Reviews

The storyline for this drama is good. Okay, I'll get right to the point. I did not like the characters. So mi do is the most annoying female lead ever. Everything she did, especially throughout the second half, she was being a b****. I tried to see things from her perspective but I couldn't. I can see how it was hard for her to make a choice between Han Tae Sun and Lee Jae Hee. But the way she acted was wrong. She should've been more understanding towards Tae Sung. He had gone through so many hardships before. I felt bad for him. Also the way he is sticking to Mi Do even after what she has done. I hated him a little bit for putting up with Mi Do and forgiving her. This is one of the first dramas that I was actually rooting for the second female lead. I have a love-hate relationship with all the characters except for Chang Hee, Jae Hee's brother. He was the only character I loved throughout this show. Oh, and the bromance between Chang Hee and Tae Sung! What I love about this drama is that no character was completely good. Every character had an evil side to them, including the leads. That part of it is realistic I think. That is different from a typical kdrama in which the lead character is like 99% good. Overall, the concept was well put together.

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Let me start saying I didn't watch the other remake (or even the original one) or read the novel, so it was the first drama I watched with this story that was told plenty of times. And let me say this made me want to watch everything (including the chinese original, saddly I didn't find it yet).

Scalert Heart has an overused plot, or at least that's the impression I've got after reading so many chinese novels with almost the exact same description. However, instead of China, it takes place in Goryeo and, unlike many heroines I've seen in these kind of novels, the main character seems rather docile and ingenue. Althought don't be fooled! This drama is a rollercoaster and it will make you cry more than an infant.

Let's start with the acting: what can I say except superb? I know that IU was not great at all, but at least she made a half decent job in some scenes, and her forever frightened face kind of mixed well with other scenes too. But the real star I'm talking about here is none other than Lee Joon Gi and his portrayal of the dark, traumatized and passionate Wang So. Seriously, he got me crying, smiling, squirming and cheering for him even though his decisions and actions weren't always likeable. And let me say that it's very difficult for me to feel this way about a character.

Other thing I really liked on this drama was how morally ambiguous every character was. Even some characters I didn't like from the beginning, I felt some sort of empathy for them (except Wang So's mother, that bitch). And their morally ambiguity is more than justified given how living on a palace, pratically sparring for the throne, is stressing. Really, I also liked how Hae Soo's love interest changed through episodes, which gave us a really well done love triangle. One thing I always hated on kdramas was how most of the time the second lead has no space on the female lead's heart except friendship, but this one did a good job by balancing both love interests instead of doing one-sided crushes. 

The music was also addictive and made me feel warm and sad at the same time. I know it seems strange to mix such modern and upbeat music to a historical drama, but everything was mixed so well it gave me not only good additions to my playlist, but also made some scenes seem so much sweeter.

My only major complaint though, was how they dealt with Soo's time traveling and adjusting to a whole different era. It was like they began to develop it on the first few episodes, but then suddenly she was already used to everything and how everything worked. It just didn't feel realistic at all. I understand that with her more submissive, sensitive demeanor she can blend in easier, but her life suddenly changing from one thing to another was mostly handwaved.

And now to finish this review, I'll talk about the ending(spoiler free): I know many may complain about it, and I agree in some parts, but overall I think it was great. It gave me the goosebumps, made me cry a river, but still I wouldn't change a thing. That's how I feel about this drama: sure it had it's flaws, but the overall picture was so well done, it made me cry and have the feels for at least two days. Not every drama makes me like that.

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So I've tried produce 101 before but I never finished it because the performances kinda bored me sometimes, yet the drama/cut scenes were fun so I'd just watch them on YouTube. Then came Road to Kingdom and oh. my. GOD. These performances are top-notch. It's like watching agt dance performances with a touch of kpop and magic and small STORYLINES like making references to Aladdin or the zombie series Kingdom or just a general theme about thieves. They use other artist's songs like Danger by Taemin or Rising Sun by TVXQ (or even their own song) and make amazing remix versions/dance covers of them. The companies/idols/show put so much effort into these, it'd be a waste not to watch them. You can even rewatch your favorite performances on YT.

I was already a fan of ONEUS before the show. This introduced me to many other groups/songs, especially The Boyz who I am a fan of now because I liked their performances/personalities. My favorite groups here were probably ONF, The Boyz, ONEUS, TOO and Pentagon cause they had some spectacular performances. The finale was fantastic, I continuously listen to those finale songs.

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Well I don't know how to start ... I started looking at this for Song Kang.

I thought it would be a good romantic drama after the Love Alarm slop but I was wrong. I didn't really know the webtoon but after seeing the first chapters I decided to read it. It was rewarding and I thought it would have the same ending. The ending of the webtoon leaves you with a good message and although the ending is bittersweet, it is simply realistic. Which did not happen in the drama.

First of all the narrative of the drama was a disaster. If Nabi was going to end up with Jae they should at least have explained his obsession with butterflies, why he kept them locked up and why he felt lonely what made him play with so many girls . Also why Nabi was so special to him.

Nabi regressed. She go on to give a speech from leaving the fuck boy to just "I'm going to regret it but it doesn't matter." His conflict with his mother ends up being incoherent when she makes sames the decisions. Being in toxic relationships.

What was redeemable from the drama were the performances and the secondary couples. That was what kept the drama afloat because their relationship became dull and boring. The ost was good as well as the scenery but it is not enough to compensate for such a poor narrative with a very bad message.

I really don't understand why they adapt a webtoon if they are going to shit on the main message of the webtoon. In short, It is not something that cann't be seen but don't expect the big thing from the drama.

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The Guessing Game

Subjective Gut Rating - 7.75

“The Date of Marriage” is a very typical Japanese rom-com. It’s comforting, cute and also very predictable. It’s great for stress relief, but don’t expect it to blow your mind.

I had a pretty enjoyable time watching this. But I think my enjoyment stems from me being a fan of the trope - “Does he/she like me? Nah.. probably not and it’s all in my head. There’s no way he/she will like me”. If you like this trope, you will have a very fun time watching “The Date of Marriage” because the leads are adorable, good-looking and have good chemistry. But if you don’t, you will be super annoyed as they spend more than half of this drama guessing each other’s feelings. The back-and-forth can be very annoying and frustrating.

J-dramas are known for their fast pacing and this drama jumps right to it. In supersonic speed, our female lead was dumped by her boyfriend in the beginning of the first episode and she fell for another guy by mid-second episode. You might also want to suspend realism and common sense. You know, a guy probably won’t promise to marry you if he doesn’t like you, no matter how kind he is. There’s no question to it and no guessing needed. But you have to go with the flow because this guessing game is a big part of the show. Our leads had other long-term relationships in the past but they acted like it’s their first relationship and forgot how to communicate and act, once they got together.

I do like how the stories are told in both the male and female lead’s perspectives (for part of the drama). You can hear their inner thoughts and their own narration. This storytelling seems to be most common with J-dramas, compared to other Asian countries. We also get a few good kisses and not just shy fish kisses.

Overall, this is not the best Japanese rom-coms out there, but it’s passable if you want to watch something short and easy. If you don’t like the trope I mentioned, then don’t watch it.


Other Random Observations:
1. Matsuda Genta is really handsome! LOL He looks older than his real age of 24.
2. Did our female lead wear the same nail polish for a whole year?
3. The comedic inner monologues/daydream confuse me a little in the beginning. I wasn’t sure if they were speaking to the camera/viewers, or to each other.



Completed: 10/3/2023 - Review #362

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I just finished watching this today, and I must say I absolutely loved it!

If you have watched Misaeng (kdrama version) and actually love that drama, please take time to try and check out this drama with an open mind. Not to compare with the korean version (which is I also actually loved), the storyline was also good for this. Though somehow I wished they could have made more than 9 episodes.

Nakajima Yuto did a good job as Ichinose Ayumu. I guess with this role, you can see his acting skills developed more.And Endo Kenichi as Chief Oda, well, as expected for a veteran actor like him, he also nailed it. And I also love the other casts, everyone portrayed their roles very well. Ichinose's batchmates - Shinji Kiriake (Seto Koji), Shogo (Kiriyama Akito) and Kazuki (Yamamoto Mizuki) have great chemistry. From being unfamiliar with each other to ever working and being concerned as a team. That greatly touched my emotions. I just hoped that their back stories were shown more here.

Just like in the korean version, this also touched my heart and made me empathize with the characters in the story. I cried and laugh in each episode. I feel like there is a need for me to pause for a little while watching because I was so absorbed with some scenes and I need to get back to myself.

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i just finished this drama,finally can make review and i can say pinocchio is my top list best drama i ever seen so far . this drama not just fun to watch with their cute,sweet,funny scene.. but u can learn something from it.. about reporter life,,work ethic from reporter,news manipulated from jurnalist world(fact and impact) and slice of life about relationship between family,lover, friends,and co worker.. this drama can make me so emmotional, from laugh, suprised, angry, sad and even worst, i cried almost each eps..
pinocchio is such a well writen drama to delivery a importen and meaningful message to viewer where very rare at the while..its not just about a love story, romance type but,its more about that.. this drama so perfect with amazing story line, great acting from main lead actor actress and all supporting actor, espesially strong chemistry from shin hye and jong suk. beautiful cinematography, and all of the ost of drama is so good.
Park shin hye and lee jong suk..and all pinocchio team.. well done, thumbs up for u all, and spesial thanks to writer nim for this amazing drama,,

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Watched for the Messages

I loved this series. Many of us (including me) do not understand rural life, especially in the countryside of Thailand. In Northern Thailand they have tours where tourists visit people in villages to see their lifestyle tp bring in some money. I did not go because as with the elephant industry, I had no idea who is getting the money. So I cannot judge a series that like this that needs to raise capital, even with intrusive product placements. The series is trying to send a message, even if the execution is not flashy, preachy with other the top drama.

Watching the scene where Mongkon's parents are welcoming Mek into the family, was so touching. I looked at the bed that was resting on wood blocks, so different from the luxury condos and villas we see in Bangkok-based series, yet showing that even people who do not have much can be very happy. Hometown's Embrace also shows that even in rural areas, LGBT people can be accepted, and are part of the community. The heroes were a bunch of gay men and a trans-woman!

The casting was well done. The young actors from the the province so maybe they do not have the polish of the Bangkok-based actors, but they did a fine job.

I'm hoping to see more from this team and the actors. I look forward to future projects from this team.

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Underrated gem.

What I liked most in this is that the story revolved around the main characters and how they grew up and evetually got together. This is so relatable and realistic.

If you're in a situation or had been in the same situation as they are you know why you would bury the feelings and forget. You don't want to lose the friend you cherish. Afraid of the risk.

i would have scored this a 10 if it weren't for the last minute cliche they did where the ML suddenly got sick and broke up with the FL. I hate that they had to that like 2 episodes before the ending.

I like the early parts but the ending was a bit too rushed for me. They could have extended it so the ML could grovel for his stupidity.

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I’m emotionally attached, you’ll do too! ❤️

If it wasn’t for my friend who kept on recommending me to watch this show, I wouldn’t even try watching it. I’m not someone who enjoys watching reality show, let alone a dating show. When she told me, “Just try watching it! It’s different,” I thought I’ll try. Never have I imagined myself getting so immersed in the show, really enjoying watching all of the members spending 2 weeks with each other.

My heart fluttered, my eye got teary, and I felt irritated just like some of them did. I was emotionally attached and I really felt like I experienced all these myself. It became one of my comfort shows, I’ll watch them before going to bed, on the way to school, and even in the middle of classes. I’ll never forget this show! I promise I’ll rewatch them again as soon as I turn 20!

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This review could be taken either way so here it goes.

Before I watched this I read previous reviews and most of them gave it a 10/10 for almost every area of the drama.
For me this is how it goes.....
Story: The genera suggests melodrama and romance, this is OVER THE TOP melodrama drama i EVER watched in my entire be it Asian or Western. The amount of crying scenes in this drama is just to much. I skipped almost every scene after Episode 7. Although the love story and the twists and turns were catchy it was TO MUCH.

Acting: these people's acting would make you believe they are actually hurting in real life. All actors gave it 100%.

Music, was not bad

Rewath Value. In all honest dont waste your time watching it again, better off watching another drama.

Overall: despite receiving very good reviews from fellow MDLs, i think this drama was given to much credit, despite the great acting and OK love story it was just unbearable and to much to handle.

Please anyone that's planing to watch this, please let me know your thoughts message me on here. :)

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I had absolutely no expectations from this drama. I started it with a hope that Park Seo joon will make me laugh and relieve me off the stress and this drama did much more than that. This is one of those dramas that bring out real life in a way you fall in love with it.

The real MVPs of this drama however the side couple of Ahn Jae Hong and Song Ha Yoon. You really have to look out for their relationship. For me, they have achieved a new level of portrayal that i did not foresee. The sports section of the story could have been written a little more but then the other side stories would have to be compromised with. the reason this drama would be a must watch is partly because they show how following your passion is more important than anything else and ofcourse the side couple.

Genre : Rom-com, sports, motivational

Story line : Story of 4 friends, former taekwondo genius, a spunky yet crazy anchor wannabe, an average guy with a lot of big dreams and a sweet and homey girl who will happily sacrifice everything, trying to achieve their dreams and ambitions in order to make their lives better. The ups and down they go through before realising how they need to be happy first to succeed in their lives is what makes this drama much more than what it is. I would have specially mention the side couple because not only they give you serious couple goals but they show you how beautiful yet easy relationships can be. Five stars to them.

Acting : Park Seo Joon plays this country bumpkin/ naive/ assertive guy who has more brawns than brains. Kim Ji Won gave the character her own twist by being a crazy and head strong girl who decides to stand for herself and i think it could have been better but it serves its purpose anyway. But i was really impressed by the characters played by Ahn Jae Hong and Song Ha Yoon. They portrayed their characters so well, i don't think i would ever be impressed by anyone being more realistic than them. They took their characters and the story-line to a whole new level.

p.s. after you watch, I have really no idea why they added the twist in the end, it was completely unnecessary and useless. They should have continued with the main story and given us a complete closure.

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I don't know what to say

I feel like 30 episodes is too much. Like around episode 18 it got a little stale. I couldn't expect much from chinese romcoms, very typical story line. There's always that successful lady next the CEO that expects to be with the CEO. When things don't go her way, she ruins the guy to get his attention making matters worse for her. I don't know why this type of successful career woman always think she deserves to be with the ML and is better than the FL.

I have to say tho, Qing Qing is not as dumb as most FL in this scenario. She knows clearly who her rival is after the first occurrence. It's refreshing seeing a change for that.

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