Reviews

I mainly only started watching Producer because of all the hype that was going in to it because of the very amazing cast that was IU, Kim Soo Hyun, Cha Tae Hyun and Gong Hyo Jin. I'd only watched Soo Hyun's previous work of My Love From The Stars, but he was amazing in that so I knew he would be able to pull off an entirely new sort of character. Besides a few low points, I really enjoyed this drama, and I'm one of those people that were glad it changed from a mockumentary to a romcom.

The story of Producer was something very new and original, and it showed a lot of potential. However, it did start off very slow. And to be honest, I don't know why they even used to story of Seung Chan's one-sided love for Ji Yeon. It wasn't even necessary to the plot of the drama. But once the latter half of the drama started, it got really good. I enjoyed Seung Chan's developing love for Ye Jin (although, I'm glad the Umbrella couple seemed like the winning couple near the end), and all the elements of producing. I really liked when we saw scenes focusing on Music Bank, like when Seung Chan and Cindy were going up in the lift together. It was so cute. I also loved the small love story between Hong Sun and Yang Mi, it was so funny to watch. Anyway, despite the slowness at the beginning, it was a really great story.

There was nothing to complain in the acting department. They were all great. To start off with, I'll talk about the main cast. Cha Tae Hyun was absolutely hilarious with his character of PD Ra Joon Mo, and he showed a very realistic side of a producer. Focusing a lot of his time of 2D1N, mouthing off at the rookie and showing genuine concern for those he cares about, like Ye Jin, Yuna and Cindy. Next off, Gong Hyo Jin was a lovely actress and she perceived her character of PD Tak Ye Jin very well. Although, the density of her character did annoy me, it was because of how the writers made Ye Jin, not how Hyo Jin acted her out. She did a lovely performance. Now, Kim Soo Hyun. His character of PD Baek Seung Chan was something completely different to his previous work of Do Min Joon, and yet, he was great at it. I also loved how he immersed himself in the character, as shown in interviews in Entertainment Weekly. Lastly, IU. I absolutely loved her character of Cindy, and she was so enjoyable to watch. I loved her slow but sure love development for PD Umbrella (aka Seung Chan). I just wish she got more screen time as I believe she got the least amount out the whole main cast. All of the supporting cast were brilliant as well, and Na Young Hee did another excellent job of making me annoyed at her character. My only problem was the girl who played Ji Ni (aka the next Cindy; Cindy No.2). Her acting wasn't the greatest, and was slightly stiff.

The music for this drama was also lovely, and I loved IU's single of 'Heart'. Although I'm not 100% sure that song was for the Producer drama (as I know it was also featured in We Got Married), it was released at the same time as the drama was still airing, so I'm just going to count it. However, besides IU's track, none of the other tracks were very memorable and didn't stand out well.

As much as I have enjoyed this drama massively, the only time I would re-watch this again is when I'm really bored. I have many other dramas I wish to focus on, and I also have to get through my last few weeks of school before I start thinking of re-watching another drama.

Overall, despite one acting choice, a slow start at the beginning of the drama and not very memorable tracks, this drama is very much worth watching and I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in a good romantic comedy.

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Big Mouth = Big Mouse

One of the dramas that I have been waiting for is actually airing and I couldn’t be happier.

My favorite type of dramas are the kinds that make me feel something.. as someone who gets bored easily and is a pessimist about things.. but I always knew that this drama was going to be really good. Now will it be amazing?

The last drama that I watched like this was Flower of Evil, both have my favorite actors and both are thrilling and unpredictably. I’m betting Big Mouth will be just as refreshing of a drama. And so far everything is looking to be good, I don’t see how this drama could be screwed up, everything is all there for me.

You’ve got the pacing- which moves along smartly and doesn’t drag. The drama isn’t shying away from blood and is getting pretty heavy off the bat- and then you have the acting and chemistry between the actors.

Lee Jong Suk is a heartthrob, I know he can swoon and be charming. I also know he can be scary as hell when he needs to be. Here you’ve got everything coming from him. I love that he is doing a drama that is able to show his full range- from being a flirtatious husband to a money hungry man.. he honestly is questionable with his morals but is still so likeable. There aren’t many episodes yet, but this is such a promising role for Lee Jong Suk- and so far you can really tell how well and immersed he is in this role. I was waiting for his first project back from the military and this doesn’t disappoint. Im Yoon Ha plays his wife and is also likeable. So far they have an interesting and playful dynamic as a young married couple, and I’m interested to see how devoted they are to each other as the plot develops further.

Episode two is where things went in a completely different direction than expected. Changso is put in prison wrongly and his wife is insisting he is innocent. It’s the premise of the show in the description so I expected that.. but the execution was done so well that I was blinded really. The way he ended up there was shocking, and it’s not just for shock factor either. I really like the whole underdog aspect of being in jail, and by the end of episode two I like how strong we see Changso really could be.. he could honestly become some sort of leading figure in the prison if he wanted. He could be the bad guy if he needs to and I would still like him. Lee Jong Suk brilliantly plays him, especially in the scenes when he is questioned if he is Big Mouse. The writing is done well enough where it’s noticed that he never gives an exact answer.. so it makes me wonder if he really is the major criminal? All signs point to him and even in his personal moments he is never confirmed not to be Big Mouse- but we do know he’s a big mouth. (Honestly the guy likes to provoke others)

I am enjoying the whole persona that Changho is forced take on, and from the warning he gives about becoming a bad guy- you start to see things that could show him possibly truly becoming that. In the end big mouse may not be him (still wondering who..) but he has taken on that role and may be going to far to turn back. The acting of specific scenes floor me and more than that the whole plot twists and overall story are so entertaining that you don’t want to miss a second.

In short, Big Mouth is worth the wait. It’s impressive with its visuals and is something I can tell that I’ll feel bad if people look past and not watch. Watch it, it’s very good- be a part of the airing process and feel thrilled each week. This show is a serious contender to be a drama of the year, and for me personally it’s definitely becoming a favorite.

The ending might be controversial, but to me it was clean cut. This drama stayed thrilling and faced paced. To the end it really was that good. I loved it and have nothing to complain about outside of one glaring issue that I won’t spoil.

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Don't click is aptly named -- you really shouldn't click and watch this movie.

It is a horror movie that takes from others (The Ring) and tries to modernize the whole "cursed tape" theme. While I applaud the effort - it is essentially a whole film of a bunch of schoolkids running from a cctv camera.

The characters act as they would in a horror movie: completely illogically and "I feel like dying today"ily - which makes for some rather hilarious scenes.

The motive behind it all is pretty shallow, and the moral of the story being: "Don't say mean things on the internet! The internet is a bad place!"

It is an un-scary yet quite hilarious "horror" movie.

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A succession of gore and betrayal

I’ll start by saying that the production is very good, but it’s not a surprise as there is nothing less to expect from Netflix. All the actors did a great job.
They tried hard to come up with a fresh story about zombies. In brief, the drama Is the typical survival race against zombies with a mix of gore & korean school issues such as bullying, teen sex, etc.

From the origin to the virus to the end with Nam-ra & “others like her”, it is poorly explained and doesn’t really make sense.
The drama could have been good, but unfortunately, It is overall a disappointment. The characters aren’t developed and it became a succession of unfortunate events, of useless fights between the characters, of human beings at their lowest points, etc. It feels they tried so hard to go against cliches that they just made the worst happened to “surprise” you.
Some characters & scenes are useless to the story & it feels that some scenes were added to add length to the story but definitely failed to add depth. The teenager who had a baby. On-Jo’s father who spent 10 episodes to look for, but died after 1,5 min he reunited with her, The bully that stays alive (but we don’t know how) & spent all episodes to run after ML to finally gauge his eye out and died with him. Etc, etc...

It reminded me a lot #Alive but with schoolmates rather than neighbours. The drama format was issueless and they could have made a movie out of this story, it would have probably avoided all the unnecessary added scenes.

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A good philosophical show with a bad pilot

The first three episodes present a disorienting experience for viewers, with a narrative structure that lacks clarity and coherence. The plot jumps haphazardly between different timelines without clear indication, leaving audiences struggling to piece together the sequence of events. Flashbacks blend seamlessly with present-day scenes, further complicating the understanding of the storyline. This lack of a clear timeline detracts from the overall viewing experience, making it challenging for viewers to fully engage with the narrative.
Furthermore, the abundance of characters introduced in the early episodes adds to the confusion. While an extensive cast can enrich the storytelling by providing diverse perspectives, this show struggles to effectively develop each character amidst the chaos of its narrative. As a result, many characters feel underutilized or underdeveloped, diminishing their impact on the overarching plot.
Despite its shortcomings, it" begins to find its footing in the fourth episode, as the narrative begins to coalesce and the timelines become more discernible. The characters, once disparate and disconnected, begin to intertwine in meaningful ways.

So, is a philosophical drama with grand aspirations, marred by its initial confusion and lack of coherence. While the early episodes may leave viewers feeling adrift in a sea of disjointed narratives, the series gradually finds its footing and delivers a more cohesive and engaging experience.

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Drama is finally here and I am loving it BUT....

It was such a long wait and I must say usually most of the hyped shows do not live upto the expectations as we have seen with many dramas in the past and tbh I was afraid it might go down the same lane after watching the the first episode for few minutes. But thank goodness they didn't stretch that part for long and we jumped into the mortal arc right away. That is where the main story will unfold.

The beginning was little hectic plus waaay too fast that I found myself little overwhelmed with all the fight, death and sacrifice and sinister expression of ML his lackeys. They introduced the main characters way too fast that is what I thought. I couldn't concentrate on anything. From fight to amazing graphics. It was happening too fast for me to process it all. (Some demon or god fight probably, was all in my mind) I did not feel much emotions as characters were dying right off the bat.

Thankfully we came fast in the real part and I could take breather and they explained pretty much every important thing about the earlier fight later on. The show literally turned into something else and I knew with Bailu's comedic expressions that this role is just for her. She nailed her character into this new role while the earlier one just looked like a beautiful doll without much feelings or expressions. (She looked so stiff back then).
We all know both ML and FL will have a great chemistry as the duo already gave us a hit drama in the past. There is no doubt when it comes to their acting. It was flawless like their costume and amazing set design. I loved the music as well. I was little sceptical whether it will be another Love between fairy or Devil but surprisingly it turned out something else. And we got a Devil, conniving and oppressed ML and a kind hearted soul in villainess' bodyas a FL . I am loving ML's evil smirks and expressions and to some extent felt good when he indulged in his revenge. The domestic abuse and bullying can turn anyone into a devil fs.
I am loving it so far. It is not just a cliche story like any other costume drama and I have high hopes now. Check out the drama you won't be disappointed.

PS: At this point I have already started to read the novel while waiting for the new episodes. I can't believe how much they have changed the storyline just to make it more audiance friendly. ML is pure evil and a real psychopath to the core in novel. Xi Wu/ Su su's actions which looked annoying and stupid in some scenes of the drama are actually the original scenes from novel (her character is pretty much same in the novel and drama. On the other hand Tantaijin/ devil lord is the one who is turned more likable in drama. Everyone sympathies with him while watching drama but in the novel you will hate him for sure. Sigh...it is unbearable to some extent. They did a really good job in changing ML's character in a way where we would love him and obviously Luo Yunxi's acting is amazing. I really don't like the way they are editing the episodes especially in the later parts. It is so weird and certain parts are not making much sense due to the episode limit. They are rushing really badly because they need to finish the story within few episodes. I really hate this episode limitation thing for real.
PS II: DRAMA ENDED on a cryptic note just as we all feared. After this I don't think I have much expectations from Xianxia dramas. Every good show ends up in the same way. I had to change my ratings. just because of the editing. Whoever does the editing in this show... *I am coming for ya*. Worse edited show ever. Rushed ending with crappy editing completely ruined it all (for me atleast). I would suggest people to go watch Love is sweet after finishing this and imagine it as their modern reincarnation to soothe your heart.

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Criminally overrated

The fact that this drama has a 9.1 rating over here has made me lose faith in this website's rating system and the current generation of drama raters.

Firstly, apart from the semi-interesting but not original premise of going back in time to save someone, there is not much in this drama, once again, but fluff. Fluff and the usual new-gen formula -- make them fall in love as soon as possible (with hardly any sexual tension). Just make them fall head over heels in love with each other with hardly any conflict at all. And then make it all be cute and fluffy couple scenes. Then when we hit episode 10, insert a totally artificial conflict about a serial killer that the couple must vanquish. What a sad state kdramas are in these days. Except for those, of course, who want nothing but cuteness and fluff, which seems to make up the majority of the new drama viewers, as evidenced by the totally undeserved 9.1 rating.

The drama actually gets off to a relatively good start, but it actually is a bait-and-switch. At first, you think you're getting into a complex drama about time travel, depression, suicide, disability, fan culture -- but all of that seem to exist only in the first episode and are hardly given a second look by the writers for the rest of the drama. Instead, what we actually get is a failed attempt at various disparate genres -- slice of life, teen romance, sci-fi, crime/thriller, comedy. All of these are thrown in the mix but none of them are done well. The slice of life is shallow. The characters that make up the family and neighborhood are just not written well enough to rise above their flatness, and to make you care or feel any real warmth. The teen romance, as I had already mentioned, has no tension at all. It is just there almost from the very start that they are equally smitten with each other. No sexual tension. No conflict. No push/pull. It is romance wrung dry of all negativity, so that what we are left with is a squeaky-clean perfect vision of sunshine and rainbows and heart-eyes and fluff fluff flufffffff that is so perfect that it is utterly boring. We all know that romance and all matters of the heart are fraught with a lot of stormy emotions -- doubt, fear, jealousy, anger. Hardly any of these are portrayed with any conviction. It is just a perfect teen daydrem, utterly bland and uninteresting. But cute!! Don't forget cute because that is what netted the 9.1 rating, that attempt at cuteness. That trying to be as cute as possible. Because apparently the modern drama watcher will go a single awwww and run here and rate it a 10. In my honest opinion, the leads actually lack enough chemistry to elicit any kind of real awwww from me. But maybe that's just me. I never felt any real spark between them. They have the chemistry of siblings, IMO.

As for the sci-fi, which is the time travel element, it is so hollow and thin that it is practically not there. It is obviously used as just a device to create the "interesting premise," but the writers couldn't be bothered to create a clear explanation or rhyme or reason to it. Apparently, the grandmother developed dementia-related superpowers and am able to go beyond time. How or why, no one knows. The comedy is just dismal and does not deserve even a single sentence. The thriller aspect is totally predictable and uninteresting. The killer is just some rando person out to get the couple, again just to serve as a plot device to sub for the missing conflict in the story.

The drama does not even delve into the very real issue of kpop idol depression and suicide, which it selfishly again trivializes and uses as a mere plot device. It does not even go 1-inch deep into this matter. In fact, it is unclear whether the ML actually did commit suicide or was just offed by the killer. The drama does not show whether he truly was depressed. Depression and idol culture are totally shoved under the rug, discarded and forgotten. So is disability. It is used as, again, another plot device to make the drama seem interesting but is magically done away with within the second or third episode and is totally forgotten for the rest of the drama. The drama writers just could not be bothered to insert any depth or substance into their story. Apparently this is the new in thing -- squeaky clean, sanitized fluff that is bleached of all negativity or conflict and of all sexual tension, which it seems is considered by the new generation as "toxic." Romance is apparently toxic nowadays, apart from fluff. Fluff is the only thing that is safe and will not draw the ire of the new woke public.

This drama was actually the final death knell that marked the end of my love affair with Kdrama. After seeing this, I have decided it is high time to stop. There are other, better alternatives, such as Jdorama, which is not as woke, not as sanitized and still has the courage to delve into very real human concerns that at least make you feel something.

As a postscript, I do want to add that this drama has one shining light -- the second male lead! How I wish he would have been the ML instead, but alas. He is, of course, relegated to the sidelines, just like everything else in this drama that could have been good if given better focus and treatment. But again, we are left walking away with nothing but air and fluff. No substance. No depth. No real drama. Just fluff.

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A very heart-warming and inspiring drama

I know many people seems to have mixed or negative feelings toward this drama but I really enjoyed it. There were times I was really frustrated with how the plot was progressing but once I finished it I realised it all actually made perfect sense. When I first started watching this I actually didn't even watch the trailer and had no idea who the main leads were. And I had very high expectations after watching the first few episodes. It didn't exactly hold up to those expectations but it still was a really good story and the actors did a good job in portraying their characters. It did seem a bit cliche sometimes but I loved it nevertheless.

I really loved the growth of each character as the story went on. How each of them realised their mistakes and tried to better themselves was very nice to watch. And I love it especially when the characters apologize for their mistakes. One lesson this drama taught me is that it's okay to take risks sometimes. It could end up with us being hurt but it still would be a learning experience. It could help us to not make the same mistake again. Samsan tech's journey was really so heart-warming. They had to go through very tough situations but they still did overcome all those and that was very inspiring to watch. I loved how Dalmi handled every situation, and even if she did face troubles I love how she didn't let it hold her down but got back up and kept fighting. I think that shows how she really is the girl on the swing. Dosan's character is one that I could relate to on many levels, even though I'm not a genius like him. A person like him who lacks self-confidence and is a bit introverted and also doesn't know what his dream is, being able to succeed while still being true to himself was very nice to watch. And Han Jipyeong's growth from a very brutally honest CEO who would point out the flaws without caring for others feelings and who only cared about grandma and dalmi to a more understanding person who is ready to invest in a start-up helping people who's going through what he went through was very touching. Only thing I have a problem with is that Injae doesn't have much screentime. I really wanted to see more of her especially since she's the second female lead. Her character growth was also really good. The way she turned from a selfish and arrogant person to one who understands what she actually values and needs made me love her character a lot. Also I really loved how Injae and Dalmi's family was able to reconcile after everything that happened between them and seeing them together and happy at the end was something I really loved. And looking at all the changes Yongsan went through was also very heart-warming. I loved how he went from wanting to take revenge for his brother's death to understanding it's no one's fault and apologizing for his mistakes. The love triangle between Dosan, Dalmi and Jipyeong was not something I enjoyed tbh. I would've preferred the triangle to end sooner so that I could see more of Dosan and Jipyeong's scenes without fighting and jealousy. But when I look at the scene where Dosan tells Jipyeong why he didn't want to take Jipyeong's offer to invest at first and Jipyeong realising that it really doesn't have anything to do with him being jealous I feel like it was good after all. I also really liked Chulsan and Saha's relationship. They were really cute. One thing I really loved about these characters is how real they are. None of them are perfect and they all have issues that they need to fix by themselves and some things doesn't even need fixing since that's just who they are. They are all humans and humans have flaws and it's okay as long as they are not harming anyone.

All the actors did a phenomenal job here that made this drama even more enjoyable for me. Nam Joohyuk's acting as Dosan was definitely one of the best performances I've seen from him. I could actually feel what Dosan was feeling just from his body language. Suzy was also really great and the scene I loved the most was her presentation for hackathon. Nam Joohyuk and Suzy's chemistry was also on another level. I'd really love to watch them in another drama in the future. Hopefully without any love triangles. Kim Seonho really did an amazing job as Han Jipyeong and I don't think I even have to comment on that. The way everyone seems to love him just proves how great an actor he is. Kim Haesook/grandma's acting was also one of my favourites. Kang Hanna, even though I wish she had more scenes did a wonderful job during her scenes and she really made me hate and love Injae.

Another thing that I loved about this drama is it's OSTs. I was going insane waiting for my favourite OSTs to be released! Two of my favourite OSTs are Love Letter by BOL4 and Dream by Jamie. All the other OSTs were really good as well, especially Future by Red Velvet. I'm sure I'll be listening to these for a long time, especially Love Letter, which I've been listening to on repeat since it was released!

Overall this was a really great drama and I would recommend this to anyone who's not too bothered by love triangles.

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Green light show absolutely swimming in red flags!

I cannot say how much I hated to love this show! So many of the episodes were just scary messy. And I was hooked.

This is the first time I have ever watched a series start to finish on day of airing. I would find myself checking my Friday schedule to make sure I had that hour set aside somewhere.

I have always liked Up, I used to watch his YouTube channel a lot. But this is my first Poom series. (I try to forget the one episode of Bake Me Please, that I managed to watch.)

I really think the casting was inspired. They have an amazing love/hate chemistry. Both characters were portrayed so well.

I hated Ming, so so so so very much until, suddenly, I didn't. And at times I wanted to reach into the screen and slap some sense into Joe.

When I'm so engaged in a series that I, quite literally, yell at the TV when characters are being ridiculous that is some amazing acting and direction.

Overall the series is so worth the watch!

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Minor spoilers ahead. The Hirunaka no Ryuusei manga has a special place in my heart because of its diverse cast and likeable characters. When I saw that Yamamori Mika, mangaka of HnR, had approved of the movie, I had high hopes thinking this would be a good live-action adaptation. To cut it to you short, it's not. If I were to judge this as a stand-alone film, it would still be bad. The pacing was super rushed, as if the director only took the important plot points in the 70-something chapter manga and squeeze them in a 2 hour film. There's no character development in this film, they're just there, doing things as told. Some other minor plot points were either not included in this film, or completely ignored. For example, Togyuu Minagawa was such a crucial supporting character in order for Yuyuka to move on from Mamura. However, he wasn't even included in this film and that made Yuyuka seem as if she was a character created just for plot/dramatic purposes. Some other plot points missed were Shishio and Suzume's aquarium date, The school culture festival, Romeo and Juliet play, Suzume stumbling across Mamura's family, Shishio's EX-GIRLFRIEND (another character completely disregarded), Shishio tutoring Suzume, etc.
Without these plot points, if I had not read the manga, I wouldn't understand how Mamura fell for Suzume, why was Shishio so indecisive, why did Suzume reach her conclusion at the end of the movie. This was not well executed and made the story in the film seem shallow.
Casting wise, Mei Nagano was a great choice for Suzume, She captured her awkwardness well and did not disregard Suzume's inner dialogue. Miura Shohei was also a well-casted choice for Shishio. The way he said "chun-chun" was cute. Mamura, however, Alan Shirahama did not do him justice. One part of Mamura's character in the manga was that he was very slow in opening up to Suzume. They rushed that in the movie. He was also forcing himself on Suzume a bit too aggressively in the movie. For example, Mamura kissing Suzume on the cheek right after she waved to Shishio was very uncalled for. That's not how it was done in the manga and made live-action Mamura unlikeable for me.
Besides all the negatives in this film, the director did a great job with the sports festival scene, the hospital scene, and the execution of Suzume's final decision at the end. I'm really glad it was faithful to the end of the manga, but this adaptation would have been much better if it had been a drama series (and if they replaced Shirahama with Sakaguchi Kentaro, but that's a personal opinion ;-)

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Why?

People said that the sequel is often not as good as the prequel and yet, I still placed high hope for the sequel and ended up, everything that others said become real.

1. The first episode is alright. Was very glad that Teh's mother accepted Oh Aew and supported her son.
2. I expected angst but never did I realize the angst is cliche (with the cheating) and for the angst, I don't feel sad at all. But instead, I'm super pissed. I didn't cry when the angst happened and instead, I rolled my eyes and saw this coming.

People said that this is reality, people's feelings fade when they get together for a long time. Teh's feelings faded for Oh Aew but the audacity he has to confess to someone when he didn't even clear things off with Oh Aew.

I don't know and I will definitely get scolded by the fans who supported the ending.

I feel that the ending is....too forced?

Like the scriptwriter is trying to force this s*it and make them patch back.

Everything changed in this sequel.
Teh's feelings, the art, the cinematography, everything, and there's a lot of things missing that I can't even put out with words.

Giving this a 4.5 is already counted as fair enough because I actually wanted to give it a 0.
10 for the acting/cast because of the upgrade and the amazing improvement of BKPP along with other side characters!

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This is typical mystery drama with good acting

Well if you are looking for a good investigation drama with nice acting and happy ending then this drama is for you.

Good sides : Good acting, Good investigation, Good story telling (only criminals),
Happy ending,

Bad sides : No romance, Too much happy starting and ending, Less criminals story,
Less thrilling. No mystery at all.

In the end, I suggest if you are looking for a good (not best) detective drama for time passing then you can watch. But this drama isn't mystery or thrilling, just a good investigation.

Moreover, there are many better dramas than this. Like : Mouse, Love me if you dare, Vincenzo, Vagabond, Signal, Flower of evil, Healer etc. (All I watched)

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It started off really great and had a lot of humor, but, for me, became very predictable, dragging, and annoying for the majority of the scenes not long after. I applaud Gong Yoo for his acting; his crying scenes are heartbreaking. Yoo and the minor characters, GDR's parents, brother, the parents envious past "lovers," and the teachers are what I looked forward to watch.

Shin Won Ho is a great young actor, and what a waste that he had to play sleeping beauty for the majority of the drama. I would had preferred if they mixed him in every now and then like in 49 Days.

And Yoo's original character, SYJ, wasn't much of character. For the audience, we barely know anything about him--whether he's bad, good, a cheater, and etc. So right away, KKJ is likable because of a very misjudged and very vague antagonist.

The heroine is the worse. She's naive, pitiful, and annoying. She lectures KKJ all the time about being an adult, when she acts worse than a teenager. I found KKJ the adult in this drama. GDR kept being easily persuaded by Ma Ri all the time; she never listened to her gut or defended her man. Kudos to Lee Ming Jung for playing such a horrid heroine so well.

Ma Ri's character is annoying, manipulative, and clingy--but what do you expect from a spoiled teenage girl that has been in love with someone, I assume for years?

Another waste of a character was SYJ's other "love" interest Lee Se Young played by Jang Hee Jin. Ma Ri's character completely overshadowed the potential LSY character's had to play an evil antagonist.

Overall, I might not know how it ends yet, but this drama lacks in so many aspects that no matter the ending, it won't woo me now. I'm happy I began watching it because it introduced me to Gong Yoo; I'll check our his other works in the future.

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For me Rich Man, Poor Woman, before the 6th or 7th episode, threaded a very thin line between ‘drop or keep’. The drama was so slow to build it almost lost me, the hero was not human (as the Koreans like to say) and the heroine, though cute and well-meaning, got on my nerves with her over-the-top deferential behaviour toward a guy who was an obnoxious brute for most of the show. Yeah, I get that he's the big man on campus, and everyone's expected to kiss his (very fine) behind, but still ... I wanted to punch him every time he went off the rails at his innocent employees.

With corporate espionage, insider trading and other back stabbings, the story picked up tremendously in the second act. By episode 8 I was finally invested. Valuable life lessons were learnt (by both us and our leads). Our prodigious but arrogant hero grew as a person and as a businessman, and it was hard not to like him then. You come to realize that under that gruff exterior he wasn't such a bastard after all.

The acting was convincing, perhaps a tad overdone by our heroine, but she had some mad on-screen chemistry with the hero. They reminded you of an old married couple who loves to bicker and swear at each other, but feels lost when their beloved isn't around. Very cute. And although a bit juvenile and silly at times the actress did a good job of portraying the adorable klutz next to the hero's gruff, cantankerous persona. She may also come across as somewhat of a pushover, but it was, for the most part, a very effective front she used to manage Hyuga. After all, you catch more bees with honey than vinegar, don't you? I wished more time was dedicated to developing their love story, but unfortunately this was sidelined to accommodate other characters and purposes of the plot.

I felt the role of the second female lead, Yoko, was redundant. A perfectly decent character she was, but she served no true purpose whatsoever. I’m pretty convinced the drama could have gone on just as easily, and more effectively, without her. Why are Asians so obsessed with these blasted love triangles I don't know. It gets really old really fast and has no real dramatic effect if all second leads do is confirm the attractiveness of our lead male/female. Give them a more substantial purpose or leave them out entirely.

I did not care for Asahina. I wanted the resolution of his story arc to be completely different. Without giving anything away, here's why: I understood his feelings very well & even sympathized with him to a point, but his actions toward someone who was essentially like a brother to him were despicable, vicious and totally unforgivable. Therefore, to my way of thinking you don't give people like that a second chance to wedge the knife deeper into your back.

Anyway, if you’re into technology and the machinations of the business world (with a smattering of romance), you’ll likely enjoy this series. This was like The Social Network adapted for the small screen. I wanted more from it, but in the end what we got was okay, I guess.

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