Reviews

This drama is simply heartbreaking. It's the story of Aya (based on a true story) who slowly develops a degenerative disease and her struggles to live as normal as possible despite her condition. It's a truly inspiring story that makes you appreciate the simple things we often take for granted. This drama will most definitely touch you and stay with you for some time.

The actors did a great job as you can definitely feel their pain and joys. The music is simply perfect; I really fell in love with the soundtrack and it suits the drama so well.

Overall, this drama is one not to miss for it's really a precious gem. Despite the fact that it might be hard to watch at times (reason why the re-watch score is low) it is worth it.

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I really enjoyed watching this drama. A fun story with both laughter and pain.
I was really touched by how much Night loved her and believe in his emotions despite the fact that he is a robot. The actors played their role well and you get to feel for them too.
I don't really remember being impressed by the music but I'm sure it was appropriate for the drama.
This is a drama that could be re-watched as a whole. I've re-watched the beginning with a friend to get her into the drama. I personally have seen the last few episodes a few times already.
Overall, it's a drama that I highly recommend for people seeking romantic dramas.

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Ok, to start off, I am a major fan of drama's like this. I could go on for days about how much I like them, but I won't. Try to make this short.

I recommend this drama highly if you are a fan of the genre. If your not, don't waste your time. This drama is a lot like the Japanese drama MR BRAIN, but its also very different in that it involves more police work. As I said, CSI met House, and had a baby, and this is it.

The story is a good one, or as I put, a very good one, some things were just to predictable, so it didn't get a higher score.

The actors, did an extraordinary job, they were very believable.

Music, I never even noticed if there was music, so very low score on that.

Rewatch, I probably won't rewatch, but may someday.

Overall, a very good drama, and an interesting thought process while watching it. Watch it!

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This is a genuinely funny, must see, romantic comedy. I knew I would love this movie from the hilarious way that the two main characters first meet. Cha Tae Hyun, & Jun Ji Hyun, play each crazy moment so well, and I loved watching their odd relationship develop. The unpredictable (borderline abusive) behavior of the "sassy girl" is what drives the story, but watching Gyun Woo mature is equally entertaining. Most of the scenes are played for laughs, but there's also a good balance between their funny, and touching moments. I couldn't help but root for their bizarre relationship.

The story is smartly told from beginning to end. It's based on a (supposedly true) blog, so each scene is a highlight marking their time together. Focusing on the highlights helps to fit this pretty long story into a concise film, though some of the leaps in time felt a little too sudden. Though fated love is a familiar theme, this story doesn't take the predictable route. I especially loved the ending, which I never expected, because it tied the whole story together perfectly.

I agree that My Sassy Girl is a classic. An american remake exists, but it's barely worth mentioning. This is definitely the type of movie you can watch over, and over again. I saw this for the 1st time years ago, and it's still just as good rewatching it now. I definitely recommend putting it high up on your Plan to Watch list.

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I thought the final was absolutely amazing. The acting was great, of course, and the characters fit together like they did in the drama. The final could have been made into a drama itself. I really loved the storyline of the final, and am really sad that it had to end. The final has some adventure in it which makes you want to keep watching to see what happens next. The ending was the best though. Being a huge fan of Hana Yori Dango, I was so sad to see it end, but seeing the way the final ends, although it is sad, was the perfect ending to one of my favorite dramas of all times. I just wish that the plot of the final was a little bit more clear. I kind of felt that the writers tried to pack so much into the final that it should have been a drama, but I know some people might get tired of the drama continuing on. There was so much fit into the small amount of time that the ending seemed a bit too rushed, and I don't think the time needed in certain scenes was there, but besides that, the final was amazing. It has definitely become one of my favorite endings to a drama, and if you're a Hana Yori Dango fan you won't be disappointed watching the final, because it's worth it.

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The story is fresh and interesting, enough to say it's a drama I have yet to see anywhere else. The characters are lovable especially the idiotic and naive (and really beautiful) Serina and the comedic Jinnai. It was a drama that kept me wanting to know more about the characters, and it was granted as the drama portrayed even the stories of supporting characters. Every 45-minute episode is worth watching because it is not easy to guess what will happen next, unlike in other dramas. I also believe it doesn't fit the detective/mystery genre, since the story focused on the transformation of Serina to a strong and beautiful woman (as what the introduction in every episode says). This is a heartwarming drama, at times heartbreaking, which will keep you loving it until the last scene.

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With an original plot like that, this drama could have gone so many places... except it didn't. It quickly degraded to being just cliches and everyone falling for Eita. By the end I was wondering why the hell I was still watching it. It becomes at least retarded after a certain point, and all it has left in my memory is that it was probably the worst drama I have ever seen. And I am a huge JJ fan. And a huge Ueno Juri fan. I practically adore everyone on this cast. Still.
I get angry every time I hear that it's similar to Last friends... That was a great drama. It went all sorts of places, and probed at all sorts of issues. This... everything felt like a cheap attempt at probing issues and problems of today's society. It could have been really good if it kept on in that direction, actually digging deep, actually saying something. I am surprised that so many people liked it "because it was soooo deep and meaningful", even though it was so incredibly shallow. Not even a scratch.

I can't give the acting more than 6, although they were fine, just that the scenario was so badly written, it's impossible to bother with whether they say it with the right expression, when it feels like a bad joke in any case.

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Boy and Girl is one of the most predictable, unoriginal, and one of the poorest acted drama that I have watched to date. Somehow I was still drawn to it and watched it straight through marathon style.
What I liked was that the characters had no internal monologues, so they simply said everything out loud. Although it was unoriginal, unlike any other drama the female lead ping ponged between guys so much you could just assume she was dating both. I have never seen a drama where everyone was accepting of the female lead switching guys like underwear, her parents were even cool with it!
What I didn’t like was the lack of hot guys for starters. The little brother was hot but his scenes were way too few. The whole thing was really acted poorly and it was either over acted or under acted by everyone except Chou Genie. Pat Wu was so bad at crying I was rolling on my bed laughing! Genie was actually really good and was cute as a boy (they should have kept that going). The unoriginality comes from the writers employing every concept that you have seen in a drama to date (I wont spoil the story) except amnesia. Because I have already seen the gender bending, becoming a princess, waiting on love themed stories I could literally tell what was coming. In that aspect the writers wrote everything the way you would anticipate the story to go.
There was a lot of comedy in the beginning and to be very honest this is really 3 dramas rolled into 1. This drama would have turned out way better if they cut it after 6 episodes, stuck to one theme and killed all the love longing overacted romantic parts. All in all the ending is good, no surprises and if you watch the intro you can guess what is going to happen through the whole drama. I wouldn’t say I wasted my time because it was entertaining to pause it, tell the characters what they were going to do/say and then watch them do it. I felt like I was the drama god!

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A realistic insight into the entertainment industry

[my first time reviewing so please bare with me & also it's been a while since I last watched this]

I'm surprised that this drama isn't very popular.

The story is so realistic about how the industry of music and acting works; how people can get in just for their looks and how they change after fame and money and how stars are forced to perform because of contracts. The topics touched upon are deep and for the most part, the drama is able to get that across. It goes through a lot of ups and downs and the main characters do have a change of heart about who they're in love with which I find very unusual to see in a drama. The drama doesn't hit off properly for at least 2 or 3 eps so please bare with it. As far as music is concerned, some of the OSTs we're incredible e.g Hwan Hee.

The actors played their roles really well and the touching scenes definitely made me cry. I recommend this to anyone who's into music, light romance & someone who can watch all the episodes without pulling their hair out (since you'll want to be stabbing certain characters)!

(Oh and it's really hard to find this drama online with good quality... I mean... I bought the DVD).

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My Mini Back-story:

Jung Woo-Sung is a must-watch actor. His versatile performances are hard to come by these days.

So if the storyline seems intriguing AND I get a chance to watch him deliver, I'll take that as a nod to dive into the fresh pool. Jung Woo-Sung always has something special to offer to his audience/fans.

Storyline:

Padam Padam has to be one of the most original scripts up-to-date (at least from all the Korean dramas that I've watched thus far). I love how the series does not look down on its' viewers. In other words, the plot doesn't go around in a continuous loop. Most, if not everything, gets resolved and there's no hiding/bickering between characters for too long. Hence, it doesn't make the viewers angry. The main character is very straightforward/honest, so perhaps that explains why the plot doesn't stall also.

The pacing of Padam Padam was just a tiny bit slow for me. However, I don't know exactly what they could have left out, since I believe most of it was necessary. Perhaps, it's just me who finds it a tad slow paced for my taste (especially near the end).

So what does this series have to offer?

a) Pathos driven. It will pull at your heartstrings whether you like it or not. I didn't cry, but I know people who did.

b) Sense of humor/comedy. The comedy nicely contrasts with the emotional/seriousness. There's quite a lot and it's incorporated together really well. It doesn't feel forced. I actually even laughed out loud at some parts (especially the bantering between Gook Soo and Kang Chil).

c) Family Relationships. There are a lot of heart-tugging/tender relationships (especially b/w a father and son, and son and mother).

d) Friendship. I absolutely loved the bromance between Kang Chil and Gook Soo. Those two are my favorite 'pairing' from this drama.

e) Very Romantic. Our two leading stars are not afraid to express their emotions on-screen. They looked sublimely natural together. Love the small/big romantic gestures. It doesn't feel cheesy either.

f) Strong dialogues/writing. This obviously enhances the series' quality.

g) Originality. Like, I've mentioned above.

h) Unpredictable. It's actually quite unpredictable, since there's an element of fantasy involved.

j) Fantasy. There's a touch of supernatural which I was hesitant at first, but it worked nicely. I wish they would have delved more into the 'chicken mutant'.

i) Crime drama. Not your typical gangsters. Phewww!

k) Realistic. One of the most realistic Korean dramas out there, despite it being marketed as a melodrama. The poor characters actually wear the same clothes multiple times. No characters are super 'evil'. Many themes (hope, will, and miracle) relate to our modern society/life. Even the locations and reactions from the characters are realistic. In fact, realism is probably the series' strongest point (aside from the great casts).

Each episode doesn't feel like a separate episode. It rather feels like a whole storybook told from the POV of the protagonist, Yang Kang Chil. And thankfully, he's a well-rounded/flawed character.

Acting/Characters:

I enjoyed most of the characters. I wasn't on the edge of my seat rooting for them, but I am glad that I went on such a wonderful/heart-warming experience with them.

My favorite characters are: Kang Chil, Gook Soo, Mi Ja (Kang Chil's mother) and Min Hyo-sook.

You grow to love these characters as you understand their motives/reverse-psychology tactics. Their reactions are very realistic and each character has distinct qualities which makes them unique. I despise when characters are just written to support the main characters’ existence. Padam Padam is definitely not one of those cases.

Without a doubt, Kang Chil’s character stood out the most. He’s such a heart-warming character. He has lots of flaws, thus many ranges of emotions. Probably every emotion that exists can be seen in his character. The reason why Kang Chil is such an expressive character is largely thanks to Jung Woo-Sung. His face contortions and smiles don’t require words to back up his character’s (Kang Chil) unique thoughts. I can’t remember the last time I saw a character with such huge range of complex emotion. Jung Woo-Sung has never failed to amaze me (perhaps in Athena, but that wasn’t the actors’ faults). He really understands his character well and it shows A LOT.

Gook Soo is also an amazing character (too bad Kang Chil is hard to beat). I love his innocence / contemplation of what is a miracle or not. He’s like the archetype of Kang Chil. In a way, they both bring out the best in each other and it is indeed rare to come across such a strong bromance. They truly stick to each other through thick and thin. Kim Bum has improved A LOT from the last time I saw him in Boys Over Flowers. When I first saw him in BOF, I never thought of him as manly, but he has definitely changed my mind. He’s also a very versatile actor. I can’t wait to see him in another project that will do him justice like this one. He’s a young actor that should be used to the fullest potential (like Kim Soo Hyun).

Mi Ja is the epitome of a caring mother. She often uses reverse psychology because she doesn’t want to show her weakness. And I love how she’s so brave / strong even though she’s a single mother. Definitely love the relationship b/w her and Kang Chil. It’s also rare to see a bonding mother-son relationship in K-dramas. The closest one that I’ve come across is Will it Snow on Christmas?

I don’t know why, but I just love Hyo-Sook’s presence. I admit that I wasn’t too fond of their countryside accents at first (shallow me!), but I grew to like hers. Her conversations with Gook Soo were also tender / cute. She really brightens the mood whenever she appears, which is nice for a change.

On a side note, since Ha Ji Min plays a huge role as well, why not talk about her? I personally thought her character, Ji Na, felt unoriginal for me. She's your typical Korean drama girl. I was hoping for a more in-depth characterization b/w her and her father. It wasn't a huge deal in the end though.

Nonetheless, Ha Ji Min played her character beautifully. If a less experienced actress played her role, I think it would have been hard to watch, since Ji Na isn’t a very interesting character to start. The thing that stood out for me the most is how Ji Min reciprocates Woo-Sung’s actions/love. They felt so natural together that it was hard not to believe that they aren't more than just friends in real life. Ji Min and Woo-Sung are probably one of the best/most natural on-screen couples I’ve seen. I’ve already mentioned in my review of The Princess’s Man how I like it how couples give the same amount of effort in the relationship (HATE when the man does everything). And they did just that, or they even went beyond it! One look/one touch, sparks were flying all over the place.

Music:

Originally, the songs didn’t peak my interest, but as the drama and its’ characters pulled me in, I started to take notice.

My two favorite songs are “You’re a Fool” by Brown Eyed Girls (JeA) and “In Order to Live” by Noel.

“You’re a Fool” matches so well with Ji Na’s perspective. The melody pulls at my heartstrings.

On the other hand, “In Order to Live” fits the mood and it makes me palpitate whenever it comes at the end of the episodes.

These two songs make you feel like you’re living a part of these characters’ lives.

The other songs were nice, but they didn’t stand out.

Bonus:

It took me awhile to get into the way it was filmed. First of all, it was shot like an actual film.

The backgrounds/scenes look rather gloomy for my taste. Though, it gave it darker/grittier atmosphere which complemented the tone of the drama. Hence, I slowly came to appreciate the cinematography. It added realism to the storyline.

Did I mention that Woo-Sung and Ji Min look beautiful here? Honestly, beautiful, beautiful couple! Not just in the looks department, but the way they cared for each other.

Love the addition of Tengie!! I'm an animal lover, so maybe that's why.

Overall:

Loved it! Padam Padam is a well-rounded drama if you’re looking for a melodrama that’s realistic (does that make sense?). Not only is it realistic, but the characters are thoroughly fleshed out (with a few minor missing). I loved the concept and the twist of fantasy.

If you’re a sensitive person, you might want to carry a box of Kleenex with you while watching this. Padam Padam excels at bringing one moment of sadness followed by a moment of happiness. The mood transition happens quite quickly, but it’s plausible (can’t really explain it until you’ve seen it). My mom actually cried while laughing at some point (no, she’s not crazy).

It’s quite uplifting and inspirational too. So if you’re looking for a change/originality in K-dramas, be sure to give this a chance. You won’t regret it.

It's not the type of drama that I would watch over right away, since some parts were kind of slow (for me at least).


Overall rating for review: 9.5/10

Purely for entertainment: 9/10 (Why not 10 instead? Padam Padam is a spectacular drama, but I did not obsess over it)

My Dramalist rating (avg): 9.25/10

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One of the biggest problems I have with Asian dramas is that the make out sessions are like non existent and affection towards one another in a handsy way is barely ever there, you get what I'm saying, right?
Well, this drama is so freakin' romantic. It's full of sweetness and love and emotion. Lots of kisses etc. I was worried because I knew after watching the first one that they were married, and I wasn't sure how they were going to play that off and keep up the angst, etc. since they were already together. However, it ended up being one of my all time favorite dramas, it far out shown the first, and is beyond romantic!

I gave the story an eight, because unlike most people I could care less about the secondary characters. I was only tuned in for the main attraction, so I sometimes found it annoying when they focused too much on the other people. However, their stories were done well and fleshed out and all that, so it's really only my own personal problem.

The acting of course was freakin' marvelous. The amount of feeling you could actually feel from these actors was truly awesome. Joe Cheng, as we all know from the first, is really cold, emotionless, expressionless, etc. in his character. Throughout this we see him soften up a bit, but really, in my book, the main thing about him that I loved so much was his love for his wife. It was obvious. Yeah, he was harsh, but that's just him being ignorant on an emotional level. But I could FEEL how much he loved his wife. And he has beautiful hands.

Ariel Lin is really endearing. She did great in her role, and I have to give her props for her performance in a certain part in episode 11, because I literally was like, man that was so good, and had to rewatch it!

The mother of course is still wonderful and sweet. Just love her.

I'm giving the music a nine, but honestly, music is not my forte.

I just finished it last week and I want to watch it again. So I gave the rewatch value a 9. I didn't give it a ten, only because for me I would be skipping lots of parts and only watching what I really want to see.

Overall, I'm so glad I watched this series and couldn't believe I put it off for so long. Don't let the number of episodes in either series daunt you, they do go by quickly, truly.

The affection that he shows for her is really believable and I have to say this is one of the most romantic dramas I have ever seen! The last episode was my favorite episode out of the whole series...so you have got to watch it all the way to the end!!

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If you have seen the Korean version, You're Beautiful, it would almost be impossible not to compare the dramas. Both dramas have the same story, and a lot of the same quirky scenes or lines, but there is no way to say which is better, both dramas are great in their own way. I really loved Ikemen Desu Ne for the actors. The two leads who played Ren and Mio/Miko were really the whole reason to watch Ikemen Desu Ne. The chemistry between the leads was great, and you could really see them together, they fit together. Ikemen Desu Ne goes a lot faster than the Korean version, so the things that happen between the character, the action, happens immediately, so the drama is never boring. You can always expect something to happen to make the drama impossible to turn off. I've noticed that sometimes Japanese dramas can be a bit slow, but there was never a slow or dull moment in Ikemen Desu Ne. In honesty, I enjoyed the Japanese version a lot more than the Korean version. It's funny, cute, romantic, and just has a great story in general. The only thing that was not the best was the music. There was hardly any music which is a bit different from the Korean version, which had more and better music, but that's not a reason to not see Ikemen Desu Ne. It is definitely a drama to put on your "Plan To Watch" list.

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Overall - for lovers of such genre it should be almost a must watch (or at least "give it a try and decide then") material, for the ones that are not fond of the suspense - most probably you will not like it, but once again that plays to the drama's strength, as it concentrates on the plot and idea rather than on the usual fanservice value or chasing ratings.

A bit in more detail: I think the best thing about this drama was that you truly did not know whether the "witch" was guilty or not until the very end. Of course, the cute and honest character played by curly haired Toma Ikuta did help a lot (I even had made myself orange T-shirt with writing "THINK TWICE"), but that truly was only a bonus to the original and well executed plot of the story. As for the acting, there were no cases of overdone or underdone acting and expressing emotions, which, unfortunately, I have seen in Japanese dramas for a few times, especially when it comes to expressing intensity. I think it might have been also the first time when I thought about Ikuta as a talented actor in serious plots as well, and not only in such characters as from Hana Kimi.


The only thing I really did not like in this drama, and I did not like it very strongly was the arguments of the lawyers. They were too brief, too simple and even I could see many flaws in them, as well as in the too emotional arguing of the lawyers themselves (take notice that I have characters in mind and not the acting). On the other hand, most probably this could be written off to the fact that supposedly such system of courts in Japan had been only introduced (in the plot) and therefore the lawyers and/or the judges might not have clearly comprehended of how it should be executed as professionally as I would have liked to see.

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