crayrules
Office Romance Cruelty
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Forecasting Happy Cheating SML and SFL Couple and Struggling ML and FL Relationship
WTF did I just watch?I watched this only because it was something to watch weekly over the weekend and I did like it at the beginning until I just didn't like it the more it dragged on. I continued to watch it hoping for more "falling-in-love moments" between the ML and the FL but instead, they just fell apart only to get together in the last episode. Even their "happy" moments were overshadowed by the jealous SML.
So major spoilers ahead:
To recap, the FL starts off engaged to the SML. They've been together for 10 years. After the FL's family and herself start finding out that he doesn't go through on putting deposits down for the wedding venue and other bookings, the FL literally catches him in the act in their own bed in their shared apartment with another woman, the SFL. Keep in mind that the FL, SML, and SFL all work in the same building.
Now the SFL was also in a relationship with the ML and she was living with him before abruptly moving out and breaking up with the ML, leaving with no real explanation. Because of course, she cheated on him and left him for another man, the SML.
Later, the SML and SFL, in other words, the two cheating mofos get happily married.
The leftovers, ML and FL, end up meeting and as it turns out, the ML gets transferred to the FL's department. Now all of them work in the same building. So the FL becomes the boss of the ML. Of course, they eventually find out that their cheating exes are the happily married ones. Regardless, they get together after having a drunken one night stand.
Get all that?
Here are some dumb scenes I also hated:
-Okay, so the storyline is basically about FL and ML trying to hide their relationship from work only to get it exposed by the most unlikely character. Another co-worker basically exposes their relationship out loud in a busy cafeteria, which was completely out of character for this co-worker to do something like that. So tactless too. Who does that in a busy, crowded cafeteria? So dumbass. And by the time it's exposed that they're dating, they've actually broken up. So first they hide their relationship and then they hide their break-up.
-The SML and SFL trying to navigate married life. When the SML finds out his ex is dating his new wife's ex, there's all this stupid jealousy that goes on for naught.
-They romanticize the cheating couple who ended up married. Too much focus on their problems and their "happy" ending.
-When they wrote the FL's character becoming friends with her ex, I felt like it downplayed the hurt and betrayal she went through. Wayyyy too soon. Sure she was "strong" about it but that doesn't mean she still had to coddle her ex which she did, writing articles for him and listening to him. Where are her pride and dignity? They make the FL and the SML like best friends in the end. WTF. Whoever wrote this storyline has never been betrayed or dumped so ungraciously as the FL was and it was worse because they all worked in the same building so they ran into each other often. ANDDDD... (major spoiler), no woman in their right mind is going to listen to their ex's new baby's heartbeat so happily. W...T...F...
-At one point, the FL gets accosted by a senior male co-worker in front of everyone. He never apologizes for his blatant assault even though there were multiple witnesses. Blames everyone but himself. Is this a norm in Korean workplaces? Do women often get physically assaulted in their workplace by seniors who have the same position? If so, ugh. So disrespectful.
-The ML's father should've been in jail. But somehow, he doesn't go to jail later. Whatevs. Give the ML a happy relationship with his dad.
-The office gossip is so unprofessional. Nasty actually.
-I didn't care for any of the other characters' stories. Boring.
-What OST? Barely memorable.
Okay, I really had high hopes because I love Park Min Young and SK but I blame the writers. Sorry, but I won't be rewatching this nor do I recommend it. I actually liked the weather stuff in it but that's really all.
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"What's It Like to Date a Walking Red Flag"
That's what this title should be called...I watched the animated version, (The Girl Downstairs) and now having watched the live version, my opinion hasn't changed. I was very surprised when I heard that they were making a live version of this because IMO, it really wasn't worth it. While the storyline vastly differed from each other (webtoon vs live action), the main characters were the same. This is probably one of the shallowest k-drama I've ever watched. Usually, you might see some immature ones like you find with some high school genres but this one certainly had no real, true depth.
The FL was a huge, walking, waving RED FLAG right from the beginning. She had no charming traits to her at all. A smoker, a drinker and basically a hothead. She obviously had some serious mental issues and was very unlikeable. The only reason you can think of why the ML falls for her is because of the physical attraction and all the moves she was pulling on him. After finding out the reason why the SFL, Jin-ju, left him in the first place, you sympathize with her and honestly, I was baffled as to why he never chose her. Jin-ju was way better than Doona. You only get glimpses of Doona's life and whatever the ML read about her online but she never once really opens up about herself at all. She just expects the ML to put up with her closed off attitude and he embarrassingly does.
Halfway through this, I was getting sick of watching the ML just get used and abused by the FL. He was constantly apologizing to her and putting up with her tantrums, mood swings and silent treatment for no good reason. He put up with so much of her BS that you lose respect for him early on. By the time EP7 came around, the minute she got into the Manager's car, I basically threw my hands up and gave up on both of them. The ML remains a pushover the entire time. It never stopped right from beginning to end and there was absolutely NO character growth from the FL at all. Four years go by and yet she remained self-centered, obsessive, whiny, and demanding til the very end. She never seeks any professional help. She could've used some serious therapy. In all honesty, it would've been good to see her talking to a therapist or doing some kind of work on herself like meditation. At least then it would've shown some self-reflection or inner work and it would've shown the audience that there's professional help and some options available to those who need it. That even "idols" could use some help.
In regards to the side characters, they contributed almost nothing to the story. The writer just couldn't write anyone having a real, heartfelt conversation. Like why did the FL's mother even bother making an appearance and nevermind the ML's family or best friend? All the side characters were just fillers. All the non-verbal communication was just irritating and frustrating to watch. I didn't even care about all the intimate scenes because I didn't care much for the ML and FL and especially the side characters. At least the side characters showed some changes and personal growth and I didn't even care for them.
It was really strategic and lucky that Netflix dropped all episodes at once as I think it would've been a lot different and worst if we had to wait for 1 or 2 episodes weekly. Overall, a hard pass on this one.
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Constant Barrage of New Characters
I like this show but it was a bit difficult for me to follow at first. It was a bit confusing because there's constantly new characters coming in... like almost every single episode there's someone new. Actually when I was on Ep 3, I had to go back to Ep 1 and rewatch the small monologue in the beginning to make sure it was actually related to the show I was watching.It's a bit like this:
-There's introductions and then fighting and then someone thinks they'll win but the evil ppl are like, "We're gonna kill you", but no one really dies (until much later), and ppl lose and then they flee or the other person lets them go and then they meet someone new and then there's fighting and then there's fleeing, then there's more threats and someone lost again... Someone is always either praising the other fighter or the fighters are overestimating or underestimating each other as one describes or narrates their martial art prowess or weapons. Wash, rinse, repeat.
-Then there's the ML, Xiao Se, who either does an inner dialogue and we learn what's going on or he's telling someone what's what and who's who, or he'll say, "There's a rumor or story about this person or this event and I think that it's related..." So basically after 16 episodes, the ML is like a narrator rather than a real ML. He's basically narrating, fleeing, watching, directing the fight or bluffing or being stupidly chase by a lady acting like a little girl chasing after him. (The romance between these two is so dumb btw. He calls QianLuo "pretty" once and next thing you know she's constantly chasing him for "sparing", when really she's just stalking him. You have no idea why they like each other.)
Other things that are kinda repetitive are the same special effects like the firecrackers and fireworks and spraying sparkles and more flying swords and more flying knives. Let's not forget spraying fountains of water. How many times do we have to see two sword tips meeting at the center and then being frozen in place behind these magic barriers? And just as you're learning all these new characters, you realize that someone or everyone is a "Deity" of something like swords or knives (blades) or wine-making or fleeing... lol. If names of the constant new characters aren't confusing enough, don't forget the sword names too. Seems like everyone has one of the top 10 swords and each sword gets their own introduction. If it's not the sword names then it's each fighter's signature martial arts move or what phase they've reached or how long they've been training.
-Then there's the same constant clothing. Everyone wears the same thing day in and day out majority of the time or the same colours. With the exception of Tang Lian, the bad guys are usually clad in black.
-Seems like all the guys are falling for the women like "love at first sight" because they're beautiful like "fairies" but most of them average in looks so it's a bit overrated and hard to find the chemistry in all these love plots believeable or to feel anything towards them. All the love plots are awkward. I can't ship any of them. (I feel like it's a common cdrama thing, where the majority of male actors are always better looking than their female counterparts.)
-It's also confusing trying to follow the name of the clans and where they'll traveling to because really, there's no navigation or like map for viewers to see this "world". Like where is Tianqi or the Beili Kingdom exactly to all these places? And exactly how many Princes are there?
-Every time someone gets injured they spit out blood... Every. Single. Time.
-The dialogue and subtitles can go really fast sometimes that I have to rewind it back and pause it to read what they said. I feel like by now it should be more explained in depth what exactly kind of treason did Prince Langya commit? There should be more background story as to what unfolded by now and more hints or possibilities of who framed Prince Langya. So during his time in exile, Xiao Se didn't try to uncover the truth but rather just twiddled his thumbs as the owner of a villa?
- I also feel like Lei Wujie is more of a ML because he's done majority of the fighting. The problem I have with Lei Wujie is that he hasn't shown any character growth. His fighting improves throughout the show but he still just rushes into all the fights and hasn't show any maturity each time he faces a new adversary. Xiao Se says this every time they fight.
-Overall, the acting is just okay but I feel like we're just constantly waiting to see if the ML, Xiao Se, will recover from his injury and actually start fighting.
I finished this a while back and came back to update my rating but it remains the same. By the time the ML started fighting, the show was almost over.
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None of these characters are likable.
Major spoilers are ahead...The FL, So Rin, is a fan of ML, Lucie, her idol while she's in high school, and she accidentally meets him without even believing it's him. They spend one night hanging out and the next night, she's supposed to go to a meet and greet with the real "Lucie." During this time she's also trying to audition to become an idol trainee.
Si Woo is best friends with So Rin along with their other friend mutual friend, Ye Seung and they enjoy their friendship going along with So Rin's fangirling. Si Woo secretly harbors a crush on So Rin, and together, they both win tickets to Lucie's meet and greet. While Si Woo takes both of them there on his bicycle, on the way, they're stuck by an oncoming vehicle which results in So Rin being hospitalized.
Lucie in the meantime keeps looking for So Rin at his fan meet to let her know it was really him that she met the night before. But of course, she doesn't show up. Lucie goes back to the US.
Fast forward to a few years later, Si Woo has become an idol. A decision he made for So Rin, who mentioned in the past, that if he auditioned to be an idol, they could go through it together. Feeling guilty about So Rin's accident, Si Woo becomes driven and motivated to become an idol.
But while Si Woo becomes an idol in a k-pop group, "N and S", So Rin, who suffers from severe tinnitus and dizziness, can no longer dance because of these symptoms. These came from a result of her accident but the tinnitus that she suffers from seems to be more psychologically stress-related. Although she no longer pursues the dream of becoming an idol, she works closely with Si Woo at the same agency. Their mutual friend, Ye Seung also works as a driver for the same agency. After all this time, Si Woo still hasn't told So Rin about his feelings for her.
Lucie comes back to Korea to do a collaboration with Si Woo. But Lucie goes under hardships as he is accused of tax evasion. It turns out his manager took all his money as Lucie wasn't planning to sign with him anymore. He has no choice but to collab with Si Woo and his agency. Broke and displaced in Korea, So Rin takes him in, and later, Lucie finds out that So Rin was the fangirl he met that night.
So now, here starts the love triangle... where the girl is so clueless and oblivious that these guys like her, and honestly, the story doesn't develop enough as to why these guys like her.
You can understand why Si Woo could like So Rin because after all, they grew up together as best friends, but why he takes so long to tell her is beyond me. So now Lucie enters the picture and now we just have to sit through these guys being competitive for So Rin while she doesn't have a clue. But honestly, you feel nothing for these three characters. So Rin comes off as under deserving of Si Woo's interest actually. It seems like he does more for her than she does for him. He's always checking in on her. And as for Lucie, he's just too arrogant for anyone to like him.
I find this to be a slow-paced drama. So far I'm on EP 12 and only now, are they just starting to dig into whether or not So Rin should pursue her dream as an idol. They had a few flashbacks of her trying again after her accident but nothing came of it. I don't know how, by the next two episodes, we're supposed to believe that all of a sudden, So Rin will become an idol. I think that even mentioning this in the detailed summary of this show is kind of misleading. Even the title, "Miracle" makes no sense.
So with only 14 episodes, I don't know how much progress we'll see after since the episodes are short. They're trying to show more scenes of Lucie and So Rin together as they have some "let's stare at each other with OST playing" moments. He seems to coincidently show up as he stalks her when she's having bad symptoms. But Si Woo has also been there for her so you don't know why the showrunners don't give Si Woo and So Rin more "tender moments". If you going to do a love triangle, do it somewhat properly.
There are other side stories, like Lucie's disappearing manager, another female k-pop group in which one member, Ju Ah crushes on Si Woo, and there's even some tension within Si Woo's group, N and S. The leader of N and S, Do Un wants to be an actor but only Si Woo got offered a leading role in a drama. This made Do Un jealous. But with these short episodes, their stories aren't interesting enough. Everyone seems miserable and it's not just from suffering through some hardships, it's more like everyone is miserably jealous of someone else.
The acting of everyone isn't that great so it makes it harder to enjoy this show and the singing and dancing are all subpar. Who wants to watch a show with two guys just constantly glaring at each other? It just makes this show drag on even slower.
I'll update this later if necessary.
UPDATE:
A week after the last two episodes already aired, I finally decided to dive back in and finish up the series. And... that's it. The end. (That's how exciting it was.)
I don't know what direction the writers decided to take in the last two episodes but it got pretty negative and dark all of a sudden. Ju Ah, crushes on Si Woo, finally confesses to him. He doesn't return her feelings and when he tells her he likes someone else, she's like, "So what?" I mean, why do they write women with like no dignity or pride? And if she's so close to debuting, it makes no sense why she would even be entertaining the idea of pursuing someone or even dating for that matter. Zero sense. She would just be focusing on debuting.
Then she finds out that So Rin is coming back as a trainee and now she's even more frustrated and upset. So much so that she injures herself while practicing and for good measure, the writers threw in some pills she suddenly seems dependent on.
Then all of a sudden, we find out that besides Do Un, another member of N and S, Ik Chan, also has a problem with Soo Win. Like where did this guy come from? And... they finally caught Lucie's scheming manager. And... So Rin finds out it was really Lucie she met that night. And... Lucie finds out about the accident happening that same night and why Si Woo dislikes him.
And... all this in one episode. And... it was still boring.
By the last episode, some crazy sasaeng of Si Woo tries to throw acid on So Rin but Lucie saves her by blocking it. So now we got acid folks. That's some pretty damaging and dark stuff. Like I was shocked by it. Acid is some pretty serious sh*t and it just didn't feel like it belonged in this kind of drama. It was really out of place. I felt for a moment that I was watching some Bollywood drama for a second there. It turns out that Do Un planted an idea in Ju Ah's head to post pictures of Si Woo and So Rin online as if they were dating. So that's why the jealous sasaeng showed up.
What's worse is that management finds out what Ju Ah and Do Un did and yet nothing happened to them. Management was like, " Oh we didn't know they were hurting. Let's just sweep everything under the rug and everyone make up." Seriously... W...T...F??? A crazy sasaeng was charged with aggravated assault and attempted murder for hurling ACID, because of what Ju Ah and Do Un conspired and nothing happens to them? Especially Do Un who was the mastermind. You would've thought that Si Woo would've been really angry at him since the sasaeng targeted So Rin. Whatevs dude.
Anyways, So Rin has a spot in a voice competition but she pauses during her live performance because of her tinnitus, but the guys are there to "save" her once again. And like the other reviews mention, the show doesn't show her choosing Lucie or Si Woo. And the other friend, Ye Seung as the ending fairy made zero sense too.
I changed my rating from a 5 to a 4.
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Whatever
All I have to say about this series is that every single female character was written to look bad. The sister, the female reporter, the female witness, the daughter, and the female investigator. In the end, the good guy gets executed for nothing because the women couldn't get their sh*t together.I honestly held out hope that one of these women would pull a Hail Mary but none of them did. Whatever the writers have against women, they obviously didn't care much for them to give them any stronger roles or saving grace. There wasn't ONE single likable female on this show. It's really pathetic the female reporter wept tears for the person who actually murdered an innocent detective rather than the innocent guy who got wrongly framed for his murder and she didn't do anything to help in order to preserve her job. Not to mention how she constantly drinks away her sorrows.
No one gets actually punished for the murders and cover-ups they all actually did. Not the murderers, the corrupt prosecutors, the higher-ups in the police force, no one. All the innocent people who died, none of them gets real justice.
Whatever.
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I Gave This a 10 Rating Even Though It Has Its Flaws
Just to reiterate, I absolutely love this series so far but it does have its drawbacks.I won't go into details about what this show is about because there are already many reviews explaining that thoroughly.
I'm a huge fan of actress Park Eun Bin (main lead) and teen actor Moon Woo Jin, (who plays the young Ki-Ho). I'm also a fan of screenwriter Park Hye Ryun's works.
I could rave on and on about why I love this show but I'm only going to talk about some of the things that I wasn't too fond of.
Another review explained how young Ki-Ho was getting beaten in public and no one came to help. Then soon after, we had to watch Seo Mok-Ha (FL) get chased around the ferry and again, there was no help. While I agree that the lack of help seemed ridiculous, at the same time, when you think about how society is today, it actually may not be too far off the mark. While I personally would like to think the best of people, the "bystander effect" is real. Some people just do not want to get involved. Sad but true.
What bothered me the most so far, was the storyline regarding adults and domestic violence. I think this is where I feel the writers missed the mark when it comes to protecting children. Another person claimed that this wasn't an "advocacy show", that it is just a "drama". Of course it is, but IMO, writers can be powerful influencers. While they were able to write about the issue of domestic violence, there wasn't any real "ray of hope" so to speak. All was lost by the first episode. I found it especially disappointing when Seo Mok-ha goes back to the island and speaks to the two men who took over Mok-ha's father's shop. The men speak unkindly about Ki-Ho. Even though they knew that Ki-Ho reported his father for domestic abuse, they referred to him as being "insolent" and "the worst son ever" and of Ki-Ho breaking down mentally. The only saving grace from that scene was learning that Ki-Ho's father was fired from his job. But then the men go on to talk about how Ki-Ho's father still loves him and went to Seoul to look for him because "that's what parents do."
What a bunch of crockery. Lol! I say that only because there were a lot of ways that conversation could've gone differently without changing the storyline. Like maybe NOT taking the father's side and being understanding of Ki-Ho's situation and why he fled. Would've been nice if that one guy actually realized that he had caused problems for Ki-Ho and was regretful. That they tried to convince Ki-Ho's father not to leave and look for his son. That maybe perhaps they hoped Ki-ho wouldn't get discovered.
But of course, it's a "drama". But this is my version of how I wished that scene had unfolded because we shouldn't gloss over abusers' actions. As a viewer, I can only hope that for young child or teenager, who may be suffering from domestic abuse, if they're watching this show, finds some hope and solace. That there are adults out there who will believe them, take their side, and help them. This is why I say writers can be powerful influencers. They can change the narrative and influence public opinion and offer hope, even if it is just a "drama".
Moving on, another thing I greatly disliked was Yan Ran Joo reliving her glory days when it was really Mok-ha was doing all the singing. The way Ran Joo is acting all happy about the raving articles about her and yet, she was lip-synching. Seriously? I would understand if she was happy because she hopes to sell some albums but it wasn't portrayed like that. Of course, I'm sure things are going to get better later on, and with Ran Joo's help, Mok-ha will be able to become a diva.
Despite all this, I really, really love this show. The actors are amazing. I've always been a fan of Park Eun Bin and especially, Moon Woo Jin. Woo Jin's earlier works were always so amazing especially in "What's Wrong with Secretary Kim". He's growing up to be just as good as Eun Bin. Rooting for this kid all the way. I also want to give a shout-out to Lee Re who plays the younger version of Moh-ka. She was so amazing too! Her acting chops are like a mini-version of Eun Bin! Even her big, beautiful smile was the same. These two teen actors hit it out of the park! I was so moved to tears with these two. I adore Park Eun Bin as always. and as for screenwriter Park Hye Ryun, I still love her works especially, "While You Were Sleeping"! One of my fave dramas!!
On Ep4 as of writing. May update later if necessary!
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A HIT AND MISS AT TIMES
I have a love-hate relationship with this show.First, pardon my French and probable cussing because I'll just get right to it as there were a lot of WTF moments for me.
-Da Li staring off into space and walking in a daze became so repetitive she could've been sleepwalking for all I care. Seriously, I was so confused about her character. She had some shining moments, (okay, maybe like two), and then she pretty much becomes the doormat for all the men who were a**holes to just walk all over her. And not just the men, let's not forget the mother-in-law too. Sure, I get it they're elders blah blah blah but stop writing verbal and physical abuse by ANYONE especially family members as acceptable and the norm. Times are a' changing and it's time for k-dramas to start portraying this as unacceptable. Let's repeat: UNACCEPTABLE. Honestly, I really don't think people realize just how damaging verbal abuse can be as well. I think elders written this way ruins a lot of Asian dramas for me because apparently all the supportive elders are usually deceased or die early in most of them. Ugh.
More WTF moments:
-In the beginning, Moo Hak's yelling was very annoying until he toned down a lot. He's literally verbally abusive towards Da Li , (several times I might add) and practically gaslights her but somehow we overlook it because awww.... look at how they stare at each other. Whatevs. Let's pretend us women love that stuff. (I edited this paragraph after realizing I didn't add the ML's verbal and mental abuse tendencies.)
-The FL gets a beating while being robbed because she somehow foolishly showed off a huge wad of cash. Seriously?!! What was she? A drug lord? Who shows off a wad of cash in a seedy motel? Whatevs.
-Ki Chul's, (the stepbrother), constant stupidity
-Hang on, there goes Da Li staring off into space, walking slow. Oh... but now it's raining.
-I found the secretary annoying and clueless at times about Da Li's and her boss' relationship and her acting was always exaggerated. Don't even get me started on her oversized wardrobe. Like, if you wanna wear your dad's suits... well okay then.
-Uncle yelling at Da Li and saying the harshest words. Like couldn't they just let her walk out and have the Uncle find out the entire truth and then beg for her forgiveness?
-Did I mention Da Li staring off into space, walking slow?
-After Moo Hak telling off his father about Da Li, the father has the audacity to talk down to Da Li. The arrogance. Another k-drama cliche I hate. Parents/elders who never see the fact they ruin their children's own happiness and don't realize or at least admit they themselves are a bunch of a**holes.
-Tae Jin dumps Da Li after finding out she was adopted. Who the f*ck cares whether you're adopted or not? OMFG.
-Wait... Da Li's still walking in a daze. Someone shake her. Hang on... nevermind, here comes Moo Hak to hug her... AGAIN. It's all good now. *insert rolled eyes here
-Not a fan of the OST. A version of Chopsticks accompaniment song with piano (?)... nope. Uh-uh.
-Not an entire fan of the ML actor Kim Min Jae and I felt someone else would've been better casted for the role but that's just my personal opinion.
-Is that Da Li in a daze again? Yup, it is.
-Let's not forget to add the father assemblyman hitting his daughter because apparently, we need more physical abuse towards women in kdramas
-The FL lead gets berated and insulted by her new lover, her uncle, her cousin, the father-in-law, the ex-boyfriend, a female co-worker, the mother-in-law, and whoever else I'm forgetting... oh add me to the list now too. Sorry but not sorry.
What I did like:
-The dialogue between Moo Hak and Da Li and heartfelt moments were shared. There were some pretty nice writing there I gotta admit especially after the adoption reveal
-The art and gallery scenes
-I love Won Tak's character... and I had a few good chuckles at some of the scenes he was in
-The bromance between Won Tak and Moo Hak
-When Da Li had her great moments but unfortunately they didn't give her enough. For all her class, upbringing and smarts, she should've been written a bit stronger or at least been able to hold her ground and talked back respectfully against the BS the elders yelled at her. I'll blame the writers for that missed opportunity.
-The plot and mystery about the gallery and the twists and turns at least kept me interested
-The backstory of Moo Hak's upbringing and his contribution to the growth of Dondon F and B
-Moo Hak's scenes against Tae Jin were well written
I was annoyed at first with ML and his yelling and when that got toned down and they wrote him to be more empathetic, that was when I enjoyed the show a bit more. I think I had a lot of respect for the FL earlier in the series as a strong woman but all that went out the window soon after. It was disappointing not to have her show some growth as they did for the ML. It was all about the FL acting shocked and crying during most episodes in the entire series. She basically puts up and takes everyone's sh*t. I wasn't a fan of the ending either. They put in an unnecessary time jump and twist. The lover's spat was just uncomfortable to watch with the ML yelling all over again and really, no one cares about the inlaws.
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Shinobi no ie: House of Ninjas
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A Cure for Those Who Are Nostalgic for Ninja Dramas
I quite liked this. It's been a while since a good, live "ninja/shinobi" or Samurai series has come out and this was a refreshing take. It focuses on a family who are one of the last of their kind. The Hattori family and their rivals, the Fuma clan.It had all the stealthy and shadowy vibes that you find in most kinds of films or dramas.
While the storyline follows the Tawara/Hattori family, the reveal of the brother's death was done in a timely manner without dragging out the suspense and mystery surrounding it.
The romance part of it was all kept on the DL so it didn't ruin or add too much to the story itself. As for the music, I wasn't really a fan. I think that using a lot of music with English lyrics was a bit distracting especially since the lyrics showed up in subtitles during high-action scenes. I think that in this kind of production, instrumental Japanese music would've been more appropriate, especially during the fighting scenes.
The last fighting scene had a bit of comedic humor that felt out of place but was oddly satisfying (I'm referring to the arm). I do feel like the conclusion could've been better simply because the final scene where ppl died seemed pretty predictable and preventable. Also, it would've been better to see the family push back against their superiors a bit more at the end considering all the sacrifices they had made.
Otherwise, I still enjoyed it. I would n't rewatch the series as a whole but maybe some of the action parts. But if another season came out, I'd definitely watch it!
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A SHOW ABOUT EMOTIONAL BAGGAGE
I think this show should've been re-written for a younger audience and the actors should've been younger age group. I'm going to keep my review short as I am still debating on whether or not to drop this show.The "cells" are cute but I'm wondering if they're beginning to outgrow their usefulness on the show. I do love the actors but I'll say this more about the writing direction and storyline. It's getting kind of tired seeing the FL have continuous trust issues. I feel like this show is dragging on and on about the FL's trust issues. They rushed through the development of the relationship I think... it was basically they fell for each other, (which was sweet and romantic), and suddenly fast forward on showing the numerous dates they were having and now it seems the relationship to me is lacking common sense. There isn't any real honesty or they skirt around it. The relationship is lacking some kind of depth and true growth and some serious and open-minded talks to work through their issues.
You have ML who is clearly devoted to the FL yet she continues to drag along her emotional baggage from the past and all the hurt and trust issues she had with it. It's getting kind of repetitive and boring and that's also why I feel like the "cells" are outgrowing their usefulness and "cuteness".
So far I'm watching this just to pass the time but I feel like it's being wasted. I think that women in these times, (and at that age), are more able to adapt to heartache with strong survival instincts and that your ex is just that... your ex. The past. No terrible ex deserves even a crumb of your thoughts nor should you have to compete or "prove" your worth to them. Move on already and throw out the old baggage and start with brand new luggage.
We need more kdramas about women who don't let emotional baggage weigh them down but rather use it as a tool and stepping stone to learn and grow stronger from the heartache and uplift themselves. That just my opinion.
Update: I've dropped this show after watching E12. I feel like the writing has become sloppy just to make use of the "cells" and give them some air time. It's kinda getting boring watching the two leads constantly staring off into space just to show us constantly the inner thoughts of the "cells" working. As for the relationship between the FL and ML, is like they're always taking three steps backward for every one step forward. Why would the FL even think about bringing up marriage to a boyfriend who is feeling some financial troubles? To me, that's just a poorly written storyline. It also seems like they're trying to add an unnecessary love triangle and introducing us to new but annoying characters. That's enough for me.
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THIS AIN'T NO JOSEON ERA KIND OF SHOW
(Update Added)So far, so good. It's refreshing to see a different kind of female lead!
This series plays a joke on the usual K-dramas that somewhat seem "behind-the-times". This ain't no "is-this-a-shouting-competition-are-we-still-in-the-Joseon-era" kind of show. Honey Lee plays her characters, Mi Na/Yeon Ju, brilliantly with quiet strength, confusion, and no-nonsense kick ass. Yeon Ju is mistaken as Mi Na, landing squarely in the enemy territory of her in-laws. She unexpectedly finds herself in verbally abusive situations, and yet dodges or handles it expertly with a "no-holds-barred" kind of attitude and won't tolerate any form of physical abuse. (I mean isn't it time to start writing those kinds of abuse unacceptable in any form anyways?) Her sassy temper and sharp mind pull out the stops against the schemes of her terrible in-laws and even her own remaining family.
As Yeon Ju takes the place of Mi Na, she is comedic, innocent yet downright scary. Although she suffers from amnesia, her heart, intelligence, and toughness all shine through as the core of who she really is. Her chameleon character changes effortlessly like the different languages she unwittingly and surprisingly speaks. As the story unfolds, it's interesting and entertaining to watch Yeon Ju "swimming with the sharks" so to speak as she works to save Mi Na's place as a rightful heiress while navigating the schemes of the terrible in-laws.
I'm enjoying this show immensely and I commend the cast, the writers, and those behind-the-scenes for a job well done so far. As of writing, I've finished EP 7 and will update my review when the show concludes. Make sure to watch the endings with the epilogue after each episode!
"One The Woman" is definitely "One To Watch"!!
(Update)
Because of my original heading and reference in the show about this not being a "Joseon era kind of show", I had to laugh when the "Joseon Era" scene was added later in the show! Hilarious!! I literally laughed out loud!
So to update my review, I lowered it from a 9.5 to an 8.0 rating. For me, I think that as soon as the FL found out she wasn't Kang Mi Na, the story changed and we didn't see as many "stand your ground" moments from the FL anymore. In my opinion, that's what made the FL so interesting and endearing. I had really enjoyed her as Mi Na when she went up against anyone who stood in her way but the story shifted more to her being Prosecutor Yeon Ju; I felt that the writers could've given the character Yeon Ju a bit more "valiant" moments just like they had done for Mi Na's character previously. I think that's where the show lost its lustre for me personally. The second half dragged a bit. I also didn't feel as much chemistry between the two leads so the romance storyline wasn't enough to keep me interested or invested in them as a couple. I did, however, love the chemistry of Yoo Jun, (played by Lee Won Keun), and Yeon Ju, (Lee Ha Nee). (On a side note: Put these two together in another k-drama romantic comedy where a younger man unintentionally falls in love with an older woman and I'm all for it! I could totally see these two in a rom-com where Ha Nee plays a sassy older lady who acts younger and carefree and Won Keun is the calm and more mature one who's so serious all the time and neither of them wants to admit they're falling for each other. I ship them in that kind of story... Yup, I said it... so someone better get on that stat!)
Okay back to the review... the Han family. They didn't contribute much to the storyline in the second half of the show and felt they were just added on as fillers. It would've been better to see Alex/ Seung Wook unseat Chairman Han personally. The Chairman, Seong Hye, and Chief Prosecutor Seung Deok's endings could've been more punishing. However, I do commend all the actors and I love watching Kim Won Hae, Kim Chang Wan, and Ye Soo Jung in any roles they play!
Overall the show had a great start and mild pace in the middle but didn't finish as strong in the end as I had hoped.
On another personal side note, a lot of the time, we often see a strong FL but as soon as a man comes along, her character becomes unrecognizable. (*cringe) I'm still glad however that we got to see a different kind of female lead in this show and look forward to seeing more of these stronger women types in future k-dramas!
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Over the Top Drama and Dumb*ss Ending
So the story is basically about a young girl named Ra El who witnesses her father get beat up, murdered, and framed as a corporate spy just so that the evil guys, the Han family, can take over his company. You have a high society and powerful Han family, who basically act like thugs behind the scenes. It's like they're trying to make the villains seem really evil by adding hungry dogs, vicious beatings, and over-dramatic "evil smiles". Ra El herself gets injured when the same bad people come after her for her shares in her father's company. A human rights lawyer, Seo Eun Pyeong, who tries to help her but fails, sends her away to America to protect her. So Ra El comes back to Korea, under a different identity with revenge in mind to take on the Han family. She started by first getting married to one of the bad guys, (who came after her shares when she was younger), she befriends the daughter, So Ra, of the Han family while at the same time, seduces So Ra's husband, Yoon Kyeom.The only one who truly recognizes her and suspects her revenge quest is the human rights lawyer, Eun Pyeong, who is now a hopeful presidential candidate. He tries to persuade Ra El to not follow down the revenge path.
There are a few scenes that are a bit steamy but overall, I'm just not feeling the whole seduction theme with Ra El and Yoon Kyeom. All the tango dancing, hand humping, and face slapping are all a bit much. Between Ra El's wide-eye staring with sometimes over-the-top eye glitter or lined eye makeup, we have grown women dancing the tango in a kindergarten school recital. It's so out of place. How much tango can we take if this isn't a dancing show?
No one seems to notice men fighting over Ra El because apparently even her husband, is never around or cares enough to see something is amiss with her. There are older men desiring the younger Ra El and when she finally gets together with Yoon Kyeom, it seems lacking and rushed as we have to watch it in between scenes where his wife, So Ra is throwing ridiculous, childish tantrums.
There's a scene where Yoon Kyeom is playing the piano and Ra El is dancing in the room and while they try to make it sexy, I'm just trying not to roll my eyes at the cheesy scene. Like, "Dude can't see you dancing behind him, lady." (insert roll eyes and snicker here).
Maybe, I'm just not loving the whole older man and younger woman mistress. He's falling for her sexually but they're making it seem like he's "in love" with her. I'm not sure if they're going to make these two the endgame but I'm not feeling it at all. Their chemistry is just so off.
They try to make the dramatic scenes even more "dramatic" by adding over-the-top background music, like some kind of Game of Thrones orchestra, and then adding slow-motion or still scenes of just staring. The music builds up and then it's like... nothing. Lol. Getting really repetitive and boring. Also, the FL's voice is so tonal. There's something off about it. I get that she's playing a fake persona, but her voice always has the same "fake-ness" in all the scenes. Maybe it's just the actress.
I'll update my review, (watched up to Ep6 as of writing) if I can make it to the end but so far I'm not loving this. I'm not too keen on her sleeping her way through revenge.
Update: (More major spoilers below)
So I watched up to EP12 and barely made it... took me a few weeks to re-start and continue and then I watched EP 13 and I was like, "OMFG... what f*cking farce is this show?" Of all the surveillance and gadgets the FL, Ra El has, the ML, Yoon Kyeom manages to easily waltz into her "secret" lair and discover the truth about Ra El's goal to take down his company. Was this the best the writers could do?! So pathetic. What a cop-out. Not to mention he got angry for her stealing files out of his own vault that HE gave her the code to access in the first place.
-Let's also talk about how Yoon Kyeom finally realizes Lee Ra El's intentions and her reasonings that it all had to do with her father's stolen company, Gediks. The Gediks contract/ledger was stored in his vault this entire time. It was a contract with blood splattered all over it. Like that wasn't a major clue to Yoon Kyeom that something murderous transpired to obtain the company?? Ya' okay. He acts all surprised when he finds out the truth.
-The two leads declare their love for each other and it's so dumbass. After Ra El discovers all that happened with her mother's death and the death of her "fake mom" on top of all that, she's still in love with the Chairman? Like WTF. Their stupid love made me wanna vomit a little.
-By the last two episodes, basically, everyone losing their sh*t...
-You got the head of the Han family, an old man, trying to lift a sledgehammer and his daughter So Ra wearing a stupid dress with gloves and wrecking furniture with a hammer. Then she puts on some dark makeup to give us vibes that she's a crazy person but in the morning scene, her makeup looks normal. So then she reapplies crazy makeup again. Whatevs man. Okay, we get it, she's losing it. Enough with the clown makeup.
-The old man's brother tries to attack Ra El with another hammer and there's a fight between them that's just stupid, stupid, stupid because as usual, the FL gets rescued.
-Then the ML decides that the best way to end everything is by taking his ex-wife, So Ra, and driving themselves off a not-so-high cliff. He dies and she doesn't. Another WTF, laughable ending. We don't really feel any sympathy and for all the FL's acting and crying, you feel nothing. And you feel nothing for the Han family or Kyeom's side of the family. Like nothing. The only ppl you feel sorry for are the two young innocent daughters. The FL just basically wants nothing to do with the stepdaughter anymore, so that daughter loses out on a stepmom who once doted on her. Not to mention, her "fake" grandmother had also died. The ML's daughter is basically left orphaned. Why these kids were included in the first place was just so that ML could look at the FL like she was some kind of protective mother when really, in the end, she just used these kids for her own selfish gains. Sure the step-daughter wasn't hers biologically but that doesn't mean she had to be a heartless, b*tch stepmom in the end.
-In the end, Ra El's goal to take down the Han family was concluded because no one could keep their sh*t together. The Han family doesn't really "pay" for their crimes.
I changed my rating to 6.5 to 5.0. Don't watch this crap! I pushed through the last four episodes and sacrificed four hours of my life I'll never get back to save you from misery!
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Falls On a Flat Note
First of all, if you haven't watched this yet and you're thinking this is some kind of lighted-hearted musical, be forewarned that this should've given an advisory warning for depictions of self-harm (suicide), sexual assault, child abandonment, poverty, murder, highschool angst, peer pressure, moderate bullying, physical assault on a female high school student and a terrible pet death. Everything you would find in a typical musical... ya' no. You've been warned.I don't really know how to briefly summarize this show. Basically, the FL, Ah-Yi, is a high school student who is struggling to make ends meet while trying to just get through school and at the same time take care of her little sister. Both parents abandoned them. So one evening she finally meets the ML, Ri Eul, the magician. Ri Eul basically performs some magical tricks to cheer her up. Later, they finally form an unlikely friendship after he manages to rescue her from getting sexually assaulted by her boss. That's pretty much the gist of it.
As the story develops later, a student goes missing and of course, the magician becomes the main suspect. This leads to questions about the magician and his background and whether or not Ah Yi and Il Deung, (the SML), believe if it's possible that he could be involved with her disappearance.
There are other secondary characters with their own subplots, the SML, Il Deung, her rich, smart classmate who has a crush on her, the annoying bully Ha-Na who bullies Ah-Yi and who becomes even more annoying when she keeps bugging the magician. There are also Il Deung's typically rich and no-nonsense parents and a useless teacher and an even more useless detective.
Now while this review has spoilers, I will only touch on a couple of scenes that really, really bothered me. Major spoilers are ahead...
At one point, a detective comes to Ah-Yi's school to question her about the magician who is now a suspect in the case of the missing student. But guess who walks in at her school as a witness? The former boss who sexually assaulted her. Like OMFG... how could this happen in real life? Then she's visibly shaken and the MALE detective and MALE teacher don't take note of her obvious, shaking discomfort and fear. To top it off, when she tries to explain what really transpired, (about the sexual assault), the boss, the abuser, cuts her off and interrupts her purposely so she never really gets to explain her side of the story.
This scene had me raging. I couldn't believe the writer(s) thought it was okay to write the victim basically being silenced and ignored in a place like her own school. It could've been written like she was able to stand her ground and have the courage and power to face and point out her abuser so that at the very least, she could've been instrumental to the case and helped the detective. We need more empowering scenes for young women who are victims of assault, not diminishing ones. The writer(s) really messed this up. Even with the detective and teacher being in the same room as her but being completely oblivious to her reaction was ridiculous. All they did was stop all the yelling the former boss was doing.
In another scene, I won't say which characters these two were but one scene happens, where a female student gets almost choked to death by a man. Now of course, perhaps he was so enraged at the time, but still, this is unacceptable to me as he never gets held accountable for it. It also made me dislike this character after. I get it, what she did was really bad but it was also accidental. I dunno, maybe it's a reasonable reaction on the guy's part in the heat of the moment... had it been a guy who made him angry but not a young woman. It would've been better for his character had he just chased her out enraged or she just ran out guiltily. A real man would never hit a woman. Ummm...
Another thing that bothered me... It's hard for me to understand the relationship between the two leads. I'm not sure if they tried giving the magician a "savior" concept or what but I feel confused as to his relationship with the female lead, a high school student and minor. Like, was he a big brother, uncle, friend, or possible future boyfriend? Did he like her "like" her or just liked her like a friend or little sister? It was kind of uncomfortable to watch because he's an adult and she's a minor and there are some scenes where it almost felt predatory and like "grooming". Just when you think you get comfortable with these two as "friends", something small happens that makes you cringe. He would do something subtly or intentionally that makes you uncomfortable even if it's related to "magic". I don't think that writers or directors were able to draw a fine line early enough between these two leads. And how many times can you ask, "Do you... believe in magic?" or say, "Annarasumanara"? Sigh... apparently, not enough times. Also, there are gaps in whether or not the magic is "real" or just tricks. Or maybe he's just a psychic. Or maybe the magic is real, or maybe the necklace he wears has magical powers, or maybe he's really a magical butterfly... whatevs man. I'll never know and I'm actually okay with it because a part of me doesn't care enough. I should also mention that I pretty much figured out the ending and who the main culprit was very early.
Lastly, that last ending musical performance. It just didn't fit into the overall show. I get it, I've watched a lot of musicals to know that in the end, they have a small musical number to feature and applaud all the characters, but for some reason, it felt out of place and cheesy, piled on with more cheese and more cheese. Even the audience's acting seemed awkward and forced. Perhaps because it was over the top with just bad choreography. Musical endings like that are usually found at the end of live Broadway shows. Musicals in movies, like Moulin Rouge, Sweeney Todd, Out of the Woods, Phantom of the Opera, etc., or TV musicals don't usually have endings like that unless it's animation. A blooper or gag reel would've been a more suitable ending.
Also, if you're looking for a happy ending with any of the characters, there isn't anything really impactful or worthy enough for the audience to be so happy about the ending. It's all just lacklustre.
I had strong hopes for this show, especially with the first episode but after that, it was just missing something. While the singing was good, I just felt they were missing some kind of strong emotions behind them. I felt like some voices weren't powerful enough. My only fave scene was when Hwang In Youp (Ryan Leon), who played Il Deung, sang with his guitar. That was really more of the kind of musical concept was I looking for. Uplifting, not like depressing and stressful throughout most of the whole show.
Unfortunately, I don't think I'll rewatch this one nor would I recommend it. I really had high hopes for this.
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How Can Senior Friends Not Know And Trust Each Other with No Questions Asked?
Major Spoilers Ahead:There is a junior named Ji Su Bin, who is very popular on social media thanks to his good looks. Su Bin's mom, Lee Mi Yeon is the CEO of an entertainment company. Su Bin is a trainee there and is supposed to be an upcoming rising idol. He ends up getting transferred to the same school where there is a senior, the ML, Han Yu Seong, who looks similar to him. Everyone who follows Su Bin on social media, calls Yu Seong the "fake" Su Bin. For some strange and unexplained coincidences, Su Bin and Yu Seong always dress similarly or dance similarly, so everyone calls Yu Seong the "fake" Su Bin. The general thinking is that Yu Seong is "copying" Su Bin.
The FL, Oh Ro Si is a close friend of Yu Seong and she has now debuted with a group called Ice but it's apparent that her other group members are microaggressors and bully her. She finds herself alone a lot of the time. She happens to cross paths with Su Bin and it becomes apparent that he crushes on her although she is Yu Seong's close friend.
There are a few backstory hints from another one of Yu Seong's closest friends, Hyeon Wu. He tells their other mutual friends, Oh Ro Si and Sin Da Ra that Yu Seung really detests copycats. While growing up, Yu Seong and his mom basically suffered under Su Bin's mom, Mi Yeon, and Su Bin. Yu Seong's mom once saw Su Bin wearing the same cardigan as her son and she practically tore it off him. She didn't want them wearing the same clothes. Yu Seong also suffers from anxiety and panic attacks.
So by Ep 3 and 4, both of Su Bin and Yu Seong are supposed to do their own solo performances in front of the school and since Su Bin is the first to perform, it becomes apparent that his dance is exactly the same as Yu Seong's. Yu Seong decides not to perform but the audience hears the song and realizes it's the same song that Su Bin had just danced to. Everyone in Yu Seong's circle becomes suspicious of Su Bin copying Yu Seong's dance. Su Bin tries to defend himself to Oh Ro Si and she becomes confused about who to believe.
However, later Su Bin hears something suspicious about Yu Seong's dance and goes into his mother's computer. There he finds a secret folder with information about Yu Seong. His dance, his school ID and info, the places and food he likes, etc... There's a lot of information about Yu Seong, and Su Bin is shocked.
That's the plot so far.
The episodes are short and to be fair, I gave this a 7.5 rating so far. I will adjust later when the series concludes. I have a few gripes with this story because, first of all, Yu Seong is a senior in the performing arts school he attends. So by now, everyone who attends that school should be familiar with him. The fact that other classmates are calling him "The Fake Su Bin" makes no sense. Another thing to mention, is that first of all, in the beginning, Su Bin's mom kept Su Bin's identity a secret, but when Yu Seong accidentally appears on his friend, Da Ra's vlog, all of the sudden, Su Bin's identity becomes known, and he coincidently gets transferred to Yu Seong's school... where Yu Seong is a SENIOR.
Do the writers think that high school kids are that stupid? How can Yu Seong be the copycat? That makes zero sense.
Two other gripes I have is Su Bin's dance that was exactly like Yu Seong's. Like, I don't know how they're going to explain it but IMO, you know when you create a dance that's originally yours. Your own dance is like drawing your personal art. I'm interested to see how the writers are going to explain how Su Bin somehow managed to come up with the exact same dance.
Another thing is Oh Ro Si's doubts about Yu Seong. She's supposed to be close friends with Yu Seong but already she's doubting who is telling the truth after just one conversation with Su Bin. Another idiotic thing to write. I mean, don't insult women's intelligence and loyalty to their close friends.
There's also Yu Seong's anxiety and panic attacks. Parts of it may be related to a scary bedtime story his mom read him when he was little. He becomes traumatized with nightmares and emotional scarring that makes him afraid of water species with tentacles and can't even eat seafood. I don't know why they would write a storyline like that but here's to hoping there's more to the storyline regarding Yu Seong's panic attacks.
I'm wondering if it turns out that Su Bin's mom, Mi Yeon had an affair with Yu Seong's dad and that's why the two boys look alike. That would explain Mi Yeon's obsession with Yu Seong and why Yu Seong and his mom suffered. It's almost as if she wants Su Bin to be the "original" son. That's my prediction.
Anyways, I wish each episode was a bit longer. I rated this a 7.5 solely based on some of the negatives I've found so far. It could change later.
Updated: I'm really disliking the fact that Oh Ro Si is already siding with Su Bin who she hardly knows and not protecting her friend Yu Seong. It's making me really dislike her character. Ugh. She's playing the "pity" card for Su Bin but that just makes me mad that the writers are writing her character like that. I just end up seeing HER as the pathetic and unintelligent one. Like, get a clue. Stop ignoring the obvious signs. Sigh.
And what Su Bin starts doing to torment Yu Seong is actually a form of bullying and stalking. It's like microaggression bullying which the writers seem to like writing. I mean just because your mom's crazy, doesn't mean you have to go crazy too.
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The Moon That Rises in the Day
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The Disappearing Acts of Storylines
Spoilers:I'm trying to like this but by Ep7, I started fast-fowarding. I think feel like everything has gone to the wayside or tossed aside quickly. Like the FL's career, the bitchy co-star, the fact that the ML had a lead in a drama... all of it gone. I enjoyed the aspects where people thought he wasn't a fit for the historical role but then he surprises everyone. But all that is gone now too. I mean, everything is swept under the rug. The FL was a firefighter who knew martial arts, then became a bodyguard and now a... I don't even know what she is anymore. A gf? Ex-wife? A confused walking reincarnation? ML beats up bad guys, bad guys disappear from hospital. Girl gets hit by car, bad guy hides, gets murdered, and police rule it a suicide becuz of the letter. Bitch actress wants to get rid of FL, brother says, here's a photo of you in chahoots with previous dead guy, Buh-bye. Brother pushes FL off a cliff, he runs and now he's dead too. Like omg. WTF. Then we get interrupted by your daily historical blast from the past which repeats what we learned earlier but just more dragged out. It's like they started off by showing us a condensed version of the past, only to show us the extended versions later with more angst and tears but it's just really on repeat.
The ML's main expression is broody, moody and threatening and the FL's is confused, dazed or teary-eyed. And the villain is just evilly smiling or maniacally laughing. Wash, rinse, repeat.
Thankfully it's only 14 eps and I just wanna see if the ML ends up alive at the end.
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Love It But Don't Be Fooled...
Okay, first off, I didn't read the webtoon so I can't compare. I do say that this is a refreshing show but it does have its drawbacks. You may fall in love with all the fluff but there are some negatives to point out. BTW, I originally gave this a 9.0 rating from EP 10 and by EP 12, I changed it to a 7.5So, briefly explaining the plot, the FL, Ha-Ri, decides to go on a blind date in place of her best friend. Apparently, they do this switch-a-roo because Ha-Ri is good at acting and making all the blind dates fail. However, of course, that one blind date goes awry because as you already know, the blind date is with the ML, Tae-M.oo who is the CEO of her company.
Now from the get-go, while Ha-Ri's antics to get him to dislike her is funny and hilarious, you don't get to know what his first impression was of her. You do get to hear the inner monologue of the FL and the first impression she has of him but you don't know what he thinks of her. So despite all her silly antics, he decides that he wants to marry her anyway. Of course, she refuses him flat out. He finds out later that she wasn't the original person he was supposed to meet and using that, he binds the FL into a contractual fake relationship so that his grandfather will stop arranging blind dates for him.
Ha-Ri still doesn't tell him that she works for his company, so she constantly tries to hide from him at work and of course, later he finds out.
There's the second FL, Young Seo who is Ha-Ri's best friend and has a crush on the second ML, Sung Hoon, who just happens to be Tae-Moo's secretary and best friend.
So as of this writing, I've watched up to EP6 of 12 episodes.
So here are some drawbacks:
-There's a part where a voyeur secretly films the SFL and later gets caught. The SFL is actually a rich heiress. When she's on the way to the police station with evidence that she was videotaped, the voyeur stops her and of course, she gets pushed down and now the second ML, Sung Hoon comes running to her rescue. Then later, the ML, Tae-Moo sweeps in and finishes off the bad guy at the police station using his connections and money. IMO, this is something that the rich SFL could've done herself. But falling for the "damsel in distress" trope, they make the SFL into more of a victim rather than a woman who could've dealt with the bad guy just like the ML did. Instead, it could've been written that the SFL decides NOT to be a victim of this voyeur or at least make the bad guy very regretful he ever crossed her. She's a rich heiress and a powerful businesswoman too.
-There's a dress montage where the ML picks out dresses for the FL and she tries them all on and he picks which one HE likes because of course, it's a fake anniversary gift to HER. They turn this moment of him looking at her like she looks gorgeous in this dress so it's all so lovey-dovey... but don't be fooled. From another vantage point, the FL agrees that she likes the dress too even though the dress is too small and she can hardly breathe, let alone eat in it but who is she to say anything? After all, he's buying. The dress later rips and he's a "hero" for covering her backside, and later they "laugh" about it but does he apologize for kinda forcing that dress on her or ask her why she didn't say something earlier? Why not write it like he's sorry for making her wear it and she says, "I should've said something and now I know better." Something where they both learn and grow together?
-At one point, Ha-Ri tries to hide out in the bathroom when the CEO's grandfather has to use it and she refuses to open the door. She's afraid he'll find out who she is so she tries to keep the door closed even though the grandfather badly needs to use the bathroom. The door finally bursts open and the grandfather falls and hurts himself and Ha-Ri doesn't reach out to grab him because she wants to just hide her face. Not a cool scene at all. There was a lot of fuss over this about disrespecting the elderly and I agree. I mean, she could've just dashed out but whatever.
-There's the ML's reaction when he finds out Ha-Ri works for him and that she lied and hid her real identity from him. He abuses his authority as a boss making her overworked and stressed emotionally. Not the best writing. Same ol' cliché of the rich boss being bad while the female employee puts up with it. She even begs him to keep her job because of course she lied to him so it's ALL her fault. Would've been better if she had quit and he begs her to come back.
-The FL's drunken confession of telling the ML who she really is, (btw, Netflix gave away this spoiler and put it in the details as the episode was released so I read it first and was disappointed finding out how the ML finds out the truth before I watched it). Anyway, of course, the FL admits who she really is to the ML but she's drunk and she thinks she's dreaming and she forgets the next day. It would've been better had she been sober.
-The SFL has an embarrassing moment where she really needs to go to the bathroom and the bathroom is locked. Of course, the SML "saves" her again in the nick of time. Oh btw, he also "saved" the SFL from a CGI cockroach in her apartment. So in total, he saved the SFL from the cockroach, the voyeur, and from the bathroom fiasco and if we include him catching up to her while she's walking home drunk, that would be 4 times. Also, as for the FL, when Ha-Ri's friends run into her, they ask her about her "rich boyfriend" which was actually a lie that the SFL made up for her bestie, but luckily the ML steps in front of Ha-Ri's friends and pretends to be her boyfriend. So basically all the women get the embarrassing and humiliating moments but none of the guys really. They just fall into the "heroes" tropes all the time.
-The SFL kisses the SML while she's drunk now you have a love connection between the two. I'm not liking the fact that the second ML reciprocated the drunken kiss. Would've been better if he was a "gentleman" and didn't give in to a drunk woman. Like WTF is with the women having to be drunk in pivotal moments?
-You hear all about the SFL's feelings about the SML but you don't hear much about him and how he feels about her really. Everything is focused on the second female lead's feelings.
Okay, so don't get me wrong, I do love this rom-com but I'm being unbiased in some moments where it could've been better. I'm not sure if this is the fault of the writers of the show or because it's following the webtoon. As previously mentioned, I've never seen the webtoon so I can't say. Also, I'm not a fan of the OST... it just isn't as memorable or catchy. I still can't remember it even now.
Btw, I'm a huge fan of Paul Anh (Anh Hyo Seop) and I think Kim Se Jeong is perfect for this role!
Update:
I just finished watching this and I found the last two episodes lacking. It wasn't rushed but I felt like it was unsatisfying to watch at the end. Something was just missing. The whole grandfather's disapproval was dumb, dumb, dumb... Can someone tell me what was the point of showing us scenes where the grandfather is watching his fave kdrama if it really didn't contribute to the main story? I thought maybe the grandfather would've approved of Ha-ri after seeing how Shin Geum-hi was treated on that show. Pointless scenes if you ask me.
Anyways, all in all, it was funny and cute but I do have to say that the last two episodes were just so-so and missing something. The OST was barely memorable as well.
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