Reviews

Another great drama from a spectacular writer!

The Legend of the Blue Sea is probably one of the greatest multi-genre drama series out there. Starting from the fantasy genre that all of the kids grew up with, continuing with romance, comedy and thriller all throughout the show. The cinematography was superb, especially when shooting historical locations and scenes. The story is pretty much straightforward, however, it lacked some originality, especially towards the end.
I enjoyed the cast of the drama a lot. Wasn't a fan of Lee Min Ho actually, but his acting was ridiculously good. I wouldn't imagine any other actor playing his character. The main and side characters made me fall in love with them as well. Furthermore, I want to put a huge emphasis on the fashion that the stylists chose for this drama. The clothing items were an eye candy for me and an inspiration.

Definitely a drama to come back to after a couple of years. It's magical, romantic and very fresh. Big applause for the directors, creators, actors and the staff, they did an amazing job!

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I think the biggest problem with this series is that it'll forever be compared to the movie. Don't do what I did and watch the movie then jump right into this series. If you've seen the movie, wait at least a couple of months before starting the series to give yourself a chance to forget most of it. Or better yet, watch the series first.

There's simply no comparison. The movie is just a better overall production, even counting the fact that movies tend to have a higher budget. It's best to think of them as being in two different universes-having similar characters, a similar setup, but completely different characterizations, different plot, different tone, different extrapolation. I suspect that a lot of people rate the series higher because it ends happily, where the movie is tragic. As a gay man, I totally understand the bias against LGBT movies with tragic endings; there's simply too many of them. But still, the movie's better.

But I'm not dismissing this series. The series comes into it's own about halfway when it spends time with new characters and explores themes of it's own.

Overall, you won't regret watching it. I wish I had time for a rewatch as my own comparisons to the movie spoiled the beginning for me. Looking forward to Season 2 instead!

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Its Okay, That's Love, definitely lives up to its hype.

With a perfect blend of all elements, romance, humor, friendship and melo, the plot undeniably comes as a breath of fresh air to us drama addicts.That could be attributed to the fact the writers had sketched about such realistic characters that not only had their good sides projected, but also their weaknesses and fears, and due to the story's intention to show that its alright to admit that you can be weak since we're human and all of us do need help in order to become strong again. To use the subject of mental illnesses to express this intention is very well appreciated.

PLOT: GETS A 10/10 , for making the drama so intriguing, entertaining and at the same time for trying to create awareness about mental disorders and its prejudices that we have created. Our main characters, Jang Jae Yeol , and Ji Hae Soo have been created as such refreshing and honest characters, who have been able to delve into a comfortable relationship with each other despite telling the other off frankly if they did something that bothered the other and this leading to quite a bit of arguments between the two which are nevertheless enjoyable ( most of the time). It also needs to be mentioned how no supporting character were sidelined to simply showcase the main characters, with each of them having their own stories, achievements and downfalls in their relationships and life.

Acting: Not going to give a special review for the acting since the very ensemble of the cast would give an idea. The actors had done a great job in convincing me throughout that they were not merely playing a role given to them but were indeed living it, especially EXO's D.O, who impressed me right from the start of the show and set the bar so high for idols who want to venture into acting.

Music: A drama cannot be without its OST'S , and the ones for IOTL prove just that. They intensified each and every moment in the scene, making it memorable for the audience. Specially mentioning EXO' s Chen, Davichi , and Punch for their vocals which are powerful, soothing and emotion-driven all at the same time.

Rewatch Value: Since I don't usually re-watch the dramas that I watch once, the score here would be pretty low, this might definitely not be the case for other viewers is what I feel.

Anyhow not necessarily a drama that could please everyone, but surely one that needs to be given a try!

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I just randomly started watching this drama on Netflix one day and I was pleasantly suprised by how much I like it.
Story: The story is certainly different and will keep you guessing throughout. The story captivated me with the mystery behind why these women were invited to this man's house and who was the mastermind. You will have a nice surprise in the end.

Acting/Cast: The actors in the drama did such a good job. They all really got into their characters. I especially liked the main actor. He did a good job potraying his character with all his strengths and faults.

Music: The music is okay, it fits the drama.

Rewatch Value: I could definitely rewatch this one with a family member or friend to see their reaction but for me the mystery is already solved. Still I wouldn't mind rewatching.

Last Thoughts: I would recommend you watch this drama. It's short and quick and it's absolutely worth the watch.

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Before my review, just a warning. SPOILER ALERT!
I just finished watching this drama and all I can say is that, I'm satisfied.

They tell different stories and overcome hardships on their own way using their own abilities.
They stood up strong and unswayed. I'm super addicted to the love story of Sul Hee and Joo Man, it hurts to see them broke up and crying, but they made it like the ones we have in real. That long relationships do suffer at times, the warmth fade, the memories forgotten and the sparks were gone. But, they managed to overcome the hardships on their own and talk through it because they know that even if they had problems, they still want to be with each other. As for Dong Man and Ae Ra, friendship is really a barrier when it comes to starting a relationship with your so called friend/best friend. Why? Because if you broke up, you can't go back to how you where before you started the relationship. Glad they fight through it and achieved everything they want in life and settle with what they truly want.

I love the story line best, it shows reality right there. You had to give up a fight because of a problem you can solve involving money and you know it will help your family, but that happens, that right there is real. I was just glad that he get to avenge himself on all the ridicules he got. And it's just so sad that he had to face it for the past 10 years alone.

I'd love to watch both couples again on their own drama's someday. I hope that Sul Hee and Joo Man get to have their sweet leading roles as well. :)

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Indeed it is a comedy drama. I enjoyed a lot. I thought Lee Ji-Hoon was the main character. But it turned out to be Yoo Hyun-Jae (I wonder if his character is same in real. All the dramas which I have watched has almost the same character, very jolly, talkative, funny and cute. I enjoy watching his drama). And that bakery Ajumma (she is a beauty),Choi Woo-Seung ,Lee Gwang-Jae,MC Drill;Lee Soon-Ta,Park Young-Jae(that guy who looks cute when he is angry);Cathy,MJ,Mal-Sook(too cute),Cathy-This people are dapong without them the drama would have been boring. I just wish the last ep. could have done better. Overall, Dapong dapong dapond dapong,dapong!!! you should watch.

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Since there are already a lot of good, positive reviews for this drama, I'll keep mine brief and focus on what I disliked.
I really, really loved the first 2/3rds of the drama. However, the drama loses interest for me after the romantic tension is gone and all the problems are solved (I seriously don't count his grandma's resistance a real problem, since we have seen how nice she is to Eun Chan in previous episodes and know there is a strong likelihood she will come around). Sure, there are some plot points to complete and tie up during the remaining episodes, but none of them come close to being as engaging as watching Han Kyul's emotional turmoil over liking Eun Chan. I also did not care too much about the three side couples in the drama--even Yoo Joo's and Han Seong's relationship became dull for me around episode 11.
Apart from all that, yes, the drama is great and deserves all the hype it gets.

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It's a fun drama with some untypical elements in the story, but if you don't appreciate the over-the-top humor, it's nothing special. I felt that it dragged at times. The story dealt with corruption, connections and covering up big schemes. Those themes are nothing new. For example Pinocchio, Healer or Uncontrollably Fond dealt with similar issues. However, there are enough comedic elements in Chief Kim to make the story way more balanced. I also appreciated the variety of female characters, none of which try to fight over a cute guy. That's a huge plus of the show. There are many references to other dramas in Chief Kim and those are honestly the funniest scenes in the show.

The main conflict between Kim Seon Ryong and Seo Yool reminded me of Falling for Innocence. It has a similar vibe. There is virtually zero romance in this show which was refreshing, but was also a missed opportunity. I thought that the initial scenes between Seo Yool and Ha Kyung were promising and I was waiting for more scenes between the two of them. I am not saying there had to be any serious romance, but this showed did a good job showing the progression of many cool relationships except for this one. I think the writers dropped the ball with those two characters.

Most of the actors did a good job in this. Personally, I am not a fan of Namgoong Min's acting, though. I didn't like his style of acting in Beautiful Gong Shim and I didn't quite like it here. I was totally flabbergasted about Ha Dong's performance after seeing him in Suspicious Partner. What a versatile actor!

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"Stranger" was pretty much perfect. It might ruin other crime dramas for me in the future because it was so good. I'm giving it a 10 which I hardly ever do. Lots of crime dramas rely on shock, sordid details or graphic violence to thrill and create interest. Stranger tells a story about complicated characters with passions, motives, and morals that collide, corrupt, and sometimes bolster and strengthen each another. Though this is a crime investigation story and definitely contains some gruesome scenes, most of the thrills come from the characters playing off each other.

The script is so tightly written. The story is a cleverly laid out labyrinth with compelling, intelligent characters at each turn. There are no throw away characters who behave stupidly, frustrating plot details, cutesy comic relief or romance just for the sake of adding romance. Every line could have a potential effect on the outcome. If you let your mind drift for a moment you might just miss out on some new clue or development. While watching, I often had the unsettling feeling that everyone is not who they seem and everyone is up to no good. Then a moment later I would often come to the exact opposite conclusion and think maybe this character is exactly who he appears to be after all. It had me on the edge of my seat and guessing up through the last episode. The writing is so impressive.

"Stranger" is really well-acted. The 2 main leads do such a great job. Jo Seung Wo is excellent as Prosecutor Hwang. Playing a cold, emotionless, and calculating character with limited facial expressions, he somehow manages to shine with goodness and integrity, gain our sympathy and win our hearts. Bae Doo Na is excellent as Lieutenant Han who is the more stereotypical good cop character, but she brings her character to life with warmth, passion and toughness. I also particularly enjoyed Lee Joon Hyuk as Seo Dong Jae. He portrays his smarmy despicable character with a lot of emotional range. He's the guy you love to hate and sometimes feel sorry for. All the characters have great chemistry together - both the heroes and villains - though you never really know for sure who is who until the very end when all the pieces fall together perfectly. It's a thrilling and compulsively watchable drama that builds in intensity as the story progresses. I am sorry to be done. I even re-watched the last episode immediately so I didn't have to say goodbye just yet.

This drama brings up ideas about what makes a person who they are. Does a person ever fundamentally change? What make us human? What makes us good or bad? Is it our emotions, our ideals or intentions? Our actions? Morals? A sense of justice? If you are into crime stories you have to watch this. But I also highly recommend this to people who appreciate an intelligent well told story that makes you think.

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