Reviews

This was a trademark k-drama so further review can't really be considered spoilery as it happens in basically every drama.

However, If you can live with or it doesn't bother you that:
1. The good ones, as usual, get all walked over by bad ones who don't get any punishment or retribution, everyone's all friends afterwards instead of getting burned alive.
2. Drama adds totally unnecessary drama just to drag it longer and so it certainly dragged the last 3 eps instead of flowing nicely (thou not that the added drama was draggy, it went well... but could've done without it)
3. The completely unreasonable break up. I'm not even gonna comment on that one.

THEN if you can overlook those 3 above, I would recommend watching it cuz I truly enjoyed Heartstrings up till end of ep 12 when noble idiocy took place and it annoyed me to anger. Had someone warned me of it I would've been prepared & not as angry, could've just rolled my eyes and munched on popcorn while cussing them XD

It was fun, the music was great & the main leads were great :)
Even with the trademark wide eyed & stiff act from heroine whenever kiss is involved.

#3 has now made me rather vengeful, cuz I don't even remember which drama it is by now that has all the 3, well, 4 if we count stiffness too, trademarks that could totally be done without as it only ruins the drama for me. I really wanna find a drama where for once when the idiot who breaks up with their loved one for their own good aka so that loved one could achieve whatever, they wouldn't get back together and the loved one would find new love & live happily ever after, while the idiot who decided to break up for the better & let go instead of holding on & not letting go, would then wallow in misery. Would totally serve him/her right.

So yeah, while I liked the drama, the #1-3 has ruined it for me and not gonna watch it again.
Goody two shoes are overrated, stand up for yourself and don't be a well meaning sacrificial idiot either!
If they had left out the mess and had this ending, I would've re-watched it again, but now it's barely worth watching once.
Plot was good, actors did good, music was good too, so I'd say watch it once and see for yourself. At least till ep 12 and if you can tolerate not breaking your laptop (which I somehow managed) watch the last 3 eps too just to see them on screen or if you're already used to this kind of k-drama or maybe if you like the added drama :p

And also watch it cuz Shin really was a great boyfriend, for that alone it's worth to see ;D

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My first review but goddamn I had to make an account just for this show
I haven't watched many JDramas, but I have sure as heck seen a crap ton of romcom anime. The first ep was as close to an anime as it got. This show is simultaneously serious, heartwarming and funny. Without further ado, let us start the review.

Story:
The story starts of kinda cliche. This aint the first drama to incorporate contract marriages. But lo and behold, as the story progressed it kinda delved into new ground. (Thankfully) The drama was able to stay away from common cliches such as blatant love triangles, awkward and funny situations just for the heck of it, etc etc. Some cliches were hinted at but managed to move away from that.

PROS: Not only is the story pretty fresh, character relationships were pretty well developed and complex as well. Unspoken feelings (practically one of main themes of this show) were abundant. But that's what makes the show's ending work so well. You get to learn and think about real life questions that affect society today.

CONS: Honestly, some times the side story with the side characters took up a bit more screen time than I hoped. Maybe I'm selfish for wanting to see the main couple but I felt that side character stuff could've been a bit less as it made the story go stale for a while.

So - 9.5 points off for dragging a bit + minor plot holes

Acting/Cast:
Whew where should I start. First of all, Gen Hoshino and Yui Aragaki really did an outstanding job portraying their characters. They really captured the "35 year old virgin engineer" and "25 year old determined jobless graduate" pretty well. (Ok my description of Mikuri was lacking but yea). Their portrayals were realistic and not too stiff.

PROS: ok. GAKKI IS JUST TOO MOTHERF**KING CUTE. AHHHH. ok. Now that's done with yes. Yui Aragaki was literally the living reincarnation of Asian cuteness in this drama. Her cute moments really made me smile stupidly as I watched the show. Surprisingly, her emotions weren't too stiff in the show which shows her growth as an actor. As Moriyama Mikuri, she acted well with good emotion and skill. Also, her daydream scenes are SUPERB. So original and funny.
Gen Hoshino also shows up later in the TV show as a good actor. (lol one line for Hoshino-san)

CONS: Gen Hoshino in the first couple episodes. Yup. It was kinda obvious to me that this dude definitely did not act for a living the first few episodes. His emotions and motions were stiff, and generally just a bit off. Yes, the character he was playing was an awkward virgin, but still, it felt unnatural somehow. He does go on to get better and better tho.

So - 9.5 points off bc of Gen Hoshino early on


Music:
Hell yea boi. Dat ending Koi Dance was one of the best endings to an TV episode I have seen in a while. I kept me engaged in the show even after it ended which is good. It gets really catchy and brainwashes you within a couple episodes. (mune no naka ni aru kara.. )

PROS: Koi by Gen Hoshino + the Koi Dance. Really well thought out dance that looks random at first until u start to dance with em. It upped the show's cuteness factor once again. BUT other than Koi, the BGM/background music of the show was pretty damn good too. When certain music cues up in the later episodes, you can know that either an funny or emotional moment is about to happen. The piano + string music in the background really hits the ball straight to my heart. Yea. It's absolutely wonderful.

CONS: ?_? not really.

So - 10.0 PERFECTO


Rewatch Value:
I have seen a couple episodes twice just because of heartwarming or funny that episode was. This show really leaves an impression and I would definitely rewatch it in the (near) future.

So - 9.0 affected by plot, I will need to skip parts that I felt were a bit dragging(aka side characters) during the first watch through.


OVERALL:
You bet it's 9.5. Close to a perfect romcom show that is able to discuss real issues in the society especially regarding women and becoming housewives. Yui Aragaki is cute af. Thanks! Happy watching!

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this was my very first drama when i was in middle school
joe chen and ariel line really good actor.
even tough there is so many version/remake for this drama
i think the taiwan version is the best.

i thought that you all already familiar with the story and know how its end.
But ISWAK is more detailed in every scene
and their acting really perfect. Ariel lin's acting suit the fool xiang qin who pursue Zhi Shu!!!
this drama so funny with Ariel Lin as Qiang Qin. And the foolishness of xiangqin is really something, you must watch it yourself.

i've rewatch this drama for hundred times whenever i get bored with those new drama.
i think this drama is the best for you who crave a really fun romance comedy !!!

i am really in love with this drama

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This version is so much better than the original one. I dont know if its just me, but although the korean version had a great story line and famous actors, I found the entire show very exaggerated. With over the top hatred from the male lead, very very annoying female lead, but a total heartbreaker second lead. On contrary, this version felt a lot more heartwarming and maybe due to longer screen time, there is more space for the story development.

Compared to the original, Bai Hao Yu showed more feelings. The way he treats Li Hui Zhen was alot more sincere and although he was really mean, I liked how he also showed how conflicted he was between both ladies and that he had a soft side as well. (Like how he would always feel bad and try to make up to his mistakes) And most importantly, the hate was not directed due to her name.

Dilraba never fails to impress. She did amazing in portraying Li Hui Zhen. I always felt that the korean version was very annoying and loud. But LHZ was not. She is very realistic. All the rejections over the years and her changing looks made her lose any confidence she had in herself. She whines and complains but always pushed harder. She is true to herself but decides to change when she realises the need to improve.

Our second leads are the sweetest. The amount of tears Xia Qiao made me shed... The perfect best friend despite the struggles she went through. And Zhang Bin Bin!! How does he manage to be so sweet in every show? The mood maker of the show and everyone's dream guardian angel. Ah... The best second leads...

Everyone should give it a try as they remade the drama wonderfully. They shone a new light to it. It was made closer to the heart, more subtle and more sentimental. It is a very cute and light show. Though not an impactful show, it is a show to be rewatched when some sugar is needed in life. Cause it is like a fairytale: No evil characters. No hatred. Just sweetness, sympathy and a happily ever after. :)

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I was actually really surprised by this drama. At first, I wasn't really sure if I should give it a chance or not. It was an older drama and seemed rather outdated, plus it was about school so I was expecting the usual school romance tropes. It wasn't like that at all. In fact, it wasn't like any other Korean school drama I have seen, period.

Secret Campus was actually pretty realistic. It had the guts to tackle real, actual issues that teens face on a daily basis. I could relate to a lot of the issues because when I was their age, I went through many of the same things. Most school dramas are watered down and focus more on romance and drama. While Secret Campus did water down some of the more serious issues, the fact is, it actually *did* confront them, watered down or not. Besides telling the story of a group of high school friends and the pressures of getting good grades, it also dealt with bullying, grief, suicide and homosexuality. Each character had a story to tell, a problem to face and an outcome to take responsibility for. While some of the issues were less serious (such as the crushes on the teachers), it was showing that every issue was important to the person who was going through it.

The teen actors did an ok job playing the characters. Most never went on to do much else, but two did end up being mega stars. Park Bo Young was absolutely adorable here, though she was probably the weakest acting of the bunch. Keep in mind that she was very young and that it was her debut drama, so that's to be expected. Lee Min Ho's charisma makes him stand out, showing that even in the earliest days of his career, he had that special something. Even with the 2000's hairstyle and some acne, he was easily the most handsome of the guys. Seol Sung Min was really good and it's such a shame that he hasn't done anything since 2007. I was really impressed with his acting and would like to see him now. The same goes for Seung Hyun, who played the deceased Seung Jae in flashbacks. Unfortunately, he too hasn't done much else since.

I would definitely recommend this drama to anyone who is looking for a realistic Korean school drama. Just make sure you can deal with the outdated hairstyles! Also, one thing of note that really made it more realistic. All the teens actually look like teens in this. Real teens, too. There are no plastic faces and perfectly applied make up. Like I said above, you can even see Lee Min Ho's acne. I find this a major plus for the drama, but others might not.

All in all, I rated this drama 8/10.

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The storyline follows as was stated from the summary and were not given a bunch of unnecessary plot lines or problems. But aside from the storyline what I really enjoyed the most were the characters, both the main leads and the supporting characters.

Our niang'ek Baipei's character is different as she plays a tomboy. She's hotheaded, impulsive, yet she's also understanding. I enjoyed seeing her act impulsively and her little tricks but at time her character does get annoying towards the 2nd half of the lakorn. Whereas our Pran'ek is a mafia boss who wants to quit the mafia industry. We see his struggle and his poor decisions on that topic but aside from that his character is both charming and cute especially when he plays tricks on the niang'ek. It's nice to see how at time he tries to be direct with her so there isn't any miscommunication or misunderstanding. And another thing he's an obsessive brother who indirectly shelters/protects his sister.

Which goes on to our supporting character, who I ENJOYED the most in this lakorn. We have Fon (younger sister of the Pran'ek) and Mark (best friend with our niang'ek). I love these two character the most, especially Mark because he is everything, charming, understanding, mature, full of love. I love how he always works towards making Fon not misunderstand him and how he doesn't give up easily on loving/getting Fon.
Fon on the other hand, you kind of don't like her in the beginning but you come to love her as you see a growth in her character. I love how she works toward matchmaking our pran'ek and niang'ek together and also how she has Mark wrapped around her hands.

Next is our Niang'Rai--Nararee. Usually I hate these character as they're evil with lots of evil tricks up their sleeves BUT i have to say I loved her role as she's not the unbearable crazy niang'rai that we usually see in lakorn.

Sorry if I talked mostly about the characters but it was because they were what made the lakorn enjoyable. In this lakorn you get a very direct storyline, (meaning we will NOT be faced with unnecessary weird plot lines of a sudden amnesia or any other twist and turns) but we do get our typical misunderstandings, the poor decisions, getting injured, the evil schemes, miscommunication with one another, the hating then the loving back and forth thing. I'm trying to be very broad here as to not reveal any specific plots.

But personally for me what I enjoyed most from the lakorn were the supporting characters, especially Mark :)

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Obsessed is hands down one of my favorite BLs. While the plot is confusing in the beginning and the end, it does not ruin the drama.

The chemistry between the main and secondary couple is just mind blowing. They look comfortable around each other and don't seem afraid to intimately interact with each other unlike in other bl drama.

In addition while this should not have enthralled me as much as it did, the make-up team did a great job

Overall, I give this drama an A because even though the story was a little hard to follow, it is not the main reason for watching it. The chemistry is and the actors blew it out of the water.

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Awesome! The Drama is really amazing. I don't know anymore why I put it on hold for a very long time. I must have been crazy. This weekend I watched it again from the beginning and now I can say that it is one of the best dramas I have ever seen.

I love revenge dramas a lot, so I was very excited when I began watching this drama. The Story of a man who is falsely accused of murder and an attempt made me curious. Also I like the older dramas, because I think the storylines were more interesting than nowadays. I don't want to compare this drama with more recent revange dramas, but I think this is better than most of the newer ones.

But more than the story, there were the Actors who were amazing. I watched a frew of them in other projects (moste recent Go Soo). Go Soo plays the Man, who falls in Love with the daughter of the chairman of the company he works for. When he learns the truth he wants to leave her but it turns out otherwise. His acting as a Man from a not wealthy family, who gets framed and later comes back to take revenge is heartbreaking. After I watched other movies with him I think this is his best role so far. When he was arrested I suffered with him. When he comes back and meets his Love again I thought 'Please get her back'. His acting war amazing and I think his role was very difficult to play. I mean he was hurt, he sought after revenge and he had to pretend that he didn't know people he liked/loved. To play such a role isn't easy.
Lee Da Hae plays the girlfriend and love of his life who is the daughter of a wealthy Man. So she is the heiress of a big company but she is 'normal'. I like her character because other she loves a man who has nothing. Sie loves him even though they live in two very different worlds and she holds him and can't let him go. Dae Hae is a good Actress. I didn't liked her character in My Girl but in here she is nice and very hurt inside like outside. When her lover is framed she believes in him, she want to help him and sie can't forget him when he is gone. Her Scenes with Go Soo were so heartbreaking, I thought I am watching the Japanese Drama 'Tatta hitotsu no Koi'.
Lee Jong Hyuk played the role of Da Haes fiancé who is the bad boy. I hated him in most of the episodes even though there was something because of I suffered with him. But when I thought he is pitiful his next step/action changed my mind. He played the role very good, but I can't compere his role to others he played because I watched him in two dramas before and one of them I dropped and in the other I wasn't interested enough in his role.
Jung Sanghoon (played Go Soos best friend), Kim Seo Hyung (played Go Soos female partner), Park Sang Myun (played Go Soos second friend and partner) Sun Woo Jae Duk (played Director Seo) were all good, respectively. Also I liked Tao Ren (Go Soos bodyguard) a lot. All in all the Acting was one of the best I have ever seen in a drama and I watch dramas since years.

I LOVE the the Song "Green Rose" by Just. His voice suits the music and the melody is perfect for a melodrama like this. When you watch the drama and the music begins to play ypu get goose bumps and you will know what comes next.

I would recommend this drama to viewers who doesn't mind to cry when watching. If you like melodramas like me this drama is a very good choice even though it is from 2005. Like i said above, in my opinion the old melodramas are the best. I hope Korea can do such a wonderful and amazing drama again. As a result I would watch the drama again, of yourse, but I will wait a few months.

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This was certainly a emotional drama which really takes your eyes for adventure. It really great news to hear that the main leads were an official couple when they still filming this show. Long dramas really are quite rare these days. But most of the episode were entertaining and wasn't boring. One thing I have to say is the ending was confusing but from some sources I heard that there is going to be a season 2 which may help answer this conclusion.

Story:
I am not going spoil it for whomever is going to watch the drama. Sooooo..... I am going to shortly-summarish- explain this. There was a time period before the current time period in the story. The people in the before time period wants to revive their period by making their prince the emperor. But of course the time right now already has a king and that king is doing a fair job. This is actually the main problem of the whole story but there are many tiny other issues that occur in the drama too. Love plays a big part and there is a lot of heartbreak too. (Multiple heartbreaks)

Acting/Cast:
I can't really describe how the acting was but I just know that I really disliked the antagonists. Which probably means that those actors did a great job on making me hate them. The good people were likable and the audiences' feelings was controlled by the story. So I have to say the acting was amusing. The cast was amazing too each of actors represenyed the character and the feeling matched correctly.

Music:
I can't recall the music but I just know that something occurred during the tragic scenes which made me cry. So I guess it decent?

Rewatch:
I would most definitely rewatch this. It is one of the most complex long historical drama in 2017 that became popular and known. Before I die I would no doubt watch it again!

Remember if you watch this, bring a carton of tissues.????

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Great show

I absolutely LOVED watching this! I finished it in three days. If I didn't have school, I would probably have finished it faster. I can't wait for season 2!

Here are a few things I liked and disliked (in no particular order):

1 THE ACTING

LIKE: I really like the way Bai Zhu plays his character(A Zhai). His facial expressions and the way he brings his lines are adorable and unique. Some people seem to dislike A Zhai, which I kind of get when looking at certain scenes. Particularly the ones where he mistreats Adam or doesn't listen to his advice, which then results in problems that could've been avoided if he did listen. That aside I think he is a really fun character that brings life to the show.

DISLIKE: A ZHAI IS SUCH. AN. IDIOT! Seriously, I love him, but he is so stubborn, self-centered and in some moments pretty mean. Adam really didn't deserve the way A Zhai treated him in some episodes. Especially since Adam is the one who keeps saving and protecting A Zhai when things turn sour. Which is A LOT of times.

2 FRIENDSHIP

A Zhai and his best friend cracked me up everytime they were together. I loved it when they were scheming and going on missions together. You would think that two heads/two brains would be able to think of at least a simple, good working plan, but I guess that's not the case with A Zhai and Wang Fu Gui. They are also really bad at lying. It's funny to watch. Their friendship is really cute.

3 THE CINEMATOGRAPHY

The camera work is done very well. The set also looks great! The whole show gives you a comic kinda feel with all the sound/visual effects they've put in it. All this put together makes the show aesthetically pleasing.

4 STORYLINE

LIKE: The story is surprising and unique. There are a lot of turns and twists that make you want to see the next episode as fast as possible. The pace of the storyline is just right. Not too slow, not too fast. I also like how they sometimes break the 4th wall by talking to us (the audience) directly.

DISLIKE: One aspect of the storyline that gets dragged out too much is A Zhai's obsession with Eve. FOR REAL, MAN It just keeps going on and on and on and on and on. I rolled with my eyes a lot.

5 A ZHAI AND ADAM

I can conclude from the comments of some other people that they mainly started to watch the show because of these two. I wouldn't recommend watching it just for them. Except for a few cute scenes, there isn't much action. I can't even say ''just watch it for their friendship' because as I said earlier: A Zhai is pretty mean to Adam. Unless there are more scenes coming in season 2 that will build on their relationship. 80% of this show is A Zhai chasing after Eve.

CONCLUSION:
It's a really cute show and you should definitely watch it for the cool actors, the humor and fun scenes.

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First let me say, I love Rom-Com and historical parodies... For example: I absolutely adore My Sassy Girl (2017), as the story unfolds you can see the reasoning behind the leads crazy behavior, you also see her grow and mature as she develops a relationship with the lead male... The chemistry they have continues to build as each challenge causes to grow closer. I wish I could say I feel the same about My Only Love Song......I was hopeful with Netflix backing this drama but it lacks true substance, poorly constructed and terribly executed ...I couldn't connect with the lead actress Seung Yeon, no matter how much I wanted to feel for her. I love her in The Circle ..but not here. I don't think it is her fault as much as it could be the script writers or the directors, the chemistry of the actors.... When a drama is well done you can have compassion for the leads even when it's a ROM-COM-Historical parody, you find yourself wanting to see yourself along side them, fighting for them to finish well.
Unfortunately, after watching My Only Love Song I can only give it a 5 out 10 rating... There are so many better dramas to invest time in... this is not one I will be watching again.

Since I have not seen this mentioned....Side note for parents: This drama is rated for a Mature-14 audience , which is not surprising since most Kdramas are rated for ages 15 and up in Korea. Unlike most k-dramas I have watched in the past.... F@^k and other colorful words are a repeatedly part of the dialog... If you are watching this when younger children who can "read" and they are in the room with you just be aware.

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