Reviews

I'm a little conflicted about my overall feelings for this drama. Like most dramas I've watched, there were parts that I really liked, and parts that I felt the drama could have done without or that could've been improved. I felt the urge to write this review as I noticed most of the other reviews seemed to be pretty one sided and fail in mentioning this dramas faults along with it's good points. Although I did give this drama an 8, if I was being purely objective I probably would've given it a lower score, but heck, there were enough parts in this drama that I thought were done really well so I gave it a higher score.

The cast - I've gotta give props to the actors. I think each member of the cast did a really good job of portraying their character and fulfilling the role that they were given. Even when their characters actions crossed far over the line of believability I thought that the good acting compensated fairly well for the areas of poor writing. I was specifically captivated by Joo Won's acting despite my frustrations with the way his character was written. His acting was really entertaining and I definitely think he did his best to salvage his character. But after about halfway or more into the drama his character became too frustratingly unrealistic and I felt like screaming at Ma Joon way more than a few times. Yoon Shi Yoon's character, Tak Goo, was like an adorable beam of light. His character's fun loving nature was captivating and encouraging when other characters had me climbing up a wall. But unfortunately there came a point when even precious Tak Goo became too dense/oblivious for me to handle. Eugene's character, Yu Kyung, was very interesting to watch and I enjoyed her character's journey throughout most of the drama even if I sometimes despised her. Lee Young Ah. Her character frustrates me only in the fact that I think she was extremely under developed and underused. She seemed to get left in the dust along with a few other side characters, but as she was a main cast that really bothered me. It almost felt like the writers forgot about her later on in the drama.

Story/plot - Honestly I thought it was a pretty interesting story but as I suspected when I saw the episode count, they simply drag it out too long. It starts out pretty strong and continues that way for quite awhile but not for long enough. I liked the issues this drama dealt with though, particularly favoritism and jealousy. This drama probably could have been vastly improved if just condensed to 20 episodes, or even 25 episodes would have been much better. After episode 25 I almost dropped it a few times, but I was so close that I stuck it out. Ma Joon and Yu Kyung's interactions were one of the main components of this drama that really kept my interest going though, even when I was all about done. After 20 episodes there were a lot more poorly written parts than well written parts. Many of the conflicts dragged on way longer than they should have and when they were about to be resolved, the characters suddenly/unrealistically flip flopped in their behavior and hence, the conflict was dragged on even longer. Sometimes kdrama characters can be exaggerated but for this drama many of the characters stepped outside the realm of believability for far too long.


Overall- In conclusion I enjoyed King of Baking, Kim Tak Goo, it's heartwarming and intense and it made me cry. So yes, I'd recommend it, but you'd better be prepared to pull your hair out a few times.

Read More

okay so... how do I even start ?
Holy mother of God, this drama has everything I ever wanted but didn't know until now ?? As many dramas it might start a little slow but as the episodes progress and you get to know more the characters the story starts to develop.
If any synopsis has helped you figure out what Ms Perfect is about (because before I started watching nothing really helped me understand what it was about) just let me tell you it deals with obsessive love, and it applies so many different tropes to make the story even more interesting every time!!!
The characters are great! both the leads and the secondary ones, the antagonist is amazingly written and all the actors portray them amazingly.
I'm usually someone who dislikes endings (i've probably enjoyed 20% of all the different endings I've seen) and before watching the final episode I read some negative comments about this one; ngl I would had made some things different (things I obviously won't write because spoilers) but in my most humble opinion, I think this was a great drama from start to finish.

Read More

Be prepared to hold onto your horses and definitely don't close your eyes! Though this is a short Sageuk coming in at a measly 24 episodes (IKR!), it certainly has all the feels and annoyances and amazingness that makes up a typical Sageuk.



Story (9.0):

I'm literally writing this as the last episode is finishing and I'm watching this last scene and getting goosebumps and shivers; what an amazing way to close the drama! I've heard some negative comments about this ending, but honestly it was the best way it could have ended in my opinion. And it's not even your typical Sageuk ending where everyone both good and bad beside the main character seems to die (only kind of joking); instead we see a beautiful finale that ties in with the first antics of our main couple and leaves you to wonder why all those other dramas focus on closure by successful revenge and conquering.

But don't get me wrong: the whole last half of this drama is mostly about trying to get revenge, and there are PLENTY of sorrowful and tearjerking scenes especially leading on from the 1/4 mark. If the beginning of the drama didn't clue you in, I don't know what would. This is a Romeo and Juliet style story (don't worry, it doesn't end quite the same).

There were a number of romantic couples in this drama, and while Se Ryeong and Seung Yu's was very fun to watch, especially in the very beginning and as the story came to a close, I found the love story between the Princess Kyung Hye and Jung Jong to be just as enticing and especially around the half way mark, even more fun to watch. Honestly, the Princess Kyung Hye was more interesting at times than our main character Se Ryeung (I guess I could call her Princess as well), and I loved seeing Kyung Hye's relationship both with her cousin Se Ryeung and her husband Jong morph and change over the course of the story.

I've painted this story in a highly positive light so far, but there were some parts I found excruciatingly aggravating. However, as I go through and enumerate, you'll probably see that it isn't isolated to only this Sageuk.

First off, most of my frustration from this story happened from the 1/4 mark the 1/2 way mark. Seriously, I watched the first 6-7 episodes in great joy, then draaaggged through those next 6-7 and then flew through to the end.

BEGIN RANT:

My problem with these episodes were these stupid choices and mistakes and misunderstandings and mishaps and all this gooblety gook drama that I really didn't want to see that I realize needed to happen for the rest of the drama and I'll admit made Se Ryeung's later actions so cheerworthy but in reality made me really want to skip scenes and indeed I found myself reading recaps to find the scenes I wanted to watch so I could get to a place I really wanted to see and I've lost sight of where I was going with this rant, but seriously, WHY! AGH!

END RANT.

Heh, the last half was worth all the drama though, and yes the drama was the basis of the whole story, but still, meh, Se Ryung was a bit annoying in these portions.



Acting/Cast (9.5):

Ahhh! So many crying scenes! I think most of the time Princess Kyung Hye was on the screen, she was crying!

But wow, Princess Kyung Hye blew me away, especially in the scene where she and Jong are tearfully looking at each-other... Actually, that whole episode was amazing on her part. Whenever her chin wobbles came into play... Dagger to the heart! ;(

The rest of the cast was mostly very good, though I found Song Jong Ho's (Myeon's) acting to be a bit over the top at times. Especially... nvm that's a spoiler.

There was also one scene that stuck in my head where there was an army of soldiers cheering that was sooo fake.

Beyond that, our main characters definitely didn't disappoint, and all the conniving and scheming and backstabbing politicians and their incompetent rivals were pretty well cast; I thought Se Ryung's father was very well cast especially whenever his character had semi-redeeming (who are you kidding, he can't be completely redeemed) moments like the last part of the finale.

The main couple was well cast and were very good together, but they definitely don't top my favorite couples list. Maybe 5th place. It's not totally their fault though because I've got some really strong couples on my list. Props to Woon and his Orabeoni girl love...

Final person I really need to commend would be the young King Dan-jong played by Noh Tae Yeob. Those sorrowful eyes of his can really strike the heart and helps his excellent portrayal of a young desperate king who feels trapped and useless.

Oh but wait, I can't forget Seung Yu's niece A Gang! She's the cutest thing ever... Loved the scene of her painting on Suk Joo's face! Haha.



Music (9.0):

The music was very good and also very typical of the Sageuk's I've scene with the mix of full orchestral and then a few male sung ballads and maybe some female singing throw in... I times I felt the main theme was played waaay tooo muuuch, but there was also this one haunting orchestral song with female bg vocals that gave me the chills. A good soundtrack, but not on my list of downloads.



Rewatch Value (8.0):

I will most definitely NOT be rewatching episodes 8-13 unless forced to watch the whole thing with a sibling or friend and if you don't understand why, go read my rant up in the story section. But the first 5-6 episodes, where our character relationships are being established were a joy to watch and will probably be on the top of my rewatch list. The last half of the drama was completed by yours truly in a blink (a day or two okay, give me three) and were very well done, but it is at times tearjerking enough that I don't think I'll be able to rewatch it as much as I would that first quarter of the drama.



Overall ( 9.0):

I've had this on my watchlist for ages and now that I've finally got around to finishing it, I can honestly say it wasn't a waste of time and I fully enjoyed myself. What a powerful love story!

For anyone who's watched the first few episodes, I also hope you caught my reference in the very first sentence of the review. Shame on you if you didn't.

If you are not a fan of Sageuks, I don't know how well this will resonate with you, but I've got such dramas as Empress Ki under my belt so this was a fairly easy and very pleasing undertaking for me.

P.S. I don't want to go through and fix my name spelling inconsistencies so figure it out yourselves.

P.P.S. I don't want to discourage anyone from watching this, so this is post scriptum, but I do feel like I'm being optimistic with this drama mainly because I didn't love it as much as I thought I would after reading some really good reviews of it and it didn't leave me half as a mess or in love as some other dramas (Empress Ki, Queen In Hyun's Man, etc). But it still deserves the 9 I guess. Maybe 8.875...

P.P.P.S. Is this my longest review yet? Maybe. It's like over 1200, almost 1300 words long. Here's to watching dramas when I should be writing essays and then going and writing drama reviews that are longer than my essay needs to be!

Read More

“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.

Read More

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.

Read More

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.

Read More

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!

Read More

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.

Read More