than annoyed. This drama had me yelling at everyone who made a despicable thing as if they did it for real and this wasn't fiction, as if I was watching this right before my eyes in real life.
If you are looking for a drama that will make you smile and gush when your faves are having heart to heart conversations, this is not your drama. WHIB starts dark from the start, and gets more twisted along the way. There are no moments of relief, no jokes. It's a serious and tough drama and if you can bear with this, you should watch it because the acting is so so so worth more than the story itself.
The music was the only bad thing here. Few original pieces and a lot of songs from the period 2003/2004 were put in the background. Not enough and not a catchy OST.
Overall, I find this drama good but consuming. You must be in a good mood to bear with all the angst and rage of the characters or else you will be like me and yell at your screen (LOL). And without spoiling anything, you will need to be in an understanding mood to enjoy or either criticize the ending. I will say one thing about this. If you enjoy this drama and see the story and the characters in their complexion, the ending will make sense for you because at some point to me it seemed clear where all of this was headed. Anyway, don't be discouraged! Like I said, you should watch this drama mostly for the good acting.
Was this review helpful to you?
Story: this is your cute romantic drama story. Simple story, very funny and light with some annoying moments between the first and the second arc where it slowed down the pace a little and got a little boring. They kept repeating the same story but in different ways to make the moment when the truth would be revealed dragged till the end of the drama. The good thing was that at the end of every episode the writers were great at making you want to continue watching.
Acting/Cast: I got here because I was very pleased with Lee Dong Wook and Lee Da Hae's acting on their current drama Hotel King. In this drama they are so shippable together and have a great chemistry in my opinion. I enjoyed their characters. I also enjoyed Lee Jun Ki's character despite he was a little pathetic towards the end. The one that wasn't bearable like, at all, was the second female lead. I don't even remember the character name at this point, because I decided to ignore her... she was irrelevant and pathetic to me. The supporting cast was ok.
Music: The OST was cute and enjoyable. I still have the songs saved, they got stuck in my head! Hahaha.
Overall I'll give it a positive mark. This drama is a classic romantic comedy although the story was simple for my tastes and it dragged a little. If you love romantic stories and happy endings, you have to watch this.
Was this review helpful to you?
The execution of the story wouldn't have been possible if there wasn't a good acting behind it. I appreciated Yan Jin Sung's portrayal of her characters. She made you hate one and love the other, and was able to act according to who she was playing! This is what I call being a good actress and I hope for her to be the lead in future dramas. Lee Hong Ki also did a good job with the main lead but he needs to add more emotions to his characters not to make them look too stiff.
I was satisfied with the ending. The backstory was explained although it had its glitches that could be forgiven if we see this drama as a ghost/supernatural story and well, fiction. The main leads also had a very sweet ending and everyone got something in the end. Even the evil ones got to be redeemed in a way. I think most of the story was resolved.
I suggest to watch this drama if you are looking for a mysterious story with a touch of supernatural.
Was this review helpful to you?
Emergency Couple was fresh, funny, and I grew to like every character on this show. Anybody can relate to the main protagonist and this is important because a drama isn't that meaningful if it isn't a bit "real".
I don't want to complain. This drama made me excited every week but I thought that after episode 16 the story dragged too much. We had already understood who was gonna end up with whom, or what they would choose to do in the future. They should had wrapped things sooner than they did, and I was getting annoyed that they would not decide on something already. When there isn't much storytelling to do, you should end your show at 16 or 17 episodes, not 21.
This fact made the ending a little blah. They didn't have time to let the viewers see a development of certain relationships. This made it seem as if the ending was open, and ugh, I am not fond of open endings. I felt the ending of this drama had meaning but at the same time it didn't. I have mixed feelings!
Anyway, with this I'm not saying not to watch this drama. You should watch this drama. You won't regret it. Maybe just skip to the end after episode 16. :P
Was this review helpful to you?
