Reviews

I didn't expect to fall for Healer but I did. Somehow all the components just worked together; the romance, the action, the intrigue, and all the emotions the characters conveyed. Healer is one of the most addicting dramas I've watched in a while, compelling me to watch episode after episode.

I'm new to the actors but they were all fantastic for me. There were no 'weak' actors at all! Ji Chang Wook was just wow. He was mesmerizing, vulnerable, the list goes on. I loved his various personas he put on as a disguise and I especially loved Bong Soo; Chang Wook played him to be so clumsy and lovable. I loved Park Min Young's character, one of my favorite heroines in a while. Shout out to Kim Mi Kyung. She was seriously amazing as the Ahjumma/skilled hacker. People love or hate Ji Tae's character, Moon Ho. Personally, I loved Moon Ho. Ji Tae played Moon Ho to be such a nuanced and faceted character that was neither 'good' nor 'evil'.

Now, the OTP. Wow, just wow. How can so much emotion be demonstrated with just a caress, a brush of the hand, and longing eyes? Somehow, Ji Chang Wook and Park Min Young are able to do that and their chemistry is just sizzling. It's palpable. It's longing. It's just plain hot. I appreciated how Yeoung Shin (ParkMinYoung) was able to stand her own (not the damsel in distress) and how she helped Jung Hoo (JiChangWook) come out from behind his mask that was Healer.

The storyline was so intricate but the web of stories blended well together. Romance didn't detract from the action, and vice versa. I enjoyed seeing how dark/dirty politics were, and the writer wrote that well, balancing it with the romance and the revenge plot. There were some episodes that were so elaborately well done that it was only near the last few minutes that everything just suddenly clicked together and made sense. Huge props to the writer of Healer-amazing!

When I finished the last episode, I was like : !!!!!!. I felt that buzz you feel after finishing marathoning an amazing drama. However, as I began to re-watch some episodes immediately after my first run through, there were flaws that even my Healer-induced craze couldn't overlook. Honestly? The last 2-3 episodes weren't great-or at least not on the caliber of the first 17 episodes. Everything felt rushed and though the ending was good, it felt glossed over. The multiple storylines that the drama had handled with finesse thus far, couldn't be tied up in the end. Some were rashly tied up, others were untied; it just wasn't as satisfactory as I had hoped it would go. Additionally, Healer lost some of his touch near the end; there weren't as many action scenes and Yeoung Shin barely appeared... That said, don't let that deter you from watching Healer because the critiques I made are minimal compared to the overall beauty that was Healer. I had to mention them though because they did distract me from completely loving this drama since I was absorbed and in love with the first 15 episodes or so. So admittedly, I felt a bit deflated after the end.

Music was lovely! There were lots of beautiful instrumentals that captured the emotions of scenes. I especially loved I Will Protect You by Ji Chang Wook himself. He has a nice voice!

I already re-watched my favorite scenes too many times. I think the second time around, though, I might fast-forward some of the political stuff though because it's no longer suspenseful since I would know what happens, and what the secrets are.

I could honestly go on and on about this drama but to sum it up...
Seriously watch it if...
-you want to see a beautiful, supportive romance that is full of trust and heart stopping romantic scenes.
-you like seeing power struggles (dirty politics)/revenge
-eye candy! (ahem Ji Chang Wook)
-no vindictive second leads
-lots of action, kind of like Mission Impossible and Ji Chang Wook is Tom Cruise in terms of the Healer going on missions.
-references to Superman and his kryptonite-and comparing that to Healer, I thought it was it was an interesting comparison.

Be prepared to be in withdrawal after the final episode. I know I still am.

If you don't fulfill any of the above, watch it anyways because that's how good Healer is. Or just watch it for Ji Chang Wook because that's a valid reason anyways! (9.75/9)

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After watching Reply 1997 I was eventually lured towards 1994. It was an attraction that was bound to happen one day and I'm glad that the same nostalgic, slice-of-life feel continues on in this series too. But Reply 1994 isn't without it's flaws. (tldr: check out the last sentence!)


CONS:
- More than just a few of my favourite moments had a tendency to be suddenly cut short. I can't really call them cliffhangers since they reached their peaks but I was left longing for more on more than one occasion only to be fed something else completely different.

- It can drag. Somewhere along the line the length of the episodes bumped right up to an hour and a half. That's a lot when there's 21 episodes and sadly you could really feel them pumping in the filler in the end half of the very last episode. Sometimes they seem to struggle to find the balance between showing me stuff I want to see at that moment, and stuff which I sadly don't really...care about a great deal.

- Circles. I can confidently say that at least once the main love triangle almost completely reset back to square one. While this gave me a fresh sense of hope and excitement it eventually lost its lustre. Every now and then it even got painful.

- The music. This is completely personal. I'm sure quite a lot of you will be watching this to get a feeling of nostalgia but the music isn't to my taste.


PROS:
- I loved all the characters. Though my memory of Reply 1997 is hazy in places I know that I liked a larger amount of characters in 1994 than in 1997. They were what kept me going and they took me through all kinds of feels while they were at it, making you feel really connected to them all. (Sung Na Jung felt a bit too much like Sung Shi Won to become one of those favourites though. I wanted someone a bit different this time around.)

- Nostalgia: if I can call it that having been born in 1994 myself! It was both amusing and educational to watch this series because of its setting.

- Atmosphere. Like 1997, 1994 carries on that lovely, diary-esque feeling that I loved. These all feel like real people living out real lives, and for all its flaws the plot can and does make sense: sometimes that really is just how life is! They have your average conversations and life-changing events, time passes, people drift and sometimes return etc.

- Your patience is rewarded. You know those almost-cliffhanger moments I mentioned in the cons? Yep, I believe ALL of them are eventually continued but you'll likely be waiting until the very last moment of the series to get your fill.

- Fan-service. Kind of. (But not the ab-kind! Though there is some of that early on heheh.) Some characters from 1997 crossover at certain points!

- I personally preferred the college/uni setting to that of a high school, but that's probably just my age showing!



Overall I enjoyed Reply 1994 but am admittedly annoyed as it could've been so much better. Just like 1997 its ending has issues which had me counting down the last minutes with impatient frustration. But the characters are fabulous. And for all its flaws it's still a very memorable drama, which says a lot when there's so many out there.

Better than average with a unique feel, at times you'll get annoyed and tired of it but you'll find yourself coming back anyway: that's 1994 for me.

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Finally I've seen not cute and shy Ueno Juri, but the opposite one. Her character here shows a lot of her devil side who sees nothing but revenge. Sometimes her cold-hearted decisions and eyes made my hair move.

I like the Alice in Wonderland story theme used as kinda hunter guide tool. Such an artistic idea, feels like a thrilling ribbon going through the drama.

I'm glad here is no a lot of medical issues. Medical scenes take may be only 20-30% of drama time.
Most time there is something else like conversations or other actions outside of the hospital.

I'm glad that this drama has no actual romance.

For me, this drama misses some deepness and realism. Mizuno Asumi doesn't look capable enough for such severe actions she does. So it's not totally unrealistic, but quite so..It is more like fiction than real life:
There are too much of twists in characres and plot. Also I'm confused and irritated with how at first some disguisting villains are suddenly later shown to have their sensitive, innocent and kind side. And opposite - at first innocent and kind ones turned to actually be villains... The villians are aslo the kind of too obvious and too nonsense villains who barely exist in real life, with lack of intrigue.
I think this drama is raw and need alot of improvements. I felt also here are too many flashbacks.

Nevertheless this drama is catchy. Twists are still dynamic and interesting. Scenes are beautiful. I never watch something just because I started to and have to finish at any cost. I always drop when I'm not interested or put on hold when I it's not bad but not captivating enough. This drama was one of that I didn't wan't to drop neither to postpond.

Soundtracks here suit this drama very well.

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This is not a perfect story but if you wamt an enjoyable romantic drama…look no further. This is my first Taiwanese drama for over 5years and I love being swept back to memories of teenage years bundled up with a romance novel. That's what it felt like watching it. Theres lots of sweet moments exchanging glances, starring into each other's eyes and skinship. While there's looop holes in the plotlines and really the first 12episodes were better overall i watch it for the believable romance. Great chemistry. Don't have two high expectations and just let the romantic parts sweep you off your feet.

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[CHECK THE SONGS LIST OF THIS DRAMA BELOW THIS REVIEW]

Finally something decent (even more) for our hungry brain after Crows Zero era.
HIGH & LOW: The STORY OF S.W.O.R.D is a comprehensive entertainment project by EXILE TRIBE that encompasses various forms of content media. Aside from the members of EXILE TRIBE, there are a lot of high quality cast for this drama, not only actor & actress but also other musician & models. So visually, you will be pampered with a lot of candy eyes with great acting too.
As written in the synopsis, it’s all about fighting between organization in a certain town. But the core story in this first season is about friendship and brotherhood, and more like a prologue to introduce each organization and the story base. Later, there will be HIGH&LOW Season 2 and HIGH&LOW The Movie. Let me summarize all the organization first:

=Organizations Before SWORD=
1) MUGEN
In this story, MUGEN was told start from the second generation, led by Kohaku. Other main members: Tsukumo, Cobra & Yamato. The strongest organization.

2) AMAMIYA BROTHERS
Only consist two members, Amamiya Masaki (Kyaaa Takahirooo! *oops please excuse my fangirling) & Amamiya Hiroto. They’re fighting against Mugen.

3) HYUGA GROUP
Hyuga Group is a part of GURYU GROUP (I think Guryu Group is kind of strong group but in outside of Mugen’s domain) & they’re not that popular. Hyuga Group fought against Mugen in order to make their names well known, but Hyuga Group lost and abandoned by Guryu Group.

=S.W.O.R.D=
1) SANOOH ASSOCIATION
Or Hoodlum Squad, led by Cobra (ex Mugen). Other members are Yamato (ex Mugen), Noboru, Dan, Tetsu and Chiharu. Cobra, Yamato & Noboru are childhood friends. Sanooh doesn’t have specialty or aiming any particular thing, the association just made naturally by the members who are good in fighting.

2) WHITE RASCAL
Their specialty is always white (as white as their name XD). Led by Rocky, his main subordinates are Golden Bomber* members (Bito, Aizawa, Shimura & Enari). Despite being famous with their madness, White Rascal also known for always protecting woman who have been hurt by men.
*) A visual kei rock band

3) OYA KOUKOU
School of Yankees!. The leader or they rather call it as Class Rep (lol) is Murayama Yoshiki. Just as other typical Yankee school, the one who rule the school is the strongest one. Murayama Yoshiki played by Yamada Yuki, he can pull his yankee expression but his height sometimes a little bit distracted me. He looks much shorter & smaller than his friends, in contrary he is the the strongest and unbeatable.

4) RUDE BOYS
They dominate and protect a Nameless Street, a town where people who abandoned by their parents lives, hidden and dirty. Led by Rocky played by Kubota Masataka (Kyaaa *oops once again please excuse my fangirling ;-). They declare themselves as a family who protect each other. Their specialty is parkour, this is that makes their fighting skill more artsy. This drama use a lot of camera angle, epic setting and a lot of ikemen with abs XD. Visually, I like this team, maybe because the members are actually athlete and model, whenever they walk together and make a way, it looks like they’re walking in runaway even with rag-like fashion that they wore, they can pull it off nicely. Kubota Masataka looks so charismatic with messy hair, too bad he has a weakness,what is that weakness? Well you better watch and check it by yourself :p.

5) DARUMA IKKA
Led by Hyuga Norihisa, forth son of Hyuga (played by Hayashi Kento). Alongside with Totetsu Brothers (Toutetsu Ukyo & Toutetsu Sakyo, both were kicked out from Mugen in the past) they formed Daruma Ikka to make a way for their revenge towards Guryu Group and the remaining Mugen member. I think this is the most unique organization. As their name, Daruma is their icon with blasting red color. Even when they fight, they’re using Daruma and drums as music accompaniment. Hayashi Kento looks deep but madly and vengeful here, for me it’s such a rare to see him in that kind of character, so it’s cool!.

=Organization Outside SWORD=
1) IEMURA GROUP
Iemura Group is one of the Guryu Group, the main leader is Iemura Tatsumi. With other 8 leads member, they’re called themselves as Nine Dragons. This organization is more like executive people who dominate a lot of field, including black market and greedy, so they own a lot of money. Basically they’re a bunch of rich uncles with suit and necktie.

2) MIGHTY WARRIORS
Led by Ice. This organization hasn’t been told a lot in this season, their main movement will be told in season 2 later. So, more Exile Tribe member are coming, yaaaay!.

2) STRAWBERRY MILK
The one and only girl gang. 4 members, Junko as the leader (she's so cute and funny), Asuko and Twin Towers (member of E-Girls). I love these girl, they're so funny!

There are so much red line right? All SWORD organization make their own world, never touch each other in order to keep peace in the town. The main story is started in Sanooh, Sanooh is the center of the whole story that connects all of the organization. The conflict appeared between childhood friends (Cobra, Yamato and Noburu). Noburu who just released from prison, but rather than go back to Sanooh he joined to Iemura Group. Feel betrayed, Yamato tried to persuaded Noboru to go back to Sanooh. Because he knows that Iemura Group is greedy and merciless. Noboru is trusted by Iemura to take over SWORD authority, but each SWORD organization refuse. This situation raised misunderstanding and betrayal between them. In other story, Chiharu (before he joined to Sanooh), who is actually a student in Oya Koukou, beaten up by his fellows but then he was accidentally helped by Yamato. Chiharu pled to join Sanooh, but this makes a conflict between Oya Koukou with Sanooh.
With 23 minutes average duration, you can enjoy fighting scene around 50% of its duration with great music accompaniment. HIGH&LOW also contains some sentimental, sad and funny part.

The editing, I’m so sensitive when it’s come to this point whenever I watch movie/drama. HIGH&LOW succeed this series with dramatic color correction, point of view and angle for each organization differently which is emphasize each organization’s character.

The fashion, since there are big companies who backing up the casts, they give all out in fashion too. Each organization has their own fashion style. No matter how you look at them, it does look pricey and detail from head to toe. They use a lot of expensive motorcycle and cars. One more thing, all the cast are looks neat and clean, this is one of the reason that I enjoy this drama. Or maybe they‘re just handsome and charismatic :D.

And now about the music. The music itself plays as the biggest part here, it makes this drama looks more appealing and nice. In fact, EXILE TRIBE’s album is also part of this HIGH&LOW project. There is not much I can review here because it so cool and perfectly matched with the drama. It’s EXILE TRIBE you know, what do you expect is what will you get. Each organization has their own special music background. The combination between music, fashion, editing, camera view and the cast themselves makes this drama looks like a MV. I love to re-watch this drama especially in some part like when a certain organization present themselves with powerful soundtrack, or just enjoying the each actors acting, their close up face, their cool movements even their poses. Sometimes I feel like are they doing photo shoot or what??. Seriously, their visual is on high quality level despite this is about delinquent story.

And here the list of the songs that included in this drama, it could be more than this but these are so far that I know:

J SOUL BROTHER - MUGEN ROAD
PKCZ feat EXILE SHOKICHI - WHITEOUT
GENERATIONS from EXILE TRIBE - RUN THIS TOWN
DJ DARUMA from PKCZ [VOICE OF RED feat.GS] - DARUMA FAMILY
THE SECOND from EXILE - ONE TIME ONE LIFE
DOBERMAN INFINITY - DO OR DIE
DOBERMAN INFINITY-JUMP AROUND 8
E-GIRLS - STRAWBERRY SADISTIC
ACE OF SPADES feat HIROOMI TOSAKA- SIN
Ryuji Imaichi - FOREVER YOUNG AT HEART

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How my love-hate relationship for this show went.

I usually watch dramas based on my favorite writers or actors. This show definitely falls on the second category since I am not really a fan of Kim Eun-sook (I watched Heirs because of the abundance of pretty). I am a Song Joong Ki fan ever since his Innocent Man days and I really do anticipate for this show because this is his come back drama after getting discharged. And so, off I go and watch this drama.

The Story
Story-wise, I believe that Descendants did a good job on maximizing all the angles of the setting it was on. There is definitely enough suspense, thrill and action when your hero is a soldier, specifically in a special unit for that matter. I believe that the highlight of the drama was really when they were in Urk. Because that is where the story developed and got deeper. After their return to South Korea, I am always wondering what will happen and that there is not much material left to work on. So the writer need to do THAT by the last week of the drama. I think the last episode is all fan service and nothing much is really happening any more. Well, as compared to the writer's other projects (I only watched Secret Garden and Heirs), I like this better.

The Cast
I can watch this forever because of Joong Ki and I think I need not say much about him. I adore him! I read some reactions saying that it feels that Song Hye Kyo lacks emotions in her acting. In my opinion, Song Hye Kyo did well with her role delivering intense longing, conflicting, and even sometimes funny emotions on her scenes.

But really, the gem for me here is Kim Ji Won and Jin Goo. I actually loved their love line than the main couple. I watched Kim Ji Won in Heirs only and have not watched her since so I am not sure how she did on others but her performance here is really improved compared to that in Heirs. I haven't watched any of Jin Goo's shows but I know that he is in the industry for quite a while now and finally, he gets his recognition. I am really happy that their careers are both enjoying the popularity of this show.

Every one was awesome but then I cringe every now and then when there's a cheesy line. My goodness, I can't believe that they were able to deliver those cheesy lines!

The Soundtrack
I think we all had fair share of Last Song Syndrome because of this show's soundtrack.

Also, I want to acknowledge that the drama really has good editing. I think the fact that it was pre-produced gave the production more time to smooth the flow of the scenes. Somehow I also felt that their location is already so pretty, it required less effort. Ha ha. The scenes really delivered a lot of feels.

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The last drama I've watched was My Love from the Stars. I'm quite picky now coz of schedule and I'm still not over with Song triplets. Anyhow, here's my review.

Jong Ki and Hye Kyo were my faves since I have watched them and this is their first project together so I got curious as to how their chemistry would work. Honestly, it works fine. Not great just fine. Maybe because the story itself is not love story. For me, the story did not focus too much on them as a loveteam which is good coz it gives the audience more attention on the story. Every episode, I am more excited of how the incidents would turn out. Also, there's another love team that has good chemistry as well, and not to mention the bromance of the lead and support. So, this drama basically will excite you because of the story itself. The actors portrayed their character well based on the story. Undeniably, all of them are on top of their game. Both Jong Ki & Hye Kyo's last drama were heavy and its good to see them light up a bit on this. Songs were perfect. Acting were great. Story beautiful and fresh. A bit short on the chemistry of the leads. But nonetheless, its worth watching.

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Well, I have had mixed feelings for this drama. I liked the idea of revenge, and I really wanted to watch it. It started nicely, I really enjoyed the first episodes.
Then, it got kind of boring, and I thought of dropping it. I'm not really a dropper, so I just went on watching. Then it got interesting again, until a certain point, when they had to deal with many company matters, which, in my opinion, weren't really relevant. In the last few episodes, I felt that not much was going on. I think that they should have made it a 16 episodes drama. 16 episodes would have been enough. Even if it had 20 episodes, the ending felt very rushed, and many things were left unclear.
The acting was amazing. Song Joong Ki did an amazing job! In the beginning I thought that he was not that great, but plain. And then, I got kind of annoyed with his character, because I never knew what he was up to. So, his acting was amazing, he really got in the skin of Ma Roo, who is able to do anything to get what he wants, no matter what that means. Beautiful acting!
Moon Chae Won was also very good, I really enjoyed watching her, and how she changed throughout the story. Park She Yeon was great, even if I hated her character, somehow, at certain parts, I got to feel pity for her. Every actor with his character got into my heart. Lee Kwang Soo was amazing, I really liked his character, and I also read that he is best friends with Song Joong Ki in real life.
I enjoyed the music, it was nice.
Rewatch value? Hmm, I don't think I would rewatch this drama soon, because at some points it got me really bored, and I really struggled to finish it at the points.
Overall, it was a nice drama, with a potential. Beautifully done, I really emphasized with the characters and what they felt. I gave it an 8

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This drama was very disappointing in that the wife caused her own heartache in their marriage. She took on more with his family even when her husband didn't want her too. She also made her family think she was being taken advantage of when she was the one who fought her husband to take on the role of caregiver, ignoring the advice of her husband. When she became overwhelmed, she looked to another man who she was kissing 3 days after meeting him. I didn't like this drama because the writer never truly developed the characters. I was left with the feeling that the wife still wasn't happy with her husband in the end. I also had the impression that mentally, she and the man she had an affair with were mentally challenged.

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This drama started out interesting. You have the evil people doing bad and you can't wait for their payback. However, it never happens. The drama then goes off into the twilight zone for several episodes and the lead female is just to ridiculously nice and forgiving that it leaves you speechless. I decided after ep 90 to stop watching. Update, I tried to pick the drama back up at 110 eps and it's even worse. I would advise anyone to save your time the frustration. The writer just wrote a bunch of foolishness. I absolutely hated the lead female because she's just plain stupid to the very end and the actress playing her couldn't act worth a flip. The mother (ML) is just plain evil and selfish to the very end. STUPID.

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READ THIS IF YOU WANT A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE OF THIS DRAMA

I hope some take a moment to read this. I am not the best writer. I haven't wrote a lot of reviews yet, but this one forced my hand. I hope it isn't a waste of your time. Also, I hope you give my perspective some consideration. This is a gem.

I have thought many times how I should start this review. However, I do not think I will be emphatic enough of how this Kdrama affected me no matter how much I try.
Oh well here we go...

Playful Kiss was pure, heartfelt joy for me. I am likely going to come at this in a somewhat unique angle. I have to immediately share that I have read much of the hate or criticisms of this drama...mostly about Oh Ha Ni's 'pathetic' puppy dog love and her incessant pursuit of Baek Seung Jo. Which I will deal with later...but a HUGE 'PFFT' – whatever. I see how it made her look dependent, stalker, etc. They even took exception with the mother encouraging this. It makes me wonder what they were watching, but I have my opinion and as I said, I will cover that later. I DO NOT really want to make this negative. This drama is purely about the positive.

A short preamble of sorts. I am relatively new to Kdrama's. I have around 20 under my belt as of writing this review. I think I have a fairly well rounded resume, you can peruse my list if you like, but I have never watched one like 'Playful Kiss'...apparently. Why 'apparently'? It left many of the sinister tropes behind. The overbearing parent, the evil in-law, the person at school or work or wherever that serves as the antagonist. The heal. The 'hated' one or several in some dramas. This was completely devoid of that!!!!!!! It blew me away. It was pure love, warmth, and heart. I do not believe I have watched ANYTHING like this in my life! I am American and our purity on TV left decades ago. The closest we get is shlock filled, syrupy, inane dramas on like ABC Family that are as deep as a puddle and as interesting as insurance forms. This drama had spunk and had loads of REAL laughs. Yes, mostly at the expense of Oh Ha Ni, but in the sweetest way imaginable.

I wrote in the forum part for this drama about how it completely compared to 'Bridget Jone's Diary'. I said, how 'Bridget Jone's Diary' would be an adult, 'R' rated version, while this would be the high school, family equivalent. Both had a hapless, hopeless romantic lead protagonist that went to great lengths and often made fools of themselves over a man. 'Bridget Jone's Diary' was a critical darling and 'Playful Kiss' has a descent rating on mydramalist, but way too many high brow people looking down their noses at Oh Ha Ni because she was too vulnerable and too often let a man define her...yada, yada, yada! First question I have, um, Bong Joon Gu was EVERY bit as clingy to Oh Ha Ni. He even continued after she was married. He told her that if Seung Jo is now her house, he would be her 'insurance'. Yes, the writers or director brought in Chris to turn Joon Gu's head at the end, but he was still clinging to Ha Ni. No one mentions him as exhibiting the same behavior. It was her character only. That to me is sexist. Once again you bring undue attention to the female doing something when a male was largely guilty of the same thing. She was every bit his 'knight in shining armour' and Joon Gu said so much! Ha Ni went through growth over the arch of the series just as Bridget did. She at the end was confident that Seung Jo was every bit taken with her as she was of him. She had matured and was working hard.

I have a theory as to why there are so many pointing out Ha Ni's supposed 'pathetic-ness'. At least from an American perspective, and likely a European perspective, is cynicism. We have gotten so 'empowered' that any show of selling oneself out for another is a show of weakness. I think a lot more relationships and marriages would go a lot further if BOTH individuals were to give up themselves completely for the other. It isn't PC, especially for a woman, to want to give themselves totally to the other. It's often worded 50/50. That's a hedge. Someone may cry semantics, but each giving 100% of themselves for the other is the way to be. I think that was reached in the end albeit Seung Jo was much more reserved in exhibiting his devotion, but he did. I do wish they had him coming to her defense more and stronger, but alas, they didn't. The beginning was about her devotion and lampooned it as such. It was admitted many times to being one sided, but her perseverance paid off. I just think that too many judged her unfairly. She did nothing sordid. She didn't do anything deserving reproach, she was just wide-eyed and too full of heart.

I am not sure I articulated my point well enough the above point, but I will move on.

Some complained and some LOVED Kim Hyun Joong. I am betting some of the devotees to Hyun Joong are nearly as starry eyed as Ha Ni because he is handsome. However, he seems to be a one note actor at the moment. I have only seen him in 'Boys Over Flowers' and this. I don't hate him. What the director wants from him, he has down to a science. Hyun Joong's performance was nearly an extension of Yoon Ji Hoo. However, for me, he was not what drove this movie, nor was he what touched my heart so much by this drama. He was merely a pawn. He was Ha Ni's carrot and that is about it. I will say this because of the way he plays his part through out, when his tone does change it hits you! The viewer feels it because most of the series he acts arrogant and is brooding all the time so when he does lower his guard and shows his love for Ha Ni the viewer always feels it. However, once again, the series acknowledges that!! He does. His friends do. His MOTHER does always. Even his little worshiping brother does near the end! They all acknowledge that he has personality issues. So to point it out seems rather silly BECAUSE EVERYONE knows it! LOL! It was his known flaw that would expose other flaws in his seemingly perfect demeanor. Ha Ni wears her flaws on her sleeve. They are there for everyone to see...and every one freely talks about them too.

Here's my heart felt feeling in the end, this drama was nothing but love. It permeated the entire series. It's warmth never wavered. I would love to live in a cocoon such as Ha Ni's. In spite her flaws, she brought warmth to everyone she touched and everyone surrounding her brought the love to her too. Her friends, her father, Seung Jo's parents, Joon Gu, her senior homeroom teacher, even Yoon Ha Rae was won over!! Jung So Min was radiant! She played this part as well as you could hope. The way she stumbled. The way she bit her lip. The way she shrunk when she knew she screwed up. I get teary eyed just thinking how special she was in this role...and the hate for her character -UGH! I DO NOT get it. She was a bit naïve sure, but she was so pure in every action how could you not cheer for her. When Seung Jo's mother, Geum Hee, came to her defense and pointed out the heart she brought to their lives it was awe inspiring.

I would love to flesh out more about each of these examples in her friends, Seung Jo's family, etc, but I will only touch on them a little. It was ALL of them that lead to my captivation with this series. I could only imagine having friends such as Ha Ni's and that includes Joon Gu. Her father was so gentle and worked so hard and gave his all for his daughter. However, for me the ones that filled my heart most was Seung Jo's parents. Yes, at first the mother, Geum Hee, seemed off. She seemed to have a screw loose and was weird, but that, at least for me, faded quickly. Her character was explained deeper. She became second only Ha Ni as my most beloved, but that only seems right since they were meant to be VERY similar, if not mirrors of one another. Their out pouring of support and uncompromising support for Ha Ni and her dad was profound. It brought buckets of tears from me.

Speaking of tears, I sobbed so many times during this series. From tears of joy, to tears of sharing their heartache, but it was always a pure heartache never a malicious heartache. The type that just comes with life. People come and go. We say good bye, and if you have a heart, most good byes are misty eyed. I tell my boys the most painful things in life are good byes.

So to maybe conclude, the cynicism this series has garnered from some is truly baffling. It's charming from start to finish. Having a happy ending with everyone finding love is unrealistic. People are right, life is mired in pain, suffering, hatred, bigotry, gossiping, backstabbing, greed, and so many other morose happenings. And thank God above this series doesn't have them. This is bliss start to finish, with just the mild bumps along the way. I'll tell you what, there are plenty of dramas that explore those ugly parts of life. Once in a while, isn't it nice to experience a story where people are good and helpful to each other. Doesn't that sound glorious? We live atrocity, why then would we want to ONLY champion that and watch series about that? Why wouldn't we want to escape for a while in a gentle, sweet world that largely doesn't exist in the real world, but wouldn't it be nice if it did? I'm 44. I had a marriage of 22 years end with lies, a wife committing adultery, a broken family through divorce etc. I'm tired of all that. It was a breath of fresh air to live in this drama for a little while. I ordered it on DVD and bought the soundtrack. Now I will not just seek out dramas like this. I will still watch and love the dramas with all the usually Kdrama tropes and expect story devices, but when life has me shaking my head, I will lose myself in this series for a moment and realize how people should treat each other.

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