Reviews

“What the actual fuck?!”

I apologise for my language but this is the best and most brief way to describe this completely cray cray drama. Ms. Perfect was definitely bizarre, a bit weird and thoroughly eccentric but left a memorable aftertaste exactly because of all these traits.

Story
Ms. Perfect is one of those hidden gem dramas that should be protected exactly because they can be perceived differently depending on the viewer. On a surface level, Ms Perfect can be described as “the story of a sasaeng fan”. Is that a lie? No it is not, it is actually unexpectedly accurate. However taking a critical look at this and analyzing it from different perspectives, it is arguable that Ms. Perfect is not only deep but actually surprisingly original and profound.

So, what exactly did this drama do so well to make me this passionate about it?

Firstly, It put together several weird, borderline nonsensical characters, gave them obvious roles (the villain, the hero, the victim ect) and forced them to act accordingly but not quite. I think I speak on behalf of every viewer when I say that we were all frustrated by every character’s frustrating decision and way of acting. Having said that, if you take a closer look at the character, it is dead obvious how non-archetype they actually are. There are several layers to all of them, and what I actually loved? It depends on the viewers’ perspective to choose who you want to root for, who is your hero and who is your villain.

Secondly, this is officially the only drama where the 2nd female lead not only was freaking amazing, but WAS the actual drama itself. 2nd female leads… we hate them, don’t we? At this point after so many dramas, we feel intrinsically inclined to dislike them on sight. Yet, here not only do we have a memorable 2nd female lead but one that is so compelling you can’t help but love. The whole drama was built around her and I have never been happier about it! 2nd female leads rule and this drama proved it! My salute to the actress for making this drama work. This drama was a huge celebration to 2nd leads (male and female) and i loved it for it!

Finally, it is arguable to say that the drama is more adjacent to makjang rather than other genres. Don’t expect any heavy crazy shit happening but the drama did manage for at least 15 episodes to make me say “what the hell” at least twice every episode. Continuous plot twists and questions that hover around. The type that hook you on and you cannot stop no matter how ridiculous this shit is. Ms. Perfect was certifiably addicting either you enjoyed it or not.

If I could put the drama under a genre, I would say it is a mystery/comedy (bizarre combination I know). Comedy is reduced to side story character after a while while mystery is strong almost till the end. Despite the quite heavy concept of the situations presented I can’t say the drama ever became melodramatic or depressing or overly serious. Romance is present in the drama but doesn’t happen until the 2nd half and it does not occupy a huge part of the drama. Having said that and since I am not a romance lover, I thoroughly enjoyed the romance here. It was not forced, it was not cheesy, it came naturally and was fulfilling.

All in all the drama for me was unpredictable, with great character writing and well thought-out. It never dragged or had a boring moment.

Acting
I read some negative comments about the acting. Well… I can understand that, but we’ve seen worse haven’t we?

Go So Young was just right and I can tell she really enjoyed her questionable character and drama overall. I wouldn’t say her performance was memorable but I did not face any problems with her
.
I am not Sung Joon’s biggest fan but he’s a good actor. He made a complete 180 here on me.
Yoon Sang Hyun was also satisfying but not memorable.

And after all these peasants let’s talk about the queen of the drama. Jo Yeo Jung. KWEEN! I have deep respect for her. She is not the best actress, definitely, but she knows how to pick a project. I appreciate her because she always goes for questionable dramas and bizarre challenging characters! I don’t think the drama would have worked without her portraying this character! I know if she is in a drama, it’s gonna be a good one! Cheers, you are amazing gurl!

Recommend
All that being said, this drama is not one for everyone. The oddity, the makjang, the frustrating and quite unlikeable characters all have their downside. I would recommend this drama to viewers who enjoy peculiar dramas, want to watch something different and are open-minded. I thoroughly enjoyed it but I can very well see why one wouldn’t.

Characters
The official review is over and spoilers may be included from now on. The drama, even though wasn’t really character-driven (or like one character directed the whole thing) it showed some really layered and multi-faced characters and I want to take some time to reflect on them.

Shin Jae Bok. The seeming victim. I disliked her but I didn’t. I rooted for her to have a happy ending but I can’t argue she really deserved it. Yes some crazy shit happened to her out of the blue and honestly she did nothing to elicit any of it but still… She was the type of woman to bring others down (namely her husband) just for the shake of it. A character that kept looking at herself as a victim (main reason why she’s not one) and was extremely relentless in getting into other people’s business. She could have taken a shortcut and spare herself from all the drama but she just couldn’t do it. A borderline control freak. Having said all that, I can’t deny how strong Jae Bok was, straightforward and direct. Traits I appreciated made her human and relatable but did not make her likeable at least to me.

Koo Sung Hee. The hero (?). Arguably the best written character, why? Because he was rotten to the core, but if you ask him what do you think about yourself? You’ll get such a self-assured answer like he is a war-hero. I was amazed at how selfish he was without realizing it, saying that he “does things” for others either his kids or his wife or his “love”. He said he loved 3 different people in 20 episodes and weirdly, I believe he did all 3 of them, but why is that? Because deep inside it was himself he loved the most. A very incompetent person who tries to always find the easy way out but always with a convenient excuse to look as a hero to himself! Incredible writing for one of the most despicable characters I’ve seen on screen.

Lee Eun Hee. The villain. I am biased, I admit. Bonkers crazy, and she knew it. Batshit crazy, and quite proud. I couldn’t dislike her, not one inch, not at all. Yes she was crazy and her situation could not get any better. If you stand still for a moment and reflect on what she actually did… it is overwhelming, sounds like something no one would do, but simultaneously, quite plausible if you are REALLY determined. To me she was nothing more than a little girl who was never loved. Abused and ignored trying to survive sustain herself and her mental health the best she could, she found settler in one person who gave her the slightest bit of comfort and then she tried to hold on to him. Why? Because he was the first person ever who made her happy. Like clutching at straws, a fleeting moment, her savior. Hence, her constant, relentless efforts to recreate that moment all her life. The one person who made her happy all those years ago, he can do it again. Rather depressing when you actual think of it.

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Interesting well-balanced drama!

The synopsis doesn't do this drama justice. The plot is quite good, and for me seems quite original, just complex enough to not be boring yet still easy to follow. The love story is good and believable.
The drama doesn't take itself seriously though, characters and situations can be slightly exaggerated, just enough to be funny but not enough to be ridiculous, often playing with clichés but in a good way, it's all part of the charm of this drama.

The main couple has an amazing chemistry. The acting is overall very good.

The drama may be a bit disconcerting at first, it took me 4 or 5 episodes to really get into it. But unlike most dramas, the story just gets better and there's no slow or boring moments toward the middle or the end.

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First of all, getting any number of sequels to a BL movie is always special, so I'm grateful for that. Otherwise, this movie was great. It was as light-hearted and cheerful as the first one. The characters develop a lot from the first movie and the new characters add to it. Like the first one, the dramatic element isn't over the top, but the story still keeps your attention well...and if the story doesn't, the eye candy will. There's also a pretty decently executed comedic element to this by way of the mom and the two supporting characters Zee and Pid. Loved "Love Love You" and I'm so glad the nearly two-year wait is over.

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Strong and interesting start to this drama, female lead has many admirable traits. Other characters are wacky and the storyline keeps you guessing for awhile and surprised on every episode ending. Half way through and toward finale episodes I didn't know what to expect, but it's like the writer had no more direction or ideas.  I really liked the concept of the story early on because of strong female lead. But I would definitely not add this one to my rewatch list. I feel like there were still issues that needed to be resolved, for the outlandish situations in the beginning episodes. They could have done something really great with the final episodes but I found the story fell really flat after such an interesting opening plot line.

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I have just finished the last episode and I might say, 10/10 for laughter, chemistry and overall acting. Plot was not spectacular, but it kept me going.
Why did I rate all so high? Well, for once today tv shows too many serious, violent shows on tv. Here, each episode was so funny it made m laugh like there is no tomorrow!
I would love to see the main leads again in another comedy series. Very natural performance and for this kudos to the cast!
I want to see more laughter on Tv and a chemistry such as this 16 episode series has! Bravo to all the cast and producers - for me this drama is definitely underrated!

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Not Great, But Still Very Good

I did enjoy this drama. The cast was flawless! Its not often that a drama's lead and second lead couples are equally strong and with the added bonus of a bromance that was every bit as compelling as the romances. The story is beautiful and well told, yet something about it just misses the mark for me.

I guess I didn't quite understand why the Goblin was being punished so severely. And is it me, but was there A LOT of crying? I felt like I cried A LOT. I don't mind "the feels", but by episode 9 it started to feel almost gratuitous. Goblin had many funny scenes as well. The casting was superb! But was there one episode where at least one character did not cry?

I must mention that the OST is AMAZING and definitely contributed to "the feels". I looked forward to hearing Never Far Away each and every episode. 16 episodes was perfect and Gobllin is definitely worth a watch, but this is not a drama I would rewatch, not even for certain scenes. Solid drama, but it's one and done for me.

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