Atypical Journey with 'Atypical Family
"Atypical Family" is a paradox in itself - it presents a family that seems ordinary on the surface, yet the drama is anything but typical. It brims with unique concepts, shifts paradigms, and consistently breaks the mold. The heroes deviate from the standard hero archetype, the female lead is not your usual damsel, and her family, too, is far from ordinary. The male lead possesses one of the most unique, and indeed, atypical powers that I've ever seen in the realm of Kdramas!This drama weaves a therapeutic narrative, laden with suspense. It keeps you on tenterhooks till the last moments, maintaining its unpredictable charm even in the last seconds of the final episode. It’s the kind of drama that you don't just watch but experience.
What began as a time-pass during a meal, turned into a captivating, then heartwarming, and finally an incredibly rewarding journey! The brilliance of the writing is evident in the flawless time-travel sequences, a concept that is notoriously difficult to handle well.
The direction is commendable! The melancholic vibe, reminiscent of the "My Mister" color palette, and the stunning OST – I'm obsessing over it! "Atypical Family" is so refreshingly different that it has set a new standard in my over two decades of Kdrama viewing. It's a travesty that it's not drawing the attention it deserves. Perhaps it appeals more to a mature audience?
Each episode outdoes the last, and the female lead! She's a revelation! Every time she sheds a tear, it tugs at my heartstrings. Her acting prowess is commendable, and she's a vision of beauty. Overall, "Atypical Family" is a must-watch! It’s a beautifully atypical gem that breaks stereotypes and sets its own rules.
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Character Settings of Strong Male and Female Leads !
When I heard this novel would be adapted to drama and the casts are Yang Yang and Zhao LuSi, I knew it would be a good drama.I read the novel many years ago and quite like the character settings of the strong male lead and female lead. Since the novel was very famous in those years, many novels after that imitated this setting. The author wrote this novel in her early stage, so it's not her mature work. The storylines and plots in the novel are fragmentary. That's why the drama has to add a lot of political plots in it to make it rich and complex. If the director and screenwriter didn't leave halfway, this drama would be on another higher level. Anyway, it is still a good drama worth to watch.
Yang Yang is very picky in choosing drama, so the next costume drama would be 5 years later...... ? His looking is spotless, the 'Ceiling of Chinese Costume Drama'. And Zhao LuSi finally collaborated with an actor matching her looking. This combination is my dream of costume drama!
I love the strong female character in a drama! The strong is not only in spirits but also in physical strength. She can protect herself and her surrounding people. There are two best strong female leads in my heart. One is Bai Fengxi/Feng Xiyun. The other is Zhao Jian (in 'Young Blood'). They are both strong, smart and interesting from beginning to end. The male lead is not everything in her life, with him, is just like 'a strawberry on the top of a cake'. Without him, she still has the ability to feed herself and survive in the world.
I think the purpose of the drama is to deliver the idea that throne is less important than people and peace. And you have the right to choose the life you like, instead of others expect you to be. Everyone cares about different things in life. BFX and HFX think each other is the most important thing in life. That's why they made the choice in the end. Although the end is not perfect enough, I believe they will find solutions and live in happiness.
Overall, after this drama, I'm afraid all the costume dramas in the future would rarely have this perfect male and female settings, healthy and equal relationship plus the dream actor & actress. If there are, that would be a treasure! ❤❤❤
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PROS:
-Hilarious mix of different genres: you have romance, comedy, drama, thriller, horror, historical/mythological etc. There are so many different elements of everything you love from various genres that its a treat to watch them all come together and create a mess (in a good way, for the most part...)
-Strong performances and diverse characters. You have your sanctimonious prick mothers, your 'screw authority' mothers, your 'we're not in Kansas anymore' confused as hell mothers and so much more, all played wonderfully by their respective actors. I'm dying to know how they fare!
-Relationship building: I loved how they portrayed relationships (both romantic and platonic) in this TV show in a realistic way. I especially love how they handled the 'will they, wont they' romance side plot of one of the mothers in the centre and dealt with it keeping in mind her personality and life. I hate it when dramas pull a 360 on a character's personality just to ensure a happy ending, but I think her ending turned out happy in her own way.
-Ending for the mothers- all ended very nicely and some, honestly, even abnormally. By the end, our main character got a happy ending that SHE wanted to get as a woman and didn't endlessly sacrifice herself for her child.
-And that is my final pro: the message that mothers dont have to endlessly sacrifice for their child to be a good mother.
Now...CONS (oh boy):
- Every mother shown in this drama has a significant other raising their child with them which is far from realistic. I was quite annoyed, to be honest, because this drama wanted to show "different kinds of mothers" but eventually ditched that in favor of cutesy romance (which is... fine, but done all the time).
-(I cant believe I'm writing this) Too much time spent on breastfeeding: uhh, okay, I'm not a mom (I'm in my early twenties y'all I need to graduate college) but I do understanding that the decision between breastfeeding or formula is super important. Totes, I get it. But to spend 3 episodes...oohing and ahhing over it...yeah, excessive as hell. Especially when there are other equally barely talked about topics that are addressed towards the end of the drama like post partum depression that need more screentime. Which brings me to...
-I really, REALLY wish they spent more time on post partum depression. If breastfeeding is the golden eldest child of this show, post partum depression is the neglected and pitiful stepchild that no one pays attention to. They relegated discourse about the problem to literally the last 15 minutes of one episode and then poof, almost nothing in the next.
- There was such a mish mash of genres that it was everything and nothing at the same time. It didn't know what it wanted to be and after a point became annoying.
- They barely did anything to redeem sanctimonious prick mother. She may be actually a very nice person, but I think the writer forgot that this is a very low-stakes drama about a bunch of mothers set in a birthcare centre: way she talks down and demeans any mother who doesn't go above and beyond for her child like she does, she can almost be considered an antagonist because of the direct opposition she poses to the main character. You have to actively try to get the viewers to understand her motives and see where she is coming from- you have to create a complex character without providing convenient outs and excuses like "husband bad".
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This review may contain spoilers
You really have to turn your brain off before watching. Is the chemistry between Jae Hyun and Jimmy good? Sure. They are cute. Yoon Oh and Peach as characters have good dynamics with contrasting personalities. But is this enough to watch the show?
I feel like the show tried to portray the subjects of loss, regret, miscommunication/lack of communication. How some people can be so focused on their own feelings, they can’t see other people and the truth that is there. It all felt extremely flat though. Having not much screen time, it’s not wise to add many plot lines and side characters. Pick one main and one side plot and develop them as well as you can - that’s the way to go.
Quite a number of things make no sense. Peach staying at his dead friend's house, and no one questions it. The investigation of the police was a joke itself. Yoon Oh can manipulate objects in real life, since his mom heard him playing the guitar, but it’s not really brought back for them to communicate with each other in any way? Give him a laptop, making him type! Peach flirting with the air with the people around him. These are just a few things that happened without proper explanation, and were there just for the sake of the plot progression, even though they made little sense.
The biggest let down was Yoon Oh’s relationship with his mom. It would be an amazing plot for his character development and driving force of the show, but they decided to just… resolve it in the first half of the show and bring it back at the end. This should be the focus!
The quality of the acting depends on the actor. Jae Hyun for sure does well in his role, while Jimmy struggles quite a bit. He has improved a lot since his Why R U days, but I don’t think he has yet reached the level worth compliments. Got to love them dry crying scenes.
The drama is for sure pretty. Saved quite a few screenshots. The cafe scenes were just aesthetic heaven for me. The soundtrack was also one of the better aspects of the show. All songs were fitting the scenes they were used for.
Overall, it was all just misdelivery. Not once have I felt sad, even with such an emotional topic. Yoon Oh vanishing Thanos style made me laugh my ass off at the end, especially with how they robbed fans of that kiss.
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Nothing special here...
I really don't get it, with what mindset it was written. Damn, we live in 2021 and this drama is using concepts of a decade ago. I'm still shocked how did I bring myself to watch 45 episodes without dropping coz it wasn't definitely worth it. The story and its execution were poorly done. In the end, we get nothing more than a typical Cinderella story.CEO ML, naive/innocent FL, bitchy SFL, irritating SML plus unsupportive parents, silly misunderstandings and unnecessary jealousy, plotting against FL, childhood connection, betrayals well WOW I mean how can we have all cliches together in one drama. Okay yeah, I liked FLs character a bit she's talented, hardworking, kind, and lovely still there's something missing. To be honest not a big fan of MLs character here... and not big fan of some of his actions also. Well as I said SML was kinda irritating so there's no chance of getting SLS. None of the characters here realistic. So in the end I found nothing special or admirable here. Though there are some sweet and cute moments still not worthy of 45 episodes
Well if you like the Cinderella trope... a big fan of leads here that you can ignore all these messy things you can watch it still there's a big NO from me.
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not worth the watch even as a standalone movie.
From the beginning we knew that they would screw up the adaptation and won't be faithful to the original novel. But they didn't even try to make it look or sound good.The script? Terrible.
The graphics? Cheap.
The plot/story? It's all over the place.
The acting? Awkward.
Even as a standalone movie they didn't bother to even try to explain the story's universe/setting. It will be so damn confusing to anyone who watches it.
If you wanted a cool action movie, atleast do it properly. This is just a poorly executed nonsense. Wouldn't recommend at all. If you are actually interested maybe give the original novel a try cause this story is one of the best fiction ever.
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The Hong Sisters Are Back…
The Hong Sisters have produced wide scope of dramas over the years with respectfully mixed results . Enter ‘Alchemy Of Souls’: The Hong Sisters’ latest fantasy creation and arguably one of their most ambitious works yet.
In the series, main heroine Naksu (Go Yoon-jung-‘ Sweet Home’, ‘ Law School’ and ‘ Moving’) is a fearless and sword-wielding assassin. She lives in Daeho; a magical land where sorcerers have extraordinary abilities and powers. Yet despite the beauty of different types of magic, there is still one major taboo in Daeho: soul transfiguration. ( The act of displacing one soul into another body.) Caught between a rock and a hard place, the ruthless and instinct-driven female lead is forced to partake in this soul shifting process in order to save her own skin. She finds herself in the body of peasant girl Mu-Deok (Jung So-min- Playful Kiss’, ‘ Because This Is My First Life’ and ‘ Monthly Magazine’).
Meanwhile unbeknownst to the female lead , her destiny is about to change even more when she winds up striking an unconventional alliance with Jang Uk ( Lee Jae Wok- ‘ Search: WWW’, ‘ Extraordinary You’ and ‘ Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol’), the notorious son of the prestigious and magical Jang family. Jang Uk has his own personal reasons for striking an unusual contract with Naksu. However, thanks to their new relations, they will soon discover that their bond will greatly alter their own destinies for better or for worse.
As mentioned previously, ‘ Alchemy Of Souls’ is arguably one of the Hong Sisters’ most ambitious works yet. While the series has admittedly received mixed-reception by some for its format, it is filled to the brim with the duo’s creative and imaginative world-building in a manner that will likely remind some of their previous hit-drama ‘ Hotel Del Luna’. However while ‘ Hotel Del Luna’ seemed to heavily lean into the genres of dark fantasy and melodrama, ‘ Alchemy Of Souls’ is predominantly focused on its action fight scenes and the conflicts surrounding its setting and the lives of its characters. The series certainly does lean into heavier scenes ( especially with regards to the magical lore of Daeho ) but a lot of these more “morbid” or “disturbing” moments often came through the ambivalent moral choices and decisions of the drama’s characters. ( At the end of the day, the jarring decisions made by humans.)
However on a slightly lighter note, it is fair to say that ‘ Alchemy Of Souls’ is fuelled on pure fantasy. The world-building of the series is detailed at times and filled with a lot of fascinating beauty also. On the other hand despite the creativity evidently present in the Hong Sisters’ drama, ‘ Alchemy Of Souls’ does admittedly hit a few ruts when it came to execution.
Some of the forms of magic tackled in the Hong Sisters’ drama are certainly impressive. However while the presence of magic in ‘ Alchemy Of Souls’ was often detailed, there were moments in the narrative where viewers were expected to “ just know” things without a lot of further clarification or information provided. In addition to this, there is also the prominent issue with the patchy lore of ‘ Alchemy of Souls’ in different parts of the narrative. ( Such as the hierarchies of magical families, the out-rankings of certain magical abilities and exactly why certain noble families are able to get away with literal murder while others accused of killing individuals are subjected to literal witch hunts.)
The Hong Sisters’ drama is what many would probably define as an eclectic mixing pot of genres. There are noticeable elements of action-fantasy but surprisingly romance and comedy at times also. This variety of genres will likely offer viewers with a wide range of different moods and tones in different episodes. However despite the continuous strain of creativity in ‘ Alchemy Of Souls’, it is hard to not bring up one of the drama’s more tiresome issues; the tropes. Of course, the induction of cliches into K-dramas isn’t always a bad thing per say.
However, it did seem slightly surprising that even for well-established writers such as the Hong Sisters, there wasn’t a lot of originality or creativity put into these tropes. Instead enforced cliches such as the love triangle, the strong and cold heroine, the snarky male lead, a troubled past lover and some questionable comic relief wormed its way noticeably into ‘ Alchemy Of Souls’ with some varying and mixed results.
Lore and genres aside, there is also the crucial discussion surrounding the characters of ‘ Alchemy Of Souls’. The Hong Sisters seemed to have attempted a ‘Game of Thrones’-style approach with introducing a consortium of different characters (often with dubious morality) in a short space of time. This approach is not always terrible from a writing perspective and certainly did allow viewers to be introduced to some intriguing players in the narrative such as Yoo Jun Sang ( Park Jin), head of the mysterious group Songnim, Go Won ( Shin Seung Ho), the crown prince and potential future king of Daeho and Jin Cho Yeon ( Arin) , the youngest daughter of the Jin Family. However while some of these characters were well-tackled and intriguing in their own right, the lack of opportunities to flesh-out some of these characters did become noticeable as the season progressed.
Main heroine Naksu ( alternatively known as Mu-Deok in the body of the peasant girl) is played by two different actresses; Go Yoon Jung and Jung So-Min. Both actresses delivered fairly consistent dual performances as the main female lead. Admittedly main actress Jung So Min could feel a little flat with her line deliverances at times but this wasn’t entirely the fault of the actress per say.
As a written character, Naksu is a bit of a tough nut for viewers to crack. The Hong Sisters establish early on to viewers that she is a strong, fearless and powerful female assassin. Even in her newfound predicament in the weakened body of Mu-Deok, she takes advantage of her situation by allowing others to underestimate her abilities and seek revenge on those who have wronged her. ( For reasons which are roughly outlined in later episodes.)However in terms of being a likeable heroine who viewers can actually root for, Naksu will likely either be loved or hated by viewers of equal measure .
Of course, the Hong Sisters have attempted to offer sympathy for Naksu to viewers. As the season progresses into later episodes, the writing duo present the fact that Naksu is motivated for particular reasons and motives as well as her unconventional relationship with Jang-Uk.However, writing a strong character(especially a heroine) can often lead to writers falling into the trap of making their characters feel somewhat overly “invincible” or “overpowered” rather than human with actual flaws and issues. Of course, the Hong Sisters have arguably attempted to show this by certain vulnerabilities for Naksu but often this was approached in a way of a “ challenge” for the female lead in order to overcome. Rarely was this shown as an actual problem or flaw that truly allowed her to flourish and grow as a main character.
Costarring alongside the main female leads, there is also the actor of main male lead Jang Uk, Lee Jae Wook. Jae Wook is likely familiar for most viewers for his stoic potential love interest roles in romance dramas. Similarly in ‘ Alchemy Of Souls’, the actor is typecast somewhat again in the series as Jang Uk ; a brooding and deadpan character that viewers will ( similar to Naksu) either love or hate. Of course it is wrong to make out that Jang Uk is a purely despicable character. Similar to the show’s heroine, Naksu, the male lead has his own motives, his own complex backstory and is shown to be an intellectual than allowed him to be fairly interesting in his own right.
In addition to this , there were certainly moments regarding the main male lead’s backstory that were given a dedicated amount of coverage by the drama’s writers also. However, it could sometimes feel as though that Jang Uk’s dominating traits of arrogance and haughtiness were often mistakingly justified by the Hong Sisters as a “result of his situation” rather than simply being explained and used as a stage of further character development. (Often this resulted in some of Jang Uk’s actions feeling frustratingly repetitive or justified even when there was a necessity for them to be called out otherwise.)
Naturally, it is hard not to discuss the main leads without bringing up their oddball relationship over the course of the season. The Hong Sisters play upon the old trope of the cohabitation drama with the “ master and servant” roles being unconventionally swapped throughout between Jang Uk and Naksu ( in the body of Mu-Deok). This unusual relationship dynamic was certainly compelling for viewers and did allow for the slow-burn romance to satisfyingly thrive in this written relationship setup.
Although often entertaining and certainly generating a few laughs with their comical antics, it could grow a little repetitive at times to see their relationship going from one or two extremes without a lot of middle ground between either being serious or overly jokey . This became especially noticeable when it was placed against the somewhat convoluted induction of the “ love triangle”; a trope that while not overly dominant in the major storyline events of ‘ Alchemy Of Souls’, did play a role beyond its necessary requirements.
As for the narrative structure, ‘ Alchemy Of Souls’ is approached in different layers by the Hong Sisters. In early episodes of the series, the writing duo used their time wisely to establish some of the main narrative events, while later episodes heavily dived into further execution and progression. On the other hand while this is certainly not an unusual writing decision in K-dramas, it did often make the series feel somewhat somewhat slow-paced in parts. As a result of this writing decision, ‘ Alchemy Of Souls’ often felt as though parts of the events surrounding subplot and even some moments of the major storyline weren’t as well-rounded as they should’ve been. However, the Hong Sisters did deliver a thrilling season finale that will likely surprise and intrigue viewers with its ending note .
The stylistic approach of ‘ Alchemy Of Souls’ is admittedly where things become a little more rocky. Under director Park Joon Hwa ( ‘ Bring It On, Ghost’, ‘ What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim?’ and ‘ Touch Your Heart’), the series did present a gorgeous array of sleek and gorgeous scenes and palette schemes. However, it is likely that the opinions of viewers will remain somewhat divided by the heavy reliance on CGI over the course of the series. ( Especially with regards to the quality of green screen scenes not always matching up with the desired intentions of the Hong Sisters’ vision.)
In addition to this, there is also the slight nuanced issue surrounding the more stark modern presentations of certain characters with dyed hair and modern-takes on historical outfit designs. Although this is a fictional work and can maybe be excused on some grounds with an artistic licence, it was sometimes hard as a viewer to really immerse yourself in a historical fantasy world when certain actors had their hair dyed in an obviously modern manner.
Nevertheless despite some liberties being taken with the outfit designs, they were certainly impressive outfit decisions taken by the costume department onscreen. The shades of silk and materials used were often vividly bright in the show’s lighting ; often seeming ethereal on the frames of the actors as they were adorned in bright shades of peacock blue, marigold and deep vermillion and certainly helping to embody the magical element of the show.
Aside from the stylistic approach of ‘ Alchemy of Souls’, the OST was mainly composed of schmaltzy ballads. Certainly some of these songs were more memorable than others such as “ Scars Leave Beautiful Trace” ( 상처는 아름다운 흔적이 되어) by Car, the Garden and "Breath" (숨결) by Kim Na Young.
‘ Alchemy Of Souls’ is an ambitious fantasy epic by the Hong Sisters. It is imaginative and filled with some intriguing world-building, characters and a fairly enthralling plot objective that will keep viewers intrigued. In addition to the writing of the show, Director Hwa’s varied palette schemes and lighting choices help to truly bring the series to life in a magical manner. On the other hand, the writing duo’s project is not flawless. The CGI is varied from scene to scene while the characters of the series and the events of the narrative felt somewhat overly niche and rushed at times. Nevertheless with a potential sequel in the works and a certain possibility to fix some of these weaker writing moments, season one of ‘ Alchemy Of Souls’ is certainly a satisfying appetiser for any fantasy lover.
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I also dislike a story when the writers have the characters do something that is totally out of character. I felt like in episode 15 and 16 that the writers did that with Young and Jin Sung. Honestly, after episode 15 I could care less what happened to Young. I hate wishy washy characters...Is she strong? Is she weak? The writers should have just picked something. It is like they thought they needed to add something to make it more interesting. I felt more deeply for Moo Cheol than Young and that is sad considering I saw a heck of a lot less of him in this drama than her. Beyond that, I think most of this drama is well paced and the cinematography is out of this world. I enjoy the basic story line. There are just so many things that I would change. I just felt disappointment as I ended this drama.
As far as the acting is concerned, it is excellent. Jo In Sung as Oh Soo is by far the best acting that I have seen in a long time. His facial expressions, the use of his hands, and the way he speaks just brings the character to life and I feel deeply for Oh Soo. Song Hye Kyo does an excellent job playing a blind person. I have seen her in other dramas and I think her acting improves with each role that she takes. If I didn't know better, then I would have thought she was blind. Of course, it is good to see Kim Bum again and I hope he gets a main lead soon so I can see more of him. I loved Kim Tae Woo as Moo Cheul and his character is by far one of my favorites in the drama.
I think the music was beautiful.
I won't rewatch this.
If you like melodrama, then this is one you should watch. Most people like it, so don't make a decision to watch it or not based on my review.
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Overrated
I swear this drama is very overrated. It is true that IU and Lee Joon Gi have very very nice chemistry and I honestly love watching them on screen but the story has too much illogical stuffs. Also the FL has this so-called charm that almost all males fall for her. Ugh. I hate this logic.Anyways if one is after the romance and the handsome cast, go watch it.
If youre after the story, I suggest cdramas. Theyve got more complicated plots that will make you anticipate the story. Also those cool costumes haha.
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This review may contain spoilers
could have been a masterpiece
Overall: I rated the beginning episodes 9.5 with the amazing production value and acting; however, I was extremely disappointed with how they portrayed something as well as the final episode. 7 episodes about 24 minutes each. Aired on GagaOOLala https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/5039/when-it-rains-it-pours-2025-e01 ; re-aired on Viki April 2025 https://www.viki.com/tv/41013c-when-it-rains-it-poursWatch Suggestions (to skip the parts that derailed it for me)
- watch episodes 1-5
- episode 6 watch 17:15-end
- episode 7 watch 21:30-end
Content Warnings: past death, off screen *rape (yes it happened, it was in the source material - see below for more info), **abuse
What I Liked
- acting
- awesome dream
- the conversation with pushback on gender stereotypes
- good consent between 2 characters in episode 5
- production value (beautiful cinematography, art in the museum was a visual feast)
Room For Improvement
- *the writers reinforced the myth that people during sexual assault either fight or flee, Sei's reaction and misplaced remorse (it was zero his fault) are common in reality; however, no character actually called a spade a spade leaving room for interpretation (in comments/online I've seen people who didn't think it was rape or that Sei was also toxic instead of an abuse victim/survivor), this was a major writing misstep
- **Fujisawa had a failed redemption arc, he was a rapist and an abuser (he isolated Sei which was emotional abuse and even admitted he was happy isolating Sei)
- too much told in internal monologue
- way too much time in episode 7 spent on Fujisawa and the other friend (the leads had 2 minutes together!)
- I have zero faith the main couple will stay together, they didn't have good communication and we didn't get screentime to see character growth
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This review may contain spoilers
It Was Just Ok... Nothing Special!
**Disclaimer: This is just my opinion, please don't take anything I say personally. We don't have to agree and I'm not here to argue with anyone.***(I'm so picky so please take this review with a grain of salt.)
Tropes: Workplace Romance, Rich Guy / Poor Girl, guy falls first and harder, grumpy/sunshine, enemies (ish) to lovers, forced proximity.
Idk usually I love rom-com's like this but they had me in the first half and lost me in the second half. It really seemed like Gu Won's character was built around his love for Sa Rang and he didn't have much development outside of that. I feel like they did more telling than actually showing us how hard he fought for the hotel and why he deserved to be president. Idk there could've been more obstacles at work and between the two leads imo. I think I would've loved to see them develop the tourist hotel together and be happy outside of the city. Or imo they could've actually have Sa Rang and Gu Won Break up bc she feels stifled by him his dreams and wants to chase her own dream of managing her own hotel / the tourist one. I also think the arc between his mom and his sisters hatred for him could've been expanded more and their resolution could have been more developed. I feel like the last 8 episodes lacked a lot of depth / actual plot. The last 2 episodes especially seemed rushed and episode 16 specifically seemed unnecessary. I felt her entire desire of owning her own hotel was quite lame... even the name of her hotel, "Amore" (Love in Italian) What were they thinking? As in she could've used her own name (Sarang) LMAO. And the fact that she wasn't able to find any personnel to assist her, and they wanted me to think that the president of King Hotel, Gu Won, had time to assist her (whilst managing King Hotel + all those international branches and trying to expand the franchise to Europe?) – that part was so unbelievable I had to laugh.
It was honestly a struggle for me to finish this drama. The leads chemistry was just "okay" but at times I wasn't feeing it as much. I think I prefer their BTS footage as they seem less in character and more silly and free. I fell in love with the airport couple (Pyeong Hwa and Ro Woon) I thought they were cute and I'm glad they got together. It took forever but they actually made it. I thought her other friend's storyline (Da Eul) with her dirty husband was completely sidelined and her giving her husband a taste of his own medicine was questionable. It's obvious their relationship is toxic and they should get divorced. I can only see the husband not learning anything and then trying to find ways to hurt her back – like cheating on her or something. I feel like the writers didn't have a clue how to wrap up the story or create more obstacles for dramatic effect. They almost got me invested when I thought Gu Won and Sa Rang were gonna break up but they failed and immediately lost me, again.
Overall, the ending of the entire drama was what you would expect, a pathetic male lead who's whole character arc is about him being in love with a woman who does not like him at first. ML falls first and harder. FL starts catching feelings then there's the slight forbidden relationship where people don't want them to be together. Them deciding to be together anyways, dating period, proposal (but not? because the FL wants to achieve her dreams first). ML still supporting her through everything a year later, her finally accepting the proposal. Then finally marriage and them living happily ever after.
This drama was boring and severely overhyped. I don't think I would rewatch. It definitely could have been wayyyy better especially when you compare this to other workplace romances like Business Proposal, Touch Your Heart, Suspicious Partner, Her Private Life, My Secret Romance, What's Wrong With Secretary Kim etc. Like they had so many blueprints and yet... it did not live up to the expectation. It's disappointing because I feel like I wasted my time and then felt like I HAD to finish it for completion sake.
Anyways, what you see is what you get so if you're looking for a lot of romance with barely any plot then this drama is right for you.
After careful consideration, I gave it a 6.25/10 (my real and objective rating) however, I decided to round it up to a 6.5/10 (purely because of how much of an independent girl boss Sa Rang was)
THANKS FOR READING AND HAPPY WATCHING!
˚ʚ♡ɞ˚
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This review may contain spoilers
Chasing Love The Korean Way
The drama starts with the FL taking money from the ML's mother to break up with the ML.. Honestly.. If you love someone truly.. No matter the reasons.. You wouldnt normally do that.. And her reasons were ridiculous.. Then begins her struggle to breakup with him and get over him..She broke up with him because he is rich?? Feeling she wouldn’t fit in with him or his family.. Most of the drama, she kept judging the ML because he is rich.. She had the audacity to ask him ' Did u ever skipped lunch because u couldn't afford it? ' That was her reason to breakup?? He was rich?? He loved her wiht everything he had.. Apart from the fact that he hid how rich he is.. Did he make any other mistake?? Most people don't know how to cherish true love.. The ML deserved someone better..
She acted like the most mature and smart character in the drama.. But I felt it was the ML who despite seeming childish at times.. Showed the real maturity in their relationship..
" You were afraid you would get hurt and let go of my hand right away.. "
" I know I am pathetic for not being able to get over you after breaking up.. But even in this moment I am only worried how to keep you from getting hurt.. So how could you do this to me?? "
ML was really pathetic.. But he wanted to fight for his love.. Unlike the FL who was waiting for a reason to runaway.. I don't know who was more pathetic..
I understand she went through her own hardships.. But that doesn’t give her the right to judge someone else’s life.. He showered her with love in every way possible.. While all she did was hurt him when he was trying to protect what they had.. Even when she got back with him.. She chose to have dinner with someone else instead of the ML.. Her situation was understandable.. But she could have shown some decency and spared her boyfriend the embarrassment instead of indulging some random guy’s interference in their relationship..
The second couple literally stole the show.. I found myself wanting to see more of them than the main couple.. They deserved more screen time.. And their relationship really called for deeper exploration.. Their chemistry was captivating.. And the moments they shared felt more genuine.. It would have been great to see their story developed further..
Overall.. The drama falls short of expectations..The FL's choices undermined the genuine affection of the ML.. In contrast, the second couple shines with authentic chemistry..
P.S.. Moon Sang Min needs to find a new agency or start picking good scripts for himself if he doesn't want to waste his career doing dramas that doesn't treat his career well.. This drama was an average one.. But He could do better..
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stellar performance ✨️
I have started this drama only because it is currently 'the talk of the town', a highly invested and budgeted drama, But i then decided to continue for many reasons:.Differently from other dramas where the connection with the characters normally gets me after 2-3 episodes, this one found a connection straight away, with the stellar performance of the FL whom i knew from Ashes of love, but which character didn't impressed me that much.
On this drama, Yang Zi delivers a courageous performance, perfectly cross dressing in a believable male role. Never afraid to look normal, not pretty in many scenes, BRAVO! She is one of the reasons i decided to continue.
The male leads surrounding her are each of then unique and are giving our FL different emotional and physical experiences, you have the brother, the 'puppy' kind of love offering warmth, the challenger abusive potential lover... i wish i was her to have them for me 😁😁
The characters have all gone through some sort of abuse, loneliness, and are mostly unloved .. and you might find the drama difficult to watch at times as very raw and painful.. but if you are able to digest those scenes, you will be rewarded and taken deeply into their world...
Some of the strong scenes were linked to the character that had taken my breath, heart and reasons away .. but i didn't have a say on this choice as... yes... i have a weak spot for white/silver haired man.... 😁😉
you might decide to drop drama as i did myself as i thought I couldn't bear to continue watching it.. but it then took me less than a day to get back at it because i actually couldn't bear to be without it! The irony...
If interested, it would help you to understand the reasons behind many events if you are able to get your hand on the novel this drama is based on. On My Drama List website, there is a discussion forum with links to the novel and further discussions and readings from the books.
A final Bravo to the whole team behind production! This drama is well constructed, with an interesting plot and characters developments.
Thank you!
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I love you in every universe - ft. rags to riches !
If you want something you have to make yourself worthy of it !Same goes here - If you want to have a good rating you need to make yourself worthy of it ...and this wasn't ...it could have been so much more than just "ENGAGING"! - (cuz first half has great buildup)- yes I believe that's the most perfect word for it!
Synopsis -
Jiang Xiao Yuan finds herself struggling with her identity as she believes to have traveled across parallel universes. Once the owner of invincible wealth overnight becomes an ordinary working girl who has absolutely no idea about how the world works, but is determined to make it through.
All this fuss to cross paths with Qi Lian, who shall lend a hand in uncovering the mystery around her, and in journey of discovering her "real" identity.
To pick or not to pick ??
- well to be honest I am not a Lin yi fan and to me the very obvious reason is his expression that didn't make me feel anything and this goes for all of his projects till date. That does include this one too. But the FL does " make up" for what the ML seems to lack. She's vigilant , self reliant, caring, optimistic, hardworking, determined and everything nice !
So if you can bother tolerating lin yi for some time like me ....go for it ! Warning - ITS NOT THE SCI FIC YOU ARE EXPECTING !
and you'll be finishing it to know how it ends and not how it went !
this drama is very promising except for the fact that they cast lin yi and waste a lot of time in "make up and hair dressing" which apparently lead the story nowhere. The makers are so hell bent in showing us revolutionary make up (i don't know what is so revolutionary about it but yeah fuck it i mean skip it) that even if we have 2 eps to go or even if we are on the last ep ....the talk of the town shall be MAKE UP !
- yes I am so very annoyed !
The journey in the mid episodes is a bumpy ride - a lot of it went in circles and you may feel like quitting but the curiosity of how it shall end will keep you hooked !
the overall idea is so well built that it would be too difficult to actually believe that everything you believe is just a build up ! - you'll know what this means once you reach there ! (spoilers towards the end) - very convincingly done ! like commendable !
The music is nice so is the cinematography ! - the FL looks cute , The SML does look cute too !
Not a lot of time is spent around the mystery - which seems to be a down point to some( like me) - who signed up to see it after reading the synopsis !
But on the other hand ..the couple take time to develop - they are given space and you can see their dilemma - both have an awesome back story - like you feel that there's so much going on no one can be trusted no one knows who the villains are ....and there's just so much to the story. - but they be still crying over make up !
-- SPOILERS ------------------------------------------------------------------
The fact that it wasn't a time travel ....just took off all my excitement and thrill of watching. from then on the leads were nothing but lab rats to me. lab rats who were trying to get out and will probably do too ...but not that any of it was as enchanting to me as the time travel would have been.
that being sad ...even tho I was disappointed the build up was so well done ...so convincing that yes it had to be time travel with some parallel universe !
Tho makes sense that in FL's imaginary world everything was as she would have wanted in the real world !
The ML's reveal of being a lab rat himself - great
but his friend not existing - mehh - You emotionally invested me so much to come up with that ...and then lin yi didn't act it well on top - he cried and I knew it was all fake - so unbelievable that I skipped through it! - yes what was supposed to be a scene I cry for ...was skipped without a thought ! - at last all of those memories are fake and the wrap us is so unbelievable ! - wasn't it a car accident ?
When did we decide it wasn't ? like wtf ? - explain ?
At some point I just started watching for the curiosity and nothing else - so this lacked fun !
The villain has no motive what so ever and has no story at all ! - she's just bad bec she is bad ...it's 2024 bitches ...that shit ain't likable now !
I feel so bad for SML - like his story is the one I liked the most - less time consuming , well done, well portrayed ! - and they even turned him into a puppet ...any sort of redemption arc ? Like hello pls ? - he's also sick ...wth ?
Also the neck choke sucked ...like WTF bruh !
Even in the end it's MAKE UP ! - wow ! they wasted ep 29 and ep 30 doesn't give good enough closures but they have time for Make up !
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- The show is good but not worth the 30 eps it took ...more like if they just had more fluffy moments instead of make up or maybe more efforts towards unraveling the mystery I'd have liked it a lot more !
tho still hooked ....just so to say ...the makers did a good job making me curious enough !
Watch if you are good at skipping !
PS. I am not here to argue all of it is just my opinion ! - lin yi fans pls note !
My Fav part of the show
"People's memories determine who they are. Erasing their memories is equal to erasing them.
If one day you find out all your memories are fake, would you be willing to forget them ?
would you let yourself become someone you don't even know !? "
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This review may contain spoilers
This is a very cheesy, twisted, melo, love story. I love melodramas, but I have seen better. The story is pretty easy to figure out from the beginning. I found myself frustrated at times because it felt drawn out. I think it would have been better in less episodes. I can't write spoilers, but the back and forth inconsistency of the way Soo Wan's character was written just got old. After a while I was so bored with it. I guess the ending was ok, but anticlimactic.I have to admit that part of my frustration with this drama could be Koo Hye Sun. I swear she has got to be the worst actress ever. I felt nothing for Soo Wan as an adult. Nam Ji Hyun as the young Soo Wan was infinitely better. I loved everything about the young Soo Wan. I'm not sure if it was the writing of her character or Koo Hye Sun herself that made me just want to yell at her to wake up. SPOILERISH>>>I was cheering on the island ahjussi at the end when he lectures her.<<<END SPOLIERISH Both Kang Ha Neul and Lee Sang Yoon did Dong Joo's character proud. His story and character were consistent through out. He never wavered even when he learned all of the horrific truths. He was a loving and kind character.
Now, for the reason I watched this drama...Kim Ji Suk. He is such a wonderful actor. He needs to be cast in a leading male role where he gets the girl immediately. Kang Ji Woon was such an honest, loving, tragic character that Kim Ji Suk played excellently.
As for the other characters, mostly unnecessary, but not annoying.
The music is really pretty.
I won't rewatch this.
If you like melo, love stories, then you may like this more than I did. However, I don't necessarily recommend this to anyone.
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