Surprisingly engaging. Entirely bingeable!!

I started watching this fully expecting it to be silly and nonsensical and a good distraction - and it was - but interestingly - it was quite a bit more… and I actually enjoyed it.

The overall story is not new and seemed like a “mush-mash” of other fluffy historicals. But even though the FL was typically over the top and antics-oriented - the drama managed to convey a FL character that was independent and open-minded. The values portrayed were female empowering and I liked that.

It has a reverse harem theme but not in a gratuitous way. The FL openly admires the male form - and female as well - she can admire a beautiful woman without malice. She is Portrayed as comfortable with her own emotions and wishes and demanding equality in her relationship. At first she could be viewed as silly but we do get a sense of her pure and honest heart. She is practical and direct in her admiration.

The MLS are both wonderful and our FL has good chemistry with both. I loved that this was a love triangle but - not really. Instead it actually came across as our our FL just exploring her options to figure out who she connected better with physically and from the heart. She had enough chances to check out who really made her heart race! She also treats both MLs sincerely and wholeheartedly. Once she figures it out she commits to her choice and all parties respect and support that. So no toxic love triangle.

Our course all is that aside — this was a visual feast when it comes to MLs. Enough shirtless scenes of these two gorgeous men who emoted strength as well as tenderness just like I like my leading characters.

If you are okay with a bit of silliness with a not so perfect story nir production - this is a fun quick watch with a twist at the end that might mean another season —— and I would not mind giving a second season a try if that’s the case.

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Positive Family dynamics portrayed well

The suggested score MDL gives me for this is 9. But I choose to give it 10. I do that because the show has the beautiful element of NO TOXIC CHARACTERS.
If you enjoy drama brought on by crazy exes and horrible mothers-in-law and power hungry individuals…you would hate this one.
This is a simple story about enjoying life in the moment.
About how family is not only through bloodlines.
About how parents are not always right and children are not always right either
A story about familial forgiveness and acceptance but also responsibilities. But we still get enough romance and a ML who is just wonderful. There are many other characters to love though.
The cast has a lot of experienced actors and that shows In the quality of their delivery.
The ended as they started. A chaotic family that loves each other but always has some drama going in their life.

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Okay as filler drama

This is just an OKAY drama. The political stuff was not interesting. The sets and costumes were very nice. Visually appealing. The ending was happy and it reflected the nature of the romance in the show which is the main reason I was able to finish this show.
The ML falls first and hard and remains loyal to the end. It is a matter of fact kind of romance. He stays by her side through everything but not in a white knight complex kind of way. He just stands by and is there if she needs him. In fact there was a whole scene dedicated to him literally waiting for her and her just taking it all in stride as is the nature of their relationship.
The FL is smart. Has a life goal and states more than once that romance is great but she must complete her goals. I like that messaging and the strength of the character.
This drama has over ones of Romeo and Juliet. Watch for those themes and how they portray them.
Other thing I enjoyed was the sword play and wire work. There was enough for those of us who enjoy these scenes. The beauty of the swordplay without the gory violence.
The ending almost feels Perfect for a sequel or a series with each episode showing the intrepid couple solving mysteries. I would watch them.

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Some Romance but more life challenges in an office setting spolighting women in the workplace

The office scenes and situations were quite well portrayed and the idea of everyone RACE-ING constantly to some unknown was also well portrayed. While there were good examples of toxicity in the workplace it was good that they showed hope for positive workplace initiatives as well. The show felt mature in that sense.
It is rare to find a drama without truly annoying characters. There were unlikable characters but none truly annoying to me. I especially enjoyed the lack of female characters who disrespect other female characters. In fact, women uplifting and supporting women is one a compelling theme for me.
The relationships also had a similar feel. We saw the tough parts but also the supportive friendships and colleagues. I did not really “feel” the romance between the main leads. They did, however, have wonderful friendship and a deep connection which I appreciated. I also appreciated the attempts further normalize diversity in the romantic interests (same-sex, age-gap etc). Most importantly (for me) was a SML that wore his heart on his sleeve in his personal and professional life.
The music was wonderful as well and “Waterfall” of course is my favourite. https://youtu.be/4h-DAdMTECU
The overall feel of the drama was a decent mix of rom-com and pertinent societal issues. I would have rated this higher if it was in the mood for thoughtful drama content. I was not ready for it to make me think as much as it did. Plus the main couple romance… so even though the suggested is 9, I'll go for 8.5.

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A drama that is sugary sweet but delivered so we believe its real!

This drama deserves a 10 because it is perfect for romantic junkies like me. If you want a story that focuses on the main couple and explores how the became a couple, this is it.

The music was perfectly timed an presented to support the relationship. The acting from our leads was wonderful and compelling and their chemistry was off the charts. They conveyed the myriad of emotions of their journey with beautiful facial expressions that pulled me in every time. I believed in their love.

This is not new or groundbreaking story and for some it is actually a problematic story. The part that attracts me if the way the drama lets me experience the emotions the characters are feeling. We feel their butterflies and frustrations and feelings of inadequacies and yearnings and hope and desire to loved and be loved. From beginning to end the actors portray a scenario that unfolds to explain the POV of both of the people in the relationship and how they get to the point of being the ones for each other. It kind of sacrifices any other story lines to just focus on our leads.. There are short scenes of side stories but they were really only to support the main couple . I could see the potential for criticism to say these were just "forgotten" but I was too invested in the main coupe to really care.

So this is not even a flaw for me. In my opinion this allows for the main characters to be fully developed. By this I mean that at the end, I believed that even though the ML was older his life circumstance led him to focus on survival so his romantic/emotional age was actually less than his real age. The same with the FL - her princess life gave her so much security and safety to be who she wanted to be. We also learn early on that she is intellectually capable so this coupled with her freedom of expressions helps her to study and learn from her experiences. She is able to analyze situations and critically think through problems which in a way bridges the age gap. I totally believed that his emotional age and hers where much closer and made them well-suited and no issues with a romantic relationship.

A romantic relationship that they are fully committed to an expend all the passion and energy in their heart and soul to secure and maintain and be happy in. That is the sweetness and also the pure fantasy of this drama. The portrayed sincerity which these two bring to their relationship makes us believe it could absolutely be real. I really enjoyed that ride and will definitely watch again. In my books they deserve a 10/10 for delivering this so well.

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Cliche, Cheesy, Candy (Eye) with a Cold CEO

Sometimes the sum of the parts are just not the whole. when i put the starts for Story/Acting, etc... the recommended rating for this is 5.5, but I rate it 8. Nothing about this drama drove me crazy and nothing thrilled me beyond usual. It was simply just a drama for leisure time - perfectly fine... so 8 is the enjoyment rating for me... because of those cheesy lines that made me smile because they were so cheesy...
If you are like me and you sometimes need a fluffy bit of pretty to mindlessly consume, this is just fine.
Of course: if you can't stand the same old same old , than this is not for you.
It is essentially a predictable romcom with a "flash" of fantasy - actually it is a shame they did not make use of the fantasy elements a bit more.

What I mean by predictable:
-cold CEO finds one true love and becomes best boyfriend
-FL is the only one who can cure ML
-mandatory amnesia storyline
-ML has 1 or 2 other women trying to break them up!
-FL has another suitor - love triangle but not
-FL and ML have to spend 24/7 together for some reason
-FL works for ML
-meddling grandparent
-leads are either orphan or from a single parent family

What I mean by "flash" of fantasy-
-2ML has a moment early on where he reflects on his journey - then nothing until the final episodes and that time they just gloss over who he is without explanation on why, when how!
-FL can cure ML - but then later the explanation of who she is does not really explain why?

But all of this is indicative of the drama itself being bits of other dramas of its genre - just put together with cringy moments and lots of "skinship" to keep you watching. And they did keep me watching all the way to the end. I was in the mood for the silly stuff. So if you are too, it is certainly fine to skip through ?

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A romance with a happy ending and great to binge as a break from the stress of this week. Not an earth-shattering, brand new story, but recognizable elements and enough romance but enough to get by.
Don’t expect it to impress you with a well-written script and an outstanding OST. It is something to satisfy drama addicts who like the elements that the show throws together to make the drama (or at least that is what they appeared to have done).
The ML and FL carried the show so romance addicts will like it. I like the facial expressions of the ML better, I felt it brought some nuance to his acting and the character in general. I would not mind watching him in something else.
The other characters are pretty much cliché as in devices to move the romance forward. At times you may think this drama is trying to be a parody or be tongue-in-cheek. But, he attempts at a serious political intrigue and plotting suggest otherwise.
I would say just approach it as a “not-well-done” historical rom-com quite appropriate for when your brain cells need break with a tub of ice cream curled up on the couch. Don't take it too seriously. No rewatch value for me.

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Easy to watch romcom

This drama has nothing new to offer but it is a easy watch. No denying this was not about the plot. For me, I watched this because the ML. Something about this actor I find pleasant to watch. Poisoned Love I liked him more than the first ML he was adorable on Fall in Love and I. make a your Heart Smile he had the same vibes as this drama. Easy on the eyes and swoon worthy. It definitely lives up to its Romcom name - good job

It does not have a fantastic plot
It does not have fresh and new ways of telling the story
It does not have award winning acting
Even the music is just the same old Beethoven

IT IS:
Llight and fluffy with a ML that never sways in his love and devotion and a supporting cast that is not too annoying this. This would be worth the watch.

IT DOES:
Have some lighthearted funny moments. In the earlier episodes the FL has fantasies about scenes that poke fun at cliches in K-dramas which actually adds to the fun. Favourite line is her imagining her self speaking Korean like a KDrama FL.

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My rating is greatly influenced by the romance in this drama, because of the quality of the production and the moments that left you on a high, it was enough to make me eager for Fridays. If you are looking for a well thought out sci-fi/fantasy drama, this is not for you. But if you can abandon logical storyline and live in this world of make believe for a king and his girl, you are good to go.
I was reminded of Dr. Who when I watched this but the world created is nowhere as exquisite as in Dr. Who. The accepted lore surrounding time travel and space/time stories don't bother this story, it does its own thing. Sounds like you should not watch ---- but as much as all of this is true, I felt that this show delivered a romance that made it worth a few hours of my time.
Story:
I gave the story a 9 because of its bones. It is not fleshed out well, but there is enough for someone to pick up and let your imagination take you the rest of the way.
The high production value does enough to keep you in the world of the drama even when the story lines when off the rails sometimes.
There is a theme of love across almost impossible boundaries like that which can be found in Crash Landing On You.
I don't mind cheesy romances... I can discount the plot holes and live for the moments where the leading man is dressed in his military dress uniform and stand stately and claim his woman.
Acting/Cast:
Lets just say Woo Do Hwan 10/10 ….
I don't favour Lee Minho's acting but he suited this character and did a credible job of creating the mood of the romance. A cool, smitten, dominant male lead. It isn't a swoony romance and it is not about the female lead. Lee Minho carried the romance for me but it might be because I like a strong male lead. This role seems to be suited for his type of acting. The charisma of a King or a knight in shining armour on a white horse. There were enough times he got to say lines that cheesy romance novels stereo typically write for a King.
The rest of the cast, considering everyone had to play dual roles, I found extremely engaging. The storyline failed a couple of the characters in later episodes.
Music:
10/10 and really, all I need to say is that there is this song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apNWEcuBboI
Rewatch:
I don’t think I would rewatch this without a lot of fast forwarding.

Overall:
You can break a piece of art down into the different lines and colours but until you stand back and look at it as a whole, you don’t really see any substance or merit. This show is like that to me. There is so much I can say that could have been done better. Yet, I feel I could replay some of the moments and get the “feels” all over again. Watching it left me feeling good. If that is all it provides in the world as it is today, then this drama was worth it.

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The story has good bones. Some mystery and plenty of romance just the way I like it. i think it fell apart during the 36 episodes but it was not horrible enough to make me lose interest and want to drop it. I loved the pretty colours in the scenery. even though the costuming, props and scenery is not true historical. Don't expect everything to be accurate. It is just a fun romp. There are given a team of intrepid investigators who had their own romances going on and none of the characters were annoying. Their stories were pretty much well thought out.
I thought the hidden identity added a lot of fun … I loved the subtle moments when they acknowledge she should figure it out but then showed why she discounted it. It stopped me from thinking if she is so smart she should have figured it out!
The pretty martial arts and flying to the rooftops , fan service… all A+ I like that the ML was willing to be by the FL’s side in whichever way she wanted. His delivery of his role played a big part in making me watch till the end. He was hooked from the beginning to the end by his FL (and vice-versa) and I love those kinds of romances. Where they just know.
The smiles and whimsical but committed treatment of their relationship was perfectly balanced. Their natural chemistry is evident. They look at each other in a “connected” way. When he called her “Shui Ge” (Brother Shui) which sounded like SUGAR in English , I just melted. I swear the writers meant this to sound that way and whenever he said it with his smirk… well… I wanted to hear him say it again.
Even though the FL had another love interest for a spell, I felt it was not your typical silly love triangle.
Part of the reason I am giving this show a 10 for trying to incorporate diversity themes in a respectful way. It was fun and pretty and I loved the messaging… For me what makes a show special ( even when the story wavered and the execution faltered… ) is there seemed to be a concerted effort to show strong female characters and include differently abled individuals.
We have a female gang boss as a female business person. I loved how the ML handled the FL’s visual impairment. It was very matter of fact what you can do for a person who is visually impaired. Also physical mobility of the brother was portrayed to promote dignity of person.
Overall I think the dramas was smarter and a better story in the earlier episodes. It definitely could have been done in less episodes. Towards ending it got a bit uninteresting but I was definitely wanting to move through the episodes even if some parts were not as nicely paced. The romance always hooks me.
This a wonderful little escape into a romantic fantasy with an ending that supports my view that the writers wanted to showcase equity in their little drama. Well done.

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if you like hyperbolic, spoof-like comedy, watch it

I would not describe this show as 100% spoof because there is much that is not THAT over the top , but the main characters definitely act that way and the story goes in so many directions and tries to capture so many cliches that you could definitely label it that way.
I don't like this type of comedy but I was able to make it through this by adjusting my lens to watch the ML in all his glowing glory... (cue shiny halo).
For me the comedy became stale in the later episodes so I was not as eager to get to them and finish the series. But it is pretty enough and low-angst enough to watch all the way to the end.

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Be prepared to laugh, cry and think for days....

This show is thought-provoking, funny, sad, real, light-hearted, intense, romantic, has great family values, is respectful of mental health issues and brings much needed perspective to an important topic.

Costumes - spectacular, Acting - Amazing - by entire cast , Script - soooo many good lines.... Enough well placed, well used comedic breaks to make sure you stay mentally safe - and adds to the rewatch value...

There are so many themes to follow and many have been addressed in the other reviews. I have found myself making up alternate names for this show, not that It's Okay not to Be Okay is bad, it is just that many themes resonate. Some that come to mind: "Love Yourself to love others", "Sang Tae defeat the butterflies", "Gang Tae's Hyung" , "The village that raised Gang-tae".. "Saving Min Yeung and Gang Tae". etc...

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FIRST some things to consider: This story moves very slow. It was like sitting with friends and hashing out all the neighborhood drama that was going on, so it does not feel like a fast-paced get to the happy ending story. Every emotion is dragged out. At times it may feel like it is lagging. It seems though that storyline changes were made somewhere along the way and it picks up as it progresses. My rating is for the well developed characters and their relationships and the acting.
Story:
So many issues in this. I watched this as it aired. So I had to wait for new episodes. This was a good thing, because I got to savour the first couple episodes and let it marinate in my mind. The societal issues that this show deals with are very timely. The first couple episodes were a punch to the gut. I like romance and it took a couple episodes well for the show to set up and get to the romance. But this did not deter my enjoyment, because the story was so good. That said: the romance of the two main characters alone is worth sitting through 100 episodes. I did not like how the second romance line ended, but even in that it speaks to societal norms and a what the culture would accept as a suitable outcome. This story was real in only the way a Korean drama can do it. So much commentary on how we live our lives, thought-provoking. There is so much pain but so much love, all of it that makes up what our life is. The show is aptly named.
Acting/Cast:
There were a couple annoying characters for me. But as the story developed, I did not get to like them, but understood them and accepted them more.
The main male and female lead gripped me EVERY SINGLE TIME they were on the screen (Kim Jae Young and Seol In Ah). This was a slow show and the nuances were important - they did such a great job. You feel them struggling with everything and trying to find a way to manage the fact that they want to be with this person.
The second couple had a love triangle and a character that was so well done - as a son, brother, neighbourhood person and friend. Loved the character and the acting (Yoon Park).
Music:
I can't say it stood out to make my playlists, but it fit the mood of the show well.
Rewatch Value:
Because of the themes in this show, I would have to be in the right mood to watch again. I would probably skip through to the main romance line and just revel in how they handle their love matter of factly.

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Loud characters became annoying and non-redeemable

The story is typical for this type of drama but it felt so contrived and just silly in some parts.
I could handle double amnesia —-I guess? But the actions of certain characters during those times while they were needed to drag to 52 episodes sometimes seems to not fit the characters.
The characters did what they needed to do to create the drama but it made it so hard to be drawn to any character as realistic at all. Perhaps the FL’s adopted mother was the only character that remained true and had growth throughout the drama. Every other character seemed to be loud and annoying with no development or a rushed abrupt turnaround (like the MLs stepmom).
But I would have looked past all the flaws for the cute kids and the pretty song (veiled path) and the romance ….
Sadly the main couple lacked the necessary natural chemistry to provide that for me. Their acting was fine - although the FL spent most of her screen time crying or just smiling at the ML….and the ML spent half the time with amnesia and the other half being manipulated by the women around him.
There are probably enough good parts to take out the ridiculous parts and make a shorter and better story. So I would have said skip through parts. But the end … felt …. Well ….where did she suddenly get friends from? We never saw them for 51 episodes ? And the attempts to create cuteness in ep 52 …. Oh my. It failed. If I had hopes of a wonderful final episode to save the drama I would have been disappointed. They just threw together some ideas and created something called episode 52. I wanted compelling romance. I did not get it. :(

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This "happy ending" fan is not happy...

The story telling in this drama seemed to fall apart at the end. It seems liked there were so many thoughts but none were conveyed. I find a cliche genre can really only go a few ways for me to like it: 1) stick to the cliche to the very end, 2) poke fun at the cliche 3) have a meaningful twist that leaves you thinking... this one did none of these things.
There are MANY gaps in the story telling that it in the hind it was not coherent - small words - IT DID NOT MAKE SENSE.
I know that drama is make believe, but if you make believe about a a world at least be true to that world and your characters.
The ML and FL did not have the kind of romantic chemistry that I like. The second ML and the FL had had cracky interactions and I loved seeing them together. But even that story arc left me hanging. Then, if we wanted to force the story for the ML and FL ... why the ending?
It is getting a 7 because it is bearable and you can always watch the last 10 (12?) episodes on x2 speed.

If you are looking a drama to skip though , this is the one.

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