The acting for the rest of the cast was at least commendable, except for Se Kyung who was mostly crying or running back to Young Gul with that expressionless face of hers.
There were too many loose ends here that half way through the drama, it felt like they were writing an entirely new script.
I feel that Jae Hyuk was one of the most believable character in this drama. He is a young chaebol with a tyrant father who beats the sh*t out of him and a typical rich mother who constantly meddles with his love life. He is a confident and arrogant businessman who wants to be at the top of the fashion industry but always stops short at meeting his father's expectations.
At least, I understand why he would fall in love with the helpless, absent-minded and doe-eyed Ga Young because he feels that with all the pressures in his life, there is one thing that he is capable of, and that is his to help Ga Young reach her dreams of becoming a top designer and in turn this gives him strength.
Young Gul, however is an emotionally unstable, struggling designer cum knock-offs factory owner and a greedy, conniving and deceitful man who feels that rich people like Jae Hyuk has the moral obligation to help him every time he is short in cash. The depiction of his character is so extreme that I don't think anybody else can pull it off other than Yoo Ah In.
The entire runaway from thugs because you bedded the boss' woman and be an illegal migrant to America part is just so crazily random that it doesn't add to anything in the drama.
I think that the fierce competition between Jae Hyuk and Young Gul's businesses and Ga Young's love would have suffice as the main reason why they want to kill each other.
Anna and Jung Ah are the worst antagonists everrr. Thank heavens for the crazy woman aunt and the sadistic rich father!
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People will love it if they like that sort of thing, even if it's not even the best example of it. But if you're tired of everything about the setup and execution of romcoms then strictly avoid. The worst thing about this show is that it was made in 2017 but feels much older in how regressive it is.
Candy is here in all her incompetent, self-absorbed, whiny victimhood and she falls for Chaebol in all his asshole finery. Candy is a nutritionist, not like that matters either to her or anyone else. Especially not to the writer who seems to have only a vague notion of what nutritionists do for a living. It's just a new way to throw her in the path of Chaebol, with whom she shared a (naturally drunken) one night stand three years before. Can't have anyone thinking she's a slut by letting her choose to sleep with a guy when she's sober.
At the beginning of the show, there was quite a nice connection between these two characters. Both were incompetent losers even if one of them was a rich one. But when the show shifted forward three years, any goodwill from their initial interactions was quickly lost as he uses his position of authority to bully her and she acts like both a martyr and an idiot about it - not necessarily in that order. Episode after episode involved him ordering her to bring him food and then either abusing, insulting or harassing her when she did. She endured, as Candy does, and still liked him even after all of this. Dude must have been amazing in the sack. That's the only explanation.
There's a second female lead in this. I don't even need to tell you about her - you already know. Get a life, old-school second female leads. You're pathetic. There's a thing called feminism. It's well over 100 years old. You might have heard about it. It'll help.
There's also a second male lead. You've met him too. He's perfect and in love with the female lead but at least he never Nice Guys her so he has that going for him. He deserved to be in a better show.
While Asshole Chaebol at least retains a core of vulnerability that allows you to keep some sympathy for him as a character, Candy is endlessly self-absorbed and wedded to victimhood, especially around her mother and the dreaded S.E.X. on account of being a good girl and not one of those sluts.
One of the show's biggest fakeouts revolves around Candy's little brother whom she treats as a burden and refers to as "her dog" so people won't discover the scandalous fact that he exists. These are not her finest moments in a show filled with extremely poor behaviour on her part. One of my chief gripes about romcoms is that they only include sex if they want to do a pregnancy fakeout. I was willing to give the show credit for not going there except - oh no, it went there! Not only did it include it but it executed it in the most annoying, most sexist, and most horrible way possible.
Basically, this show is a quintessential old-school Korean romcom dripping with sexism and misogynism, double standards, nun/whore dichotomies and a female lead who is as annoying as she is useless. Her actions especially in the final episode are teeth grindingly annoying.
Some people who love this kind of thing will no doubt be annoyed by how much I hated this show. I just think it's a shame that shows like this are still being made.
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Then the focus was lost or shall i say shifted. The Dan tae birth secret and uncovering culprit should have and would have made an okay side plot. Instead this thin plot with an unremarkable antagonist (that was transparent and revealed very early on) was stretch to fill many episodes. If they had stared true on the Gong shim path, more on her character development, growth in career and confidence and interactions with both Dan tae and Jun soo this drama would have been better. Instead she became a prop, mostly on the sidelines and only utilise when the writers feel like it.
Overall the storyline is forgettable but i will remember the wig, the brush Gong shim used to brush her teeth and some of the cuter moments of the trio.
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What did I just watch !
Cinematography was excellent and the eye candy was good.Can someone please tell me what happened to the script ?
It was so ham, I won’t be eating any for months .
The editor, in my opinion had clearly taken some time of work and had the trainee stand in. As for the acting (dare I say it)…….?
Let us just not talk about the crying in each episode. When all is said and done, order a pizza and watch something else.
Someone give me my hours back, I admit , I was a fool.
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This review may contain spoilers
Volcano meets a Tornado !
Oh boy I have a lot to say about this drama, and I invested my time worth of 59 episodes to watch this so I really do have A LOT to say on this.First and foremost, the basic story is nice. Actually it is really good. Although I was tad creeped out by Xianji suddenly turning to a man and I was swept into a world of BL (which I totally like, only creeped out because I was not expecting it), the drama have a strong backstory. One could almost feel the pain the FL character went through in her past, (mainly because the star of mosha done a better job in acting than the god of war). And although I did feel sympathy for Si Feng, in the later episodes, the more he felt pain the more I found myself rolling my eyes, honestly is there any episode where he did not fell pain or was acting like a fool in love sacrificing himself, or comically jumping in front of the blade?
Summarized review (SPOILERS)
i) Slow and gradual process of love story. We can relate to the love story and it feels quite natural (as compared to Ashes of Love where everything seemed forced). However I personally find myself more moved by the 'sacrificing' part, probably because the ML sacrificed himself way too much that it lost the gravity, or perhaps the deliverance way not upto the mark. (or maybe I am still caught in the aftermath of Ashes of Love)
ii) The secondary characters were interesting in a way, and perhaps not so interesting in another. Honestly I did not care too much about Linglongs storyline, and her trauma really did not make any sense to me. I mean, it was the flower demon who did all that, and sure they are sharing same memories and all but why was she so affected by it? I found it rather bother than being sympathetic to be honest. Same goes for the Lize palace lords love story which rather feel stretched to be honest. But I think it might have contributed to the storyline and perhaps it was necessary but I found myself bored to the core. Now the storyline I found more interesting was of the fox and monkey, the fluff was just amazing. That reminded me, I really do not like silver snake and her death did not move me to tears sorry.
iii) The villains were... confusing. The deputy palace lord who never seems to die, dijun, who disappeared easily without any sort of punishment for all the things he done, and wu tong, for a mere mortal, dang, he did made the mighty demons run for their lives.
iv) The righteous sec leaders were just a no-no. They were harshly accusing someone with no evidence. Also arent they supposed to be kinda strong? But honestly the sec leaders felt really weak.
v) The final arch of the flask or torch or whatever that thing was tipping over to destroy the world??? Dear lord where did that come from???
Xuanji - At first she seems so childish, to an annoying level. Sure, its her naivety, so it can be pardoned. Her character development was steady, and it was sort of nice to see. However, the might of god of war was not that satisfying, in a way it made no sense? Sure she is the god of war but even the immortals cant stop her? Even when she is just a mortal? Now why is that just weird? Even with the misunderstandings, she stayed (or tried to) stay loyal to Si Feng, now that was satisfying (I am looking at you, Ashes of Love). Although she tried her best to portray the emotions, I rather felt it was fake when she did most of the time.
Sifeng - Apart from him spitting out blood all the time, and jumping in front of the blades to protect xuanji (probably because that god awful god of war armour was as useless as it seems), and sacrificing himself for love which he seems to be doing from the very beginning to the end, I really cannot understand his character. To say honestly, he really seems to lack a character outside the 'lost in love' thing. I was waiting for him to flutter his wings and show everyone that he was the son of the heavenly emperor and make everyone fall to their knees, but it never really came. It was like I waited all for nothing. Till the very end, his only character was to sacrifice and dot on Xuanji in a very toxic relationship which everything seems one sided if we look at it this way (but lucky for us its not because we know she was loyal to him) But I must say, him as the lord of Lize palace had me drooling. I mean im always drooling over him whenever he is not there spitting blood (which is like 90% of the time)
Linglong - Idk she annoys me.
Sixth senior - There was nothing much to say about him, although I found him and linglon lack chemistry and perhaps that was why the whole storyline felt dull.
I am lazy to go on about other characters.
It was a nice drama, although the story felt lacking in the later episodes, I dont regret watching it. The costumes were amazing, so was the setting. The CG was worthy to be praised. The supporting casts were amazing with their work. The OST was not that great, I expected something more. (lets blame Ashes of Love again). And the fluff was just heart eyes. but would I go back and watch it all over again? No.
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frustrating but so good to watch
I have become addicted to this drama. I am on ep30 and so frustrated at the misses with each other the ML and FL have, ghe other side stories are also great relationships stories as well...there is a lot of technology terms used but I do not think this hurts the xtory, in fact I have actually learnt some things from it so that's another plus for it.
from a fomsntic perspective having multiple relationships in a drama can be ciffivult but this drama weaves them all together well with making it boring
loving it
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Solomon’s perjury is a dark, gritty drama, taking a realistic spin on the awful, inhumane educational system, the gloomy side of teenagers -bullying as one of the main topics-, the lack of compassion of grown-ups and the general selfishness of people caring only about their lives and nothing more. The drama illustrates a very clear and vivid picture of school system and teenage life not only in Korea per-se but on a world-wide spectrum.
The drama is centered in a high school where a student presumably commits suicide, or did he? The students take things to their own hands and try to find what exactly happened after the disinterest of the adults. Solomon’s perjury primarily focuses on two elements; firstly the unfairness of the educational system and secondly the rough life of adolescents.
We get very close insight on how the educational system works, teachers and professors caring much less than expected about the education of their students, but mostly want to secure their jobs and reputation of their school. Furthermore, not only we understand how private schools work, where equity is sacrificed in the name of money –as everything else-, but also how no adult really cares about justice but essentially for their own profit and well-being.
Furthermore, we see first-hand how the students cope with their cruel reality. Talking about barbaric situations, bullying in school as well as domestic violence take the first wheel here presenting the severe repercussions they have on teenagers. The drama focuses heavily on the brutal reality of students having to take on numerous exams, unceasing pressure to succeed and be perfect as well as endure heartless teachers, problematic classmates and merciless parents. Several strong messages sent here as well targeting domestic violence and bullying most significantly: “violence only breeds violence, but in the end it’s also a choice!”
It was inspiring to see a bunch of 18 year olds caring much more about justice and fairness than people who get paid to do so, showing that kids even in the midst of their beefs are way more lawful than adults.
The drama is quite short and I’d say fast paced. It focuses on 3-4 specific characters trying to solve this case and their personal lives at home. I’d describe Solomon’s Perjury as an ambitious mystery thriller. It had its fair share of twists and it was interesting from start to finish and strong but I can’t say most of it wasn’t predictable. Still very entertaining though.
Having said all that, I can’t deny for a drama wanting to depict something real and significant it went on an increasingly unrealistic route to stay original. While I do appreciate where the writers were coming from and all the serious and important issues they addressed, I can’t deny I raised my eyebrow in front of the way the plot was developed.
The students decide to start their own school trial to solve this case and find the truth. What type of authority this school trial has? Considering students were barely interested in signing the petition to start the trial in the first place the auditorium was awfully packed when the trials started. Suddenly the students cared? We get a bunch of 18 year olds playing court, acting like proper prosecutors and attorneys and actually starting talking like ones. How? Did they stop studying for their high school final exams and picked up some legal books or they’ve watched too many legal dramas?
On top of that they started calling themselves prosecutors, attorneys and judges. You are students accept it! And to top it all off, when this little joke started getting out of hand, attacking teachers ect, the teachers barely did anything as well as the parents. The “judge” who was supposed to be a suppressed kid who only studied was yelling at his mother “take her out of the auditorium” and she just walked out? My mother would have come up to me, slapped me and dragged me out by the ear… I didn’t know if this was a bunch of kids playing court or a legal drama set in a high school somehow. This was all just too much to go with and accept.
What’s more, the seemingly normal, ordinary students started feeling increasingly difficult to relate to, acting like brats with psychological problems or one-dimensional wannabe “prosecutors” who couldn’t keep their emotions at place. At some point I felt the need to scream, y’all need serious psychological support before trying to solve anything. There’s only so much I can blame to troubled characters and abusive parents. 80% of the parents happened to be awful people somehow; just too convenient, a tad too much if you ask me.
In all its questionable nature Solomon’s perjury did leave a strong and memorable impression which is enough for me to recommend to everyone who wants to watch something more serious than usual and is into school dramas and crime mysteries.
Since this is a habitual question I’ll mention it. The drama offers only limited and subtle comic relief, while it has little to no romance, so you’re informed about what you’re getting into.
The acting was pretty satisfying considering I’d never seen any of the actors before this and all of them are very young. However, I can’t say any of the performances was memorable. Still, I’d love to see each of them again in the future nonetheless, especially Jang Dong Yoon who left the strongest impression.
Even in its far-fetched nature Solomon’s Perjury sent a lot of meaningful messages like the fact that we barely know the people around us, but it’s in our hand to acknowledge and appreciate them; the significance of friendship, forgiving ourselves firstly and those who wronged us, the unlimited potential of life and most importantly an extremely strong message of never giving up. No matter how difficult it might be today, there is always a brighter day coming tomorrow. If it’s winter today, just remember spring is coming!
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Must Watch- One of the best I have seen.
First of all, just. wow. This drama is definitely one of the best dramas since when I first entered the drama world in 2015.Story: I found it really entertaining and suspenseful, and I like the story from my point of view. Again I repeat my point of view, we all have different opinions so don't judge :). I do feel like there were some mistakes in the storyline, but however, the majority was good.
Acting: The cast is very good, definitely gives you like " heroic" vibes, the directors also made the fighting seems VERY realistic.. It is my first time watching the FL drama and I find her acting very natural, definitely will be watching more of her works. And same with ML. As well as the supporting characters, although they might be sometimes a tiny winny bit irritating.
Rewatch Value: Even though I have just seen 12 episodes and I already started to rewatch so definitely 10/10, Update, I just finished the 51 episodes, for sure will be re-watching the series.
Music: I found the music very nice, and one thing very special is it actually RELATES to the drama. Like it will relate the plot, for example, the sword, lyrics.
For sure a must watch
Warning: I gave this a ten mainly because I feel like this can just be a quick drama to watch, and fill your time, but I wound't obsess over it. However I love it in which its nearly perfect that it keeps you busy for days when you are finishing. THIS IS NOT THE DRAMA FOR DETAILS, :D
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tried something different
Overall: though it was cool how they tried something different, the tonal shifts and writing didn't work for me. 12 episodes about 1 hour each. Aired uncut on iQIYI https://www.iq.com/play/jack-joker-u-steal-my-heart-episode-1-l2dlqwi91c?lang=en_us (I watched the uncut version which originally was the only MDL listing, if there is a cut version released at a later date that I can watch, I'll try to update this with the differences)Content Warnings: past suicide, suicide, attempted suicide, theft, violence/beaten up, blood, bullying, attempted kidnapping, coercion, manipulation, punch, kidnapping, blood
Watch Suggestions starting at ep 5 (uncut timings) (to take out nonsense plot, brutality and focus on the leads' relationship, I might go back thru earlier episodes for suggested timings later)
- episode 5 watch 5:30-9:30 and 16-50:50 if you want to see a caper, otherwise watch 9:30-12:40 and 50:50-56:55 for 2 hurt care scenes
- episode 6 watch the beginning to 9:10, 16-21:40, 24:45-29:30 and 38-1hr2m30s
- skip episode 7
- episode 8 watch 1hr10m45s to the end
- episode 9 watch 1hr4min to the end
- episode 10 watch beginning to 5 and then 12-12:45
- skip episode 11
- episode 12 watch 53:30-54:20 and 1hr 24 to the end
What I Liked
- best grandma ever
- unique premise
- sweet/flirty/caring moments
- fight/action sequences
- grey protagonists
- how Jack called out his coach and then the coach apologized and got his karma
- non cliche female character
Room For Improvement
- tonal shifts between inept comedy caper and brutality/action
- the romance took a backseat to the nonsense plot
- characters were stupid and inept
- because 2 characters relished in violence at the beginning of episode 5, it made me uninterested in any romantic pairings with them involved
- ep 1 started with a flash forward
- I didn't laugh at most of the jokes including the food poisoning/farting
- there were a ton of nonsense things, one example being it didn't make any sense why a character was so angry at another character when the result would have been exactly the same
- failed redemption arcs
- the character acting like someone with less money and then having fake dirt on him was in bad taste and the knock off Squid Game video game thing was completely uninteresting
- a character's instance on something in the NC scene in ep 10 felt dated
- characters just stood around while a character was hauled off by very shifty looking dudes
- lack of trust between romantic partners
- lack of consequences for several characters
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When I heard about this movie, I thought "Tssss, another movie with a poor plot standing as an excuse to say it's not porn". Then I red international critics praising it, so it got me curious. I saw the trailer, and I knew I had to watch it.
There is a plot. It's the tense fight between a rich that seems to have everything since his birth, and a poor that desperatly want to survive without anyone's help. One who fall in love at first sight, and the other who wants to avoid feelings. Who will give up first?
This movie uses silences as a real way of speaking. Since you won't have one useless line, each one is used wisely. Same thing goes for the shots. I really, really liked the way this movie was directed.
I can understand though that this movie isn't for everyone. Personnally, I'm not fond of Yaoi, so I even skipped some scenes
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This review may contain spoilers
It was ok
The setup with ML tormented over a friends death and FL appearance were basically pointless as soon enough this settles into standard fair.1. Pedestrian/Car accident despite all the time in the world to avoid? check
2. Love triangle where center (FL in this one) is oblivious? check
3. Mean mom suddenly overcome with grief when learning of child's hardships years too late and suddenly all is forgiven? check
5. Character disappears overseas for an extended time and returns with no advance word. check
6. Pointless breakup? check
7. Hospital visit due to gastrointestinal issue? check
8. Third wheel heroically gives up and helps main leads get back together after being annoying the entire show? check
10. Best friend betrayal to return later to allow lead to forgive to show how wonderful lead is? check
It's like there's a list that must be checked off at all costs to the story and characters. Still as formulaic as it is, it's not offensively bad.
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Certainly Overrated For What CLOY Actually Gives Us As Viewers...
Whilst this comment will most likely be lost amongst others, I must admit that I was fairly amazed just looking through the top comments as to how many people gave this show 10/10 upon all categories , with few being able to critically and respectfully note some of the more glossed over issues of the drama as well ( particularly towards life in North Korea).Do not get me wrong. Crash Landing On You was actually quite a good show, however, would I actually say that it was “ good” enough to be seen as the “ “ BEST SHOW EVER WRITTEN” , worth 10/10 on here and raving reviews on other websites ? Probably not .In all honesty, I can already think of numerous K- Dramas out there which have tackled the theme of relationships and even issues over North Korea more in depth and realistically than this drama as well as better pacing . ( Korean Peninsula , Spy, Iris and even The King 2 Hearts .)
However, let’s not bring this drama down entirely. Crash Landing On You was an entertaining rom-com and this was particularly seen through the comical gold and actual intrigue between the cultural differences of the group of our North- Korean soldiers and our female lead Yoon Se- Ri played by Son Ye- Jin. ( Language choices, gestures, popular culture etc. ) Additionally, praise must also be given for renowned scriptwriter Park Ji- Eun ( Legend Of The Blue Sea, My Love From The Star) daring to tackle the trickier concept of an international and humanising taboo relationship between a North- Korean solider ( Hyun Bin) and a South- Korean chabeol heiress ( Son Ye-Jin).
Although it makes for good script material, most of the show’s centralisation in North Korea did bring one flaw to the show, where the premise “ write what you know” wasn’t always the best solution for Ji- Eun. Whilst the show did share some evident cultural differences and dangers of life in North Korea ( especially surrounding our second Male lead played by Kim Jung- Hyun), it was never exactly going to be from the get-go a fly on the wall documentary of what life is actually like in one of the most isolated countries in the world. Yet even by Crash Landing On You’s standards , it was fairly eye brow raising to try and gloss over the oppression , lack of freedom of speech and even the fact that North- Korea is a communist dictatorship with the classic and beyond comical element of having a department store ( a very consumerist South-Korean element) and “ Rich Ahjummas” in a country where money restrictions are so severe.
Whilst I do appreciate that the show was try to humanise our characters ( and did this successfully to some extent) by showing North- Koreans to be actually human beings rather than the “ enemy” and “ threats”, it still felt poorly tackled how the show decided to gloss over a lot of these more predominant issues over actual circumstances for many North-Koreans in order to add to the angst and humanity of our characters. This also moves on to a strange plot point over our two main characters as well as Se- Ri’s debates over suicide only being mentioned when it was necessary to earlier or later storyline. ( There was little explanation over this element of Se- Ri’s decisions which would have given her depth apart from just Ji-Eun just wanting to add angst before the big plot twist in the finale).
So, what are my final words to you upon this drama? Is it worth watching, or is it a waste of time? Probably the biggest thing I should say that is Crash Landing On You isn’t a terrible drama and has a lot of fun playing with the renowned tropes of rom-coms. The ending is bittersweet, the concept is quite interesting, the characters and cast will grow on you and the cinematography and filming locations ( particularly in Switzerland and Mongolia) are gorgeous . On the other hand, the pacing simply falls after the halfway point to a slump, the glossing over and the attempts to write a mini- Seoul in Pyongyang were ridiculous in addition to the portrayal of North Korea and certain characters.
It can probably be concluded that whilst good, the show is just a little too overrated . If you’re looking for a binge-watch and something to easily watch and throw aside, it’s a perfect watch, however, it’s fair to say that if you’re looking for actual depth, characterisation and sensical storyline, then there are so many other dramas out there to consider.
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How Song Kang and Park Min Young’s Latest Drama Failed To Break The Ice…
‘Unsurprisingly from the suggestions given by its title-name, ‘ Forecasting Love and Weather’ is one of the few K-dramas in recent memory to cover this subject field of meteorology. With the additional talents of rising star Song Kang ( Navillera’, ‘ Sweet Home’ and ‘ Love Alarm’) as well as A-lister actress Park Min Young ( -‘Healer’, ‘ Her Private Life’ and ‘ What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim?’), the sixteen-episode JTBC and Netflix series has gained popular attention for its intriguing plot premise and subject area.
Nevertheless aside from an interesting premise and an impressive cast line-up, it is hard to ignore that ‘Forecasting Love and Weather’ has gained an onslaught of mixed-criticism due to its execution, lukewarm chemistry between potential love interests as well as certain screenwriting inconsistencies also.
The narrative is focused upon two polar opposite main leads; Lee Si-Woo (Song Kang) and Jin Ha-Kyung( Park Min Young). Lee Si Woo is a laidback yet prodigal meteorologist obsessed with weather patterns such as the consistency of air flow and sea fog. However, despite Lee Si-Woo’s dedication to his career, the same cannot be said about his relationship with his disengaged girlfriend Chae Yoo-jin (Girl’s Day’s Yura- ‘Secret Angel’, ‘ To The Beautiful You’ and ‘ Radio Romance’).
Meanwhile at Seoul’s headquarters for Korean Meteorological Association, prudent and uptight deputy manager Jin Ha-Kyung, finds herself being caught in a maelstrom of anxiety and stress. An oncoming weather front has proven to be just as unpredictable as her approaching wedding day.
After Ha-Kyung discovers that her fiancé Han Ki-jun (Yoon Park- ‘ Introverted Boss’, ‘ Search’ and ‘ You Are My Spring’) has been having an affair behind her back, she is forced to call off the wedding.
Similarly Si-Woo is heartbroken when Yoo-Jin finally breaks up with him after becoming disinterested with their dates.
Yet after the storm, there is always a glimpse of sunshine and hope. As Ha-Kyung and Si-Woo attempt to juggle between their newfound situations and their careers, they soon find themselves growing closer to one another along the way.
The screenwriting for ‘Forecasting Love and Weather’ was arguably one of the most unexpected collaborations in recent years. Kang Eun-kyung (probably best known for her screenplays for productions such as as ‘ Bread, Love and Dreams’, ‘ Dr. Romantic’ and ‘ Where Stars Land’) worked together alongside lesser-known screenwriter Sun Young( ‘Drama Special Season 3: Like a Miracle’) in order to write the screenplay for ‘ Forecasting Love and Weather’; a work which for all intents and purposes felt heavily domineered in style and creativity by Eun-Kyung.
Of course, it isn’t out of the question that a collaborated work can often reflect the style and characteristics of screenwriters. In particular due to the fact that Sun Young’s screenplays are respectfully limited ( and as a consequence it becomes harder to notice specific patterns), it does arguably stand to reason that Eun-Kyung’s writing quirks and traits were more noticeable than Sun Young’s.
On the other hand for those fairly familiar with Eun-Kyung’s style , then it is likely that most will notice that ‘ Forecasting Love and Weather’ possessed similar flaws and strengths of the screenwriter’s previous projects; light-hearted angst filled with romantic bravado and bubbly setups, but heavily reliant upon screenwriting tropes and bombastic character archetypes. Similar to some of her aforementioned works, ‘Forecasting Love and Weather’ felt as though it would often struggle to achieve a successfully consistent and lively tone, often disengaging viewers as a consequence.
This was particularly apparent with the narrative’s constantly changing focal points, especially during early episodes of the series. Rather than
focusing on a few concise points and keeping a level of consistency with the established tone and narrative, ‘Forecasting Love and Weather’ often felt uncertain with its main topics.
For example, a drama seemingly established as a heartfelt romance between two mismatched individuals, would suddenly be subverted into a topic-heavy drama surrounding mapping and warning systems, before shifting again in a different scene in order to become a melodrama surrounding heartache, infidelity, breakups and heinous exes.
Despite some respectfully mixed responses surrounding the casting choices of Song Kang and Park Min-Young initially, both main leads offered fairly decent performances throughout.
On the other hand , it is hard to ignore that despite the talents of both main leads, Kang and Park’s onscreen chemistry was often lukewarm.
Admittedly this isn’t entirely the fault of the actors per say. As characters, Si-Woo and Ha-Kyung were often resorted to the equivalent of carte blanches; excuses by the screenwriters in order to be shoehorned into romantic setups, misunderstandings and seemingly allow the audience to root for them from beginning to end.
In particular, main female lead Ha-Kyung has often come under scrutiny by viewers for her impassivity. This is mainly due to the fact that despite being a character who is meticulous and flawed by her uptight nature, there were few opportunities to explore Ha-Kyung as an individual in her own right . Ha-Kyung had a lot of potential to grow or at least mature through her experiences. ( Such as her breakup or her tumultuous experiences with her ex-fiancé. )However rather than giving screen time for Ha-Kyung to be explored as a character and learning self-acceptance , Ha-Kyung was resorted to the equivalent of a plot asset; necessary for driving forwards the contrived love story at the heart of the show, but rarely being presented as a sentient heroine in between.
Admittedly these writing problems were not just applicable to Ha-Kyung. Main male lead Si-Woo was often restricted into a similar role as the “ forlorn male lead”.
Despite Si-Woo being an intelligent individual who struggles to understand empathy at times, the narrative rarely offered opportunities for Si Woo to reflect upon his breakup or actions in the past, or at least attempt to reconciliate and display an element of maturity by trying to understand his ex-girlfriend’s perspectives. ( Even if Chae Yoo-Jin’s motives were often villainous, this would’ve easily presented and allowed opportunities for viewers to comprehend Si-Woo’s struggles and journey as a character.)
Instead although some of Si-Woo’s situations could arguably be justified as being “ caught in the moment”, it seemed out of character and unjustified in a lot of situations for Si Woo to behave in this way or become actively involved in these scenarios without a greater motive. ( Aside from the case of for the “ sake of plot”.)
However this problem was not just limited to our main characters.Park and Yura’s acting was respectfully credible but the same cannot be said about their screen personas.
Indeed one of the main areas of debate with Park and Yura’s onscreen characters came through their “ villainous” roles throughout the duration of the series.
Of course it isn’t always necessarily out of the question to create despicable villains, nor is it always necessary to allow moments of moral redemption either.
However where ‘ Forecasting Love and Weather’ often fell short was how the narrative truly wanted to portray these characters. At times, the series could often lean into presenting Ki-Jun and Yoo-Jin as intrinsically hollow individuals with egocentric goals and motives. ( In particular with Ki-Jun’s megalomaniacal tendencies and Yoo-Jin’s manipulative attempts to climb up the social ladder in the workplace.) However. , the series often seemed to lean into some moments of potential “ sentience ” for these characters which while having the potential to be dynamic and meticulously written, often felt conceited. ( For example Ki-Jun’s “ ambivalent” feelings as well as Yoo-Jin’s workplace drama.)
Of course this isn’t to say that as an audience we didn’t see some moments of error or weaknesses for the characters in this series, this was rarely given more reasoning. When Si-Woo or Ha-Kyung were at fault the series would often find excuses to justify this as “ morally right” without necessarily highlighting the faults or flaws at the heart of their issues. Similarly Ki-Jun and Yoo-Jin’s actions and misdeeds were often labelled as purely diabolical or a cause of disgust and shame, without always necessarily digging deeper into the causes or allowing viewers to see a full-side of the picture .
Nevertheless a shoutout must be given to supporting actor Kwon Hae-Hyo’s ( ‘ Revenge and Passion’, ‘ Radiant Office’ and ‘ Undercover’) performance as head of the bureau, Ko Bong-Chan. Arguably one of the most underrated performances in the series, Kwon perfectly embodied an oddly authentic cynical charm to his cantankerous onscreen character.
Due to the previously mentioned flaws of ‘Forecasting Love and Weather’, the knock-on effect of these problems evidently dragged down the narrative’s execution and pacing. Admittedly it is inaccurate to claim that the entire trajectory was calamitous. The series often attempted to create a balance between downplaying key events in order to build-up these obstacles for the main leads, as well as offering pacy climatic moments in order to keep viewers intrigued with forlorn hope.
However due to the extent of misunderstandings and conflicts presented with this method of execution, it could often make ‘Forecasting Love and Weather’ feel as though it was tediously slow in parts and tiresomely repetitive as a consequence. This was mainly due also to the format of each episode following a similar pattern; a dilemma would become apparent to the audience (though evidently not to the characters at first), the problem would emerge and then a misunderstanding or conflict would occur before being dragged out, resolved and then repeat.
Perhaps this wouldn’t have been so bad if there had been variation or by the latter-half, viewers had seen opportunities for the characters to gradually overcome their misunderstandings from the first-half. Instead, the predominant focus upon dragging out tense conflicts and misunderstandings had a severe impact upon the seemingly main relationship between Ha-Kyung and Si-Woo; lacking screentime together in addition to ironically spending more time interacting with their exes onscreen, rarely allowing opportunities for viewers to see this relationship reach a concise or healthy resolution.
Under the directing reigns of Cha Young Hoon ( ‘ When The Camellia Blooms’, ‘ Uncontrollably Fond’ and ‘ Gaksital’), it is undeniable that despite some limited camera angles and pan shots at times, ‘ Forecasting Love and Weather’ was filled with some sleek and aesthetic shots.
In particular due to the main subject area of the series being upon the field of meteorology and weather, Young Hoon captured some mesmeric moments of weather changes from the rolling tide, to descending fog, dew on the ground and rain.
However, this was also used as an effective narrative device also; pathetic fallacy. (For those unfamiliar with the term, pathetic fallacy refers to the usage of weather in order to display the mood, tone or feelings of a narrative and its characters. )
For ‘Forecasting Love and Weather’ this became apparent with the brief yet effective usage of these scenes in order to highlight the emotional conflicts of the characters as well as the main leads’ relationship in different stages over the course of the narrative. (Enforced by particular episode titles helping to hint such as “Signal” , “Localized Heavy Rain”, “Tropical Night” in order to hint at the literal and metaphorical problems of each episode.)
In addition to the filming stylistics of ‘ Forecasting Love and Weather’, there is also the important discussion surrounding the drama’s comprised OST of schmaltzy pop songs and love ballads. There is no beating around the bush that some of these tracks weren’t particularly memorable. However renowned singer CHEEZE’s upbeat track ‘Melting (사르르쿵)’, and earnest love ballad ‘ Promise You’ performed by Kyuhyun were arguably some of the best songs found on the soundtrack which remained noteworthy .
Overall impressions of ‘Forecasting Love and Weather’ are entirely dependent on expectations. There is a certain unusual attraction to the series’ topic area of meteorology and its visual aesthetics. On the other hand, ‘ Forecasting Love and Weather’ could often be caught up in a storm of its own making; inconsistent tonal shifts, character-writing and questionable pacing did little to bring out the best sides of ‘ Forecasting Love and Weather’.
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1This review may contain spoilers
A FAILED ATTEMPT AT A KOREAN REMAKE OF ELITE
***DISCLAIMER: THIS IS JUST MY OPINION. YOU DON'T HAVE TO AGREE AND I'M NOT HERE TO ARGUE WITH ANYONE.***A/N: This is a long review so feel free to skip ahead to the “final thoughts” section.
OVERVIEW:
The drama opens with a scared boy running away from somone who seems to be chasing him. It flashes back to some memories of him shouting at someone saying "you're all crazy". Then when he finally runs outside he is hit over by a car and bleeds to death. The camera zooms in on his ID card from Jooshin focusing on the motto which says “noblesse oblige” This is from French meaning, “nobility obligates” which touches on the belief that the wealthy and privileged are obliged to help those less fortunate. The boy who was killed is In Han who we eventually find out is the protagonist, Kang Ha’s brother. He then enrolls at Jooshin to exact retribution on those guilty and obtain justice for his brother.
GENERAL COMMENTARY:
Hierarchy was, to put it mildly, disappointingly underwhelming.
First things first, the high schoolers racing around a track driving million dollar sports cars in episode 1? Come on, be for real. This show is such a joke. That added nothing to the plot and I think they blew the budget on unnecessary things.
The FL irritated me. Although ML was seemingly in love with her, she only has tunnel vision for Ri-An. Watching her be so resolute was upsetting, especially in the beginning when everyone thought Ri-An was involved in In-Han's murder. It was clear that initially Jae-i was using Kang Ha to get over Ri-An, and she shielded him out of guilt that he might be related to In-Han. I was so annoyed by her passion for Ri-An but it just goes to show that someone can do everything for you and you’ll still mean nothing to them. I didn’t understand why Kang Ha didn’t just let go of her. He tried protecting her when on the flipside she told him she didn’t care about protecting anyone except Ri-an. I had assumed that the writers would have written the story that she was in love with In-Han (similar to Elite) but apparently not. It was just your typical rich boy in love with a rich girl and both willing to go to any lengths to keep the other safe.
It’s so ironic to me how she almost had to abort their baby because she couldn’t face her father’s wrath and yet she was still in love with him? Make it make sense. She knew they could never truly be together and so she breaks up with him but at the same time she still loves him and would do anything to protect him even if she knew he had a hand in In-Han’s murder? I’m sorry but Kang Ha deserves better.
This drama just shows that the rich will always have eachothers backs and do whatever it takes to step on those beneath them.
Which brings me to the another point, I don’t understand why she was so shocked / stunned to speak when ML finally revealed the truth than In-Han was his brother. That much was so obvious and even she was shown to have had a slight suspicion that he was related to him in some way because he continued to provoke the rich and popular kids.
I believe Roh Jeong Eui tried to create visuals similar to Han So Hee and Bona. However, I believe she overdid her plastic surgery, which is why her emotions don't translate properly onscreen. She was expected to play a cold, unfeeling and disinterested character but character lacked flavor and she had same expression throughout the drama. During the scene where she and Ri-An were lamenting the loss of their baby together, she cried but did not show any emotion on her face. It was quite unpleasant to watch ngl. Ji Hye Won reminded me very lot of Song Ha Yoon from Marry My Husband. She did her role justice and her performance was superior to FLs if I’m being honest.
Some claim Jae-i had no chemistry with either of the boys. That is not entirely true, as there was steam between her and Kang-Ha in episodes 1 and 2. I disliked how they built up the kiss so nicely in episode 2 and then nothing because the headmaster, Ri An, and Woo Ji had to intervene. But, while I agree that the chemistry / spark faded after that, her “slight” fondness for Ri-An and her friends was still somewhat present in the flashbacks. She tried but it just wasn’t good enough.
The show felt so flat and the romance between Kang Ha and Jae-i was just unnecessary like how did he let a trivial crush hinder his ‘revenge’? I swear so many characters needed to STAND UP. I hate how both of the guys were just pathetic simps for Jae-i. I had to ask myself if I was He-Ra in this situation? Bc I could not stand her AT ALL. Lmao those boys needed to bffr!
I will never see the appeal of Ri-an (I don’t get why Jae-i was so taken with him) I honestly preferred Kim Jae Won’s performance in KTL more. He was arrogant and insufferable not to mention the main reason for the violence on the less fortunate scholarship kids at the school and I doubt he was actually sorry at the end, he was just sorry he got caught. Imo he was just a one dimensional pretentious bastard and it took him learning that his baby died for him to break down his walls and have a heart? Spare me with the lazy writing fr.
Additionally, I couldn’t understand why Ri-an liked Jae-i and why her love for him was unwavering. I didn’t feel any warmth or real emotional or even physical attraction pass between them in the 7 episodes. I wonder if it would have been different had Chae Min played Ri-an and played Kang Ha. Idk why but I kept on thinking this through the entirety of the drama. The casting directors made a certain choice and I’m not sure if it was the best one. Chae Min would have carried the drama and stood out either way and so I applaud him for giving this role his best. Usually the poor characters have that wide eyed bambi look much like Ri-An and Chae Min has that evil / gold spoon look in my opinion. I also don’t think 2MLs acting is that strong of an actor. He needs more training so he can improve. People were raving about his acting in episode 6 especially and to me it was just a mediocre performance that felt quite stony and flat.
I was not surprised that the teacher and Woo-Ji had a hand in In-Ha bring killed. From episode 2 they were the most suspicious to me not to mention the most taboo / disgusting couple. The moment I saw them sleeping together that right there was a 0/10 for me. 18 in korean age or not… (which is 17 in international age) IDC THAT’S A WHOLE ADULT AND A MINOR… EW!
The teacher was pathetic. She only cared about Woo-ji and then fakes empathy in front of the kids at school like she even gives a singular f*ck about In Ha dying… LIKE BITCH YOU WERE THE ONE DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE.
I got so sick and tired of her patronizing attitude. She must feel so accomplished to be f*cking a student half her age and then trying to hit over the girl Woo-ji loves after she is forced to resign? Did she want to be charged for a second hit and run? Lmao. She was the definition of immature and unserious.
Jae-i’s back story of wanting to abort the baby then having a miscarriage is sad but the build up towards that took too long. Everyone knew or could infer that she aborted or lost the baby. I get that she was grieving and couldn’t face Ri-An, but if she just communicated imagine the difference that would have made. Idk the plot was just unnecessarily dragged out and she quite literally treated Ri-an like she hated him for more than half of the drama.
The resolution was terrible. It's a massive eye roll that they always manage to have Ri-an look like the "cool guy". It was so cheap and performative of him to acknowledge his part in bullying at the last minute. Dramas like this constantly give the impression that problems are easily fixed. Someone literally died for God sakes! Furthermore, I don't think 2ML's acting is that good. While I thought his performance in ep 6 was merely passable, many were praising him.
I find it cliche that the writers always make it out that the rich are envious of the poor because they can do whatever they want and find joy in the simple things in life. I could have told you I saw that scene coming from a mile away.
The farewell scene between Jae-i and He-ra was unnecessary. Imo they spent almost the entirety of the drama being horrible to each other so I stopped caring about them & didn’t want to see them rekindle their fake friendship.
“Take care of yourself, my mean and beautiful friend." lmao, this was such a backhanded compliment that I side eyed. The FL had the opportunity to finally express her actual emotions in that scene, but she failed. Like she even finds it difficult to smile? Bffr.
The bike scene between Ri-an and Jae-i annoyed me because that was literally Kang Ha and Jae-i’s thing. Ugh is nothing sacred anymore? Honestly I couldn’t care less about Jae-i and Ri-an. But I suppose they suit each other in the way that they’re lowkey the same / have the same trashy morals. Imo their chemistry is nonexistent and it felt like the writers were trying to force their relationship down everyone’s throats. She didn't even appear to be enjoying the "toast" either — like girl not even you believe it’s good.
“Kang Ha once told me that I should find and protect whatever makes me happiest in life. So I thought about it and that’s you Ri-an.” they need to stop forcing this actress to be endearing because she can’t do it. Also I find it ironic how it took Kang-ha sharing his advice for her to realize it. Jae-i is pathetic if you ask me.
I hate that knowing each other since childhood trope that they use to show that two characters “belong” together or are “destined” to be together. I also dislike the fact that there’s no real reason that they like eachother other than that they are familiar and comfortable with each other. This is a case of the “just ‘cause” syndrome again. Like yes, give us absolutely NOTHING. I would have preferred they stayed broken up. It was annoying how much screen time they took up in the final episode, as that was where the drama became a complete drag.
The scene where Ri-an and Jae-i say farewell to their baby by allowing the ultrasound to float into the river was not moving (to me) at all. I believe both actors are inexperienced and have not dealt with a similar situation, hence it didn't translate properly on screen. I wanted them to delve into their grief and actually communicate. I needed Jae-i to open up him about how she felt about keeping the secret and how she felt when the baby eventually died etc. She mentioned it to Kang Ha, but we never saw her explain herself to Ri-an. A lot was missing and that scene seemed to lack a lot.
I said it once and I’m gonna say it again; dramas doing these sacrificial love arcs need to quit while they are ahead because it never hits especially with no real backstory or build up. I think 7 episodes hindered them from doing that but they could have cut out the unnecessary drama and tried to create more multidimensional characters. Even Kang-ha’s home life beyond his memories with his brother. We didn’t see his living situation with his uncle or what happened to his parents. I feel like the writers could’ve explored this more.
I hated the scene where Kang-ha pitifully asked Jae-i if there was ever a time she had real feelings for him and she just smiled and he figured she was lying. Enough with that bs! It’s sad especially when you realize she only felt guilt towards him and that’s because In-han was so good to her and she saw similarities between the two.
The scene between He-ra and Kang-ha came out of the blue but I believe the writers threw it in at the end because they wished they explored that dynamic / pairing more. It was cute but unnecessary imo.
Not Kang-ha running pathetically towards Jae-i when she’s about to leave and confessing / apologizing for the 100th time. She needs to put in the work and chase him. Mind you she should be the one apologizing to him! I think he needs to get over her. I didn’t care that she finally admitted she had feelings for him because it means nothing and if it came down to it she would still chose Ri-an. I hate how they wrote him to be a loser simp… like he really lost sight of his revenge all because of her?! BE SO SERIOUS.
To be honest, I don’t ship Kang-ha with any of those mean rich kids. He deserves so much more than to be a mere option / someone’s sloppy seconds!
I’m glad that Jae-i left on her own accord to find herself and ended up going to visit her mom but imo, the ending was just bathetic. I mean we don’t even get to see her mom’s face? Bye.
After the credits they showed another murder with Kang-ha smiling at his phone “appearing” to send a message to Ri-An which said “you look shaken up” was so dissatisfying. It’s obvious they’re teasing S2. I’m so over it. NEXT!
Throughout the entire drama I was thinking what if ML played Ri-An and vice versa. Usually the poor characters have that wide eyed bambi look like Ri-An and Chae Min has that gold spoon look. I can’t explain it but the casting directors certainly made a choice because at least if Chae Min was Ri-an we’d actually see some chemistry or sparks (like in that final hug)
LIKES:
The cinematography was good but I felt the color grading at times was a tad harsh on the eyes and made the FL appear like she belonged in the Addams Family. Her skin was super pale which emphasized her ghastly demeanor. She was emotionless and she looked like the FL of a horror film.
I liked the scene in which He-Ra viewed the video of Jae-i and Ri-An. Rather than using it as a weapon against them much like Jae-i's cruel brother, she scolded and then slapped him. I had mixed feelings while watching because I thought I'd hate He-ra forever for wanting Ri-an for herself and then trying so hard to get back at Jae-i for many episodes, but that scene alone showed me how much she still cared for her and was hurt knowing all that it was all she was dealing with. On the other hand, she has feelings for Ri-An as well, so imagine how she felt seeing them be happily in love. She had to put her feelings aside because she knew that the intimate moment between the two should never get out and should not have been recorded in the first place. He-ra is a complicated character, with some layers. She's not the textbook bitch I assumed she was.
The more experienced actors in this drama ate down. Lee Chae Min and Ji Hye Won never disappointed. They both carried the entire drama on their backs. Jae-i’s father (Choi Won Young) and Ri-an’s mother (Yoon Se Ah) nailed their roles. I was also impressed with the headmaster (Bae Hae Sun) and her son (Seo Bum June) I also liked Kim Min Chul's portrayal of In-ha and Kang-ha's friend Tae Ho (Yoon Seok Ho) The bullies also did a good job.
I loved the ending cameo of Oh Na Ra as the new principal of Jooshin.
I also enjoyed the OST, that for me was one of the best things about the drama.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
The concept of this drama and it's execution does not stand out to me. You may have seen similar scenes in movies and tv shows in western media.
I don't think this idea is unique in Korea, which has had its fair share of aristocratic high school dramas (Bitch x Rich, Sky Castle, Heirs, BOF etc.) with affluent kids doing inconceivable things. But I still believe that younger audiences would appreciate this style of entertainment as that they now have a drama for their generation. Imo more recent dramas like Pyramid Game and The Glory do this type of plot far better.
Overall episodes 1-2 were the best, 3 was ok, 4-5 started dragging and had buildups that led nowhere / were resolved quickly, 6-7 were rushed, choppy and anticlimactic. I believe this drama is a waste of potential. The teaser seemed interesting, but the drama was a total letdown.
Imo the original Elite series is so much better than this, specifically seasons 1-3. I thought it would be a total copy of the plot but they changed things and put their own spin on it. For eg. I thought In Han was in a secret relationship with Jae-i and he was the father of her baby. This would've been more interesting and would explain how he got killed by Ri-an but it turns out they had other plans with the teacher being the culprit. That was predictable for me because when first came on the screen she looked very suspicious.
Hierarchy is not good by any means but not so atrocious that it’s completely unwatchable either. I think some persons can possibly relate where I couldn’t and find enjoyment in this series but sadly it was a miss for me. I’m not sure if this drama will be renewed for S2, if it is i’ll be very surprised.
In my opinion, this series is skippable. If you don't trust reviews then you'll just have to watch it for yourself and go in with little to no expectations. I say give it a try if you’re looking for something to binge quickly. This drama is primarily geared towards a younger audience, so beware if that is not your preferred genre. If it’s dragging for you then I suggest speed watching or watching something else entirely. Either way the choice is yours!
With that being said I give this drama a 4/10 and only because of effort from the more experienced / talented actors.
Thanks for reading and happy watching!
˚ʚ♡ɞ˚
__________________
SIDENOTE:
This is simply my point of view and I don’t intend to offend anyone who thinks differently.
/) /)
( ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ )<(thank you!)
/ づ づ ~ ♡
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IF YOU'RE STILL HESITATING I HOPE YOU FIND THE COURAGE TO STAND UP AGAIN
You will end up crying rethinking the problems that you made so huge in your head are not that huge compared to what your loved ones will feel after you decide to give up because of those problems. This story gives a reality check to you about the consequences of selfish decisions which you thought wouldn't affect anyone.This drama has the perfect runtime which gives the right amount of information required and the story progression does not end up looking rushed or slow. The acting was one of the main reasons behind such perfect execution. The ending made me realize that I need to appreciate my present, even though we may face some obstacles here and there still, is there anyone in this world who hasn't faced any hardship whatsoever?
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