This review may contain spoilers
Powerhouse Acting, Fragile Script
The Art of Illusion | "If you can't distinguish fake from real, then is it really fake?"➥ SYNOPSIS: The Art of Sarah follows a woman who reinvents herself through carefully crafted lies, climbing into high society using nothing but intelligence, confidence, and deception. As a murder investigation begins to unravel her world, the drama slowly reveals who Sarah really is - and how far she’s willing to go to protect the life she created. It strongly reminded me of another Netflix show "Inventing Anna", especially in the way it explores identity, ambition, and social climbing through illusion. But that's where the comparison ended.
➥ MESSAGE: The drama critiques society’s obsession with status, luxury, and appearances. It shows how easily people accept illusion as truth when it’s packaged attractively. Prestige only exists because powerful people decide it does. In many ways, the system itself creates someone like Sarah.
➥ PROS: Acting & Visuals/Cinematography
I started this drama because I believe in the acting talent of the mains - Shin Hye Sun and Lee Jun Hyuk. I have seen them since the time they have been support actors & have loved the evolution as being regarded as acting powerhouses. And they both have a visual presence that you simply cannot ignore.
In this drama - Shin Hye-sun completely owns it and rightfully so as this is Sarah’s story. She moves effortlessly between confidence, vulnerability, and manipulation. She shines brighter than the glamour and couture of "Boudoir" bags. Lee Jun-hyuk plays the investigator well. He’s solid and convincing, but I thinks his character was not written well, as I have seen him much stronger before. Still he powers through as he's a talented and actor, and together, they made the cat and mouse chase enjoyable. The cinematography adds to the story as it is sleek and stylish, with luxury settings and fashion that reinforce the theme of illusion without overpowering the story.
➥ CONS: Weak Writing & Unexplained Plot Holes
Despite my genuine affection for the lead actors—and the undeniable talent they bring to their performances, which makes the drama consistently engaging—I can’t overlook the evident weaknesses in the writing. One particularly glaring issue was the unexplained corpse introduced in Episode 4, a plot point that was abruptly abandoned as the story shifted in a different direction. Additionally, the ending felt overly convenient and ultimately unconvincing. While I appreciate the intended message, its delivery seemed rushed and would have benefited from clearer development rather than relying on a convoluted “con-within-a-con” twist. Although the conclusion aligns with the central theme—that certain circumstances can give rise to someone like Sarah, and others like her—the final episodes lacked cohesion and narrative payoff.
➥ OVERALL:
I’d still recommend it as a one-time watch—it’s short, well-acted, visually strong, and offers thoughtful social commentary. While the writing could have been tighter and better developed, it remains a solid effort and an engaging pick for the 2026 drama line-up. If you enjoy stories about con artists, investigations, manipulation, and social themes, you’ll likely appreciate it—just go in with reasonable expectations rather than expecting a masterpiece.
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Is This Really Love? Or Interest In Love?
Ahn Soo Young is a beautiful, hard-working 4 year employee as Chief Bank Teller at KCU Bank. Due to her past experiences and personal difficulties whilst growing up, she does not believe that she is destined to be happy.Even with her stone face and distant demeanor, Ha Sang Soo under her mentorship when he first joined the bank, gradually found himself drawn to her as he grew through the ranks at the workplace. One day, he finally musters his nerves and asks Soo Young for a date. However, he was late arriving the dinner venue and was seen by Soo Young hesitating for a moment before entering the restaurant. Soo Young re-acts in a devastating manner and hence the possible relationship between her and Sang Soo spirals off to different directions. They then inadvertently paired themselves with respective partners whom I found were really well suited to them. However, like a ‘moth to the flame’, Soo Young and Sang Soo continues to be drawn to each other.
Soo Young has self-esteem issues and does not easily give herself permission to be happy. Sang Soo is a guy who takes life and relationship seriously, making him cautious in his thought process. Will such two un-confident energy ever find love?
I found this drama really angsty as I yearned to see the two main leads coming together. One might even find many moments really slow, but these are the moments where this type of drama requires one to sink into the scenes and emotions, which had my attention. Whilst waiting for that moment, I thoroughly enjoyed the stories with the second leads as well as the entire ensemble of family, bank colleagues and office politics. The entire drama was cleverly weaved in these really complicated relationships. Moon Ga Young was ‘horribly’ good as Soo Young and Yoo Yeon Seok (normally, whom I always enjoy watching his macho go-getter roles) was ‘horribly’ good as the mild, cautious and hesitant Sang Soo. So frustrating to watch and yet able to make me appreciate the flow and the tension.
This is not your normal love story drama, and this is why I enjoyed this so much.
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1This review may contain spoilers
Wandee has the personality of a flip-flop
Why was Wandee ready to be boyfriends with Ter, the guy who had the personality of a two-in-one shampoo but needed 12 episode to accept Yoryak? Make it make sense?!?!Like, I don’t understand why Wandee was playing hard to get? Dude, Yoryak found you in the dumpster, in between two trash cans. Please, stop playing hard to get, he already saw you at your worse and still wants you.
That being said, I tuned in to this show every week because GreatInn were amazing. Loved how their chemistry was chemistrying and the plot was watchable. The second couple were good as well, Cher has my whole heart. All in all, an enjoyable show, but still some things annoyed me, so here we are.
Because, for a show about having a good day, it sure as hell ruined my day.
CHARACTERS
Listen. I liked YORYAK. He was in the running for my fav character along with Cher. I was rooting for him. Sure I had no idea what was up with that random grim reaper character that showed up whenever the writers remembered there’s supposed to be a guy in a cape for the plot-line, but still I liked him.
Then the finale happened and undid all that, making me think he’s an ungrateful jerk. Because his brother, Oye, gave up his dream, got beaten up by loan sharks and almost lost ruin his relationship, all to make Yoryak’s dream come true. But what does Yoryak do when he finally makes it to the top? Immediately dedicate his win to his fake boyfriend with benefits. Literally you met him like four seconds ago!
Dafug you mean this win is mostly because of you, and this championship belt is yours??? No it’s not! Wandee did nothing, this had nothing to do with him! Matter of fact he stressed you out with his indecisiveness so much you lost a match. Get your priorities straight child!
Really, what did Wandee contribute to his victory? Is it because he told him to face that hooded figure? His brother would have told him the same thing if he’d confind in him. Nah, that part was just messed up, especially after that family episode.
Anyway, I still like Yoryak, but that last episode did him no good.
Now WANDEE. Oh, Wandee my boy. Why you gotta have the face of a supermodel and the smile of a cloud, but the personality of a slipper?
Wandee’s inability to make up his mind annoyed the hell outta me. It wasn’t because Yoryak did anything wrong or didn’t communicate his feelings, our boxer did and said all the right things, but still Wandee wasn’t sure even after they kissed. Dude, he brought you home after picking you up from the dumpsters, he’d seen you at your worse and still wants you. What more is you waiting for???
When he kept dragging his feet about being Yoryak’s real boyfriend, I wanted to reach into the screen and shake him. Like, dude you were in love with that shifty arse doctor who looks like he steal pills during his lunch breaks, but hunky boxer is where you get sense? Child, if you don't sit your arse down!
I liked Wandee, he didn’t sit around crying for weeks when he was called vanilla, which lets all agree, dude looked like the poster boy for vanilla, but yeah, he didn’t sit there wallowing, he up and got himself a sexy faen with benefits, and he had a cool grandma to add to his charm, but I sure as hell was given him the stink eye. And I did so every episode after they first kissed. He was acting like a boyfriend, but still didn’t want to commit.
And also, did anyone cringed so hard, they wanted to jump off a cliff when Wandee started singing? I get Thai Bl dramas never leave the house without a guitar, but the secondhand embarrassment I felt, yikes! Like, why is now the time to start singing in front of all this people?
This show had no business being 12 episode. It could have ended the first time they kissed on the lips. Cuz it just dragged after that and made Wandee more annoying by not being able to make up his mind. I kept screaming at my screen ‘Mfer do you want to be with Yoryak or not?
Also, did we ever find out about how Wandee was scared of traffic lights, but like, drove a car? What he do when he stopped by a traffic light?
But like, do we all agree that Inn’s smile is sooo adorable?
Anyway TER! EFFING TERRR!!! I still can’t get pass the episode where he fumbles a beautiful doctor lady for Wandee, only to fumble him too and then try to come back to the dance floor looking for her. THE AUDACITY!! Did Ter think that boss lady doctor would still be waiting for his sorry arse?? Homeboy out there acting like spare tyre and thinking he’s the belle of the ball.
LMAO, what a loser! His sorry arse out there looking like an upside down question mark, and yet he thought he still had a chance with Wandee! Any screen time he had after that vanilla scene felt like I was being forced to accept his existence. Then instead of falling down the stairs in the finale and breaking all his toes and fingers, the writers up and gave the mfer a whole arse girlfriend. WHY? FOR WHAT REASON??? ARRRGGGGG
This world has no balance, why are all my enemies winning this season? First Tong and now Ter.
And speaking of the VANILLA scene. HAHAHAH, Ter out there acting like he collects stamps and have seks with the lights off, calling someone vanilla, dude didn’t seem like he knew any positions other than missionary, cuz what player with game would fumble two people in the span of a minute at a ball?? Vanilla! Boy if you don’t shut up!
I really wanted him to end up alone, bitter, and jobless, but here we are with his annoying arse waving at me and going ‘Bish, you thought!’
CHER AND OYE
I loved these two together. Usually I watch most of the second leads scenes on 2x, but these two had me hooked. Cher the most, the bestest boy, and so supportive. I love the ending they got, so happy for them.
PLOT:
Not gonna lie, watched all the boxing on 2x, cuz that hoodie figure was so uninteresting and if you see them punch once, you’ve seen it all, but the hype of the games and their gym added to their characters, so that was good. The competition thing with the doctors was also just sort of there, nothing to write home about, feels Ter didn't even try that hard to win? Also, them forgiving that bum arse father was meh, and dragging the series only to make Wandee more annoying was also whatever. But, the talk about protective seks and asexual characters was very much needed, so kudos to them. And Plako with his bedroom suggestions, his kinky arse had me rolling.
Anywho, I did like this show, I looked forward to it every week, so I recommend to it anyone who are funs of GreatInn. I’ll rewatch it, just to grin like an idiot whenever Cher pops up.
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This review may contain spoilers
Brilliant crime thriller that keeps you guessing til the end. The fact that the story is based on a true story, moreover, the movie is scrupulously faithful to the real events, really gave me the chill.Everything in this movie is working, and it's working very well. Just to name a few: The cinematography, the acting, and the plot development.
There are also a lot of poignant and captivating scenes that make the movie very compelling. It keeps offering questions instead of answers, that results in not merely a movie, but a truly engaging experience.
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It was late and I was bored, so I didn't have time for a new drama. Hence, I went ahead and looked for a movie in my "to watch" list. Ta-dah!
Storyline:
The storyline is in no way original. I've seen this happen in several melodramas before. It felt like a deja vu. Nonetheless, it was heartfelt and touching overall.
So if you're ever in a mood for another melodrama-I've-seen-it-before with good acting, then here is what Only You has to offer...
a) Looking for cute couple or nice feel romance? Here is the right place! I thought our OTP worked really well together. I've long overused the phrase "they complement each other". Though, it's true! That phrase applies here too. I also loved our two leads' complexity, but I wish they delved more into their dark pasts.
b) Sports/Fights. Want to see some MMA? Check this out. There are quite some worthy cringing gory scenes.
c) Willpower. I love how Han Hyo Joo's character, Jeong Hwa, is always so optimistic/cheery despite her circumstances. It was inspiring. Han Hyo Joo always lights up my mood.
d) Good pacing. I didn't find that it was too slow at any point. I wouldn't say perfect pacing either, but it never bored me.
e) Funny moments. Not laugh out loud moments, but I did chuckle a few times at the beginning from our OTP interactions.
If you're an avid drama watcher like me, then you've probably seen this storyline from somewhere before. Though, it's not done badly. It just wasn't something that blew me away.
Acting/Cast:
Great acting from Han Hyo Joo and So Ji Sub. Actually, the movie's strongest point goes to the acting.
This is the first time seeing Jyo Hoo in a movie and she gave a good impression like always. Though, I hope she won't stop acting in tv series.
She acted really well as a blind person. The way she looked at Ji Sub's character, Cheol Min, was really expressive. The same applies for Ji Sub. The way he marveled at her makes me believe that he truly loves her. They're both very expressive actors.
Though, the acting wasn't phenomenal. I've seen them act better in previous projects. Not to say that they didn't excel here, but it wasn't anything new.
I wish they delved more into the main characters' minds. I felt like I never understood them inside-out. I still had some lingering questions at the end about our main characters.
Music:
The songs were pleasing to my ears/heart while watching the movie. I especially liked the instrumental ones playing during the scenes where Cheol Min was boxing.
Truthfully, I don't remember much about the songs as soon as the movie ended.
Bonus:
Puppy/Dog!!!
Overall:
Nothing jaw-dropping or mind-blowing.
If you want something simple/slightly tearjerking/enjoyable then watch this. Other than that it's not a must-watch. If you're a fan of Han Hyo Joo (like me!) or So Ji Sub then this movie will definitely not disappoint you.
Overall rating for review: 7/10
Purely for entertainment: 8.5/10
My Dramalist rating (avg): 7.75/10
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This review may contain spoilers
I want to give a nice score to this story, I think it is something original and I was not bored in any episode indeed I was curious to know what would happen!The history of reincarnation is interesting and the parallels between previous and present life are convincing and well made.
All this I think is a good point to see the drama, if you already know and love even one of the protagonists then I think it's really worth seeing it!
The problem is perhaps in how the characters were written .. especially the main ones, there was more than one absurd, meaningless, incomprehensible scene that only brought misunderstandings and chaos and also to see badly the female protagonist who bored me more than once and I'm sorry because she is a good and talented actress.
I don't know if there is really any connection with the book being quoted "Wuthering Heights" but I started reading it out of pure curiosity.
Spoiler
The last episode left me perplexed .. in reality I didn't expect some things .. it is as if the two male characters had exchanged roles as a result of the feelings of Sa Bin.. and everything that happened before, disappeared.. and the message that is given is not understandable.
- we can speak of unconditional love: Jong Bum is accused and labeled as a murderer, who has no feelings, evil; it was not like that but he does nothing to avoid it. Everyone thinks badly of him and he accepts it. Sa Bin goes beyond all this and decides not to leave him alone. With her sweetness she helps Jong Bum not to fall into evil and try to make him live a normal life. But he doesn't even deserve the name of a good boy, he wanted to kill the prosecutor Kim and above all he was a stalker!
- does it mean that eternal love doesn't exist ?: the love story of Hyung Bin and Ha Eun was beautiful. At first it seemed (they made us believe) that they had reincarnated to continue their broken love story in this life! She seemed in love, she declares herself and when she finds out that Soo Hyuk was getting married she almost fell into total despair, when they could start a new love story she starts to walk away and afterwards she discovered that she loved who killed her boyfriend in the previous life in front of his eyes.. and after saying that she loved him forever also in another life!
Although Kim Soo Hyuk didn't always do well, he shot Jong Bum in the head without too many compliments and was obsessed thinking that Jong Bum was a killer, I don't understand how they decided to change Sa Bin's feelings in the last two episodes .. no sense, she proved inconsistent and her actions meaningless.
I also thought that the attention not given to Ji Chul has decided to give it to Jong Bum. but it seems more like a charitable action for not to leave him alone, instead of for love.
I don't know if I haven't grasped the message well or if in reality there is no real message .. anyway the drama is beautiful. it is better not to stress to understand the actions of the characters and to look at him calmly for pure pleasure.
Thanks for reading my review and sorry my english is not very good.
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This review may contain spoilers
Life's twists and turns can be unexpected.
I chose this drama because of its unique concept. This drama takes place in a world where cisgender men can give birth as well. This concept initially creeped me out. But then I thought, "Why not?" So, I decided to give it a try. And I’m so glad I did.The drama is one-of-a-kind and extremely well-executed. The story raises awareness about a variety of issues that should be taken seriously, as well as teaches us some valuable lessons:
1. The roles that a man and woman "should" take on when having and raising a child. Is it really required? Should there be a division of responsibilities?
2. This refers to the difficulties that a person faces when preparing to give birth, whether it is a man or a woman.
3. It also teaches us the importance of staying true to ourselves and how it shapes who we are.
4. Last but not least, the implementation of transgender people's pressures. This is not said directly, but this sure magnifies this. People should accept and value a transgender's individuality. Transgender discrimination, in my opinion, should be considered a crime punishable by law.
All of the actors and actresses in this drama are excellent. But, in particular, for the male lead, who played the pregnant Hiyama Kentaro. He was a perfect fit for the character.
This is unquestionably a must-see. This may not be much of an entertainer for some, but it does provide us with a glimpse of the reality faced by trans men, but from the perspective of an ordinary man. I wholeheartedly recommend this drama to anyone and everyone.
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Story: It's a disaster movie, not original. But the flu was an original concept.
Acting: As I said above. Park Min Ha blew me away. I love the father daughter chemistry between Park Min Ha & Jang Hyuk. There was some romantic chemistry between Soo Ae & Jang Hyuk even though there was never a romantic plot. I like it that the romance was never the main theme of disaster movies or dramas. I cried so many times in this movie & for a long period of time. One scene with Park Min Ha crying made me cry so hard(watch the movie to find out) that I had to look away from the screen & took a break for a moment to recompose myself.
Music: The music fitted the right moments. I want to look into the ost. But it was mostly instrumental music(or all because I watched this 2 months ago).
Rewatch: It's low because I don't want to cry for too long again. Some things were too painful to watch. I would recommend it. Watch it once, but don't watch it again or once a year.
Why watch: for the actors & actresses. If you like medical, disaster & action type movies then you'll probably like this one.
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1Fast-paced crime drama with a sizzling Love/Hate romance
Subjective Gut Rating: 8.25I’m so glad to see Korean BLs coming back with a good drama like “The Prosecutor’s Proposal”. I’ve always found KBLs do really well with the darker and angstier themes. As a low-budget mini drama, this is a well-produced one. It’s not perfect and still suffers from being too short, but it doesn’t have the usual flaws of a small production - looking cheap & bad acting.
I really appreciate this is a serious drama without the occasional over-the-top comedy that messes with the overall feel of it. I also really like that the crime investigation is the focus and romance is just a part of the plot. What’s best is that “The Prosecutor’s Proposal” does not look cheap. Though there aren’t any fancy sets, the overall cinematography feels like a regular long-form drama.
The main romance is definitely the talk of the town. The leads have excellent chemistry even during the crime investigation when they are in a supervisor/supervisee relationship. Of course, the love-hate relationship and the red flag-ness of Ju Tae Seon are the icing on the cake. The sexual tension is palpitating. I just want them to kiss and devour each other, which they did. LOL The emotions going into the NC scenes are delicious and sizzling. The NC scenes themselves are sexy and passionate, but they are way too short especially after such a great build up. If I have to pick on the romance, it’s that everything is too fast-paced. The transition from hate to love happens too fast. For a short drama, there’s no luxury of time to let their romance slowly develop, and give us more push-and-pull tension.
The overall acting is solid. Kim Yoon Sik shines as Prosecutor Ju. His manic behavior changed so rapidly. Although he’s not a newbie to the industry, he doesn’t really have that many dramas under his belt either. His more unpredictable behavior contrasted well with Park Si Woo’s more introverted and quiet acting. I’m glad Investigator Lee Chae Ha is not a pushover either. He might be on the quiet side, but will stand up for himself when needed. Park Si Woo performed quite well. The rest of the supporting cast also did a pretty good job.
The crime investigation takes up the majority of the time, as it should be. The general plot is interesting enough. However, since this is such a short drama, it doesn’t have enough time to fully write really intricate storylines. There are some actions done by the villains that make me scratch my head, especially towards the last few episodes when we’re about to find out who the murderers are. The writing could have been better. If this is a regular big budget drama, I might criticize this a little more.
Overall, “The Prosecutor’s Proposal” is a fast-paced, engaging crime investigation drama with a juicy and sizzling romance. Its weakness is the lack of time to develop the romance well, and to give us a more tightly written crime drama. But I applaud its ability to give us a sizzling romance (except the last episode when it feels a little cringey), a well-acted drama that doesn’t look cheap. Given this is a low budget drama with adjusted expectations, I am rounding up my 8.25 to a 8.5.
Drama Completed: 7/23/2026 Review #705
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This review may contain spoilers
Beautiful actors and a waste of potential
By episode 12, the leads are getting romantic and I still don't think I've seen one deep conversation between the two. Do they even know anything about each other? The showrunners just thought they could make two beautiful people stand next to each other for enough scenes and that was enough to lead this cast. The story encompasses so many characters yet fails to fully flesh any of them out in order to make the audience care. Xu Kai looks good as always, but this performance is nothing you haven't seen from him already if you're a fan of his work.That being said, I'm still gonna finish it
UPDATE - As of episode 24, the show has failed to progress the lead relationship in any sort of mature way. It feels like the characters we were initially introduced to are just dressing for the plot salad the writers are putting forward. This is all at the expense of intelligent characters; people seen as elders make foolish decisions - often costing their own lives - almost every episode, its hilarious. I'm only watching for the pretty actors at this point.
Also they do this really weird low-quality production thing where the actor's hair will be messed up in one shot and in the middle of the sentence they cut back and the character has perfect hair again. Really noticeable and entirely annoying.
SECOND UPDATE - Show feels more compelling plot-wise after episode 30, but I have now accepted that if I haven't cared about the main leads and their relationship so far, its not going to get any better, only more annoying. Definitely not recommending this show to any romance enjoyers, but generic fantasy drama enjoyers can still find this show entertaining at points I'm sure. Xu Kai needs better fantasy roles idk how he gets stuck playing the same character in every costume drama.
*SIGH* FINAL UPDATE - That was the climax we were waiting for? Felt incredibly underwhelming and undeserved. The last chunk of this drama is driven by its plot only, none of these characters feel smart or stupid enough to be making the decisions we see on screen, making them feel entirely hollow, cardboard characters. This show technically has a "happy" ending but I just feel dead inside I can't muster any emotion for these characters. Beautiful actors though, will have to see them in more deserving roles because anyone in this cast should take the drama off their portfolio/resume LOL.
All in all, I can't recommend this drama to anyone unless they love Xu Kai obsessively, love spear action, or love to put something on in the background while they sleep. The story is not worth 1/2 your attention span.
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Don't compare, just enjoy.
I honestly enjoyed this.The monsters were interesting (and sometimes even funny). The plot was well executed but you do need to keep in mind that though this is an adaptation of the manhwa/webtoon that doesn't mean it'll be the same scene by scene. This had in a way more depth than it's comic version. You feel a lot closer to each character. But you can watch this without knowing anything about the original webtoon.
Also, need to say I'm a fan of gore so if you get queasy at the sight of blood then you should probably stay away from this...
The CGI was obvious most of the time but in a way that you didn't really care. The story and acting sucked you in and the rest just looked cool or something along those lines ^.^
(also actors/actresses were really pretty so it was easy on the eyes ...Unless you count the monsters... and the blood... Actually, this was pretty rough on the eyes... The PEOPLE in this were pretty?)
Loved the stunts! Everything looked so real! I can just imagine the fun they had filming this.
It was so easy to watch that I accidentally on purpose binge watched this (the whole season) <3
But that can also just be because I was already familiar with the story and waited for this.
There were some funny easter eggs included for the fans. The music was rather random but I suppose it matched the mood.
I'm not entirely sure because my memory is sh*t but I feel like they created new characters for this but please don't trust me on that... The story was definitely different (slightly?).
To those that hate to watch stuff online for free (totally illegally) then your in luck.
You can find the whole season on Netflix.
Anyway definitely recommend this! Have fun~
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This review may contain spoilers
I started this review a few times hoping to relay a message across, that is hard to describe. What I want to say is that we all watch dramas for a different reason and giving ratings to these light, fluffy dramas the same way as to the highly constructed ones should be done carefully. This drama is meant for you to switch your brain off, root for the characters, laugh out loud and love every minute of it. And I certainly did just that, which is why I rate it so highly.Where this drama shines are definitely the characters. Not only the main couple, but especially the side characters. I loved every single one and their relationships.
KJR and OJS are the best. There is something special about the dramas where the female lead falls for the male lead first and it was done to a perfection here. She pulled the best qualities of KJR to the surface and it was a pleasure to watch them. Not to mention the great chemistry between the actors. I was sometimes afraid that my screen would burst into flames.
TYH is a character driven drama so you shouldn't expect a lot of various cases to be explored. They were utilised mostly as a background story but kept with the flow of the show. One of the plot points that was hinted at the beginning fell just a bit flat. I felt like it could have been utilised more.
The music is awesome, "Make it count" will be stuck in your head for hours. Believe me.
Overall, I loved this. And I will come back to it very often. I already miss all of the characters.
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Crime: The 3-4 cases this series is based on are REAL COLD CASES. These kidnappers, murderers, and rapists are on the loose to this day. It sickens me but I really like how they did those cases justice. There is so much commentary on current society about police and corruption. Our society, despite its progress, is still muddled with corruption and Lee Jae Han was definitely a shining beacon in this drama, demonstrating how our justice system should really be. Anyway, the writing for these cases was spot on.
Mystery: I find the cases well paced; they were timed with enough suspense but weren't stretched out. I initially thought this series would only focus on one case but I really appreciated that it was a mix of cases that in reality were all connected. This series was really unpredictable in how the cases would be solved & who would survive or die (as the past can change and those who died could still live and vice versa). I was on my toes dying to know what would happen til the very last minute of this drama.
Time-Travel: THIS WAS EXECUTED SO WELL. I love the complexity of the time-travel and how a subtle change in the past can amplify in the future; it was realistic for an unrealistic concept. The writers handled the shifts in the past and present so well & I couldn't even follow at points (which I think is a very good quality, if a drama can outsmart me haha). Definitely made this drama stand out! One thing I'd say is that if I was Hae Young on the walkie-talkie, I'd cram so much info in that minute they talked haha. The time-travel (if you can really call it that) was also perfect because you got a balance of present day and 80's dramas (which people desire like in Reply 1984. Reply 1988, etc.). You get very two very different vibes in the same drama which really caters to different interests.
Romance: This is so subtle. Don't go into this drama expecting a romance because you really won't get anything. It's just a little heartwarming seeing scenes where the main female lead pines over Jae Han. You get to see the care they have for each other. This definitely made the drama a little lighter from its heavy subject matter but I still respect how the romance was put on the side. This drama really needed to focus on the cases and the justice needed to be served which it did!
Characters/Acting: I honestly have nothing but praise for the actors. Cha Soo Hyun in particular. This character was stunning; the complexity of the character arc and the contrast of her past self and present self were acted perfectly by Kim Hye Soo. Her acting as a victim was great as well. The main lead, Park Hae Young, I also really enjoyed. He's relatable and real, and he can act! I really appreciate how this drama wasn't about having a flower boy lead; I could really focus on the character! And Lee Jae Han stole my heart really. He's such a strong spirit with bright morals; he definitely shone in the drama and had really great, passionate monologues. Awesome acting from the main leads! And Kim Bum Joo... what a despicable character. Well done, I guess. And there's another character, Ahn Chi Soo, who has a really complex character arc throughout the series... I just appreciate the depth each character has... amazing job writers!
Plot/Writing: As I've alluded to before, this series is well paced. I find everything unpredictable and nothing dragged. Nothing was too confusing and the series had an appropriate amount of flashbacks. This drama didn't have any typical kdrama plot devices and the writers definitely aren't scared to wring your heartstrings a little... I cried 6 times in an episode! Everything in the story is so intricately woven, I can't help but wonder if they planned all of this since episode 1. No episode was subpar compared to the rest; each episode got better and better which is truly rare. I just can't get enough.
OST: Very subtle OST that fits the theme of this drama. It's very heartwarming and like one of a "family" drama I guess. It sounds like home to me.
Overall, I am so in love with this drama. The ending definitely was open-ended so I am desperate for a season 2. My only fear is that it might not live up to season 1. Give this drama a go, I promise it won't disappoint!
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Forgiving Over The Tons Of Mistake, And Forget It!
A romance comedy drama. Another woman's life destroyed by a basterd man. Following a woman who caught her fiance cheating, then she's straight to breaking up with him. But, yeah, that jerk was destroying her life by leaving a tons of debt to her. While he enjoying his new life with his so-called-wealthy-woman.I thought this was pure rom-com, but not at all. Yes, heavy on romance-comedy, but the sub-plot wasn't a lite at all. There's a sub-plot about political bussiness and the bussiness monarchy. Not full of lovey-dovey, instead the sub-plot might be overshadowing the main-plot. At least, for me.
I would hundred percent enjoying this, if the sub-plot not stealing the whole spotlight of main-genre. Instead of focusing on the growth of fake marriage and their relationship, they're focusing more on the sub-plot of Kim Woojoo's family and the dirty political bussiness, kinda miss.
I get the dot of those political-bussiness-thing with Kim Woojoo's trauma, yes I got it. But, the way they switching the genre into thriller was a bit over, suddenly get darker, and suddenly soften. The tension was not build smoothly like the first 5 episodes. But, I'm glad the problem solving was undepth and simple. Eventho, not stick on the track.
Never doubting the performance of both heroine, Choi Wooshik and Jung Somin, they served their best chemistry. Both are success to delivering their endearing, cute, and cherish character.
The color grading that warmth and bright, giving the delightful ambience of romance comedy, while the cinematography looks pretty and simple. The soundtrack were ear-catching.
Anyway, shot out to Copywriter-nim, peak performance of copywriting by putting 우주 (Woojoo) 메리 (Meri) 미 as the title! The words-play of both literal meaning in english (Would You Merry Me) and the korean pronounciation (Uju-meri-mi) one was INSANE. So creative!
Overall, if you craving for romcom with fake marriage trope, this one might be for you. Not the best, but decent. I've been missing this kinda romcom honestly, so my experience still solid, cute and exciting!
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Digging so deep into the humanity hell
The script was able to dissect multiple levels of depth regarding humanity, when there's competition to limited resources, how would humans handle a fair distribution of the wealth, while some are just hoarding resources due to psychological needs just because they can, or those fighting for scattered leftovers who are struggling to survive. When humanity is put into the test, human beings will have to choose between action with conscience, or survival at the cost of moral values. We can't deny that this is the raw human nature no matter how we try to conceal it or constraint it, because we were once a beast that scavenges everything we could to survive this shitty world. The movie has paid an incredible amount of attention to details into this concern, and the post disaster survival theme setting fits right into the situation it needed to achieve such a chilling effect. The cinematography and acting are of course top notch, pacing also helps a lot to hold the storyline together, this is really one of the most ironic dark humor Korean movies ever made.Was this review helpful to you?
