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But if you're watching this for the story, the development of the characters, and for the medical story itself, you would be fine watching this.
Some may find this drama boring, maybe I am just used to watching Japanese drama that I am certainly not really expecting too many romantic moments, plus this is a supposedly slice-of-life / medical drama, so I can say I enjoy it as much...
I like Kimura's character here as Dr. Okita. He went from an ordinary doctor of Danjo Hospital, and went abroad to further his skills and went back for a mission to operate the director of Danjo. I like how he always look so relax for a doctor.
One of my favorites characters is Dr. Igawa, he is so bubbly and adorable. The way sometimes he deals with situations like he is totally clueless or can't read the atmosphere, but when a situation needs to be more serious or requires a sensitive moment especially when calling out for Okita's behavior, he gives him a scolding.
I used to work in a hospital, but not on the Medical Department, but somehow watching this drama makes me want to be one. I can't guarantee accuracy of the terms and medical procedures here, but it feels great and amazes me watching it.
Also I love how the friendship of Okita & Masao showed in the end. They may have some rivalry in the romance side, but their friendship and the way they cared for Mifuyu prevailed in the end.
The only thing I wished for this drama is that I hope there more episodes, or at least a side-story for the other characters.
For rewatch value, I might pick it up again sometime.
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I love the ost and the theme song was really good..the voice!... the lyrics that caught me were "..even if love is a dream, we won't mention the sadness of parting.." I just..idk..there's no word to explain!
I have to say that Love is the most powerful feeling in the world and the main characters have perfectly portrayed that feelings.
I personally enjoy all of the hero saving the mistress scene ;D (you know, kekeke)
They show the meaning of true love and that you don't have to believe in true love, you can just believe in the person. Trust is the key to long lasting love.
The ending will definitely make you cry so don't say I didn't warn you
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And I have to say - it was beautiful.
No Japanese goofyness, no exaggerated clichés that are played out. Just a story about friendship, love, emotions, suffering and happiness.
Sure, it is not a 100% real-life depiction, and of course the timidness of the main female character is difficult to understand for us Westerners, but this doesn't hinder us to feel the amazing sincere vibe that is portrayed here.
This really does not require any more elaborated words or descriptions - it is a movie that is an enrichment. Just go and watch it and feel the warmth of it in your heart.
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This drama DDay is one of " D"best I have ever seen! Their acting is indeed impressive especially Kim Young Kwang! The Doctor role suit him so well!!! Such a great actor !! he's indeed my favourite. Oh gosh Dr Lee I fell in love with you instantly!
I like the concept of this Drama because its something different, yet they pulled this off and created a phenomenal one!
I get excited to watch each episode. Thrilling, moving, you get different emotions just watching it. I didnt mind bawled my eyes out every night watching it and come to work the next morning with puffy eyes just because I got carried away and cried too much from most of the scenes. Seriously! Thats how great actors and actresses they are!!! Maybe thats why I like it so much! Because the drama itself allowed me to be part of it somehow. Its absolutely moving!
There are so much to see in this drama. Its worth watching. Thumbs up!
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Story:
This was a story of love, its inherent sacrifice, and a story of forgiveness. It was a story of friendship through the ages and family. I couldn’t watch it without relating to the story in some way. It was impossible.
Every character was written in a way that engaged my understanding and sympathy but tested me in all the right ways, as real people always do. For example, Kim Suk Kyoon, a crusty and cantankerous security guard that often took his wife for granted, was a product of a generation with bread-winning men that made all the important decisions and women who did most everything else. Would it be right for him to take all the blame for everything he did if he was raised a certain way? He tested me (a lot) and my modern views on women, but his character evolved with the story as it should. Just like every single one of the others, he made mistakes, he regretted, and he emerged at the end, embracing the truths of his life in a realistic way. Unlike some dramas, the characters in Dear My Friends didn't lose their personalities by the end of their journeys. They all had the same frustrating, lovable quirks that made them unique while they simultaneously accepted their true selves. That's good writing.
Dear My Friends handled tough subjects with a perfect combination of pragmatism and empathy while also blending in humor and heart. I very (very) rarely enjoy korean drama humor, but this was an exception. The writer wove in the usual drama tropes but simultaneously brought in atypical characters and situations to freshen them up or poke fun at them. For those of you curious about romance, there were several couples written into the story, young and old, and each of them had their own set of issues that fed into the main themes of the story.
The only gripe I had (if it could even be called that) was the lack of flashbacks, and I am still shocked that I felt that way. I HATE flashbacks because of how often they slow the pace of a story, but I wanted to get a better grasp of who the characters were before. It didn’t have to be every episode - just a little more for perspective and all that. But, to be honest, this is personal preference. The story didn’t HAVE to have them.
Acting/Cast:
Absolutely no complaints. These actors embodied their roles to the point that they imprinted themselves on my heart, flaws and all. I will forever remember their roles as if the characters were real people that I met at my local convenience store (in my dreams, where I live in South Korea, of course). That's the beauty of slice-of-life stories.
There wasn’t a standout performance, and I mean that in the best sense. Each actor supported the rest of the cast, and the audience got to reap the benefits of experiencing seasoned actors. I love a good newbie actor that wows me with unexpected talent, but sometimes I want to trust that I'm in good hands. And I was.
Music:
I will remember the intro music the most, and I might recall one or two songs from the drama. The OST won’t be something that I’ll obsessively listen to for months to come, though. Perhaps one day I will look back on the drama and get nostalgia goosebumps when I hear the theme song again, but it won’t be more than that.
Rewatch Value:
This is a good example of a lower rewatch value that proves the strength of the drama, rather than any weakness. I don’t need to obsessively rewatch this. Once again in a few years may do the trick, but the heartwarming rawness of the story will stay imprinted on my brain for a long time.
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Story: Medical dramas can be hard to do well and when you have a star studded cast, you best take advantage...and I did not think A Life did that. Character development was really lacking and I found myself frustrated many times. I'm sorry, but Takeuchi Yuko deserved a better character than what they did with Danjo Mifuyu. I also really wanted more for Hamura--he felt like a useless character to me. And boy did I think Masao was poorly done (though acting by Asano was superb). Okita was really the best balance as we got some backstory with him but even still, we could've seen more with him--I did not like the whole super surgeon vibe we got, but I understand that it was necessary. Despite all of this, the series was entertaining. Okita and Shibata together were great and I enjoyed Igawa as well. The drama focused too heavily on the politics and then dragged out the ending. To me, the story could have been executed way better.
Acting/Cast: I give the acting high marks though I found the supporting surgeons annoying af even though I knew they were just there to provide exaggerated comedy relief. I actually think Asano was the best actor out of everybody here at times, but his character made me hate him still. We don't even need to talk about Kimutaku. He killed it as usual with the wordless expressive acting--I just wished they gave the other characters the same depth. Don't know if it was just me, but I felt like Mifuyu and Rina's scenes weren't as heartwarming and gushing as they could have been, but I do not want to be too critical about the child actress. I get why Nanao had to be the way she was as Sakakibara, but man she seemed forced. So there were some positives and negatives with the cast.
Music: I did not notice it too much, so it gets a passing grade from me.
Rewatch Value: I'm not sure about this, but I don't think I would instantly pick this up again to rewatch, so it's meh for me. There may be some episodes worth rewatching, but I wouldn't say the entire series.
Overall, I thought this series had a lot of potential that was not lived up to, but it was still an enjoyable drama and honestly better than some of the others I've seen where I could not even get through the entire series.
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The serial shows two people, who couldn't be more different from each other fall in love and experience all the complications that come with an unexpected romance.
Jang Mi is a full of life woman whose empathy is her fatal flaw. She's considerate to a fault and her idealistic approach to everything combined with a tendency to always speak her mind, often gets her into a mess. Gi Tae is a huge cynic when it comes to commitment. He's rude, practical and prefers solitude. Due to unfavorable circumstances both of these find themselves bound to each other under the facade of marriage and from then on, utter hilarity ensues.
The love story between the characters is a very authentic and real slow-burn. They grow independently as individuals and then together as a couple. They have doubts, fights, laughs and ultimately, a deep understanding that comes with being aware and accepting of each other's flaws.
The drama showcases how the decisions made my the children are always heavily influenced by those made my the parents. It highlights what it means to be a family and above all it gives a message; that even when things could take a turn for the worse, it's okay to take chances in life.
With a sweet and bubbly OST, adorable laugh-out-loud moments, delicious food and a lovable cast, 'Marriage, Not Dating' is truly one of the best feel-good romantic comedies out there.
Enjoy!
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The main couple had good romance up until they got official. Afterwards their relationship became stale until the conclusion. Side romances were amazing, alternate ships was tantalising. So overall the romance isn't bad. The drama was marketed as bromance, but there wasn't as much interaction between the Hwarangs as there could've been. What bromance there was though, was really good.
The story is 60% political drama. The power struggle between the different factions was compelling and easy to follow. The tension really ramps up towards the end, the ending was delightfully unpredictable. The changing loyalities of the characters is definitely one of the best parts of the drama. The middle part of the drama is the weakest, since it's a slow buildup and interesting scenes are scarce.
If a scene feels like it's irrelevant, it probably is, skip it.
The casting was spot on. Park Hyung Shik was amazing as the King. Go Ah Ra as Ah Ro the female lead had great comedy scenes. Park Seo Joon (male lead) was a bit stale/predictable with his cheesy romance lines, but fit his character to a T.
But the TRUE shows stealers are the supporting cast - boy are they amazing. Do Jin Han (Ban Ryu) and Choi Min Ho (Soo Ho) were particularly outstanding. Ban Ryu and Soo Yeon were the true OTP. Soo Ho is a character I never got tired of watching. Don't even get me started on Kim Tae Hyung (Hang Sung) or Sung Dong Il (Chief instructor) or Kim Chang Wan (main villain).
Long story short: THIS IS WORTH WATCHING JUST FOR THE SUPPORTING CAST AND THE SUBPLOTS.
The OST was pretty good. The editing and mixing wasn't the best, but I would totally download a couple of the songs. The camera work was best during tense scenes, but pretty average at other times.
I approve of the ending. It felt too short and there were too many unanswered questions. But it got the job done.
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I always liked the pairing of a tsundere boy and a cheerful girl, which is a total classic among dramas and amines, and in this show, i thought that it was exceptionally well made and balanced.
It's actually quite rare for me to not get annoyed by this kind of storyline after a while (even though i like the concept) , but with this drama , i was completely hooked up until the end.
The plot is not the most thrilling one and is pretty mainstream, but what gave this amazingly sweet feeling to the show was, at least for me , the acting.
Yamazaki Kento, in additon to be really hot (^_^) , really fitted the character and made it a perfect tsundere (an actor to watch out for in my opinion) ; meanwhile Kiritani Mirei managed to keep her character of cheerful and determined girl (who can actually get very annoying after a few episodes) interesting and entertaining. Miura Shohei is already a well know japanese actor and even though i don't think it was his best role, he still did pretty good.
To conclude, i would say that this drama was really addictive to me mainly thanks to the sweet and heartwarming romance that the actors managed to keep refreshing despite an ordinary storyline , so i totally recommend it !!
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Love the flow of the series and the storyline is well structured. As the story progress, viewers will able to form stronger bond with each of the main characters. I like the way of how each of the character was slowly mould. However, the series storyline can be improved if there is more episodes as it seem there are so many characters to develop. Even for few of the supporting roles, I would love to see further stories of them or as leading characters, e.g. Q, Om & Tee.
Wishing that there will be a new season 2 for this series. Highly recommended!
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