Soula
There's nothing particularly remarkable about Secret Garden, but it is a solid drama. I finished it in 3 days and there was no point where I didn't want to continue watching (I actually had to convince myself to pause the drama and go to sleep haha). There's nothing particularly unique or breathtaking about Secret Garden, especially when you compare it to what all has been released in the K-drama world since it's release. BUT, it *is* enjoyable. I found all the characters enjoyable to watch. My favorite character was probably Oska (Yoon Sang Hyun is so entertaining!) because he was cute and sincere. Even though the male MC's mother was a b*tch, she wasn't that different from most chaebol mothers portrayed in the K-drama world, so I wasn't too surprised or terribly bothered by her antics. And all the characters got a clean ending and the ending for our MCs was wrapped up well and satisfying.
The OST was nice, but it isn't my favorite out of all the K-dramas I've watched, BUT I really really REALLY love Scar by Bois - you can feel the pain and sorrow of the song and it gets stuck in your head in a good way (very easy to hum by yourself haha).
I would really recommend watching Secret Garden if you haven't gotten around to it, especially if you've been in the K-drama world for a while. It feels like a mainstream "classic" that everyone really should watch. Secret Garden definitely has more PDA than the dramas I'm seeing these days, but it leaves you with very pleasant and warm feelings.
Also, I found Kim Joo Won's chant about the turtle and the crane joke to be sooooo adorable. XD
Vond je deze recentie nuttig?
Please Come Back, Mister
0 mensen vonden deze beoordeling nuttig
Deze recentie kan spoilers bevatten
I only really decided to watch this drama because of one particular clip I saw with some sexual innuendos and colossal misunderstandings due to said incident. It was absolutely hilarious and my interest was officially peaked. The main reason why I was ever uninterested was because I never really heard many people talking about it, so I was kind of wondering, "maybe it's not worth the time...?"But OMG I am SO glad that I finally watched it! I essentially binge watched it (I would have finished it much faster if I could have, but alas, adult duties call ;) ). I was hooked from the very beginning. The characters were all interesting and I did not find one single character horribly annoying or intolerable. I enjoyed the plot and each of the characters in their own ways.
Usually the actress, Lee Min Jung is someone I either hate or am indifferent toward in a drama, but in this one, her character was pleasant and justified in her actions, so I enjoyed her scenes with other characters just as much as other main characters. I'm happy that I've finally found a drama with her that I don't dislike her in.
I've never seen Lee Ha Nui in a drama before, but she was particularly wonderful to watch. She did a great job portraying all these different emotions and feelings WHILE still being sexy! It was great! And even though she was depressed, vulnerable, and weak (especially in the beginning), she never became annoying or intolerable during the drama.
But the actor that I think deserves the absolute most recognition is Oh Yeon Seo. She did an absolutely amazing portrayal of a man in a woman's body. Portraying her character's fumbling and ungraceful mannerisms as well as deepening her voice were just some of the nuances that she established to truly reflect a man inhabiting her body. Her performance was amazing in this role and has motivated me to look into her other dramas simply to experience her acting again. I sincerely applaud her amazing performance!
The only reason why this drama did not score a perfect 10 is because :::START SPOILER::: I wasn't happy with how Han Gi Tak was forgotten/erased in the end. I don't think it was necessarily fair, especially compared to how Young Soo definitely fell into some gray area with his wife figuring out it was him before he left to go back to heaven... I understand that Gi Tak probably felt like it was better to be forgotten so Song Yi Yeon and Da Hye could live without guilt or mourning, but it doesn't sit right with me. He was a great man and deserved to be remembered.
And also, the end scene was a bit confusing. I've thought it over a number of times and I'd like to think that Hong Nan's doppelganger was ACTUALLY Gi Tak (with the wedgie pulling and everything) and not just someone who looked like him. The fact that we don't actually know what happened to Gi Tak for sure is simply unsatisfying (the angel, Maya, never specified what would happen to them after they were erased...). Plus, the smile between the real Lee Hae Joon and Hong Nan (doppelganger?) in the last few moments could have so many meanings! Honestly, that last scene all together is an anomaly that can be interpreted in so many ways that it hurts my soul. Its just not fair. I loved the drama so much and just needed a true resolution for ALL the characters. Is Lee Hae Joon in the last scene really Lee Hae Joon, or is it Young Soo and that's why he was giggling at Hong Nan and then smiled? Was that Gi Tak in Hong Nan's body or was that just someone who looked like (and acted like, remember wedgie picking) Hong Nan and it's just a coincidence? But then, why did she turn around and smile? Ugh. :::END SPOILER::: And THIS is why Please Come Back Mister did not get a 10/10 from me. Everything else was so nicely wrapped up and people were coming to terms and moving on. I was truly okay with them going back to heaven, but this ambiguous ending leaves me dissatisfied and simply unhappy with the ending.
Overall, this drama was truly wonderful (if you disregard the incomplete and therefore, unsatisfactory ending). Every episode made me laugh - upon multiple occasions I called my brother to show him some of the most hysterical scenes, which cracked him up too (and he's not even a K-drama fan!). This drama also had some more unexpectedly tender and heart-wrenching moments. But the producers did such a great job of balancing the sober moments with the comedic. I never felt like the drama lost its comedic side (which usually happens toward the end of a drama when shit hits the fan), which I was so happy to see. Also, the OST was GREAT! I loved every song and I didn't get tired of hearing any of the OST songs. I will likely rewatch this drama down the road and I will most definitely be adding this OST to my playlist. Highly recommend, especially for those who don't mind a relatively open-ended ending. Happy watching!
Vond je deze recentie nuttig?
I really enjoyed this drama, but it did have its imperfections. The only real imperfect worth mentioning is that I do not think there was a good balance of screen time for all the characters. While I know that the divorced MC and her childhood classmate are the true MC's, it felt like all 4 best friends were supposed to be unveiled throughout the story equally, but they weren't. The divorced female MC and the best friend whose marriage is a bit rocky I feel like get the most screen time where we get to really understand where each character is coming from.
Unfortunately, the other 2 best friends (the model best friend and the best friend who is always single) do not get sufficient screen time compared to their 2 best friends. The reason I say this is because the model friend and the single best friend feel very superficial - we don't really learn anything to their histories/in-depth interactions with their significant others to really get anything other than shallow stereotypes. This wasn't too distracting as I was not too terribly interested in the chronically single best friend, but I did find myself curious about *how* things were able to turn out the way they did for the model friend with her significant other.
The imbalance of screen time wasn't anything that ruined the drama, just something I think could have made the story stronger on all ends for a more well-rounded drama.
I'd recommend this drama to someone who would like to watch a romantic comedy with some touching/serious moments sprinkled in. The balance on genres was good, so when things do get more serious they don't get overly dramatic because something comedic always pulled up the tone.
I probably won't rewatch this drama as a whole and instead, I'll rewatch some funny clips or watch some music videos for this drama.
Vond je deze recentie nuttig?
Also, I watched this drama TWICE in one week, which I think goes to show how AMAZING it is. Not only was the plot well thought out, but the drama was FUNNY. Laugh out loud funny! It was amazing. I will definitely be watching this drama again in the future. Most definitely worth the watch (and rewatch haha)!
Vond je deze recentie nuttig?
As a warning to those people who aren't sure if this is something they are interested in watching - there is A LOT of skin revealed in this movie. There are full-blown sex scenes and entirely naked characters are shown as well. Personally I did not mind how uncensored this movie was, but it is definitely not appropriate for all audiences/ages/maturities, so you might want to have some caution as to who you are planning to sit down and watch this movie with.
Vond je deze recentie nuttig?
Overall, I think the drama was well executed and the cast was well chosen for this drama. Choi Jin Hyuk is officially one of my favorite actors (his voice is SEXY).
My only issue really was the way the time travel was presented, specifically toward the end. The way the MC, Kwang Ho, initially jumped in time was okay and didn't bother me because it was the paranormal of the drama. But unfortunately, I don't feel like the drama followed any specific logic or rules when incorporating the time travel, which made it a bit inconsistent toward the end. The fact that Kwang Ho's actions in the past when time jumping played no part in the way the future played out/changed kinda bugs me because that makes no logical sense... If Kwang Ho did *anything* in the past when time jumping that was different from history, the future would be at least slightly altered just to simply allot for those events having taken place.
Another thing that really made no sense to me was when catching the bad guy in the future --- it is important to catch the bad guy, but the REAL goal is to catch him in the PAST (back in the 1980's) so that way Kwang Ho can stop ALL the bad things from happening and hopefully having a brighter future for everyone. And while the sappy end scenes (before Kwang Ho goes back to his time) were well executed, why was everyone crying when they knew they were going to meet each other again in the past and likely live their lives together happily? Personally, I don't understand that. BUT, the acting while executing these highly emotionally charged scenes were excellent - I could truly tear-up for the characters who were weeping.
I'm sure I sound like I disliked the drama, but it *was* overall good, the time travelling was just my peeve as watching the wrap-up of the drama. Personally, I think it would have been important to see how the bad guy was caught back in the 1980's and therefore change the future for the better rather than wrapping things up in the future. I feel like it's a moot point when things *should* change when he goes back to the 80's.
I think this is a good drama recommendation for those people who love Criminal Minds who also enjoy a good science-fiction twist with the paranormal time travel aspect.
Vond je deze recentie nuttig?
I really loved certain characters, such as the lawyer friend, Ji Sang, and Oh Hae Young's parents. I personally enjoyed watching Ji Sang and the noona interact the most - their dynamics were pretty laugh out loud hilarious.
A lot of people said that Do Kyung's mother was pretty horrible, but I didn't find her to be that bad because the Chairman was WAYYY worse to me. And in the end, I still felt bad for the ex-fiance of Oh Hae Young. He got the short end of the stick soooo many different ways by so many people that I feel for him. He was douche-y at some moments, but I pity him, really - his life was pretty crappy all because of other people.
Overall, it was a very nice drama. I'm glad I watched it. Personally, I like a bit more comedy in my drama, but this was still good even though it had a bit more serious parts in it than I prefer. It actually reminds me a lot of Laughter in Waikiki. Laughter in Waikiki is very similar in set-up, just a much lighter version with no *real* bad guy other than life itself.
Vond je deze recentie nuttig?
For those of you who are history buffs - no, this drama is not accurate or representative of what history would have really looked like, but I was totally okay with that. This story was so light and fluffy with good feelings that it'd be difficult for the average viewer not to find it appealing. I will definitely be rewatching in the future! Happy watching!
Vond je deze recentie nuttig?
I was hooked from the very first episode and there weren't really any slow points. I think the pacing was good, and even though each episode dealt with it's own ghost story (for the most part), the overall plot continued to move forward smoothly.
I figured out the overarching plot twist about half way through, which I was pretty proud of myself for being right. Haha! Honestly, the plot wasn't particularly obvious, I just thought about it intently and put pieces together to make sense of the plot twist. And don't worry - the plot twist isn't completely crazy or nonsensical, which is also satisfying.
So Ji Sub is really a treat to watch, by the way. I really loved his acting and I really respect how well he can portray such different characters. In Oh My Venus, his character was so different and he really pulled both off so well. AND I liked both characters for different reasons because his acting is just THAT good!
Gong Hyo Jin also deserves recognition because she did such a good job portraying different "people" when she was possessed by ghosts. *Meow* XD
Seo In Guk was also really nice to see again - I saw him in the Reply series and have been craving his acting ever since!
Kim Mi Kyung.......I have such mixed feelings about her character because in all the other dramas I've watched with her, she always played a character that was helping the main characters and giving her advice when she could. While I understand that the aunt was just trying to do what she felt was best for her nephew, it still bugged me that she was such a vicious (NOT evil, just cut-throat) woman in this drama. She portrayed it well, I just didn't like seeing her playing this kind of character.
The ending was wonderful and really REALLY nicely wrapped up. The only thing that bothered me plot-wise, was in the last 2 episodes where the MC's are having some emotional struggles that they need to come to terms with. Which I understood, I just wish that that process was a bit smoother.
Overall, I really enjoyed this drama for it's outstanding cast, pleasurable OST, and well thought-out plot. Don't let the ghost's scare you away!
***Please be mentally prepared before starting this drama, especially to those who are sensitive to serious topics such as child abuse/neglect. There were a couple of scenes that could make viewers emotionally upset.
Vond je deze recentie nuttig?
I loved watching Bae Suzy, especially her shower singing scene (I've rewatched that scene at least 10 times since finishing the drama). The banter between Lee Jong Suk's character and Bae Suzy's character was so fun to watch and definitely kept the drama much lighter in tone, which I was thankful for. This was my first Lee Jong Suk drama and since then, I willingly and happily watch anything he's in because he's just that good of an actor (and I find him funny). He's also SUPER tall which I always forget until he's standing next to another character and they appear so much shorter. Haha! Anyways, I appreciated that the drama didn't get dark or serious, even though it definitely dealt with some serious topics. Humor was used in such a natural and perfect way throughout the drama, which really helped to keep me watching. The ending was very satisfying and complete.
Vond je deze recentie nuttig?
The only reason Reply 1994 has a lower rating than Reply 1997 for me, is because I simply preferred the story, chemistry, and characters in Reply 1997 more.
Vond je deze recentie nuttig?
Anyways, I enjoyed the tension between the two MC's and the side characters were entertaining. The backstory to the MC's was very sweet and heartwarming.
Vond je deze recentie nuttig?
Also, I really loved that the weight loss achieved by Joo Eun was realistic, reasonable, and done for health reasons, not vanity or vengeance. I think it really delivered a great message. Especially since her weight issues derived from medical issues and lifestyle habits, not out of pure laziness (which is something people may say to overweight individuals without knowing the entire situation or considering other factors).
I would recommend it to anyone who wants a light drama, with good laughs ("hey ma'am!"), sweet moral lessons, an amazing OST, and a steamy romance. AND I would absolutely watch again. I actually find myself watching clips from it often because it was so entertaining.
Vond je deze recentie nuttig?
My rating is a 6.5 because, while the story was interesting it wasn't really a genre/topic I found interesting to watch in regards to fiction. What really kept me watching this drama was how good the acting was, which therefore made the drama more appealing. I didn't find it to be a waste of time, so I would definitely give it a try if you find the synopsis interesting.
Vond je deze recentie nuttig?
Vond je deze recentie nuttig?
