Reviews

A very, very solid 9. This drama was unexpectedly much different from what I thought it would be.

The atmosphere, the characters, the acting EVERYTHING was incredible. Scenes that could have very easily crossed the line to melodrama surprisingly didn't and the directing was very well done. Not once did I feel like a scene was unnecessary or a waste of time.

The leads were literally perfect- they looked great together AND had amazing chemistry. From what I've noticed, older Japanese dramas are much better at romance than the newer ones, with more realistic characters and no flowery filters.

Overall- This is not a rom-com, but much more of a romance drama. Hockey is a huge part of the show, but it isn't necessary for you to know anything about hockey (case in point, me) to really enjoy the show. Annoying side characters (or should I say, character) are present though, but everyone else is wonderful, so don't let it deter you.

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It is heartwarming, it is fresh, it has a lot of heart.

Story: (9/10) This dorama is about family, marriage, friendship, comradeship. It is like every "Romance" J-dorama I see it addresses the reluctance of the MC to get married, and people around them pressure them to get married. I know that Japan has a low rate of marriage/low-birth, but sometimes this kind of stories can get a little preachy. Anyway, like in "Kekkon Dekinai Otoko", this is the story of a mature guy, Daisuke, who is pleased to live alone and doesn't want to get married at all. He is completely happy living in his own "castle" (as he likes to call his apartment, who looks gorgeous, btw) and drink his beer. Alone. That changes once his father comes with Kota, Daisuke's new younger brother, and imposes his presence in his "castle". Also, around the same time, Daisuke befriends his neighbor, Hanako.

Daisuke is not as anti-social nor awkward as Kuwano, but he is grumpy. It is not hard to sympathize with him. I would also be grumpy if my precious space was invaded by people. But those people are all kind, with a good heart, although there are also some that can be a bit bothersome (like all-happy-girl Tanaka-san).

Hanako deals with her own problems, her mother also comes and invades her personal space. And her ex-husband wants to get back together. Like many other J-dramas (a thing I absolutely love) is that the ex-husband is a good man, not evil nor bothersome. Same with Daisuke's ex-girlfriend.

All characters that become a friend sort of, thanks to Daisuke's dad, was likeable. Specially Sasaki-san (I adore this chubby actor, he is so funny!). This dorama is mostly about that, how Daisuke's dad comes back to his son's life and changes everyone that is around Daisuke.

For people looking for a romance: I wouldn't call this a romance, I prefer to call it a deep bond, a true friendship, a camaraderie.

Cast: (8/10) Ueno Juri was excellent, I was moved by her tears. Not a moment I thought "oh, this is Nodame". Too bad her hair was so awful, but she is so pretty I could ignore it sometimes. Same with Shingo. I didn't see Shingo, but Daisuke. They were both excellent. And of course, Sasaki-san was also terrific. Many people praise Daisuke's dad but I am not a fan of this actor. I think he has many mannerisms that annoyed me. He is always saying: "ano sa", "ano ne". Mizuhara Kiko was terrible as Tanaka'san, she pouts so much it is annoying. Kota, the younger brother, was pitiful, but I dislike when pitiful characters don't talk and go there with their head down. On the good side, I think that he looked like a Japanese Harry Potter. And also a bit like Yuriko Yoshitaka.

We have 4 mini-reunions in this show: Ouran High School Host Club (Haruhi and Honeysempai, and coincidence! he was called "Haru"); Tiger and Dragon (Shishou and Jumptei Jump); Soredemo, Ikite Yuku (mother of the killer, brother of the killed one), and Shingo and Arisa.

{Edit: there is a guy who played the personal trainer of Hanako at the gym. For days I was "who was that guy?". He isn't in any of the cast lists. Then I remembered. He was one of the butlers of Mei-chan no Shitsuji.}

Music: (9/10) I love the music "Unpredictable Story", bye Ellie. There are 2 versions, one slow and one faster. I think I prefer the slow one but even so,both are beautiful. Currently in my playlist.

Rewatch value: (9/10) this is one of those dramas that can be recommended to anyone. I don't think there would be a person, male or female, who wouldn't like this. It is easy to watch, it is charming, it is not slow, it is real.

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OMG I adored the manga. I cried, I laughed, I was constantly moved by the stories. So I knew that I was going to like the dorama; it was impossible that they made a crappy adaptation. Still, I did not expect to loved it!

Story: 10/10

This is a very realistic manga/live action, about obstetricians and midwives and mothers and new-born babies. About the miracle of life and the sadness of death and being an orphan. It is an episodic drama, where we meet mothers-to-be in every episode. Some of them have their HEA with their babies, some of them doesn't, which was very sad. So sad to make the audience cry. All episodes were excellent, but there is one that was special, and that is Episode 5. I cried like a baby. Not only it is about a teenager mom who decides to give her baby in adoption, but it is also about Kounodori-sensei and his story, how he was separated from his first mama in the orphanage. My, the little boy being taken away while shouting his mama's name... just remembering about it makes me cry. Kounodori-sensei tells to a mother in an episode that life as an orphan has it ups and downs, and that episode made me see the downs... poor boys, all alone in the world, having a caretaker for all of them (when all they need is the love of a mother) and then being separated to go to another orphanage again. At least Dr. Kounodori did have 2 wonderful mamas, but still, his past was truly moving. And then, the teenager girl was such a good actress! It was like she was truly having a birth, and it was like she was truly giving up her baby. It was very sad, but at the same time, realistic (in the manga, her story has a HEA)

And the last case, with the little boy Naoto-kun having an extra chromosome (it was Trisomy 16 maybe?). OMG, I loved that little guy, I wanted to go in there and hug him. Poor baby, and his parents did not want him at first. It was sad seeing him, because I am sure in real life the little baby really had this syndrome. One of the other positive things about this drama is that they truly have premature babies, babies with problems, newborn babies, so it made everything more real.


Acting/Cast: 10/10

This is one of the few dramas that I watch for the story instead of the cast. I only knew a couple of the actors. Like Ayano Go, who I dislike. Or used to, because after this dorama, I can't see him as a douche anymore. Because he has the face of a criminal (sorry!) but in this dorama, he was always so calm, and nice, and such a good doctor, and no overacting at all, I ended up liking him. I thought at first that anyone could have played the doctor, why it had to be him? But he was so good I can't complain anymore. His friends, Dr. Shinomiya (Hoshino Gen) who was a blank-face guy at first, but who I liked so much by the end (his story was also kind of pathetic, and very sad) and Yoshida Yo, who looked so much like manga-Komatsu (except that the actress was taller). The 2 young actors, Matsuoka Mayu and Sakaguchi Kentaro, were adorable, although comparing to the other actors, they did overreact a couple of times. But all in all, I loved the cast, and also the guest stars. I mean, all the mothers when they cried looked so real! They were all marvelous, although the teenager mother could be my favorite. And the mother whose baby died because of the no-brain. Her case was also so sad :(

Oguri Shun, who is everywhere, has a role for about half of the drama. His daughter has some scenes in the last episode, and she is so cute! She looks so much like her parents. First it was "oh, the image of Oguri Shun!", but then, "oh, she looks so much like her mother!".


Music: 9/10

The music was nice and sweet, and the ending song was good, but it did not leave a big impact on me, as the musics in dorama I really love do. Some of the music the doctor plays at the piano were good and tender.


Rewatch value: 10/10

I would totally rewatch this! Nice story (never slow, never overdramatic, never "preachy" as some people like to say over doramas), nice cast (main and supportive), what is not to love? I would recommend this to anyone really, even to people who don't watch J-dorama. I wish I could find other one like this: human stories, real stories, with likeable characters and great acting.

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What a lovely dorama! The plot was super interesting, I love all the characters, the setting was so mabushii, so bright and colorful and clean.

The story is a very engaging one: the world of mangas and mangaka. To be more precise, the world of editors. They also have to struggle, not only the mangaka do. They need to take care of the mangaka, give them advice, move here to there. There are also moments of tears and frustration. Editors need to walk along the mangakas, they need to be there for them all the time and built a trust, which is fundamental.

Since I am a big fan of BAKUMAN, it was impossible not to link them both. One is from the Mangaka's POV, the other one is from the Editorial's POV. I looked everywhere to read the manga Juhan Shuttai, but unfortunately is not translated :( It really is a heart-warming story, and the art is so cute, especially chibi Kokoro, who looks a lot like dear Sawako from "Kimi ni Todoke".

The cast was marvelous. I was familiar with most of the secondary characters only; more specifically, the mangakas (Mikurayama-sensei, Takahata-sensei...). And of course, Namase Katsuhisa-san. But this is the first time I see Kuroki Haru (Kokoro) and although I've seen some photos of him, this is my first time watching Odagiri Joe (Iokibe-san). I am not sure which one of these 2 were my favorites! Kokoro was the typical bright, positive girl, but she was far from annoying and stupid. Her motto was "Gambaremassu" and she motivated a couple of characters, like emo mangaka-to-be Nakata-kun, and poor, nice Koizumi-kun, whose professional life was a bit depressing at first, but once he was motivated, everything changes for him for better. It was really touching. Impossible not to like a girl with that kind of enthusiasm! Also my first time seeing Sakaguchi Kentaro, who is a real sweetheart! His smile is so adorable, and he acts really well! Can't believe his filmography is so short; he acts like a pro and ten million times than veterans!

**sighs** Odagiri Joe... I've read some lists before were he was mentioned, like "more kissable lips" or whatever, but have never paid him any attention. My, I was so impressed with this guy. Let's talk first about his role. Iokibe-san is one of the coolest guy I've seen in a dorama. Super nice, real intelligent, a perfect mentor, a humble editor, a nice guy, a kind co-worker, a capable editor. Only once he shouts in the whole dorama, otherwise, he speaks with a calm, soothing voice. No wonder Kokoro admired him so much! If I were her, I would have probably fallen in love with him. Because not only he was the nicest guy and mentor, he also looks real good! Glasses and man-bun, perfect combination! With some facial hair, the cherry on top. Sure, some of his shirts were, errr, colorful, but he looked like a model! I loved him and I am glad Episode 9 was more or less about him.

Clothes were colorful, specially in Kokoro's case. Some of her skirts were a bit old-fashioned, but overall her clothes matched her character: young, happy and bright. Editor Mibu was always wearing T-shirts with food drawings on them (I love this actor, he is so funny!), Yasui-san was always wearing stripped sweaters, Takahata-san always in Adidas outfits, Nakata-san always in dark sweatsuits and Koizumi was always in suit. I love that even the clothes were important to the story, every detail meant something!

The sountrack was lovely, and the ending song was ok. But my favorite thing is that it is an inspirational dorama. If you love something, you give it all, like Kokoro did, and for that, she was rewarded at the end. I laughed many times, but I also cried a couple of times. There wasn't a single episode that was boring or dragging, I loved it from Ep. 1 to 10, and I wish it was longer! Nevertheless, it has a perfect ending, because it wasn't really an ending.. more like a beginning :D

I recommend this dorama a hundred times Top quality, top cast, excellent story, I loved it!

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There's no doubt that this is one of the best K-dramas around. And there are many reviews that will say the same. But this review is my thought about it. And nothing more.

I loved the cast. They were great. Each and every one of them played their characters as perfect and real as they could. Hyung Bin & Ha ji won both are one of the most talented actors around. And they played there roles perfectly.
Specially in the body switching parts. Hyung Bin just stole the spot light for me at that moment. He was so funny. Specially his expressions. They were gold.

This is the only drama, I've so far with the most amazing OST. Each and every song had a reason. They were somehow part of the story. And they were so beautiful, that you just have to love it.

I loved the story. Well some of it. The only thing I didn't like was the switching. It wasn't necessary. It would had been an amazing drama even without. The switching - which most people were expecting, and it was funny - had little to none with story. In my eyes, it didn't do anything with the characters development.
Even saying that I loved the scenes. The actors were the reason.
And then the ending.

Overall it was an amazing drama. A great watch. It's full of fun stuff and moments. That's the reason it gets an overall 10 in my review and a place in my favorite drama list.

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WOW.. I will never understand why this is not rated higher.. because of ratings like the one this drama has I'm starting to lose faith in the rating system. What is there not to like in this drama? I literally finished the whole thing in 2 days straight no lifed it. If anything this drama could have done better in it is the music, there is no really good music which kinda sucks. The acting from everyone was just fantastic. The story was really good also and in the end I never hated anyone not even the bad guy. The romance was so REAL. The love story is great, also this drama has to have one of my all time favorite bromances. There is only 3 things that I feel were bad about this drama. The first is the ML father I feel like his story is incomplete, I wanna know more about that story sadly we never learn. The 2nd is the Angles father I also wanna know more about that story. 3rd is the ending, I feel like it was dragged on a Lil too long. (Right before the climax). P.s I just finished this so I might be a little biased also I'm extremely tired so expect bad grammar.

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Personally I loved this drama, usually it's hard to get me to laugh but during this I was laughing every time. It has some very interesting takes showing you things you've probably never seen in a show before which is great especially if you get the kind of gags they are trying to tell. All the characters were v cute and likable especially the love triangle will make you want to tear you hair out on who to ship. Honestly I was debating on actually dating Do Bong Soon myself. The soundtrack is definitely not one to miss and it's the same with just little sound effects they used during the scenes that you probably won't forget. In a whole, it's the best thing I have had the pleasure of viewing this year and I highly recommend it. I hope you'd like it as much I did, peace.

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Going into this it was a pretty pleasant suprise opposed to the much longer/1 hour+ dramas I have been watching lately. Overall this drama was very cute and a nice short length (10-15 min) to make it easy to binge to. It's obviously quite cliche but for me I love watching those every once in a while. Even though in a whole I liked it I felt like they could have did so much more with the plot and show more of the actual interesting parts of it. Just don't have too much of a high expectations and look for something nice to pass your time because "The Miracle" will surely provide that.

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Had a great starting but was disappointed towards the end.



Lets talk about the positive points of the story first:

Starting was really good. It was comical, absurd, funny and interesting. The theme itself is interesting and the character of Bong Soon was well thought. I can see her character development throughout the drama and it kept me going. The ending was wholesomely satisfying with conclusion for each character. It's generally a light-hearted drama with exaggerated comedy. There are many fluttering moments for the two leads that you'll enjoy as much as I do.



Next, the negative points:

I felt that the drama wasted so much time on other unnecessary details/segments like the gangster and high school students part (especially the monk). I understand that the writer may want to lighten up the mood, with drama going on for other characters, but then its really excessive. They could have put the time into creating more detailed and intense climax. Every time the leads come across the kidnapper, the details become so slipshod that I cannot ignore the loopholes.

Other story that could have been more detailed: Hee Ji's presence, Bong Soon's parents' cold war



Like many others, I really love BongBong (Boyoung) and MinMin (Hyungsik) so much. To be honest, the romance and chemistry between them is the major point that kept me going after episode 11. Gookdu (Jisoo) is kind of being wasted in this drama, he is just there as a catalyst for the leads to fall in love, I wasn't able to see Jisoo's potential as an actor (hope he will get a better character next time). Casts did generally OK and suitable to their roles. Characters that shone in the drama are BongBong, MinMin and Oh Dol Pyung and the respective actors did well!



The OST Superpower Girl is super super suitable for the drama, fun and positive, really suitable for whenever Bong Soon is displaying her strength. Songs are apt to the situations in the drama but there aren't any outstanding OSTs (only Superpower Girl).



I have enjoyed it in general, did not regret watching it despite some major disappointments. And that game Super Bong Sunnie looks really fun.....

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This drama is placed with 3 other historicals as my all time favorites. Dae Jang Geum, Dong Yi and Queen Seondeok. There are many other good historicals but these are my 11's on a 10 based scale. What is different about this drama vs those is that the main lead is actually a man instead of a woman. Dong Yi showed the life of musicians, Dae Jang Geum showed the life of a physician and a cook. Yi san shows a different profession in the joseon period which is equally as interesting. I have watched this drama several times (at LEAST 4x) and i will watch it again. A 77 hour epic. I have read that as this drama got extended and extended again due to its popularity during it's run.. the competitors to the network delayed their own new drama's premiers as to compete with Yi San would have been a ratings disaster. Lee Seo Jin is the best portray-er of a king i have ever seen. Every cast member did an outstanding job. I watch all my drama's as binge. So much i want to add to this review but it might be construed as a spoiler. Like who yi sans great great grandmother is. Why he cared about poor people, why some nobles were so opposed to his reign. Who his father was. But since they might be construed as spoilers you have to watch it yourself and see. If you liked those other drama's i mentioned, YI SAN fits right in. A true timeless classic with love, friendship, loyalty and perseverance. Just writing this review i want to watch all 4 of these again. These drama's are so good you will rejoice at having altzimers so you can watch them again and again as if it was the first time every time! One last comment, the child actors! Where does South Korea find these child actors! I have NEVER seen anything outside South Korea where child actors add to the magic instead of detracting from it. They do such a good job that they set the hook.. that snares me for the whole wild 77 hour ride into another time and place!

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This is the first Korean Drama that I've ever watched, and I must say I was blown away.

The story touched me in ways I wasn't expecting and the production quality was amazing. It's rare that I find a television series that makes me want to continue watching the next episode, but with Dream High -I found myself simultaneously wanting to watch the entirety of the series in one night but also never watch the next episode, because I so desperately did not want the series to end.

The story touches on common issues faced by people and demonstrates them in a very good way.

The acting is completely flawless, there are times of questionable acting but I believe that they serve a purpose and are included for comedic effect - as a whole, you could forget that the actors were putting on a character.

I found myself crying EVERY. SINGLE. EPISODE. - for both sad and happy things.

In conclusion, I am practically honoured that this was the first K-Drama that I saw - it actually has made me restructure my life in order to become like some of the characters on this show who exhibited extremely kind traits..

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My Lovely Sam Soon (AKA My Name is Kim Sam Soon)

This was one of the first K-dramas that I watched (and just finished re-watching for probably the fourth or fifth time). It's a noona romance, with the main character Kim Sam Soon, played by Kim Sun Ah, as a 30 year old patisserie, and Hyun Jin Heon, played by Hyun Bin, as the restaurateur and chaebol heir who is three years younger than her. This drama has a lot of silly "imagination scenes" where the characters (though Mostly Sam Soon) have flights of fantasy about what they would /like/ to do but don't. There's a secondary female lead character, Yoo Hee Jin (played by Jung Ryeo Won), who is Jin Heon's lost first love, and her friend from the U.S., Dr. Henry Kim (played by Henney Daniel). I had forgotten how very, very much I hate the second female lead character. I hate the character so much that I actually feel bad towards her actress for having to play her. People spend a lot of time in this drama telling Sam Soon that she is fat and ugly (though, neither is really an appropriate descriptor for her) and even Sam Soon is pretty hard on herself. That said, she doesn't let that stop her from living her life. This is an older drama (from 2005), so the production quality is quite dated, but it's worth watching even with that.

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I DIDNT FINIISH THIS DRAMA. Okay there's your warning. I got to like ep 6 before I dropped it. I just found this drama highly offensive. Yes I know it's a comedy, but so is weightlifting fairy and sassy go go, and I wasn't offended by those. Why was I offended? One was bong soons character. Yes the everso adorable bong soon. Being cute doesn't make you a good character. Sorry. I have seen super hero movies and you know a pattern I've noticed super heroes typically deal with super villains, as in their strengths are matched. But let's say you're the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man and deal with smaller crimes, spider man still manages not to put people in the hospital for 6 months even tho he could. Cuz you know thievery just doesn't really equate to a six month hospital trip. Yes she fights for justice, but the way she does it I equate to the people that cut off someone's hand for stealing something (ok not that bad but you get the point) the punishments she gives doesn't match the crime. "But she hasn't learned how to master her power!" people say. HOW OLD IS SHE??? How has she NOT learned to master her power?? But that's enough on bong soon, let's move on to min hyuk. He drove me crazy too because in his own way he was pretty sexist too (yes gook du isn't the only sexist male on this show). He hires bong soon basically because she's pretty, and from what I've seen, doesn't even require her to do her job. They basically go on day long dates. Oh and when he's actually in danger he protects her!!! As a woman I find this offensive that a male would hire me on looks, and not on skills. Or even worse knows I have the skills but won't let me use them, so he can "protect" me, even though it's MY job to protect HIM. And the whole gay thing. If I was watching and was gay I'd probs be offended "I'm glad my sexual orientation is one of the only means of humor this show can think of...thanks..." speaking of gay, gook du. I'm pretty sure he was secretly gay, cuz man some of those scenes...also I started this drama for ji soo, and you give me THAT character??? No personality, is incredibly sexist, boring, and overall a jerk??? Like I can't tell if it was bad acting or writing. Either way I expect better. You know who was another awful character? The mom. She literally suggested to bong soon to rape min hyuk. "Use your power and get him laid!" Ummmmm they think he's gay at this point...so he wouldn't be willing....so that equals rape. But I forgot this is comedy, how dare I be offended by this. Apparently I should take this as comedy but be enraged by Trumps locker room talk. How I love double standards *sarcasm* last but not least the pacing sucked. One moment it's slapstick the next its thriller. I've been noticing this blend in dramas lately. DRAMA MAKERS THIS IS A TERRIBLE COMBO! Just please stop it, do us all a favor. Alright that's the end of my review/vent. Overall despite its supposed cuteness, I found this drama to be downright terrible and offensive.

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