This drama has it all. Tension, Action, Emotions and also silent moments. It is like Circle but also very different. For those who want romance I have to disappoint you, because this drama focuses on friendship and relationships between family Members.
The Story is about a father who searches for his daughter who was kidnapped. With the hope of finding his daughter he teams up with a mysterious young man who he believes knows where the child is. The two of them teams up to rescue the child, but after a few episodes you will know, there is more than that. When I watched the first Episodes I asked myself if there will be more conflicts or if the main theme will be the search for the daughter. I can say the wait was it worth because the Father-Daughter Story is important but there is mysterious Case who is very important, too. Maybe more important.
Cast: The first I want to say is, that this drama was amazing because of Yang Sejong. His Acting Skills are like he is in the industry since years ago. But he is a rookie. I didn't watched his debut drama „Romantic Doctor, Teacher Kim“, yet but it is on my 'to watch' List. He played not one or two roles, but three roles. They were all very different and he acted like a Pro. In my opinion he is an amazing Actor. I like many Actors but Yang Sejong is talented as hell. He is one of the best young Actors I have ever seen. In this drama he shows us his skills every single time he appears. Without saying much of the Story I can say that he acts like a pro when he plays more than one roles (plus all of his characters are very different from each other).
Duel was my first Drama (or movie) with Jung Jaeyoung so I don't know how he acted in other projects. His Acting here was good. I liked his relationship with his drama daughter and his interaction with Sejongs character (or should I say one of his characters?). He has a lot of emotional scenes but I is a veteran Actor, even though he has more experiences with Movies than dramas. His emotional scenes were very movie so I liked his acting a lot.
Seo Eunsoo was okay. Not amazing but I liked her even though I think her role wasn't a must. The drama would be good without her role, too.
The Actress I was disappointed in was Kim Jungeun. I know she is a very good veteran Actress but I think her Acting here was disappointing. Maybe it was her role, but she could have done better. Most of the time I hated her.
Honourable mentions go to Choi Woong, Kim Kidoo, Lee Chulmin and little girl Lee Nayoon. They were good actors and I enjoyed their scenes a lot.
Music: The Music was good and suited the moments it was played very much. So I think it was good.
In Conclusion the Acting of Yang Sejong saved this dramas rating for me. I can only repeat myself. He was so amazing that I could watching this drama all day. But I haven't time. Luckily he has a new Drama *-*.
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I can't say it's a sad love story but it involves loads of violence , rape. it has a 3-4 more series with the same actors and each one it violence & rape.
When the main couple about to me married, the bride's dad been pushed from top of the building and everything starts to roll.
They broke up, 3-5 years later she is working as a secretary , he's the chairman, he's engaged to another woman, she's living with another guy.
The guy gets jealous of her whenever a male figure is around. So to speak He'd even jealous of her from a male fly. any male figure around her.
They seem like wearing the same outfits the entire movie, like they've a couple of outfits and they keep on wearing those.
He's not only violent, he's so rude. It's somehow in between Thai slap kiss lakorns that involves rape, and korean melodrama.
They keep bickering, he's so violent and yet she doesn't do anything, If it was me I'd get a restraining order for this man.
He uses her just to do anything, such as opening the candy jar, designing the entire office ( which is the work of an interior designer)
THe OST was not bad, but it has no rewatch value, unless you like the leads.
I can't say I liked the female lead..
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STORY
It was the first time when I have heard about gisaengs. I was very much into japanaese culture of geishas so it was nice to see something very similar into that in a drama. Plot wasn’t very special but nice to the point of being interested in watching all 52 episode.
Families problems were similar to many orgie tv dramat Ive seen before but in the end it was interesting.
CAST
This one point it’s a massive plus. The cast is amazing. Of course there were couple of characters that got me under my skin cause were really annoying (Sa Ran’s stepmother). After all, it was unexpected how she ended. Sung is also great actor and with Hyang made a really fantastic duo. I wish O could see them in more dramas.
MUSIC
To be honest, I didn’t actually care about the music. But in couple last episodes it was more “too much” for me – fake drama climate...
REWATCH
I really don’t know. Maybe someday. There’re 52 1-hour (very long) episodes. Story of gisaengs was interesting but it wasn’t main thread so there weren’t a lot of scenes of SaRan as a gisaeng.
Maybe someday, because the chemistry of main character was intense and nice, I guess :)
OVERALL
It was nice but very long drama. To me, it was nice and kinda interesting but some things were too stretched in time, where it was obvious how it ends (we could knew who is SaRan biological parents after couple of first episodes...
If someone needs addictive show to watch and have time I can recommend it ;)
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My major frustration is with the three leads. I loved them as a trio. Those moments were my favorite in the show for sure, and their friendship was also the source of many of the emotions I felt while watching. Still, from the very beginning the show is set up as a love triangle, and that's the part where I think this drama falls short. I'll give it credit for not being cliché, but it still didn't really work for me.
The story centers around Im Shi Wan as Wang Won. It's Won's story, so it makes sense that he was the character I liked the most. I thought Shi Wan did a great job in all aspects. He was funny, he was clever, he was stubborn, he was impulsive... and I enjoyed watching his character navigate all of the palace drama without being passive. I think he did an awesome job.
Hong Jong Hyun plays Wang Rin, his partner in bromance. Rin is the straight man, to Won's uninhibited personality, and their dynamic is awesome. I loved that we get to see the start of their friendship too. The show really explores the deepness of their friendship in a way that got me in the feels from the very beginning. It gets very complex, but their love throughout it all is the strongest story in the drama.
Then lastly there is Im Yoon Ah as Eun San. I loved her character in some ways, but she was also the reason for most of my frustration. When she was being brave, impetuous, and independent, I loved her, and her camaraderie with the guys. However, when the obligatory love triangle comes into play, she spends far too much time looking like a deer in headlights. I won't speak too much about specifics, because which guy you root for is mostly about preference, but it really bothers me that by the end all the romance was still questionable. I thought maybe it was the writing, but I honestly think it's that she had trouble pulling off the romantic parts of the story. I've seen better actresses, Ha Ji Won for example, pull complicated love stories off, but I think where Yoona shined in action, comedy, and even some emotional scenes, she left much to be desired in the romance department. Cute moments with Won worked, because their banter was funny, but anything involving serious romance fell flat. I don't think she was bad, but I do think the role was a little out of her league in that respect.
The rest of the cast was good. I loved Jang Young Nam and Oh Min Suk the most out of the supporting cast (both so good at being bad), but there were a lot of great performances. A few characters made no sense to me, but that wasn't the actor's fault, just weird writing. There are a lot of duplicitous characters to keep the story interesting. If you like ancient Joseon political drama, this story definitely has a lot of that to enjoy. If you're not a fan, you will probably get bored about halfway through.
To be clear, this show is 40 episodes, but the episodes are 30 minutes, so really it's like watching a standard 20 episode drama. I thought the show started strong, and ended strong, but somewhere in the middle I began to stop caring. Still, for some reason I just couldn't quit watching. I think that's because of curiosity, and probably because I became attached to the characters, even when the shows seemed to drag. In those times it helped that the episodes were shorter than usual.
Would I watch this again? I'm torn. If I did I would probably be tempted to skip too many scenes. There were a lot of great moments, and like the characters reminiscing, I would probably enjoy revisiting those moments again. Maybe it will feel different watching while knowing how it will all play out, but I think my main frustrations would remain.
Overall, this is a good drama for sageuk fans who want a different kind of story. It is more bittersweet than completely tragic, and there are comedic moments too to add some balance. I think it's far from perfect, and gets messy in the middle, but it all ties together for a touching ending that made me boohoo cry, and smile through my tears. I never heard of the novel before watching, so I am curious what fans of the book thought. It's not the best or worst sageuk around, but if you're in the mood for something a little less typical, this may be exactly the kind of drama you are looking for.
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This show is not your standard romcom formula... the kind where most of the focus is placed on 2 characters, and the rest of the cast revolves around them. The center of the show is Soo Kyung, a bitter divorced woman living alone in an apartment complex, but it's also about all of the characters in her life... her coworkers, her bff, and most importantly her neighbors and her adorable dog. The story has a true ensemble feeling, where I actually cared about what was going on with all of the characters. The more I got to know them, the more I loved the show. There are no weak links, including the kids, and yes, even the dog (one of the show's best characters imo). So, why no perfect acting score? Well, because there are a couple of incidental characters that were too bad to ignore, and some really corny moments where the actors have to play up the comedy a bit too much for my liking.
This drama may be Soo Kyung's world, but she is certainly not my favorite of the bunch. She was even sometimes a bit annoying. Yoon Doo Joon as Dae Yeong is what drives the show. He's such an interesting character, and his weirdness, charm, and food rants made it easy for him to steal any scene he is in. Another scene stealer worth mentioning is Lee Do Yeon as Attorney Oh. It really bothers me that her looks are the constant punchline, but I think she took a role that could have been really superficial, and painful to watch, and made her truly funny. She's the quintessential character actress, and although I've seen her in bit parts before, in this show she shines. There's also super cute Yoon So Hee, who I think is worth mentioning. Even her sickeningly cute character has enough depth to make her much more than the stereotype suggests. Unfortunately all of the depth went into the characters, and none went into the plot.
The general story is... cute... and was engaging enough to hold my interest. 3 single neighbors becoming good friends is the basic premise, while loneliness and isolation being major themes. There's a little bit of romantic drama, and the obligatory love triangle, but don't expect too much focus on romantic moments. There is also a random murder mystery inserted, which I don't think worked. It gave the characters something to do, but it's hard to take a scary murder plot seriously in a show this silly. All that to say, if you're looking for an intriguing plot, this show doesn't have much to offer.
Then of course, as the title suggests, in each episode the characters have to find a reason to eat an obnoxious meal. I felt gluttonous just watching. I'm talking extreme close ups, and at least 5 whole minutes of lip-smacking, slo-mo chewing, and watching them eat food like they might actually reach an orgasm mid bite. This is the part that made me avoid this show for so long, but it ended up being one of the parts I anticipated the most in each episode. There was just something fascinating about watching food being enjoyed this much. I also felt a little like a food tourist, since not every dish was familiar. I even liked watching them eat foods that I hate, and I wasn't disgusted. Yes, sometimes I had to press pause to raid my fridge while watching, but it was less about making me hungry, and more about being inspired to appreciate food this much. I think it also makes you appreciate the company you keep when eating food.
Would I watch this show again? Maybe. I can see the appeal of revisiting these characters, but I should also confess that I've already started watching Let's Eat 2. You can say that I was hungry for more *groan* Sorry, I could not resist.
Overall, This show was easy to binge watch, and what it lacked in plot, it made up for in unique characters, laughs, and foodie moments. I'd say it's definitely worth giving it a chance, and I say that as a person who generally hates food centered shows. There's also some hidden depth underneath all of the silliness, which I appreciated, with a nice resolution at the end that got me a little bit in the feels.
I may be late to the table, but I'm glad I finally decided to watch. Sometimes it's good to try something new, that you may not think will suit your taste. It may not be joining my list of favorites, but it turns out that this show was exactly what I was craving.
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STORY 6/10Since it took me so long to actually finish this series, I wouldn't recommend it if you're new to K-dramas or if you're choosing your first historical. The show is relatively slow-paced, mostly episodic and the important storylines tend to be...well, illogical at times, and some are left unresolved. Due to its episodic nature and some over-the-top comedic moments, Sungkyunkwan Scandal is actually much closer to Hana Kimi than to more mature Coffee Prince in the realm of cross-dressing dramas. I strongly feel that it was a shame that so much time was spent on long gazes (especially between the main couple), way too long dialogues between villains (their scheming was mostly pointless anyway), antics of the villain's sister and the villain's stupid sidekicks, or flashbacks (so many of them!). Instead, I would appreciate better developed relationships between other people than the two leads: Goo Yong Ha and Moon Jae Shin, Cho Sun and Ha In Soo or Kim Yoon Hee and (the real) Kim Yoon Shik...the list goes on.
There is another matter that strongly impacted my evaluation and that is the ending. (I will try to be as vague and spoiler-free as possible.) Honestly the last 2-3 episodes were a mess. First, it doesn't really make sense that the characters who served as wise mentors to our young heroes were incapable of doing some basic investigation and needed a help of students to solve a 10-year-old mystery.
Second, it never felt like the stakes were high enough – especially regarding Kim Yoon Hee's situation. A much needed emotional climax just never came and the matter was resolved too quickly and too smoothly to my liking. Yoon Hee is also uncharacteristically passive (and mostly silent) in her (potentially great) dialogue scenes with some big players in the last episode.
Third, way too many loose ends. Starting with the heroine's fate (regarding which we are left with way too many questions), through unresolved side-stories of several key players (e.g. Cho Sun and Ha In Soo) to the lack of epilogue regarding the political situation in the country (not all of us have knowledge of Joseon's history)...the list goes on.
Simply said, from all the K-dramas I've finished so far, Sungkyunkwan Scandal had the least satisfying - albeit cute - ending.
ACTING/CAST 9/10
While the two leads (Park Yoo Chun as Lee Sun Joon and Park Min Young as Kim Yoon Hee) were nice, they were ultimately rather boring and predictable, especially in comparison with the duo we were all rooting for: Song Joong Ki as Goo Yong Ha and Yoo Ah In as Moon Jae Shin, who were amazing, both character-wise and acting-wise. This was actually the first drama during which I experienced the infamous "second lead syndrome": they actually made Moon Jae Shin so perfect, that I can't understand why they didn't pair him up with the heroine (or with Goo Yong Ha for that matter).
MUSIC 7.5/10
Nice score, not something I'd need to buy a CD for, but several definitely memorable tracks and songs. Extra points for the main song ("Found You" by JYJ) that I can't get out of my head ;).
REWATCH VALUE 7.5/10
I'd say that the rewatch value is quite high because once you know what to expect, it's actually a really well-acted and cheerful – if somewhat cheesy – drama to revisit.
OVERALL 7.5/10
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This is my first attempt to review a favorite drama, so please bear with me. SHARK is about a band coming together and making a comeback after the death of the lead vocalist. The focus is how the bad-tempered "God-sent" vocalist, Mizuki, learns to get along with the rest of the band and helps them Keep Walking forward to achieve their dreams. The narrative drive is Mizuki, a cocky instigator, using his confrontational nature to force change within the band as they get closer to their coveted debut.
Story/Arc: Character Transformation and Pursuing a Dream While Facing Shadows of the Past
Acting/Cast: Strong. The expressions of actors, especially Hirano Sho, carry the story.
Music: At first, I didn't care for the opening song as much, but as time went on, Keep Walking, came to embody the story's cry. The final time it was sung, I was nearly in tears.
Rewatch Value: The rewatch value is in seeing the charcters change and their friendship grow. It's going back in time and watching them grow up again.
Minor Spoilers: SHARK's ending is a bit sad but beautiful. Also, if you come to love the SHARK brotherhood and kizuna (bond) theme, skip the sequel. It mostly derails all everything established in the first one by putting the focus on a completely different band, throwing SHARK into the background, and keeping the SHARK name. However, if you come to hate SHARK, you may enjoy SHARK 2 more. :)
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The big highlight of "Midnight Runners" is the cast; Park Seo Joon and Kang Ha Neul have fantastic chemistry and their scenes are effortless and overly fun. Their comedic timing, delivery and the way they acted out of each other's lines is incredible. History is not the most naive or complex, but functional. It's a simple story about two young police academy cadets who do not have a very strong reason or desire to become police officers and who unwittingly find themselves in a situation that requires them to demonstrate the moral fiber and courage that one would expect to find in a future police officer. It's simple, reliable and, most importantly, very fun.
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I even shipped the main pairing and I can't usually say I ship the main pairings. I do enjoy them and I like their scenes, but they're not enjoyable enough to make me ship them. However, that wasn't the case with the main pairing from this drama at all! Taec Yeon and Soo Hyun's chemistry was off the charts for me, they really managed to convey feelings so well and made me impatiently wait for their next romantic scene.
Monk Myung Chul, In Rang and Cheon Sang were the comedic reliefs needed in this drama. I feel that the actors did a great job with their characters and they made me laugh a lot and enjoy the drama more.
And last, but not least, I think that Kwon Yool did an amazing job with the evil character, he managed to play two characters in one and I enjoyed it a lot.
I definitely recommend this drama! It has romance, drama and comedy and if you're into the horror stuff as well, it has that as well with the ghosts and evil spirits. Enjoy watching it!
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I highly recommend this to anyone who is a gamer or who knows one!
The fact that Mama is totally into KDramas (HOYA!!! I saw HOYA!) thrilled me :D I immediately identified with her LOL
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Like seriously the story is so stupid , the girls in this drama are so annoying and very loud
The whole drama like all I saw is the girls fighting and the male lead forcing him self on the female lead !!
The only good thing in this stupid drama was " The Male Lead Actor " he's so handsome that I watched
this drama only for him skipping all other scenes :s
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