Very unique, quirky and a definite MUST WATCH!
From the first episode, I completely adored Jin Moo Hak (ML). He’s not your typical dramaland CEO - he comes off unrefined and undignified; he speaks his mind too abruptly, he likes to shout lol and his dressing was a tad too loud for me haha.. BUT everything that comes out from his mouth rings so true! He has such wisdom and a heart of gold- although his general knowledge of the world is quite atrociously bad!! Loolllll.. Hats off to Kim Min Jae who acted the role so well!!!The storyline is a good one- a very well blended mix of humour, conspiracy, romance/ love and family relationships. The funny parts are really funny... I haven’t laughed this much since ... ?? What’s wrong with Secretary Kim?? The romance and relationship development between Kim Dali and JMH was SO GOOD! They are completely opposites- in terms of personality, background, family and simply they way they project themselves. Even all her close friends and colleagues couldn’t believe that she would date him! [the scene where they tell Won Tak about their relationship- it’s the funniest ever!!]
The only thing I didn’t quite like was how the writers always tried to “trick” the audience into thinking something else. And how the scenes would flashback so very often to reveal the truths. After awhile it got predictable and a little cliche. Other cliches would be the overbearing loud stepmother and the unnecessary kdrama crying sensations ... lol.
All in all it was very quirky cute and unique! A definite definite must watch!! :):):)
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This review may contain spoilers
super cliché yet cute
This drama has all the cliché scenes and plots that all "rich boy poor woman" dramas had. All the plot that you thought of, such as scenes where the ML knows exactly when and where the FL would be in danger and saving her every single time. Being able to catch her before she falls, her falling and ended up kissing him etc.Though predictable and cliché, they are pretty cute together. I would prefer if they lessen the number of accidental kisses, or forced kisses and the random small kisses though. All these felt very superficial and fake.
Personally, I thought that the second couple didn't really add any value to the drama. They make me want to skip their scenes.
I really like Xiao Ya as a friend though, she is constantly so supportive, despite causing so many troubles throughout. She's so cute and always there for Xi Xi.
Overall, feel very neutral about the main characters, I don't dislike them nor do I like them a lot. I would recommend it if you like cliché dramas which are light and sweet.
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I may have found the three perfect housemates.
Much has been said about the undeniable chemistry between Gong Yoo and Kim Go Eun, but I would love to highlight the unmatched comedic trio of Gong Yoo, Lee Dong Wook, and Yook Sung Jae. Those three never missed a beat. Their character worked on having a unique bond and they it built overtime. In contrast, there is a soft and tender partnership between Kim Go Eun and Yoo In Na.The plot may have had some issues, but ultimately, it's the strength of the cast that carried this show. However brief their scenes might be, Kim Min Jae and Kim So Hyun also made an impression. The same can be said for Jung Hae In's guest role. I think it took care of its characters and how well they should blend with each other.
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slow paced drama with a rather annoying couple
The story is too slow, and the main couple is pretty annoying. Initially I found Wu You's character cool since she is someone who can is strong. Yet, she turns out to be rude, and insensitive. She bickers for the sake of bickering, even if she's at fault.On the other hand, I liked Xi Ya. There is a reason for his cold demeanour, and he is such a precious human being in general. He went through such hard times, but he is actually still nice to people in general.
I actually enjoyed Lu Man and Lin Qing's love story instead. He was sincere with her, despite feeling insecure and unconfident for the first part of their relationship. I could understand where these feelings came from.
As for Su Fei, I thought Xing Yi was cute as he fell for her and the way their relationship progressed was cute. Am glad his sincerity reached her.
The story which I disliked the most was Jia Yi's. Her husband was annoying, for not respecting her. She was also inconsiderate with him. Their ending was the best for them I guess.
Overall, I didn't enjoy this show and skipped several scenes to finish it. It is a show that I wouldn't rewatch nor recommend.
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Great main couple and highly bingable
I had almost given up on c-historicals when Lakshmi s fanguide to Ren Jia Lun (Alen Ren) combined with it being the longest drama on my ptw for the watch challenge gave me the push to give them another try and oh what a great try it was!The story itself is not really anything amazing but it flows on well and has quite a few entertaining, nail biting parts but also some boring bits in between that are highly skippable. There is one very persistent third wheel that tends to get on ones nerves and the story it self gives way to a whole range of emotions from "Come on WTF, not that trope" , to oooooh they are so cute I just want to hug them all and well everything in between,
The leads are AMAZING; yes I amy be bias when it comes to Seven Tan, but still she is this bursting bubble of energy that can show a whole range of emotions and is just an appifanny of talent that is definitely not wasted in this drama. Her chemistry with the ever evolving Alen Ren is great, he made this role really well going from a cold cruel icicle to a caring icicle... he is really good as an icicle and both are a feast for the eye...
The production speared no cost on blood packets, I hope they opted for some good tasting ones because people where spitting blood left and right, but it was not only blood from the mouth but also from other parts that looked more like cranberry juice than blood, but hey considering the amount of blood they had to produce I guess cranberry juice is not a bad choice...
The highlight of this production was the use of umbrellas, and the adorable cat, that even though the cat only had few scenes, it was so well used that no one could forget it, so hats of to the cat!
All in all a highly ningable fun c.historical, it may not be very realistic and convincingly made but the cat, umbrellas, chemistry and entertainment value make up for it!
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Great Start; Awful End
Plot-wise, it had a pretty solid start. The gruesome politics really sucked me in. The way it changed and affected the lives of the ml and the people surrounding him was really gripping to watch. But mid-way through, the storyline took a completely different take. It felt very wishy-washy. The whole competition thing was way overdone. I enjoyed the surgical scenes but the contest part could have been limited to the first one itself, or max to max, best out of three. It got very repetitive, and was no longer interesting enough.As for the characters, I liked pretty much all of them. The cast did a very good job at portraying them, especially LJS. His role as Park Hoon, the goofy doctor with a tragic past really made me feel for him. I laughed with him, cried for him and was sometimes even really upset with him. The only exception was the fl. Her acting was so flat and on top of that, her character was so two-dimensional without any development whatsoever. I feel like instead of making her an individual with a personality of her own, the writers turned her into a plot device just so that the ml could have a goal.
The romance pretty much sucked for me. Now, I love this genre, in fact, it's practically my favourite, but I just couldn't feel anything for the leads. The romance felt so forced, like you're holding hands and kissing just for the sake of it, without any real feelings involved. I felt like logically speaking, I should have been supporting the fl to get together with the ml, after all, they had so much of history and stuff. And the ml couldn't possibly forget her, like they deserved to be together. But on the other hand, he had so much chemistry with the 2nd female lead (something I didn't see a sliver of with the fl). I couldn't stop myself from supporting her. Her acting and character development were also top notch. The major reason I got the second-lead syndrome was the fl's acting and character, which like I mentioned above were so flat. I was even rooting for the hyung girl more than the fl.
And the ending, don't even get me started on that. It wasn't particularly bad, but it wasn't satisfactory either. Overall, the show was too stretched out. Would have been much better if it was wrapped up within 12-15 episodes.
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I really tried to like it
Even after about 10 episodes I could neither stand nor ignore the ML's weird "evil" muauaua laugh. Nothing against the actor, but I don't understand why he was given such an off putting laugh? It made me dislike him immensely to the point that I started to dislike all his mannerisms. When the ML was "normal" and loving he was great, but with 20 episodes, 'that' was far and few in between. Would I give this story another shot? NOOOO. I should have given up sooner and spared myself the irritation.Was this review helpful to you?
Watchable shot I say !
Unlike the previous reactions, this Thai series has 4 stories about 4 young women who are a part of the Ugly Duckling club. So , warning to viewers, this is the ultimate Chick Flick well just like the U-Prince series which is also definitely catered for women to . But as I was saying the following are the 4 UGLY DUCKLING STORIESa)The Perfect Match
b)Pity Girl
c)Don’t
d)Boy’s Paradise
Now I will start with the summary and review of each UGLY DUCKLING story!
The Perfect Match
he Perfect Match is a story about a young woman named Junita, nicknamed Junior, who is a wealthy girl who lives in Bangkok and had plastic surgery because people said her face was fat. She did the surgery without knowing that she was allergic to chemicals, causing her to get acne and pimples all over her face that would take a year to fully recover. After the incident, her mom wasn’t happy that she is now “ugly”, nobody including boyfriend and her friends wanted to get close to her and whoever saw her would call her “ghost-face.”
During her lowest point, she came across the Ugly Duckling forum because her cousin Alice who happens to be a member introduced it to her, which consists of 4 girls…her cousin Alice, Maewnam, Mami and the newly added Junior.
When Junior couldn’t stand the rejection and teasing anymore from people, her boyfriend and friends in Bangkok, she begged her mom to let her study at a college in the countryside to avoid the social life of Bangkok, and to have face treatment done by a doctor recommended by the Ugly Duckling forum. And at college in the countryside in her new life as a not rich girl while getting treatment and imaging her dream guy from her favorite fiction that’s where she meets Suea. Suea is a very handsome, flirty, penniless senior, who is the first person to sincerely befriend her despite her looks!
And by some fate or destiny they were pair together as the assigned Senior and Junior pair, in which Suea as Junita’s senior will watch out for her as his junior in the college. In that arrangement Suea and Junior get closer and learn much about eachother and developed a great bond. But as they bonded, they learn to deal with eachother’s issues such as Junior’s insecurities especially over her now “ugly” face full of acne and Suea’s belief and knows from experience that although he is incredibly handsome, women are not only vain they will only look at him twice and date him if he was rich. So while Suea’s and Junior’s relationship develops as well as their understanding towards one another, they deal with Suea’s girlfriend’s betrayal, and a friend’s unpleasant predicament. As well as issues, they had to go through on their own, to find themselves and to see if their love is true!
Anyways on The Perfect Match, I thought this was a pretty good story! I totally enjoyed it! I exceptionally loved the main cast and couple who played Junita aka Junior and Suea, respectively Mook Worranit Thawornwong and Push Puttichai Kasetsin. I found Mook and Push really talented and played their roles respectively well. Mook expressed the shy, insecure, innocent and somewhat naïve Junita aka Junior exceptionally well. While Push also played exceptionally well as Suea….who is handsome, friendly, playful, foul-mouthed, naughty as in alot of innuendos implied by him but is still considered as respectful towards women.
Anyways.. out of the four Ugly Duckling stories, The Perfect Match is my absolute favorite from all the stories even though the characters especially the main ones Junior and Suea have flaws and issues that seem ugh… I thought they were well developed… positive points, flaws and all. For instance, Junita’s insecurity and naivety and Suea’s prejudice, harsh-mouth and hot-temper. But those flaws seemed to have toned down as the story progresses. Either way this 1st story of the Ugly Duckling series is a definite recommend!
Pity Girl
From where the story in The Perfect Match ends with Suea and Junior running through the park is where Pity Girl begins…
Alice smiles as her cousin Junior and Suea run past her as she comes upon a bench with a handsome guy lying down reading a book and a big tree looming beside the bench. Alice climbs up the tree to take a closer look and take a picture of a bird nest. She looks down and observes the boy reading the book and finds him really attractive she decides to take a picture but then he looks up at her, she was so surprised that she fell down the tree.
Six months later after falling from the tree, Alice now suffers having “goldfish memory”. She’s in fact so forgetful that she doesn’t even remember her boyfriend breaking up with her 14 times already. Every time she wakes up, she has once again forgotten everything besides Fuyu, who she calls her hero. But then a new boy in school named Aston has now vowed to be Alice’s own personal post it to help her remember everything. As Alice and Aston get closer, they deal with Alice’s ex and his current girlfriend’s antics, Alice’s real feelings for both Fuyu and Aston who both have feelings for her while dealing with Alice’s memory being revealed along with Aston’s past.
Anyways on Pity Girl, the story isn’t bad, I actually found it interesting but what annoyed me was the mainly the first episode or two. I honestly had to grit my teeth most especially in that first episode because I really wanted to give this story in the Ugly Duckling series a chance. Anyways I understood that in general the Ugly Duckling series has a more of a rom-com feel meaning in my observation as a rom-com it is not a drama but it does have slight dramatic themes and moments but it is much lighter and has comedic moments.
Here in Pity Girl, I kept in mind during the first episode that it is rom com and I should give it a chance, that is because since the main female lead is suffering from major memory loss and cannot remember a thing when she wakes up the following day. Similar to 50 First Dates actually. Anyways whenever she realizes she forgets something or get teased she cries loudly and overdramatically that what I have usually seen in comedies! In the comedies I saw with crying “dramatically was involved”, I honestly don’t remember being so annoyed but in Pity Girl I was… But then again, maybe that is why the story is titled “Pity Girl” .
Anyways those moments really annoyed me, but I repeat so again I really had to grit my teeth because I wanted to know what happens next especially since even though I wasn’t so into the main pair Alice and Aston, they really grew on me. They are really cute! Honestly out of the main couples in each Ugly Duckling series, I think Pity Girl is the most wholesome and innocent one despite the bullying Alice had to face for being forgetful. I can honestly say though this second story is not high on my recommend list but go ahead and watch it, it is not that bad.
Don’t
This third Ugly Duckling story, Don’t, begins with Aston coming back from abroad to go to school and finally be with Alice! And after meeting up again, they happen to see Maewnam covered with a box frantically running around at the school staying away from people…
Thus this leads to Maewnam’s backstory to why her head is covered with a box!
After confessing her love in elementary school to her crush, Maewnam is undeniably crushed when he rejects her in front of all his friends. He calls her ugly which caused a chain event with others calling her ugly and teasing her relentlessy too! At that moment, she was so traumatized she decides to wear a box on her head believing she is ugly.
One day, she is forced to return to school, Maewnam meets Minton and Zero. Minton who was a new student, despite seeing her walk around with a box on her head, was very accommodating towards her. As for Zero, was mean at first but later thaws up towards her. Minton is sweet, friendly, and new to the school while Zero is a notorious troublemaker who uses his fists to solve his problems. With Milton, Maewnam does not face any problems and is a friend she confides in.
While with Zero, although being around him causes her to get in unsavory situations, she was able her face her fears…literally got her head out of the box and is able to confide in things with him that she couldn’t say to her father, brother and Minton. As Maewnam, gets closer to both boys…she starts realizing her true feelings for the both of them…who she cherish as a friend and who she has fallen in love with…while finding out who was the boy who caused her trauma when she was little, making her hide her head in a box for years and dealing with bullies especially Zeros’ popular mean ex-girlfriend.
Anyways on Don’t, I thought this was a pretty good story! I totally enjoyed it! I honestly was a little weirded out at first with the concept that the main girl had to hide her head in a box for years, but I understood the concept and that the situation Maewnam was in… She is really young when she was bullied! Her confidence in herself was broken! And it makes her no trust anyone! Thus, leading to her being traumatized, believing she is ugly and had to hide her head literally in a box for years until she was forced to go to school and circumstances leading her to reveal true looks to Zero, who was the first to see her.
Anyways this is definitely one of the main reasons why bullying and name calling isn’t right! Because it can affect someone for years as well as the everyday life. Anyways, I adored the young actors in this flick… Mild Lapassalan Jiravechsoontornkul, Mek Jirakit Thawornwong and Chatchawit Techarukpong! If his name looks familiar to you… Yes! Mek Jirakit is related to Mook Worranit from The Perfect Match story! They are brother and sister! Anyways all three, are talented actors and I find that they played their roles well. I also found the plot twist in this story to be very interesting too, how it was played out. Anyways, either way, I totally recommend Don’t from the Ugly Duckling Series to your watch list!
Boy’s Paradise
Mami is a young woman who is happily living in her family’s pension she dubbed as Girls’ Paradise with a bunch of girlfriends, one of them is a girl she has a crush on. Mami vows to die before dating a man especially since she had a trauma when she was young on a boy she deeply cared about, thus turning her towards women!
Anyways this story Boy’s Paradise begins with the other Ugly Ducklings… Junior, Alice and Maewnam coming to Mami’s, their fourth and final Ugly Duckling member’s Girls Party! Their they see that Mami is greatly in favor of women and has a deep affection for her bestie girl friend. What Mami is not aware of is that her mother mother catches on to her secret girl crush . So, her mother makes an arrangement with the female friends especially the girl she cares for, in a way kicking them out and then rents out the house to three guys in hopes to bring her daughter around back to having affection towards men! The three men who comes to live in her home, now dubbed Boy’s Paradise is her cousin LJ, who she isn’t aware has feelings for her, Rayji, an actor-idol and CU, a photographer!
At first, she avoids all three men, but she then Mami gets pulled into someone else’s romance problems…Rayji’s… so she begs her new roommate C.U., to be her fake boyfriend. Thus, this is the beginning of either a friendship, partnership and/or relationship between Mami and CU. Also, during this situation she learns that men aren’t that bad and learns who her true friends are and who deserves her friendship.
Anyways on Boy’s Paradise, I found it interesting and the most mature story out of the three. Btw, when I say mature, Imean language wise. Alot of innuendos. Either way…though .It honestly not my favorite compared to the first Ugly Duckling story, The Perfect Match which is my favorite amongst the four but like I said Boy’s Paradise is definitely the most mature with a slightly complex storyline. Especially since the main girl went through a trauma which was not revealed later on, this explains why she is hates men and loves women but this is still find it as an interesting storyline. Also, I happen to love the actress in this story Esther Supreeleela, she is a very talented actress who also happened to be in the first story of U-Prince Series: The Handsome Cowboy with Push Puttichai Kasetsin.
BTW , if y'all havent read my previous reviews , please do read them out and support me as always !
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Disappointed. First half was better and it got worst
Don't know where to start. But damn. I was very excited and very interested when I watched this while airing.The female lead was badass in the start which kept me hooked.
Then after some episode she became a puppy and stupid and literally the woman in the "play full" kiss.
What a shame .
Loved the cast, loved the acting but story which could have been lot better ruined in the middle .
I had a huge regret after finishing this drama for wasting my energy tears and time.
The title has nothing to do with the story.
He was good man and became bad because of a woman with whom he looked like he is in love with her till the last episode.
The female lead who was bold and fierce in the start became scardy cat and lost track of mind or became mental. And followed the male lead like he is the one . While he was using her all along.
You can never see the love from the male lead to female lead.
It's just a revenge plot where the guy is confused whom he is in love with.
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The story flows beautifully with the first half or so alternating between the past and the present. The background of the character was shown well and we get to see Bi Yun's struggles and strength in life as she goes through betrayals, divorce, being a single mother and lastly fighting her cancer until the end.
There is a romance element, but it's not the fantasy romance that makes you go "ga-ga" over the couple. It's not the main point of the story, but I like how the relationship develops (and ended) between Xiao Jun and Yu-ya and later with Yin Yi.
If you like family drama, I would recommend watching this.
I didn't put a high number for rewatch value, as this is not something that you want to go through watching again because it's so sad. But for first time watchers, it's a beautiful story about struggles, hopes and strength.
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A Magic ? A Masterpiece ?
You rarely come across something where the urge of watching next episode become higher , heart rate starts pounding fast n you can't wait to watch all the episodes. Same happend with me, this is my 1st KDRAMA series n I'm not disappointed. What a masterpiece ? I can't put it into words, I never saw something this magical n masterpiece ? that raw emotions, feelings, character development, pain, background music n songs, I felt every single thing while watching this series.. Now after finishing this series, I still don't know how to get over this amazing piece of work ? I just can't forget it, every character has done a phenomenal job ? the memories will stay with me forever ? the soundtracks n background music everything was a top notch... I really wish I could forget this series so that I can rewatch it right now ? even though it was my first KDRAMA n there are many more to watch, but I highly doubt if there are any who will be able to top this amazing masterpiece ? I wish it never ended ?Was this review helpful to you?
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Tacky and cringey yet a very like-warm one-time watch.
I understand that this is a mindless comedy but still making it a bit sensible wouldn't hurt you.Why does the Female Lead have such a nasal voice? N y is the drama so hell-bent on role/gender reversal and misandrous. I have recently observed K-drama tend to be misandrous for no reason.
How about before u start ur version of feminism.. u start accepting foreign-origin people working/living in ur society (specially from third-world country). U always portray them as needy victims and treat them as aliens who r very different from u. Why don't u start with that flaw? Orels atleast make women equal to men not degrading either of the genders.
There are many more quirks in this drama but I would just like to enlighten u about these ones first. Overall would call it a one-time mindless watch drama with corny or cringey comedy.. yet somehow okay to watch.
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Don't miss it !
Who said sagueks can’t be fun to watch? If you leave out the royals and their various conspiracies to sit on the throne, there must be still somewhere a story worthwhile to tell, set away from the palaces and closer to the common folk. Tale of Nokdu does have its fair share of royals, albeit far far fewer from the other shows, (where we are presented to the king’s numerous wives and offsprings), but all that surprisingly takes a backseat to a jovial screwball comedy for its first half. Nokdu, our titular character (an endearing Jang Dong Yoon) finds himself at a widow’s village after he follows the assassin that attacked his family back at his island hometown.To find out anything further, he has no option but to dress up as a widow and enter the village. In an era where gender duties and definitions were clear cut and specific, it thereby becomes instantly hilarious to watch Nokdu wiggle in and out of embarrassing situations. The show takes its leisure time (here) to let us and Nokdu bask in the absurdity of the situation, as he tries to escape from bathing together with the other widows, or trying to hide his ripped muscles and the very clear absence of breasts, or just trying to carry out a proper conversation with the other women.
He quickly realises that just putting on a dress, and changing one’s voice doesn’t make one a woman, and while he might be stronger to help out with chores that require physical labour, Nokdu is subsequently also exposed to the hardships faced by these widows after their husbands passed away, all of which led to the creation of the widows village in the first place.
Parallelly with all this, runs the story of King Gwanghae (Jung Joon Ho), whom we are exposed to through some bits and pieces in the first half, but as the show approaches the midpoint, and Nokdu finds himself embroiled in something larger than he anticipated to be, the show smoothly transforms into a political drama. With a tight screenplay, well adapted to the shorter, half an hour runtime, and some effective plot twists, the drama remains just as engaging.
To be truthful, Tale of Nokdu isn’t even much of a political drama as it is a family one. The whole plot is the result of the decisions that King Gwanghae makes as a newly crowned king and father. A family living in exile, a son in search of his biological father, and henceforth, his identity, a daughter living every day in anguish, planning to exact revenge on the man who killed her entire family — all characters suffer because of one man’s fear of a future predicted by a shaman.
Just like in the Grand Prince, the show explores the moral dilemmas of the Royals in respect to usurping the throne, except here that decision has already been taken, and the consequences suffered. Nevertheless, we are constantly (in the second half) exposed to the King’s various emotions, as we watch him turn into an enraged fool, clinging onto every thread of power left and a lonely man, whom everyone has turned their back on. In the end, it is sadly the fool that wins.
The king’s excessive stubbornness is exemplified by Nokdu’s big-heartedness, especially in how he, even after finding out his origins, never once abandons (or thinks of abandoning) his adoptive family. There are moments where he hopes to be accepted by his newfound family, and is even ready, to forgive them for their actions, but once it is made clear that there is no place for him, he immediately closes the lid on that tiny glimmer of hope.
Kim So Hyun is marvelous as Dong Joo. Her character was quite interesting, one that is at constant crossroads of what she is expecting from herself. I particularly liked how she is allowed to operate and execute her plans all by herself, her narrative never once intertwining with Nokdu’s narrative. It was something that she had to do on her own, and though it is an easy guess on what her plans are and the reason behind them, I still teared up when she finally reveals them to Nokdu.
Special shoutout to child actress Park Da Yeon. She was absolutely hilarious as Aeng Du!
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This review may contain spoilers
Dropped
I’m not one who likes to start a drama and then drop it when it doesn’t really suit my taste. Most of the time, I try to be fair and watch all the way to the end to give my readers a more comprehensive review. The last drama that I dropped was Fake Princess and that was almost a year back. So, I did try hard to continue watching One Boat, One World, but I just have to give up once I reached the middle of Episode 14.A Poorly Developed Female Character
The screenwriters have written Tian Yue to be a clueless woman who lacks common sense. So, you get the feeling that she is kind of dumb and that makes it hard to root for her. For instance, Ding Kai is kind enough to allow Tian Yue to stay in his apartment temporarily when she has no money to rent her own place. He tells her that she can stay but mustn’t touch his stuff. She then suspects that he could be suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder and purposely breaks down a glass wall when he is away because she thinks it could cure him.
Of course, Ding Kai is furious when he gets home. They are not in a relationship and far from it. In fact, the 2 of them have just got to know each other because of work. To purposely break down his wall in his own home when she is just a guest is just kind of stupid. More so when Tian Yue doesn’t understand what it means to respect Ding Kai’s privacy and boundaries.
The same thing happens again in Episode 14 when Tian Yue intrudes into his private matters and relationship with his mother. I’m sure the problem is solved eventually but I have stopped watching because her cluelessness is too much to take. I don’t know whether she will grow to be more mature as the drama progresses but after 14 episodes, I have had enough. Basically, Tian Yue’s character is just very poorly written that it is hard for viewers to relate to her actions.
Casting And Chemistry
I have not got to the stage where the leads begin dating. But from what I have watched, it is hard for me to feel any chemistry for the main couple because of the way the female character is written. It just erases any romantic vibes between them. I also feel that the casting could have been better as Claudia Wang just doesn’t seem to be the ideal candidate for the role of Tian Yue. She is too old for the role as Tian Yue is supposed to be a naive young woman. Hence, Claudia Wang has to act clueless and cute but it just doesn’t suit her age anymore to be playing this kind of character.
Therefore, it is not so much the acting that spoils the drama for me but the character and casting. Perhaps a younger female lead may make the drama more watchable just like in Sunshine Of My Life although the age gap will become more evident then given Zhang Han’s maturity.
One Boat, One World vs Sunshine Of My Life
As both dramas are being aired concurrently, which one should you watch if you have to pick one? Both star Zhang Han as the male lead and I know he does have a legion of fans due to his good looks. For me, Sunshine Of My Life is a much better drama to watch. Yes, it could be a little draggy but at least, the female lead is a talented and independent woman with a high level of maturity in that drama. The chemistry between Lulu Xu and Zhang Han is also more natural and evident.
However, the downside is Sunshine Of My Life is a typical romance drama with a fairy tale-like feel. It is sweet but it also has nothing new to offer. On the other hand, One Boat, One World has a less explored theme revolving around a cruise ship. I guess if you want freshness in your drama, One Boat, One World could offer something different while Sunshine Of My Life sticks to the tried and tested when it comes to a love story. Moreover, Zhang Han plays a domineering CEO yet again in the latter after doing so in Here To Heart and Boss & Me.
My Verdict
I can’t give a score for this One Boat, One World review as I didn’t finish watching it and it wouldn’t be fair to do so when I have only completed about a third of the whole drama. But I can tell you that it is a little different from the usual productions. Different characters are introduced as passengers for different voyages. The leads will then get entangled in their lives and problems due to the nature of their jobs. So, to a certain extent, these cases will need to be interesting in order to carry the drama all the way through. Up to Episode 14, this part of the drama is not exactly boring but it lacks the intensity to make you really hooked. If it did, perhaps I could have overlooked the female character’s weaknesses and carry on watching.
I think One Boat, One World could have been a highly watchable drama with the beautiful sceneries, top cruise liner, and refreshing theme. It is just a pity that the producers have marred it with a badly written female character. I guess you could try watching a few episodes and see if the female lead resonates with you if you are a big Zhang Han or Claudia Wang fan. Otherwise, I would say forget this drama and pick something else to watch instead.
Oh, one last thing before I end my One Boat, One World review. This drama has an element of racism being depicted. It stereotypes Westerners as racist which I think is unnecessary. I know racism happens in real life but the way it is projected in the drama is just overdone. It feels forced rather than being smoothly blended into the story if it is indeed integral to the plot. Overall, One Boat, One World just falls drastically short for an enjoyable watch.
Note - I shouldn't be giving ratings without watching them fully . It's just I'll be never able to post this without giving ratings . So , I'm gonna be just throw some random numbers at the ratng section .
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