Reviews

Incredible series

Things you see aren't what they will be in the end. There are twists and turns that keep me going, waiting for the next episode. The acting is so so so incredible, starting with Yu He Wei (Three Body), Feng Jia Yi, Bai Yu Fan. Then there are so many other great performances from the supporting actors/actresses like the great Wan Ji Song (NiF), Tu Song Yan (Go Ahead) and more.

I think the synopsis is a bit misleading. For me, I clearly saw who the good guys were from the beginning but in the drama's comments, they had different opinions. So hey, I may be wrong. lol The relationships are really portrayed well in this drama, from romance to bromance, long time friends to frenemies, to the continued love/loyalty for a spouse who has passed away, to a single parent's love for a daughter and how far one would go for his/her child, an interesting love triangle and unrequited love. There is quite a bit of heart fluttering and emotional moments between all the characters. However, it's a dog eat dog world though so one never knows what will happen in the end. I surely didn't. lol

I highly recommend this drama. The ratings here are off in my opinion, and it toots a 9.6 rating on iQIYI which I agree with. When I first wrote this review, I was at ep 26 and out of 9 other CDramas I was watching at the time, this was the first drama I looked forward to watch the next episode. I just finished the series and it had a satisfying ending despite who I was rooting for :((( but because of that, I put the rewatch value to 9 because it's hard to rewatch an ending that I perceive as sad (I say that because some people probably wanted this ending aka justice). Although I was torn throughout the entire drama on whether to side with justice or side with who my heart felt for, I couldn't help siding with my heart so it would be hard to rewatch it again knowing the ending.

It definitely remained interesting all the way to the end.

Leggi di Più

enjoyable KBL

Overall: this is a nice KBL, though I would have rated it significantly higher if they had done 1 plot tweak in episode 5. 8 episodes about 25 minutes each. Aired on iQIYI.

Content Warnings: manhandling, blackmail, harassment

What I Liked
- cute and sweet moments
- I enjoyed a rarely seen plot thread of dealing with/getting over a certain something
- ongoing physical affection
- production value

Room For Improvement
- how I wish in episode 5 Ba Ram had only talked about his feelings regarding the teacher, because the lack of a certain response (I'm keeping this spoiler free) made zero sense to me and created cliche drama for the next episode+
- related to the previous point, in episode 7 Han Tae is unrealistically dense, he doesn't know why Ba Ram took back something he said...it's extremely obvious
- dead fish lip press (the dream one was much better but it was a dream)
- cliche near kiss in episode 8 when he was sober enough to carry him mere seconds before
- lack of plot resolution, the anti fans went where??? is there going to be a season 2?

Leggi di Più

Likes:

-Woo Bo Young was such a great lead! She was a ray of sunshine and such a genuine person without being ditsy! She still had flaws though, but I think those flaws made me like her even more. She’s what really made me stick with the show. I rooted for her the entire time!

-The whole cast of characters–even the meaner ones–were really fun. It was really entertaining to watch all their interactions and antics. I also liked how they all had their own things going on in their lives.

-The setting was unique in the sense that I don’t think there’s been a kdrama about physical therapists before! It was really fun to get a glimpse into that world.

-The use of poetry was also super unique and creative and it was incorporated in the drama really well.

Dislikes:

-There didn’t seem to be a plot to me. Besides the romance, I didn’t really understand what direction this show was trying to go.

-Going off of that, I think the show started off really great but then started focusing on the wrong things which ended up being its downfall. For example, the love triangle felt very unnecessary and didn’t really do anything for the plot or for the characters involved in it. Another example is that the show spent so much time developing Minho and Bo Young’s relationship and not enough on Bo Young’s relationship with Dr. Ye which left me feeling confused on who the show was trying to make me root for.

-The show should have focused on all the characters and their individual problems. It did at first, which was why I was so hooked at the beginning, but then it fizzled out. Characters’ problems were pushed under the rug halfway through and virtually forgotten about. Because of that, the majority of the characters end up not really doing anything to add to the bigger picture of the show, and they felt like they were just there to fill up time. What I wanted to see: Minho dealing with his family issues and the fact that they forced him into a career path that he isn’t interested in; Nam Woo working his ass so he can get a job; Yoon Joo trying to figure out how to deal with her loneliness and learning how to be vulnerable with others, etc.

-Dr Ye, despite being one of the leads, was one of the most underdeveloped characters of the entire cast! I still don’t really understand his character or what drives him. Who is he outside of work? I wanted to know more about his break up and see him trying to heal more from it. I liked his character but I needed to know more in order to be fully invested in him. The show did give him some more character development in the last two episodes, but honestly, by then it was too late since everything was wrapping up.

Overall, this show was entertaining to watch, but the lack of character development for the majority of the characters and the lack of plot left me feeling majorly dissatisfied.

Leggi di Più

Logic is non-existent, let's be real, everyone is only watching it for Song Joong Ki

Reborn Rich, a drama based on a web novel, is yet another story that uses the "born again" concept. It introduced the main character of Yoon Hyeon Woo, who, despite his stellar results in high school, had to give up going to university because his family could not afford his tertiary education. In an era where full scholarships and bank study loans probably had not been established in South Korea, Hyeon Woo joined the mega-corporation Soonyang after leaving school and soon climbed the ranks to become a senior finance manager in rank, but super-manservant in practice. In spite of his hard work, he was betrayed and discarded by the very people he served, and subsequently found himself reliving the life of a young boy, Jin Do Jun, the youngest son of the youngest son of the founder of Soonyang.

Most of the above was already given to us in the synopsis, and from what I have seen, Song Joong Ki performed far better in his role as Hyeon Woo than in his role as Jin Do Jun. As Hyeon Woo, Joong Ki's expressions were more real - in moments of servitude, he was spontaneous, relenting, and in times of panic, his fear more raw, the helplessness he was supposed to feel more convincing. The reborn Do Jun, who had lived through all of the 2000s before, knowing what would happen when it comes to government politics, monetary policies, and global catastrophes, was the character in focus for much of the story, but even so, I couldn't feel the impact of this character the same way Joong Ki delivered Hyeon Woo.

The second time skip happened when Do Jun grew up, but we can assume he didn't finish his law studies or sat for the bar, because by that time he didn't need to - he just had to get really rich. Did he commit insider trading through his ability? Yes, of course - coming from the future, he already had information on what happened in the past, and utilised that information to earn a lot of money. But because of the supernatural circumstances in how he obtained the information, no one can prove that insider trading happened. This is the secret of the bulk of his success for most of the drama. Nevertheless, the first few episodes had a decent start and a reasonable flow of congruency.

The basis for this drama is how the rich and powerful Jin family operates their business. Whether one finds the business principles interesting or otherwise, with the most basic understanding of the subject, following the drama would not be a challenge. However, even with the most basic understanding of the subject, this is also where the flow of logic started to break, and repetitions set in. Every one or two episodes, a "twist" happens for the sake of providing some "shock value" to the viewers, but provides no progress in plot development. The ongoing crisis is merely dropped and waved away while another new trouble is brewing. And every one or two episodes, someone's office will be raided; they will be investigated for committing a business crime, but no worries, the cheap contrivances in attempting to produce anxiety rush in viewers peters off like a whiny balloon out of air when the climax ends. And so, for 14 episodes, the focus were placed on business operations, and the phenomenon of time reversal and soul-switching were not at all touched during all that time. How was this explained in the end? It's "redemption".

I never expected solid logic from fiction, but I was still hoping for some level of cogency. Reborn Rich quickly became boring and ridiculous to me as the episodes went on, and by Episode 8, the drama was a chore to watch. The human relationships in this drama also leave much to be desired, as no one is honest with one another. The closest thing to honesty was seen in the grandfather-grandson bond between Do Jun and Yang Cheol, but even then, the two exercised a moderate degree of caution against each other. The romance between Do Jun and Shin Hyun Bin's character Min Young was initiated early, but it was marred with doubts, mistrust and misunderstandings. Seong Jun's wife, who initially had a crush on Do Jun, was introduced as a highly intelligent and ambitious woman who eventually resigned to her fate as a marriage pawn to a less capable heir. She became a character who seemed to have a lot of cards on her hands only to be relegated to appearing once in a while, having all purposes stripped from her.

The final two episodes would only be a surprise if the viewer has gotten used to Do Jun's rich and comfortable lifestyle, thinking all would just end with him becoming the CEO of the whole Soonyang Group, marrying his lovely girlfriend whom he doesn't understand and who doesn't understand him, chugging along with a fat ass account loaded with money for the rest of his newfound identity. So maybe getting killed in the first place wasn't that bad after all - but nah. Off pops the bubble, the rose-tinted glasses shatters, 16 hours of a lifetime watching this drama gone, and comes the cries of despair of the ones heavily invested. No, I lied. It really wasn't that devastating. But Hyeon Woo did become better off - by becoming a new partner of Miracle Investment. And the way it transpired? No explanations required. Doesn't matter that a person currently under criminal investigation is not allowed by law to work in any business or finance-related capacity. It's okay, no one will look for this detail. When this happened, there were approximately 20 minutes left on the final episode, so the writers probably thought, eh, whatever, let's just wing it.

And of course the final nail in the coffin was a recorded phone conversation, which is the same like, way too many dramas out there. This wouldn't be absurd with today's technology, but we are talking about 2004 when people were still using the most basic flip phones. A majority of people still alive today have lived through this era with a flip phone. Phone conversations do not automatically get recorded. The phones in that era did not even have a recording function, what more to say a convo-recording function. Yes, this drama is fiction, but the idea of writing fiction is skillfully imbibing and presenting theories that the audience could not refute. It's usually either because the theory itself is a fact, or it is unproven and vague. To say a flip phone in 2004 automatically records conversations as soon as a call is made or answered is like saying carbonara tastes like chocolate, which it doesn't.

I will add that with all the flaws and absurdity typical of a Korean drama with a vengeance-agaisnt-a-rich-family setting, this was somewhat 2% better than Vincenzo and not as bad as Eve - which is arguably the worst drama of the year. Reborn Rich obtaining an 8.8 rating is not a testament to how good the drama is. Like many MDL ratings, it's a reflection of how many people have watched it and how many people love it. Correlation does not imply causation, so if Song Joong Ki's face is all you need to preoccupy yourself for a weekend binge sans sense and logic, by all means, watch it. But this isn't a good script by any definition of the word.

Leggi di Più

This series is utter trash. I literally feel like hanging myself because I ran my ass home every day after college tryna jump onto Ccasian to watch 'Coffee & Vanilla' ((believing that the story and the god awful acting would improve)).. I mean, just from the introductional episode, I knew this series was shit but to my surprise.. it's shittier than I could ever imagine .. but that didn't stop me, I carried on (Mistake!!). ༎ຶ‿༎ຶ
There was literally no storyline!!!! WHAT THE HELL DID I WASTE MY PRECIOUS TIME ON !?!!!
God knows. I absolutely would not recommend this to a living soul unless they're livin' the bum life.
Anyways, this is my list of complaints:
- ML is supposedly 30 years old but looks like a young teen fresh outta his 15th birthday .
- FL is supposed to be Hella pretty but it appears that they ran out of pretty actors .
- FLs and MLs acting is shit. it's like they're talking to trees but I'm sure we'd be a lot better at expressing ourselves to a branch. - They're stiff and appear inexperienced . . . Especially for this genre but to be honest, the narrative performed was so bad you can't analyse a single genre or comprehend jack .
- FL and ML should have had a better closet. The clothes they wore were truly dull and limited... That orange dress the FL wore is literally the only thing nice but the lighting in the episode is deceptive so I can't really rely on that comment. And what's with the fashion sense, was this series really released in 2019? It's questionable .
- Oh, the lighting was soo poorly controlled that the front cover of the series looks different to the actors in the series itself. It appeared as though the filmmakers wanted to alter the realism and throw on a filter to hide any blemishes or faulty cells.
- FL acting was as I said previously, trash. I didn't read the manga but I could tell there was gaps of story missing... Like how the characters are supposed to be portrayed and the so called 'dark past' the ML has, which is to be exposed ( they left this crucial part out so in the end you're left sighing and shouting "HUH?" )
- During intimate scenes the FL was SO DAM STIFF! This was the most vexing part becuz her MUDAFAQIN head was always drooling on the floor! Omg! Omg! Just recalling the memory is boiling my blood. And this dumbass moves like a fish! The girls floppin around just from undoing a couple of her man's buttons on his shirt!! Like WTF!?
I can totally relate if he had a sexy ass torso but this dude is skin and bones!! What's there to exaggerate @bout?!
Not to mention the eye contact! It's the most frustrating thing ever because the best thing about romantic genres is when emotions are linked with eye contact and the build up of any romance, IS EYE CONTACT! WHY THE HELL IS THIS MISSING?!?! I SWEAR DOWN, ITS THAT FEMALE LEAD!
Wait wait wait, the kissing scenes were ಠ益ಠ because everything about the FL reminded me of a FISH! She resembled a fish so mfing much ತ_ತ. If you type 'Risa and Hiroto' on YouTube, you'll be able to empathize with me 1000%
So to summarise, it's that dam FL ! For God's sake, if you don't believe me, just watch it yourself. You will die on repeat.

Yours truly,

Suicide.

Leggi di Più

What if I am the change I have been waiting for!

When I read the synopsis, I was expecting a love story across parallel timelines with that 'what if' gimmick, but after finishing it, it has left me with a question or realisation that "What if life doesn't change because the world shifts but because you finally stopped standing in your own way?" Well, rude question but valid! This is a story about choice, stagnation, the cost of staying the same and understanding growth frustratingly requires effort.

The story starts with Kano Akihito emotionally boxed in. He isn't unlikeable but a very passive person. A person who lets life happen around him instead of actively stepping in. I liked how the drama did a good job at showing how that mindset slowly transitions into quiet dissatisfaction, even though nothing is " wrong" yet nothing feels right.

With the frustration, he has shifted to a new world... his ideal world. The ideal world where Kano is expressive, takes accountability, and doesn't wallow in self-pity and avoidance. I liked how this upgrade was handled. It showed that it doesn't matter whether you are in a different world or were given another chance, unless you reset your habits, every world is the same. I might have taken this whole shift too philosophically than intended lol, but it was refreshing to see a plot where you are not rewarded for enduring but rather noticing yourself and prioritising.

Coming to our other lead Ogami, I enjoyed his character too. We didn't get a detailed POV of him, but he is very observant. At first glance, he is like any other office character we have, who is cold, aloof and calm in a dreading way but as we get to see more of him, he is more like quiet, kind and mature. What I liked about him was how he didn't try to change anyone. He tried helping in Kano in the best way he could. Kano and us realised it late.

Moving to romance, I would say this is not a drama you solely watch for romance. It is definitely present but it is not loud. They really had good chemistry and I liked how Ogami didn't act as a saviour or fixer, just nudged Kano when needed. The tension between them comes less from any dramatic misunderstanding but more from emotional hesitation which felt surprisingly real.

That said, it could have benefited from 2 more episodes because the pacing was a bit uneven for all aspects, whether it is romance or the realisation. Some reflection scenes work well, but a few felt very fast-paced. The last episode felt a little too convenient.
Also, the fantasy aspect of drama is more introspective and unexplored. I would advise holding all the theories after episode 1 because that isn't the focus.

Acting-wise, it was a good performance by both the leads. The expressions were on point and in sync with scenes. Production and cinematography were good and it somehow elevated the watching experience. Lighting choices matched the mood of the scenes. Even though there are not too many outdoor shots, the sets felt lived in, like the office. Special mention to the opening OST. Loved it!

Overall, this was a thoughtful watch, or maybe I went too deep into the rabbit hole because of how relatable the struggles were. This will not drown you in over-the-top melodrama or spoon-feed you fluffy romance, but let you sit with some uncomfortable but well known facts that sometimes the only way out of your miseries is change, not external but internal.
Again, not promising a perfect, not life-altering drama considering the run time, but surprisingly reflective. If you are into this, I would definitely recommend this.

Thank you for reading my review and Merry Christmas! <3

Leggi di Più

The story is a ten because it is a remake. The cast .....as the series progressed I thought to myself, others could have done better. The music was so - and -so doesn't give you LSS feels and the rewatch- nope I am not gonna watch this, I would rather watch the lengthy Goong than this.

This had a promising start but this drama turned out to be a disappointment. It was such a waste because it was obvious that they had spent a great deal of money for the production. I managed to watch the first few episodes with much expectation but as the series progressed I couldn't watch any further. At times I did try to pick it up but it just got too stale for my taste. As a remake it was a complete disappointment. Most of the weight of its failure went to the actors and how the plot was executed. The original Korean showed character depth and development, but here the series is almost done but still they act like a bunch of elementary kids. I am also uncertain if there was a non kissing clause in the main female lead's contract but if it turns out to be true then it is a disappointment. There are some drama that have no kissing scenes but still managed to deliver but this one just went around the bush, it is not even a push and pull. This drama failed me so much, It failed as a romance genre because the main leads are just too cringy to watch with all those fake kisses. The villains are just plainly annoying. This drama will go into the archives that I assure you. Hey it is just my opinion.

Leggi di Più

Strong start, but weak finish

I'm always a fan of Young Woo, because of his great past performances ... so I stuck with this series right till the end. It was a great story at the beginning, along with great acting by the four protagonists in their roles, but somewhere about halfway through, things changed a bit for me. I found the direction of the plot a bit confusing at times, but as I said, I stayed with it, hoping it would correct itself. Unfortunately that didn't happen, it really didn't seem to be as interesting from the middle part of the series through episode 11. The finale did have some good direction toward the very end, but I think it was just a bit too far gone for me at that point. To no fault of Young Woo, Yi Hyun or Kang Yoon, giving all strong performances, but I just wish the last six or so episodes were as enjoyable to watch as the first six.
Looking forward to his future projects!

Leggi di Più

A Problematic Tearjerker...

If you ask for a drama watcher’s recommendations of “ saddest dramas they’ve ever seen”, it is probably likely that you’ll hear or see “ Uncontrollably Fond” ranked somewhere on that list.

The series focuses upon successful superstar Sin Joon Young ( Kim Woo Bin) who awkwardly meets his old flame from his youth, No Eul ( Bae Suzy), a producer of documentaries. When their respected careers awkwardly make their paths cross once again, No Eul is surprised to learn how much Joon Young has changed into a shallow and materialistic individual, rather than the kind-hearted person she once fell in love with, however, Joon Young also begins to stumble upon a life-changing truth which may finally ruin his relationship with his former love...

Undeniably, Uncontrollably Fond isn’t the type of drama to watch if you’re looking for something” fun and fluffy” ; the focal point of the series centralises upon terminal illness, tragic love and angst with Lee Kyung Hee’s ( The Innocent Man, Chocolate) screenwriting hoping to tug at heartstrings of viewers , rather than relish in a sweet romance tale (as shown in his more light-hearted works). The show is certainly effective within inflicting heartache onto viewers towards the particular fate of our characters, however, it is still certainly problematic when it comes to characterisation, as well as clearing up the evident inconsistencies which arose in this angst-ridden ride as well.It is important to note that the acting in the show is certainly quite good. Kim Woo Bin and Bae Suzy are undeniably brilliant actors, however, it is fair to say that their characters are tackled interestingly, to say the least.

Bae Suzy’s character, No Eul is undeniably a kind-hearted soul who is passionate about her work and desperately tries to make amends with Joon Young over the course of the series . On the other hand, No Eul often felt too dormant within her actual role and presence as a fleshed-out individual onscreen. Whilst it is important to stress that a show doesn’t necessarily need to go into a whole life story upon a character in order for viewers to “ get to know them personally”, it’s hard to really distinguish or get a grip upon No Eul as a character outside of her “ necessary flashbacks “ and past relationship with Joon Young. Even minor details such as her interests, interactions outside of her workplace and reactions to prominent obstacles over the course of the story , often felt passive and lacking in emotional depth to truly portray her as a well-written female lead.

Then of course there is Kim Woo Bin’s role as Joon Young. Undeniably Joon Young goes through several terrible ordeals even before the main events of the series, which fundamentally shapes his certain outlook upon life, relationships and characters (No Eul, being the evident subject of Joon Young’s changed interactions and feelings). No Eul’s entry into Joon Young’s life again comes nearly simultaneously with his life-changing news. This consequently causes him to try pushing No Eul away, as she becomes his saddening and haunting reminder of a past that he’s tried to reject, and he can never return to.

This of course leads us down two routes of “ problematic” characterisation; the first within Joon Young’s behaviour, and secondly towards this behaviour is inflicted towards the female lead No Eul . It’s important to say that Joon Young’s reactions and attempts to drive No Eul away by flirting with other women, did add a slightly realistic reaction towards the male lead’s scenario. Joon Young is supposed to be only human and naturally intrinsically driven like most people towards rash decision-making.

However, Joon Young’s often anger-driven emotions and reactions towards his situation by throwing things or beginning a screaming match, soon became both frustrating when he began to lash out at times upon No Eul. A lot of fans of Uncontrollably Fond’s pairing often seem to gloss over the fact that ,for the majority of the series, Joon Young was emotionally abusive and physically harassed the female lead upon several occasions ( not least throwing her out of the car in the middle of nowhere, grabbing her arm often without consent and often manipulating her feelings rather than merely being honest).

Again, this is not saying it was “ wrong” for Joon Young to have feelings anger or for the show to touch upon emotional abuse or physical harassment, but it was concerning that the drama neither raised this up prominently as a terrible issue or relationships, and suddenly tried to “ sweeten” this by Joon Young and No Eul’s more “ romantic” feelings before the finale. This sudden transition from Joon Young tossing No Eul out of a car to hugging her several episodes later, wasn’t just nonsensical, but ridiculous in terms of character and relationship progression.Nevertheless, despite the questionable relationship between the two characters, the finale did leave a sucker- punch for viewers’ feelings. Without spoiling too much, it is fair to say that upon reflection the ending isn’t “ sad” per say because of the fate of our characters, but rather the blinded acceptance towards what is happening in their present, rather than their pasts or futures.

Overall Uncontrollably Fond wasn’t a bad show with some well-written qualities of the psychological complexity of coming to grasps with terminal illness, relationships, love and an emotional ending. On the other hand, Uncontrollably Fond had little greater character depth, straying away from cliches and explanations ( not least the “ unexplained illness”) ,a healthily progressive portrayal of relationships and problems of sugarcoating issues of emotional abuse and physical harassment within the main couple as well. As a drama to pass the time and as a tearjerker , Uncontrollably Fond is undeniably a good-binge watch, however, if you’re looking for a show with genuine depth and a well-written relationship between our leads, then look elsewhere because Uncontrollably Fond certainly isn’t the one that you’re looking for.

Leggi di Più

A drama sure to check off many people's boxes for their "ideal type" of drama

This was such a refreshing firework of a drama! The two leads, in particular, made it crazy fun to watch with their so-far-out-there-they-might-as-well-be-floating-in-space personalities that were only heightened when they shared the same air. And they were consistently predictable yet unpredictable, leaving me either correct in my predictions while also being pleasantly befuddled at the path taken or both puzzled beyond belief and amused. Meanwhile, the side couple offered something unique with the often overlooked issue of financial inequality in a relationship and the myriad of ways it can affect it, including self-inflicted shame, pressure, and guilt.

It was a true delight tuning into Boys Be Brave. I highly recommend giving it a go! Especially if you're into "quirky" characters and dramas.

Leggi di Più

Loved parts, but couldn't get past others.

First let me say that I love that this drama shined a light on so many types of mental health issues. The autistic brother was my favorite character and I loved his story line. In fact, I really enjoyed all the story lines in the show. The acting was top notch and the entire drama was visually striking.

My main issue was the Female lead character. Let me try to explain...
If you knew of a person who had stolen the money from a bunch of elderly people leaving them destitute with their lives in shambles and that same person later decided not to do that anymore...at least not as much, and even built a Senior center, but never made amends to the elderly they had hurt and in fact didn't even think they had done anything wrong to those elderly, you would find it hard to see that person in a positive light.

That is how the the Female lead character felt to me. In the first part of the drama we see her cruelty to animals, her self centered attitude and lack of empathy. She does two attempted murders and two kidnappings in the first few episodes. Plus the emotional blackmail that she often uses is just horrible. Her temper flairs and she gets violent any time she is contradicted. And this part of her personality never changes. Though we see her soften toward the ML, his brother, and a few others, she easily and quickly reverts to her previous ways as soon as she is challenged. Even when she had the opportunity to make amends for destroying her publisher, she makes him choose whether he will repair his business or not when it wasn't necessary for him to do so. Effectively making him choose to stay destroyed and have to rebuild everything when SHE is the one who caused the destruction. I found her character exceedingly uncomfortable to watch and was always wary that the male lead would get hurt or that she would just turn on him at any given moment.

There is a scene where she talks to her mother and says something to the effect of how she "almost" became like her Mom. I was literally thinking...no...you are exactly like your Mom except you have yet to succeed in killing anyone (not for lack of trying) and though you are unempathetic at times, you are not necessarily evil in your intentions.

I like the two brothers and her together, but at the same time I found it uncomfortable to cheer for because of her character. It felt wrong to want the brothers to get entangled with such a person.

Without her character, the story would not have been the same, but because of that character, I had to rate the drama lower. She was just too uncomfortable to cheer for. If the character has shown remorse (beyond saying sorry for stabbing the ML...twice), or really even seemed to change, I would have felt differently but not as it was.

Leggi di Più

Let's talk about the plot. For me, I like the topic about trying to achieve one's dream but having so many hurdles in front of you that a lot of times, you just want to give up. I sensed that in the first half of this drama. I felt the hardship. Being ripped off, being seen from others as a no potential, having others stepping on you like your worthless because of your status. At the same time, we see two sides of family impact as well, barely any support and too much support to where they are controlling and you don't know how to adapt to reality. Some people may find these kind of issues in a drama boring but I liked the realness of it and I could sense it. I would've been fine with this drama had the whole drama revolved around this, focusing on the family relationship issues and the relationship hurdles when becoming a celeb now.
But here's where it went wrong. The writer lost a sense of direction in the second half of this drama. Past ep 8 is pretty much worthless to me. They added conflicts that, in my opinion, weren't needed. I think they were trying to add the reality of scandals occurring in a celebrity's life but I just didn't see a purpose for this relating to the initial plot. The annoying reporter and the stupid old manager who cheated on Hye Joon's success and growth were a real pain that ruined the 2nd half of this drama. To be honest, the last few episodes weren't handled well. The last episode may solve a few things but in honesty, a lot of episodes wasted.

Character wise, they have a few strong moments but it's really forgettable due to the overall character of the leads being pretty bland.

Music wise, this drama has some great OSTs. It's just that it wasn't played much as I would've liked to hear.

Definitely not worth a rewatch after seeing the direction the writer decided to go with this. Had the potential to be a good drama for me but failed miserably.

Leggi di Più