This review may contain spoilers
an informal compilation of why the writing sucked.
- mafia could have tossed everyone's phone across the boundary and win at any point; they could have injured or killed everyone at night at any point. it's a very easy win for da beom, but nope, he goes: "okay jung won, even though you're bffs with yoon seo and jun hee, i'll totally believe you when you say you'll kill them..."- da beom, who was very determined to kill yoon seo and jun hee, just stops trying to kill them. then, he starts threatening his mafia partner and tries to kill her..? it's like that horrible and annoying trope where all the villain needs to do is pull the trigger to kill the hero, but he goes on a rant and allows the hero to find an opportunity to beat him. except this is 10x worse than that. da beom literally could stab yoon seo or jun hee at any moment and win the game, yet he just spares them? and he's screaming, running around, and sweating to kill jung won first for who knows why.
- we still don't know how or why yeon woo got stabbed, how mafia planted evidence for mina's shoe, or how they knew jun hee's plan to entrap them.
- we still don't know jun hee's backstory and why he got traumatized by pools or who had drowned in his brief flashback...
- we still don't have a full backstory for the FL
- essentially our ML and FL, whom the drama went at extreme lengths at protecting, both lack depth and a backstory... in other words, there is no reason for why these two should be or is our protagonists except that they look better than their peers?
- jung won apparently came up with a plan for doctor's (and bullies') death. are we to believe she calculated that doc would follow the two bullies, get caught, and killed once she threw the can..? how does that make sense at all?
- jun hee and yoon seo did not bully se eun and were, in fact, the few friends that she had, yet the parents go, "DURRR, send them to hell. boohoo my daughter. my daughter no longer alive" :( :( :(
- in fact, only a handful of students actually instigated and bullied her. most were either bystanders who ignored the problem or believed a false rumor and gossiped with their friend group. yet... they deserve the same punishment as the bullies? what sort of logic is that. basically, according to the parents, if you're stupid and gullible or just don't care, you are automatically complicit and deserve to get punished (*cough* everyone giving this drama higher than a 8.5 *cough*).
- girl literally committed suicide because they deep faked her face to an adult entertainer... like come on, make the bullying more believable. I was so interested in how she got bullied, why everyone was traumatized, yet the big reveal is one of the tamest and lamest bully tactic there is... there have been youtube pranks a lot worse than this.
- Mafia is a random game. you could have punished the kids with so many interesting and relevant games, but no, parents want to go, "DURR I hate you all, so you guys all get to play a detective game forever muahahahaha. that is your punishment!" like, choosing Mafia as the game setting to get "punished" is so random and doesn't make sense. I'd understand if they were stuck in a horror game or something, but what's the point of Mafia? to train the kid's sleuth and reasoning skills to recognize how they bullied a girl? to get better at lying? lol.
- frail and sick little FL literally just accepts her fate and goes back into the game without a fight. it's as if someone is robbing your house and the thief says, "shhhhh, it's okay, just go back to sleep now," and you just fall back to sleep. wtf was that?
- what's the point of killing the kids over and over if you're just going to wipe their memories? that they played the games dozens of time already may sound spooky until you realize they dont remember anything right after.
- if jung won is an a.i. in the game, then wouldnt she remember all the previous iterations? if she doesnt, then the parents, who think jung won somewhat represents their daughter, are in a sense punishing their program version of their daughter like everyone else?? it's understandable if she were some invincible host or something, but the fact that she is vulnerable and plays like everyone else suggests she's getting punished too, and not just that, but facing the same punishment as her bullies. this was really poorly thought out.
- what the hell was the point of se eun's ghost arc if the game itself was revealing everything?
- and the most important question: how are the kids eating, pooping, and peeing while they're stuck to the VR?
Was this review helpful to you?
memorable leads, memorable supporting cast and a memorable story makes this drama my favorite of the sprint 2012 season!
if you long for a wacky but clever comedy to keep you in stitches, this is the drama for you.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Roller-coaster feeling
It's my first review about a drama so if I made any mistake please forgive me. First of all the storyline describes the drama well.The cast was amazing. You can feel every emotion. I usually don't watch melodrama cause I like comedy a lot. At first I thought I would not watch it but still I gave it a shot.It's not your typical idol type drama where the male lead is very popular and is surrounded by a lot of girls even though he is intelligent and handsome. The female lead is pretty,smart and talented in dancing. Those supporting roles played very well. What I liked is:1.Good storyline.
2.Fabulous acting.
3.Drama fitting ost.
Now let me tell you a bit of this drama. It was love at first sight for the male lead. This drama reveals the dark side of reality and love. It also reveals the dark side of entertainment industry.Being born in a rich family doesn't mean that you have everything cuse you need your parents affection while growing up.Love is always not so sweet, sometimes it's hard,painful and filled with jealousy. Sometimes it's unrequited. Even though after all of this love can heal each other.I wanted to give a lot of spoilers but I didn't cause then you might probably become less curious of this drama. Overall even if you don't like melodrama a lot you can watch this cause it's really heart touching and you might feel like you are riding a Roller-coaster. Whatever happened in the middle the ending episode was the most beautiful.
Was this review helpful to you?
Romantic and Meaningful
Love is Science? (戀愛是科學) is an 18 episode romance drama that revolves around 2 couples, Yan Fei - Wang Hsuan Yu and Ou Wen and Mark. Love is Science? is a slow but very heartwarming series. No antagonist, the characters are just sweet and natural. Though the plot is it’s rather cliche but it has a sweet atmosphere that makes you invested in it!! Plus, All of them have good chemistry, little misunderstanding.Love is Science? the premise revolves around two couples, one bxg couple (Yan Fei and Wang Hsuan Yu) and one bxb couple (Ou Wen and Mark). The first couple's storyline is really sweet, it focuses more on how Wang Hsuan Yu unrequited love is finally being reciprocated, and how Yan Fei comes to realization that Hsuan Yu has been by her side this whole time. Watching the first couple, you will feel butterflies in your stomach (but slow butterflies), Yan Fei feelings realization towards Hsuan Yu comes rather slow. Therefore, all their sweetness is around the last episode. But while watching the earlier episodes, you won't feel bored because you don't see their sweet moments. Rather, the earlier episodes and every extra scene (Hsuan Yu's and Yan Fei's childhood scene) make their romance buildup more interesting and meaningful.
On the other hand, OuWen and Mark couple focuses more on character development and how they grow together, as a couple and as an individual. Mark started off as a playboy and a homophobic (Mark expressed his disgust towards OuWen when OuWen touches him and more). But over time, Mark started to open his heart and realize his feelings for OuWen. Their love story is really heartwarming, that it makes you go "aww". However, Mark and OuWen's story does not only revolve around them. Their love story also revolves around Qiao Anna (Yan Fei's best friend) who once hooked up with Mark, then to find out that she's pregnant. (The second couple story does overshadow the main couple, but I don't mind since I find the second couple story actually more interesting than the first one and yes, they deserve a separate drama for the second couple)
Each character is also designed very well done and 3-dimensional. Personally, I love OuWen as a character, he’s honest and confident but also vulnerable. One of my favorite dialogues from him is, "why a gay man cannot be manlier than you?". He might be confident about being gay, but he also takes into consideration people around him. Love is Science? storyline doesn't all focus on romance and love, but it also provides glimpses into slice-of-life, how each individual how they grow, family, friendships, and more.
In terms of production quality, technical execution, Love is Science may not be perfect, but it is satisfactory. The drama uses soft filters and vibrant color palettes that provide a generally pleasant and vivid viewing experience. In addition, it also has decent camerawork. The cinematography and color palette makes this drama an enjoyable watch. There are also several setbacks in this drama, but the only major setback I can think of is the male lead comes off to be rather awkward.
Overall, Love is Science? is a good watch if you're looking for something romantic but meaningful as well.
Was this review helpful to you?
Even through its dark and moody tone, the drama is surprisingly melancholy and understated. It strikingly fits the persona of the lead protagonist Michima Shin, a struggling novelist played by Noda Yojiro.
The characters are deep, and their character arcs are well developed considering that this drama is only 12, 25 minute episodes. Due to the run time, the story is very tightly written. Each episode beautifully plays into unraveling more of the mystery.
Million Yen Women has a bit of an off tempo. It is leisurely paced over 12 short episodes. I would highly recommend giving this drama a chance. I found that I was quickly pulled into the storyline. I will restrain myself from saying more so I won’t give too much away.
Was this review helpful to you?
The idea was cute, and fun, but a lot of the times I wasn't that amused. I mean this isn't a bad drama, but it isn't the BEST one either. I think if you have time you should watch it but it's not one of those dramas I'd stop everything for to watch.
It has a lot of laughs in their along the way, and many strange scenarios. Junnosuke Taguchi playing a swedish guys son was pretty funny, especially with that blond hair, and those blue yes.
In closing this is basically a Japanese version of Scooby-Doo, and if you have some time to kill go ahead and watch it.
Was this review helpful to you?
1I still can't believe I watched all 52+ episodes of this mess voluntarily.
I gave myself an extra week before finishing this drama because after weeks and weeks of this hot mess of a drama I wasn't quite ready for it to end. Watching this show has been slightly masochistic. The plot is possibly the most ridiculous I've ever committed to watching, the main couple was well past my threshold for cheesiness, and yet I couldn't look away. Every week I volunteered to be irritated by characters and baffled by their actions. The actors committed to some of the worst written characters I've ever seen, so I can respect them for that, but it is so way over the top that I couldn't take a minute of this seriously. If I could rename this drama I would call it "Why can't everyone just mind their own business?!!" since most of the plot ends up being about meddling parents and caring too much about what others have to say. I'm sure culturally this maybe resonates more with a Korean audience but I couldn't relate, and the actions of many of the characters felt insane. I felt insane too because I couldn't stop watching.The main story is pretty basic. A young tutor/nanny and her widower boss fall in love in the most nonsensical way. There is also an implied HUGE age gap between them which already felt strange because in real life there isn't that same big age gap, and it shows. Their romance also feels extremely childish. The FL was constantly having random mood swings that went from obsessed crush to pouty brat while the ML was usually in robotic and gullible mode. They fought like immature kids, not lovers, for most episodes. Maybe people who like an old-fashioned love story will like how innocent they are but I felt like they traded in chemistry for a more "wholesome" style that was more cringy and corny than exciting and romantic. Still, this didn't stop me from waiting and watching to see what would happen, even when the same tropes kept repeating episode after episode. The silly music often played to remind us when it was supposed to be funny but I don't remember ever laughing... not even once in 52 episodes. I just stared at the screen wondering how something so terrible could put such a spell on me.
The rest of the characters consist of selfish parents throwing tantrums... a Sa Ra who is just as evil and slap inspiring as Se Ra's of dramas past, a lot of random family members in their own relationship messes, and 3 kids... 2 of which are super adorable and the show's highlight by far. All of these characters also constantly talk to themselves aloud which adds another layer to the ridiculousness. Still, I can only blame myself for tuning in each week. I dare say the end didn't disappoint, complete with a cringy musical moment that felt like our big prize for finally finishing this. There were also dramatic moments that left me completely dry-eyed but helped with the closure I need to move on.
Would I watch this again? Bahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaaaaaaaaaa.
No.
Should you watch it? How do you feel about wasting hours of your life watching parents act like toddlers and the dysfunctional relationships they cause through meddling? Do you think dramas today aren't wholesome enough? Can you just not get enough of Amnesia plots? How about birth secrets and false paternity claims? Do you enjoy yelling "This is so stupid" at the screen? Do you enjoy being frustrated by characters doing things that make so sense at all? Do you love stories that drag out plots and jokes? Then by all means enjoy all 52 episodes of this train wreck of a drama. Scroll through the comments here and commiserate with others who also decided to watch this madness week after week. This is the one time where I feel like watching in real-time was better, and I just can't see binging this show for 52+ hours. The way so many parts of the plot drag on would be more blatant if watched back to back.
And don't forget the special... which could have easily been added to the last episode but maybe they needed more time for product placements and cheesy montages and flashbacks.
I admit that I will miss the "Do-Ba Do-bi-do-bi..." song during the awkward moments, which was a guilty pleasure.
Not to be confused with the more lighthearted "Dodo lehdehdeh..." lol! The music was definitely cued up to set the mood and will probably haunt me for years to come.
Overall, this is definitely a drama for a specific audience, so I don't want to trash it too much because I chose to keep watching. I'm still in shock that I made it to the end. If you dropped it, don't bother trying to watch it again. It doesn't get any "better" If anything it gets worse. Or maybe gather friends and you can heckle it together like "mystery science theater", because I know I wouldn't have made it without the comments here showing me I was not alone.
To all those who also made it to the end, We did it! I don't know why we did it to ourselves, but we did it!
Was this review helpful to you?
For me, the MVP of this drama is Kim Woo Bin. He's the reason I wanted to keep watching no matter what. He mastered the charming jerk persona as Joon Yeong, and I was impressed by his range in this drama (from confident smirk to ugly tears). The story is so over the top, so It would've been easy to over act, but his character felt natural and real the entire time, which makes this crazy story work. I definitely became uncontrollably fond of him (sorry, i couldn't resist), and not just because of his shirtlessness. I missed out on Heirs, so this is my first time watching him, but certainly not my last.
He is paired with Suzy, who I think is a pretty good actress (even in one of my least favorite dramas ever "Big"), but she had her work cut out for her playing Noh Eul. Noh Eul is an interesting character, but also a frustrating one to watch. She also has a lot of weird wide eyed moments in turtlenecks, that kept reminding me of Shelley Duvall in "The Shining". Suzy has great chemistry with Woo Bin, but I think his charm deserves most of the credit for that. Suzy makes Noh Eul likable, and easy to empathize with, but there are moments where her actions are pretty ridiculous. That's a reoccurring theme for most of the characters in this show. They do things that make no sense, but the actors are good so it's ok.
That brings me to the rest of the cast. I think they all did a really great job considering how completely unbelievable most of the characters are. Jin Kyung is stellar as Joon Yeong's mom, but the way the character was written annoyed the hell out of me. Im Joo Hwan played his duality well, but the more melodramatic the story got, the less I liked his character. The junior romance subplot was also pretty cute. All the characters were memorable to me only because of the performances, but the characters themselves were often contrived, and lacked any real depth.
Speaking of lack of depth, I think that is what stopped me from really getting into this drama. In the beginning I was drawn in by the flirting, but then story turned into a revenge plot filled with greed, and betrayal, and everything you've already seen in other melodramas. Soon I found myself just watching the boring revenge plot just so i could see what would happen to Joon Yeong. I think that was the one redeeming thing about the plot. The cast's performances in the last 2 episodes got me in the feels so bad I was emotionally exhausted by the end, and was definitely underprepared in the tissue department. I finished the drama satisfied, though not impressed, which sums up this drama pretty well.
Overall, this was a great display of Kim Woo Bin's talent, but a pretty forgettable drama. The soundtrack is forgettable, the plot is forgettable, and even the title is forgettable. Still, I was entertained enough to want to keep watching, and It also didn't feel too long at 20 episodes. It was certainly cliché, but there are enough unexpected elements to keep things interesting. Interesting enough to watch again? No.
If you like melodrama, and tragic romances, there are a lot of things to like about "Uncontrollably Fond". There is not enough actual romance to satisfy true romance fans, or comedy to even justify having that listed as a genre for this drama. You also have to completely suspend disbelief, be able to empathize with horrible people, and be willing to believe the unbelievable... which is not a crazy request in dramaland. I can only recommend this drama with the disclaimer "Buyer Beware".
They also totally missed an opportunity to promote tissue boxes with Woo Bin's smiling face on them.
Was this review helpful to you?
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Neo: I love you both, equally and at the same time.It was so very apparent how much Neo loved them both but especially the way he adored Shin was amazing. Because towards Miw he was very manly heroic and protective, the typical dashing hero, you know? But the way he… mellowed around Shin, his whole behavior simply softened. Like Shin said to Miw, “[Neo] gets my sensitivities and your abrasive loud mouth.” They obviously both gave him something he needed.
And the same went for Miw and Shin. They both loved Neo very much, that was their common ground but at the end of the series, it was obvious they started to feel something for each other, too. For Miw, both Neo and Shin were softer than her but differently so. Neo was more her equal so she could be brash with him -but she couldn’t be that way with Shin without feeling guilty. Shin was squishy and soft and so he made her softer, too. For Shin, both Neo and Miw were true and genuine, but whereas Neo was kind, Miw was brutally honest.
So, if you want to watch a genuine polyamory story, not a love triangle, then do watch 3 Will Be Free. Because their poly love is not just explicit - as in sex - but also discussed openly.
Was this review helpful to you?
It's a short web drama, so there isn't a lot of plot thickening which might be one of the reasons why I loved this one. I hate extreme and complex historical court politics. I just care about the OTP. The show gets to the point and focuses mostly on the main couple. There are cute and romantic moments, a great OST, pretty cast, nice wardrobe and scenery- what's not to like. Only thing is, acting is a little meh at time, but I'm understanding about it, the main cast are all new.
I think this drama deserves a higher rating, an 8 at the very least. I don't think it's subbed yet, but hopefully it does soon and all ya'll people who didn't master Chinese yet can enjoy it too.
Was this review helpful to you?
Story : The story is very normal, little cheeky and stretched. Its obvious that stories like these are driven majorly by the "guy-girl-living-together-and-trying-to-keep-it-a-secret" plot. The guy shown as a cold and mean jerk whereas the girl is cheerful and enthusiastic. The writers of this story threw the "Boss-employee" relationship in this one. And ofcourse, to spice it up, "The Dating Ban".
Acting/Cast : They lightened up the story, they brought it to life. I really liked Aaron Yan and Kou Puff, their characters and how well they portrayed them. Lin Lyla as Ding Jia Yu, did a little bit of over acting (especially her "crying" scenes). The side characters were good, only the weird thing being, in a plot of "Forbidden Love in Office", everyone liked the other employee and ended up in a relationship (except the character of Dean!), if you noticed.
Music : It is simple, less and plain. As always, "Unstoppable Sun" by Aaron Yan is a song beautifully sung.
Rewatch Value : Yes, I have to be honest that despite this drama being stretched to 21 episodes, I do have some moments that I'd wanna look back at and if some of my friends ask me to watch together with them, I would. But, watching it alone in one go again will be very boring as the story will be known and it'll just feel like a drag.
Overall, A light story and if you're looking for Rom-Com (like I was until I stumbled at this!), then this is it, you're reading the right review. Enjoy watching. :)
Was this review helpful to you?
Was this review helpful to you?
Lighthearted Comedy with Depth
I loved this drama! The actors were amazing, especially with their spot-on comedic timing. What I really appreciated was how they kept things light, even while dealing with some pretty serious cases. They didn’t let the comedy take away from the heavier themes but also didn’t let things get too serious—it struck the perfect balance. A lot of shows like this start off funny but end up feeling way too heavy by the end, but that wasn’t the case here, which I really enjoyed.I also loved how they gave credit to almost all the extras at the end—it was such a nice touch, and it gave me the chance to relive some of the funniest moments from the show.
They also did a great job subtly touching on deeper issues like the struggles of parenting, athletes not living up to their potential, the scars parents leave on their kids, following careers you’re passionate about, and dealing with loss. They handled all of it thoughtfully without going over the top.
A couple of personal highlights for me were Kim Dong Wook’s goofy smile and the character of Dong Gu—they both brought so much charm to the show. This is definitely my second favorite, right after Gaus Electronics!
Was this review helpful to you?
I finished the series within three days. Then, I had to take a one-hour breather before I could write this review because I couldn't form coherent sentences.
I didn't read the webtoon so please don't judge me but I couldn't understand why some people thought the story went downhill midway. For me, it didn't. It got darker yet at the same time had more substance. The scary part though was that I'm convinced that the writer and the actors were able to show logic out of insanity. What does that make me?
Anyway, here are the actors who are to blame if ever I get admitted:
1. Park Hae Jin - except for MLFTS, I haven't seen any of his other projects although I've planned to watch Bad Guys for a while now. MLFTS really didn't do much for me if not for his performance as the second male lead. I thought he could be the next Gong Yoo. This series intensified that belief. From the beginning until the end, his character was simply captivating. I was torn between loving Yoo Jung and being cautious of him. His character was so strange and so complex and PHJ portrayed him brilliantly.
2. Lee Sung Kyung - there had been a lot of issues about her overacting in this series. I'm sorry but I have to disagree. LSK's portrayal as Baek In Ha is possibly the best I've ever seen her do. I first saw her in Doctors and thought she was so-so if not a bit annoying. Imagine my surprise when I saw her as Kim Bok Joo. Gone was the stylish chaebol. She was instead replaced by a short-tempered and impulsive eating machine. Now combine the two personas and add a little bit of crazy to the mix. The result? A completely flawed character that you want to hate and pity at the same time.
3. Ji Yoon Ho - I first saw him in Sweet Stranger and Me and thought he was rather cute. He wasn't cute at all in this series though. He portrayed his role quite well that I can't wait to see him with bigger roles.
In case the other three escape, here are the rest of the reasons behind my strange behavior:
Seo Kang Joon - Baek In Ho is probably the only normal person among the main characters. He easily captured the hearts and sympathy of the viewers and even though I love PHJ, I seriously wouldn't resent it if In Ho ended up with Seol.
Kim Go Eun - I still maintain that Hong Seol isn't as innocent and normal as she pretends to be. She has her own air of cruelty around her; enough for her to plot her own revenge or look the other way when her boyfriend does it for her. On a lighter note, can someone give KGE a break already! If she isn't surrounded by a goblin, a reaper, and ghosts, then it's another kind of crazies!
Nam Joo Hyuk - Eun Tak and Bo Ra's characters and romance were so heartwarming. NJH is simply so adorable! Can I adopt him?
I almost forgot the amazing portrayal of Lee Na Yoon as mini In Ha. She definitely had the same expressions as LSK, don't you agree?
Was this review helpful to you?
