An “ Extraordinary” Waste of Time..
It’s fair to say that sometimes certain dramas can be incredibly overrated.Although this isn’t an entirely groundbreaking commentary upon dramas, it’s important to remember that sometimes a lot of these shows are “glorified “ by fans in favour of the “casting” or “ chemistry” between the leading actors or chosen cast of the drama, and Extraordinary You is no exception.
Naturally it is of course wrong to truly say that the actual show didn’t have any good features; it played satirically upon the youth romantic comedy genre with its own parody of the F4 ( “ A3”) from Hana Yori Dango/ Boys Over Flowers, the concept itself of a teenage girl ( Kim Hye Yoon) coming to find her own sense of freedom and control where she is written as an extra in a webtoon ( not an entirely “ brand new” concept when compared to older dramas such as “ W; Two Worlds”) was intriguing and the mystery behind Ha-ru ( Ro Woon) for at least the first couple of episodes added to some early advantages of the show as well.
Yet when taking a greater step back by comparing the overall storyline , character performance and characterisation of the drama, there’s no sugarcoating that Extraordinary You was quite simply a “hot mess” .
Whilst Hye Yoon must be praised for several heartfelt moments through her performance , the irony is not lost that for a show playing upon romantic cliches by screenwriters In Ji Hye and Song Ha Young, Eun Da Oh was the epitome of a “ stock” and restricted female lead with little actual character depth, interests outside of her obsession with “ Ha-ru” or actual intrigue for viewers at all over the whole of the drama. Whilst of course there’s nothing wrong with a female lead making a decision over her own love interest ( in particular with the concept of the show), her apparent declaration to defy fate and become independent through actual character progression apart from obsessions and boys, was tossed out the window after this scene early on in the drama.
Additionally whilst Ro Woon brought a mysterious air of composure to his portrayal as the leading man, Ha-ru, his performance sometimes felt a little lacklustre and wooden at times within the show. Naturally this also partially the fault of the screenwriters as well from transitioning Ha-ru as an actual figure of intrigue and an individual early on in the drama ( parallel to Lee Jae Wook’s character, Baek Gyung) to an overrused plot device. It seemed evident that not even before the halfway point of the drama Extraordinary You became too obsessed with its own cliches and repeating the same cliches over and over not as a statement or joke against romance mangas/ manwhas, but ironically as actual plot line.
This consequently lead the show down a really slippery slope of gradually worse characterisation even with fairly intriguing and comical characters such as “ Dry Squid Fairy” ( Lee Tae Ri) to reverted plot devices and lacking originality by the ending of the drama. Overall whilst Extraordinary You isn’t an unbearable or dire drama to watch, however, after the halfway point, the actual intrigue and devotion towards the drama becomes minimal and by the ending of the drama, there’s that awful lingering relief that it has ended your suffering by finishing it. Certainly a waste of time if you’re looking for something with genuine originality and intrigue .
Was this review helpful to you?
Just watch it.
You know a drama is good when it has the comment section discussing the characters temper, personality and relationships as if they’re actually real people.Where do I begin. This drama is: gorgeous, precious and will probably leave a hole in your heart when it ends. Not because it sad but because you’ll be immersed and involved in their daily lives.
I’ve watched a lot of dramas in the last 13 years and very few were this pleasurable. The characters are written so well, they’re layered, real and lovable. The pacing is delectable, not too action heavy, sometimes purposely mundane but always keeping your attention. The direction, cinematography, set design, clothes are tasteful, this is truly what they call the female gaze. YangYang just proved everyone that women just do it better and has set the bar to a new high.
The romance. THE ROMANCE. Mature, trusting, kind, understanding, realistic. This is the kind of drama where you can see the leads falling for each other just by the way they look at each other. The tension is unbearable at times, it made me scream with envy in my pillow.
This drama is VERY rich in human relationships. Father x son, sisterhood, womanhood, brotherhood, teen x mentor figure, teenage puppy love, motherhood and more. There’s something for everyone.
To me, this is without a doubt THE best historical romance drama I have watched. Not because this is the best most complex impeccable story ever written but because this drama will bring excitement back and get rid of you loneliness. The focal point of this drama is not the intrigue it’s the people and their personal hardships. I can’t wait to forget it so I can watch it again.
So just watch it, give it a go, at least 3 episodes. If you don’t like it, it’s probably just not your cup of tea, because objectively, quality wise this checks all the boxes. Great work.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
NO WATCH, YOUR LOSS!
What a pleasant surprise, one of the best of the year!I would say Im a little bias going in to the show. Shin Min Ah is one of the few Korean actresses that i reallly really adore so I am predetermined to love this just for that reason. Casting the very good looking Kim Young Dae is just an icing to the cake. At first it seems like an off-pairing because of the age gap, but they worked that in the story seemlessly and i didn't think, not even once did the age gap seemed apparent because they jived so well together -it's all thanks to the strong performances of both leads.
The story is a little bit off-putting at the beginning. A seemingly modern liberated woman engaging the services of a man to be her fake husband to survive in a corporate environment. HaeYoung seems to be a big red flag at first that will do everything to move ahead of her career. It was done in the guise of light and fluffy early episodes. As the episodes go by we discovered the layers to the characters, with the last couple of episodes being so emotional, gut wrenching and heart harming at the same time.
What sets it apart from some of the other May-December affair specially the one which aired almost at the same time (Im not saying it's Cinderrella at 2AM) is how each episode of this series seems important. They developed the characters and cliffhangers in a way that you'll keep coming back for more each week. What's more, the second couple and even the third couple, for that matter, were all engaging to watch.
I just hoped they didnt end it at 12 episodes cause i feel like there's still so much more to tell and i would love to see more of Hae Young and Ji-Uk together. I know they are adding 2 special episodes for the Gyu Hun and Ja Yeon fans and will also be first in line to watch it but i still wanna see more of the main couple and the other characters.
For me, one proof of very good writing is when you wanna see and know more of each characters - and that is very evident here even up to the support casts. I would have loved to see more of the male secretary Ha Jun cause he was being initially primed as the 3rd party to GyuHun and Ja Yeon's love story plus his character has very strong personality. Manager Jang and GyuHun's parent's stories also seemed unfinished (and what an underuse of the actor Choi JIn Ho). And should i also dare to mention the non-closure of UJae and I Rin's characters (with I RIn not even showing up at the the last episode).
So will i recommend? Yes, what are you waiting for?! Definitely one of the best K dramas of the year!
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
The Honest Review You've Been Looking For
I'm confused. There are so many rave reviews... but it fell really flat for me? Did we watch the same drama?! & is it just me or does it seem like drama fans are really overpraising these days? I'm someone who relies on this site to help me know what to watch next... but the ratings seem to be getting increasingly less accurate imo. So, if you're a lurker of this site (as I was until today), I encourage you to join & leave your honest ratings/reviews! Please! :)But yeah, this one wasn't it for me. I'll explain why:
******************* SPOILERS AHEAD! ********************
1.) The "romance" was PAINFULLY one-note! We witness the immense pain & loneliness in the prince's life. The writer makes us long for someone to swoop in & show him real love. Enter scene: a royal servant girl with the demeanor of a princess. She witnesses his pain & decides to help ensure his seat on the throne. She becomes extremely dedicated to the prince, more-so than her job requires. We (the prince & us- the viewers!) are led to believe that she has developed deep feelings for him. This is the first time the broken prince has felt this level of care/loyalty... so naturally, he grows fond of her. He confesses his feelings... we are holding our breath in excitement, but... she rejects him? Hmm... interesting. Ok, make me beg for it! I'm okay with that!!! :P
But here's what really set me off. This rejection element is repeated over & over & OVER!:
"I want to be with you..." "Not until you have safely secured the throne."
"Let's be together- now is the time..." "It will never happen."
"We met as children, we are destined to be together!..." "It means nothing to me."
"I'm willing to sacrifice everything for you, just love me!..." "But, I want to be free to go to the market with my friends!"
That is literally the "romance" in a nutshell. Just her rejecting him 20 times, despite the fact that she constantly looks at him with lovesick puppy eyes. It's painfully repetitive... & illogical.
2.) Her refusal to be with him made no sense. I cannot understand why a girl who had no real future would be so quick to turn down the opportunity that literally every other girl was dreaming about. An attractive, intelligent, kind, powerful, rich man who has displayed his love, loyalty & willingness to sacrifice? HARD PASS!!!! LOL! Imo, more backstory was needed to support her strong objection. I mean, there was the brief mention of the king not being a suitable husband because he will have many lovers & forget about her when she's old. Or there was the fact that she had a general distaste for the lifestyle. But... ok? What's her better alternative? As a palace maid, she has to remain chaste/can't have a lover. So... she'd rather never experience love or motherhood & do chores all day with her besties for the next 40 years? Then retire with them & read/eat chestnuts all day? That's the dreamy lifestyle she's clinging to? Spending 80 years everyday with the same 3 women? Make it make sense.
3.) Her love for him was unclear- down to the last episode! Even after being together for many years... he still has to ask her if she ever truly loved him. & I don't blame him! Because as the viewer, I also felt confused & frustrated!! I can't understand why she was so damn hot & cold with him! One minute she's caressing his face & looking deeply in love, then suddenly she's like, "yeah when you see me in the next life, please just keep walking?!" I know she mentions to her friends that she had to play hard to get (for some reason that I still don't fully understand, tbh)... but I don't think she was playing hard to get on her deathbed, lmao. Did she ever even love him?? I still don't know!
4.) The prince/king was put through way too much tragedy. I can appreciate a bittersweet/realistic tale... but this was too far imo. First his dad is "crazy" & killed as a result. Then he acts as his bi-polar grandfather's personal punching bag for about 20 years. Then he FINALLY sees a glimmer of hope in his life... which somehow turns into years of ego-bruising torment. Then he's finally winning for a minute... until his baby son dies in his arms. Then shortly after, the love of his life ALSO dies in his arms- after saying she hopes in their next life he never approaches her. REALLY?! If you're going to write that dark of a life for someone... they deserve some version of a happy ending (a happy after-life is a lazy cop-out!). When the credits rolled, I felt frustrated & wanted my 20 hours back.
5.) The pacing was horrid. The first few episodes were great... but many of the middle episodes felt like repetitive, pointless filler. Then around the 90% mark, after 18 hours of never-ending build-up, we finally get our reward- we get to see them happy together- for approximately 15 minutes. Yeah. There's a massive time jump that skips over all of their happy times together. Because apparently the writer hates San & doesn't want him to have any joy in his poor little fictitious life. *sigh* I would've loved to have seen the full pregnancy, the birth of their son, them adjusting to parenthood, etc. The good stuff was skipped over & it broke my heart. This drama was 20 hours long & contained so many insignificant scenes that could've been/should've been dropped for the key moments that truly mattered.
6.) There are a few annoying plot holes. But I'm not even going to get into it, because this is already getting way too long. Ok just one- the 2nd concubine deciding to bring Deok-Im back to the palace because she heard she was close with the king... but she's a crazy jealous-type who can't stand anyone else being close to the king? lol
7.) This a high-production drama, but in the end, when the king & others are meant to be in their 50's, not a single wrinkle is on anyone's face? They really thought just adding a beard & putting some powder in everyone's eyebrows was enough? *scratches head*
8.) The 1st concubine was 11 years old at the time of filming. Even though there were no sex scenes... it made me uncomfortable to see such a young girl being brought in to portray a prostitute. I realize that in the olden days, girls were forced to have children young... but 11 years old? Not many girls are fertile at 11 years old. It just felt distasteful & like something they easily could've avoided.
I see so many people saying that this is a masterpiece... the "best sageuk ever!". No. Not even close. It has some great acting (lee junho, lee deokhwa, oh daehwan) & beautiful scenes... but the storyline is weak/repetitive & the ending is rushed/shitty. Just before this drama I actually watched a similar sageuk, The King's Affection, which I would say was far more enjoyable than The Red Sleeve. But for some reason it has average reviews in comparison. It really blows my mind. Again, are we watching the same dramas?! >_<"
Was this review helpful to you?
An Ode to Mount Jiri and the forest rangers.
In a world of vast oceans and far-reaching land, it is important to not just remain a mere spectator and record the history, rather to penetrate the depth of it and capture the mystery confined within. Again, the possession of knowledge doesn't kill the the curiosity and mystery, instead creates more.Jirisan is a drama that started in mystery and ended in mystery, but what a savage and beautiful truth lies in between. The great production value plus the extraordinarily amazing cast, are what made us look forward to the drama. By the end of it I can say that, I thoroughly enjoyed and engulfed those 2 elements though the entire thing couldn't totally lived up to my expectations of becoming something excellent.
"Jirisan" is set up in the premise of majestic Mount Jiri, the tallest mountain of the mainland Korea present in the Sobaek mountain ranges, on the southern regions of the country. It was made into Jirisan National Park in the year 1967 and has been serving as a major tourist spot ever since.
Jirisan, the drama, is a story of a group of rangers who have dedicated themselves to prorect and preserve the mountain as well the people associated with it. The major plot about the drama is the horrifying deaths caused by accidents that happen back to back in the premise, leading to investigation by the rangers who can't help but worry. Along with it what we see are, realistic events that takes place on mountain ranges at different timelines of a year. That includes, natural disasters affecting the mountain, maintenance of law & order on the mountain, life of people living or relying on the mountain, etc. They have also portrayed the legends & myths related to Mount Jiri,
special attractions of the nature, different religious as well as memorial spots and mysteries of the montain.
Note: Jirisan is semi-supernatural and also involves mystery, investigative thriller, violence a lil amount of dystopia. It has in fact lived upto the mystery genre and I am very much impressed with how they kept the mystery buried till the finale week. Actually, the writer throws enormous hints since 10th ep so that we can pinpoint the real culprit behind the entire tragedy but it also keeps diverting from one to other, a lot, thereby confusing the audience a great deal. Although one person becomes the primary focus, attracting all the suspicions towards themselves but not until the finale week you are answered the questions. So the writer has done a very good job in that regard, no wonder she's a legend.
One of the main elements used in Jirisan is immense time shuffling. Not that they're spontaneously continuous, but there are chances you might get irritated by it. Personally I wasn't bcs It didn't confuse me at all. So to explain you briefly, the present timeline in the drama is the early Summer in 2020, which is about 40% of the drama's runtime. The major scenario with a share of about 50% takes place from late summer of 2017 till the mid winter or the end of 2019. The rest 10% goes to the backstory of the characters, involving unfortunate events, that takes place in different timelines between 1991- 2010.
Seo Yi Gang (Jun Ji Hyun) is the best amont the Jirisan rangers and capable of everything to a extent that she's considered a legend. She has always wanted to run away from the mountain but always found her back. Kang Hyun Joo (Joo Ji Hoon), is an ex-Lieutenant at military who left the army after a sad incident on the mountain and decided to protect the mountain. Now he's a rookie ranger. Yi Gang and Hyun Joo are partners and with their abilities they brings the best out of their job.
Captain Jo De Jin (Sung Dong Il) is the chief of Haedong Branch Office who has been working there since his rookie days. Jung Gu Young (Oh Jung Se) is also a ranger at Haedong and a close friend to Yi Gang. Park Il Hae (Jo Han Chul) is the team leader of rangers and recruited at Bidam shelter. Lee Yang Sun (Joo Min Kyung) is the office control room head. Kim Woong Soon (Jung Suk Ho) is the in-charge at Jirisan sub-police station. The major cast consists of these characters who are the parts of all the above mentioned timelines. Another major character is Lee Da Won (Go Min Si) who is only there in 2020 as a rookie ranger.
Some good actors in other minor characters are: Lee Moon Ok (Kim Young Ok) as Yi Gang's grandmother, Kim Sol (Lee Ga Sub) as the Culture Centre researcher, Lee Sae Wook (Yoon Ji On) as Yang Sun's cousin, Kim Kye Hee (Joo Jin Moo) as the National Chief of Mountain Rangers and Dr. Yoon Su Jin (Kim Gook Hee) as the conservation centre researcher.
The production value of Jirisan is on another level and that's obviously because the PD-Jakka duo are highly skilled. Not just because they're the makers of several highly acclaimed dramas, the quality of this drama in terms of the technical aspects speaks very loud of it, I can assure you that. Kim Eun Hee jakkanim with her experience in the field of both dystopian supernaturals and investigative mystery thrillers, has done an amazing job in writing the entire script as well as incorporating several essentially intriguing elements into the story. The plot development was quite pleasing, if not something wow-ish. Lee Eung Bok PDnim is a very familiar name and has experiences of working in all kinds of dramas, so that clearly shows here. I'm sure the extensive time shuffling would have been difficult for the screenplay but he has managed it well.
Cinematography is an area which was stupendously managed in the drama. In fact, the immensely beautiful premise of Mount Jiri provided the team enormous scope to work on and bring the best out of it. Loved the different Kind of habitats, waterfalls, major cliffs of Mt. Jiri., the hiking routes, dense forests as well as meadows and also the frictional manmade visiting spots. The colour palettes were also well executed. For a matter of fact, they've also used both CGI and VFX in many scenes, because obviously it's not that easy to shoot thr entire thing on mountain. The VFX is literally a brownie point to the dramas quality, whereas, the CGI is a bit shabby which is quite visible, but I won't say it's that bad to cut points from the drama, so yeah!
Despite everything, I somehow find myself a bit disappointed with the music of the drama; not that they're bad but the OSTs must be able to match with the moods & vibes of a drama, which didn't happen in this case, ngl. I, however, like them as individual tracks but 60% of the entire album didn't feel like they were composed for this drama. Gaemi is a master composer and known to be one of the best music director of Korea but his skills didn't work somehow. (Note: this entire paragraph is a personal opinion so can't really say whether someone else thinks the otherwise.)
Anyways, my favs are
"Always with You" by Paul Kim
"Destiny" by Kim Feel
"Yours" by Jin (BTS)
"Stay" by O3ohn
"Little Garden| by Taeyeon (SNSD)
The sound production for the screenplay, however, is accurately done to give off the proper vibes at respective scenarios; especially for the thrilling suspense scenes plus the scenes showing Mt. Jiri's beautiful premise.
What I loved the most about Jirisan is the portrayal of the life of rangers through picturization. Their dedication towards the well-being of the mountain, while helping the people who visit the mountain for different purposes as well as preserving the natural resources that belong to it. They have accurately addressed all kinds of problems that the rangers face during work. One of those is forest fire and the ways to tackle it as well as the after effects. Another one is flood induced by heavy rain, rescue work during it and the destruction is also shown. I loved how these 2 things were thoroughly studied and picturized well by giving them appropriate runtimes
Overally, Jirisan is a good drama though it had some flaws (that is why 7.5). It was anticipated to becone one of the best because of the star-studded cast and the makers, which it couldn't be. Despite that, it's wrong it say that it's a failure. Given the production value, acting and cinematograph y, this is a fair one time watch.
Was this review helpful to you?
A realistic and modern approach to love and healing.
This drama ain't your fluffy romantic love story full of cliche tropes but a modern and realistic one where both the leads have their own career, goals and views towards life. One is a town's boy who wants to live a slow and peaceful life while the other is a city girl with high ambitions and dreams.Both are different from each other and have their own baggage they carry within them while one is physically affected, the other is mentally. The leads have good chemistry and is shown through their teasing and lowkey flirting with each other. Things are kept at a good pace and aren't draggy.
One thing about this drama is that not everyone will like FL's character as some will find her selfish and annoying which she is too some extent and that she keeps on hurting ML's feelings which she does but then again this was never a drama with two perfect people. It has been more about two people, each having their own baggage and different way of living end up liking each other and seeing whether things work out or not. It is quite realistic and modern approach to love.
It is a good watch if you are looking something different and relatable type of a drama.
Was this review helpful to you?
This drama is a total hypocrite. It tells one thing and shows something entirely different. Supposedly, it tells the viewers that it's against patriarchy with the 'girls can be great at computer science too' bullshit. It preaches 'brains over beauty' and all that spirtual crap however, it 'shows' an entirely different story; for this drama, in its core is wholly patriarchal. The main heroine only truly gets acclaimed for her beauty and even though she is supposed to be this smart person with a trillion scholarships, we don't really see proof of her intellect. Sure, she wins a few games against other weak ass females but the moment she goes against a powerful male opponent, she loses which is why her MegaGenius boyfriend has to sit by her and dictate all the moves and only then, she claims victory. Like okay?
The male character is honestly, so overhyped and again, if we really try to find the heroine's contribution to the plot, you'll find none. She is supposed to be this brilliant computer junky and yet, when she does the internship (in a company filled with men) her sole job is to bring food, drinks and matresses to the guys who work day and night. Like??
So even though, on surface it looks like this unique drama with a never before seen plot, in its core, it is still filled to the brim with superficiality.
Now, lets talk about the cast and characters. The main guy is literally a robot. Like, the kid has no emotional depth whatsoever and so clearly the actor didn't have to tire himself by actually acting because all his role requires is to be a pretty but expressionless face. To make matters worse, he's a chauvinistic a-hole. And not in the 'bad boy' way, where you love and hate them, no, in his case you're just annoyed by him. He is literally so perfect and the only flaw he has is the fact that he can't cook. I mean, come on.
To be honest, between his extra hairy armpits, pre-pubescent face and red ears, he isn't really much. Also, what irked me is the fact that he treats his girlfriend like a pet (dog). (No kidding, she actually herself makes the comparison once.) And he's full of himself, sadly, without much basis.
Like the girl is having a fight with her best friend and instead of really consoling her or saying some meaningful shit he says, "She's a very small part of your life, while I'm your everything. From now on, you're not allowed to shed tears for anyone else." Now this is the exact fucking quote, no lie and the braindead heroine actually feels comforted by this. Deceased.
I mean don't get me wrong, I love his type; the cold, uncaring, perfectionist asshole who eventually thaws towards the heroine. We have Simon Bo, Kang Ma Roo and so on but all these characters have different sides to them and they show complex personalities, Nai is the same from beginning to end and I can't believe I'd tolerate a lifeless and boring as hell person like him in real life.
Now, the heroine: Sure, she's cute, quirky and very gorgeous and unfortunately, the only one acting in the show. But soon, you realize that she's recycling her facial expressions, so much that her acting becomes quite monotonous after a while.
Speaking of monotonous, the whole show is dead asf. Here are so irrelevant scenes that you just stare at the screen trying to comprehend why the hell are you being shown this unnecessary shit. The game scenes are depthless. The fighting scenes lack vigor. And I wanted to bang my head against a cactus, everytime the heroine interacted with her friends because all they did was act like juvenile brats and gushed about the main guy. I mean, you guys are supposed to be these tech savvy college students, the least you can do is show an ounce of maturity, but no. Too much to fucking ask.
Furthermore, I think I froze because of all that ice between the couple, tbh. There is no heat or chemistry whatsoever and they remain awkward and detached throughout. The affection seems forced and their union wasn't natural at all. Atleast the guy has one quality; he's an excellent kisser but the girl literally stands like a dead fish in response. No, even a dead fish has some sort of pucker going on, this girl just has her lips in a straight line and proudly shows that kissing her is akin to that of kissing a cardboard box.
For me, romance or basically any sort of relationship can only thrive and grow stronger if two people go through complications and get out of it together. Or if, they do selfless and thoughtful things for each other, no matter how small. Here, everything is rainbow and joy- literally no problems at all- and the best things the characters do for each other is treat each other to meals. That's all. Which is why their relationship is so flat, unrealistic and plagued by stangnancy throughout the show. Tsk, tsk.
The only thing fairly enjoyable was the actions of the hero's friends. Those three made me laugh a bit from their silly antics but that's about it.
Rewatch value? This stuff doesn't even have 'watch it once' value. The drama truly highlights that people will always be attracted to surface beauty no matter how much substance it lacks. This is an absolute fail and I only recommend it for people who want mindless fanservice and zero plot.
Was this review helpful to you?
What a gripping movie
Now I saw that someone had given this a rating of 5 and all that I can say is that they must have watched the entire movie through a blindfold. There is no way this could have deserved such an insulting rating especially when I spent so much of my time on the edge of my seat because I knew something was going to happen but I didn’t know just how bad the next few minutes were going to be. Just a word of warning at this point. This is not one for the faint hearted but then again within minutes you realise that this is going to be one bumpy ride. In saying that though don’t be put off because it’s one of the best movies that I’ve seen for quite some time and I have a lot of respect for all those who managed to craft such an amazing tale where not one iota of the story could have been left out without damaging the integrity of the movie.Excellent work and I have to commend the cast and crew for creating such a fascinating tale. Anyone whose hesitating about watching this just do yourself a favour and do it. You won’t be sorry.
Was this review helpful to you?
The story is fairly simple but was executed wonderfully. One of the things that made Oh My Venus stand out to me compared to other dramas was the lack of cliches. I loved how the show could still be dramatic and intense at times but it avoided nearly all of the typical K-drama cliches. Even when they used cliches they were handled differently and didn't go down the path that they usually do. It was so wonderful! The story was super cute and had a really good message about health and beauty.
The acting was superb. So Ji Sub and Shin Min Ah had wonderful chemistry and I loved their characters' personalities. I loved that there was no drama between the main couple. It was really nice to see a k-drama couple being straightforward and honest with each other. They worked through their problems together rather than creating more. It was a pleasure to watch a drama with such a healthy (both mentally and physically) romantic relationship in it. Drama between couples can get old really fast and this was really refreshing.
I loved the side characters as well! Henry and Sung Hoon were the perfect side characters and I loved the chemistry they had with So Ji Sub. They're probably my favorite drama trio! The other cast members played their parts very well too. For once I didn't absolutely despise the 2nd female and male leads. They made mistakes, yes. But it was nice that they didn't constantly try to interfere with the main couple's relationship. Instead we got to see them work through their own problems and I grew to kind of like them.
The music in Oh My Venus was super catchy and cute. I already have some of the songs in my iPod and they're so fun to listen to. I liked the use of upbeat and catchy songs. There were fewer dramatic songs and more fun and happy songs. All of the songs on the OST balance each other out and come together to make a wonderful soundtrack.
Overall I absolutely adored Oh My Venus. I was very pleased with the final episode as well (though I didn't think there needed to be as many flashbacks as there were). This is one of the best dramas I've watched in a while. The whole message of the show is just so positive and everything was so unproblematic. It was a really nice change of pace.
My video review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpaVFl_Bq6c
Was this review helpful to you?
It is great to see Yun Woo Jin in a leading role after Arang and the horrible When a Man Loves. He is a great actor that doesn't disappoint as Gong Ki Tae. His character obviously had trust issues and who could blame him after growing up like that. He is a fantastic kisser...HOT. I remember seeing Han Groo in some supporting roles and I wasn't sure she would be able to pull off the lead. She proved me wrong as Joo Jang Mi. I enjoyed this strong, quirky character a lot. Although her character had to do some unimaginable actions, she pulled it off as believable. I like how the writer let her sincerity shine through the deception. It was very interesting. I usually end up hating all the parents when watching dramas like this, but this time I liked them all and the way the characters were used to show the scars that can be left on a child's heart. The other actors were good including the cutie, 2AM's Jin Woon. He wasn't really given a lot to do and I'm not sure if that was written so the main leads took center stage or because he is such a newbie actor. Anyway, he didn't suck.
I liked the music through out
I will probably rewatch this. I'm tempted to do it right now.
If you like romantic comedies or even just an easy to watch drama, then I think this is a good choice. It isn't the kind of drama that tears your heart out with emotion, but instead gives a comfortable feeling.
Was this review helpful to you?
This movie has a concept of sibling love, and although things are not as they appear, this aspect alone may be uncomfortable. However, if you suspend reality for an hour and half this film is fluffy, cute, entirely ridiculous, and whole lot of fun! Yes, the acting, plot, and screenwriting is questionable, but it will have you laughing and having a great time. The soundtrack is upbeat and the antics are hysterical.
Sometimes you just need a movie that can lift up your spirits and make you giggle like a 13-year-old girl, and this is definitely one. This can help especially if you delved into several serious melodramas of late. (I am currently re-watching Empress Ki and sometimes you need some silly fluff to break up THAT much angst). If you enjoy the manga style live actions such as Heroine Disqualified this is a fun watch and absolutely worth your time!
Happy Drama Watching! :)
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Love love love!
What a wonderful drama! I think I’ll be raving about this one for a long time. It’s certainly risen to be one of my favourites. It’s got such a wonderful balance of all of the things I love in a drama and is a good example of how a simple storyline can be done right. Such a beautiful romance with smoking hot chemistry between the leads, beautiful scenery and visuals and don’t even get me started on the OST. A drama’s soundtrack plays a big part and this drama absolutely nailed it. I don’t think I’ve been so in love with a drama’s soundtrack since Goodbye My Princess! I’m just hoping the soundtrack is available on iTunes soon cos I’m obsessed!I absolutely adored He Ran. She was so charming, witty, playful and bright. I loved watching her persistence in obtaining Xiao Han’s love and how she never backed down. I think she’s quite relatable in how someone can behave when they are absolutely smitten with someone. I loved watching her pursue Xiao Han and watching her drool over him (like the rest of us haha), she wasn’t shy about it and I love her for that. I’m also not the biggest fan of dramas where one leaves because of illness to spare the other heartbreak but I think this one was done quite right. I can understand why He Ran was afraid of letting Xiao Han know after watching her mother break down following her fathers death. I think her constant chasing him even after she left was really believable in that she could not help how she was reacting even though she was the one who initially left because our emotions and feelings usually get the better of us.
Xiao Han was a wonderful male lead. I love how he was never arrogant and always so patient and accomodating. I loved watching him grow from being a bit more distant to absolutely loving He Ran in return. I love those little smiles he gave her and seeing how her charms were already starting to melt his cool exterior from the start. I am also definitely Jerry Yan biased haha he’s just such a seasoned actor and absolute eye candy. This man must have found a Time Machine cos he’s still looking like he did in Meteor Garden except now he’s just more masculine! Those scenes in the last couple of episodes were so heartbreaking, especially when Xiao Han asked He Ran’s mother to let him take care of her from now on and then when they were lying in the snow together at the end. How insanely heartbreaking and Jerry Yan nailed them.
Although I absolutely would have loved a more certain happy ending, I think given the basis of the storyline, the ending was pretty expected. And as much as I’d love to believe she didn’t pass away in the end, I think she did. I think if she had gone to receive treatment overseas then he would have gone with her, particularly because he said he would take care of her from now on, and if he did stay then his reactions to seeing her dads portrait and the flowers blossom wouldn’t have been so darn heartbreaking. He said she was his last woman so he kept everything of hers like she was still there, I mean why get rid of her things when he’s already committed himself to loving her only forever. I think if the two fishes had names then I may have believed she were alive because she was going to name them if she came back but it was still a lovely touch to see the fishes together because it kind of symbolised them still being together in a way. The ending scene was either a dream or him imagining her there like she always used to pop up when he was in that same spot gardening. I think for my own mental sanity I may just go on believing that she is alive though lol
Anyways for those contemplating on whether to watch this, definitely give it a go. Don’t be scared away by the sad premise because this drama is so much more than that! Now off to rewatch my fav scenes I go! :)
Was this review helpful to you?
Let me expand on that:
Park Hae Jin’s acting (or maybe he was just goofing off the whole time?) was hilarious. Though I really enjoyed a lot of elements in this show, his facial expressions throughout it made “Man To Man” my new favorite drama. [I spammed my MDL feed with examples, if you want to see what I mean.] Kim Min Jung was also great playing our female lead, Do Ha, a quirky, independent, non-cookie cutter heroine who, thankfully, did not cling to the male lead.
The Plot: For some, the drama itself might seem to be a half-baked combination of humor, espionage, romance, and bromance—but for me it was perfect. I get bored if I feel like a show is stuck in one genre. The only time I was disappointed in the plot was during the last episode, because I disliked how it concluded the various story arcs. Last episodes are very important; they are the final impressions of each character and should wholly complete the story. I was regretfully disappointed in the “Man to Man” finale.
Acting-wise, I thought all the cast did great within the limits of the characters they were given. What I mean is, that all the characters were enjoyable to watch because they were portrayed well, but the characters themselves were underdeveloped. I thought Seol Woo and Do-ha were developed enough, and since they were the two main characters I was content with that.
Long review short, I loved “Man to Man.” Park Hae Jin’s face is hilarious, the plot is a spy-romcom, and the OSTs are great. I say give it two episodes, but you can probably tell if it’s the type of show for you or not after just watching the pilot.
Was this review helpful to you?
'"Passion" is a brand of Lubricant' said Chen Xi with a perfect little shit eating grin.
ᴍʏ ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ ꜱʏꜱᴛᴇᴍ: 9.5 = [ᴇɴᴊᴏʏᴇᴅ ɪᴛ ᴀɴᴅ ʟɪᴋᴇ ɪᴛ ᴀ ʟᴏᴛ, ɢᴏᴏᴅ ꜱʜᴏᴡ]I actually just loved this short piece in general!
Even just some of the candid dialogue lines in these short 4 episodes were so unique and so straightforward, and also quite true to how natural conversation and banter might go in a situation where two unfamiliar people are discovering attraction for one another and flirting. So let me break my thoughts down.
THE GOOD:
- Not only was their acting natural, smooth and appropriate to each scene, as well as their chemistry being easy and effortless, these two Chinese actors also might be two of the best looking leads I've seen together in a BL in a long time. For me personally, I usually end up liking one, or neither ML, looks-wise in a show, so the fact I think both of these actors were good looking was a bonus.
- The budget wasn't high for this but it goes to show what can be done with even a minimal budget if the actors, script, director and set designers are ALL competent. Very suitably written, designed and filmed.
- There was so much clear context in just four eps and yet it didn't feel rushed or forced or confusing. It was pretty complete for only being four episodes, we knew just enough about all the moving parts to understand these two characters individual situations and to appreciate their damaged yet sincere connection to each other.
- The dialogue, I loved the dialogue in this.
- Chen Xi's actor (and his character) was very unintentionally and intentionally sexy, it was a nice blend.
- Tidy little tale with a happy enough ending.
- No shitty slow motion, excessive music and all that crap that wastes time in the run of mill BLs.
No BAD here, but two smaaalll disappointments:
- Duh, the length, even just 4 eps at 30 min long would have been a little bit better.
- I wish they'd kissed properly even just once. The lip pecks were nice, but really, the visual of them kissing properly would have just been the cherry on top.
HIGHLIGHTS:
- Again, some of the dialogue in this was so well written, just the right kind delivery too from the leads.
- Proper emotional range in the acting, which is rarely seen in BLs from Thailand, SK, Taiwan and Japan.
This is short but it's a small gem, I would 100% recc this.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
This is on youtube with English subs from the official youtube account 腾讯视频 (search "腾讯视频 Just an encore" and you'll see it or just search the drama title).I highly, highly recommend this drama for people to watch because, in summary of what's been put below, the plot and the characters are just amazing, yes it's another school love drama but its really good, its not so typical for it's genre as theres aspects which differ from it, I don't want to spoil anything this drama is so, so well made and the characters are so well portrayed by the actors.
This drama has possibly become my favourite drama because of not only the plot but the characters themselves have amazing chemistry that only made me love it more. The plot is quite basic in a sense but also not very typical of a romance drama, as seen on the plot summary provided, but it is so so good! Everything is really well done and actors are simply amazing.
This story doesn't have the typical 'cold hearted' and quiet male lead as Xin Liang, is what you see in a 'typical' second male lead who never has his love returned; fun, outgoing, knows how to sort problems out and probably the sweetest guy, in any dramas that I've seen, portrayed. He constantly looks after Yan Ze without her knowing, which is highly frustrating but gosh it makes the audience fall in love with this character, and he helps her with everything, literally with everything. This is only one of the things that I love about the drama because Just An Encore also follows the growth of two best friends who is seen be to jealous of one another which I find interesting as the typical pretty character is jealous of the "ordinary" friend while still being (kinda) nice, which I haven't seen in a while. Although her character did annoy me a bit.
Yan Ze, had a character that's seen in a lot of Chinese school dramas with a very similar hair cut with an amazing personailty but Yan Ze is also very popular, not because of her looks or grades but because of her personality and I think that's intriguing to me because in a lot of dramas, the male lead is often very popular among girls and the female lead gets a lot of hate but in this drama, theres none of that which I love so so much and everyone supports and loves her. In my opinion this drama has a more, almost, mature vibe to it as it doesn't have the childish high school drama of this and that (it has some but not to the extent seen in some other dramas) everything is so well portrayed.
The ending, now I'm not going to spoil it but dang I wish the drama was longer so we could see how the characters turned out, it seemed kind of rushed to be honest which is disappointing but nonetheless, has a very happy ending and it's so sweet and lovely.
I've seen some behind the clips of the drama and honestly, the two people portraying the main leads (Jiang Zhuo Jun as
Yan Ze and Ding Yu Xi as Xin Liang) have an amazing friendship as they were on the variety show I Actor in 2018 so I'm assuming they're quite close and familiar with one another. The chemistry they have in real life is definitely seen in the drama as they're very comfortable with each other but as they're supposedly new actors (?? Correct me if I'm wrong), they're amazing, their expressions, their voices and their overall acting are really well done, especially as they're new so well done to them.
Overall, I do recommend this for people to watch because its so, so good and I hope people can support these actors in their upcoming dramas!! :)
Was this review helpful to you?
