1
manicmuse
NYC!
There are plenty of dramas about bffs falling in love, or how living together can turn into romance. The premise itself is pretty standard, but unlike other dramas that I've seen, this one doesn't just jump from strictly platonic to romantic love with a sudden revelation & a kiss. This one explores all the complicated in betweens, and conflicting/confusing emotions, that can come up when a relationship changes from friendship to possible romance. There are also no scheming exes, malevolent parents, debilitating diseases, social class barriers, or major "scandals" thrown in to add more excitement to the drama. It doesn't need any of that. Lee Jung Jin & Soo Ae's performances alone are enough to keep the story exciting. There is also a great supporting cast with interesting love (or lack of love) stories of their own, and a great overall theme about maturing into adulthood.
Maybe the fact that I've had a similar opposite sex friendship plays a role, but Hyung Tae and Nan Hee relationship really resonated with me, plus they had great chemistry. This drama took it's time realistically portraying their close friendship, and they are also had their own separate romantic storylines, which made the pace a little slower than a typical Kdrama romcom. I thought the slower pacing was perfect for telling this kind of story, and lots of humor kept it from feeling like it was ever dragging. It also helped to build anticipation. I honestly enjoyed every episode.
There were a few parts of the story that I think could have been handled a little better, but I think the writers did a really good job juggling different stories without losing focus on the main couple. I think the only weak character was Sung Ah, who after being mentioned so often in the drama, should have had a bigger presence when she finally appeared. I know she was meant to be portrayed as an outsider, but compared to the rest of the cast, her character bored me.
I also have to mention how weird it was to see a young Lee Tae Sung in this after seeing him recently in Rooftop Prince. It makes me appreciate his acting range, considering how different each role I've seen him play has been. He's a real sweetheart as Jung Joo, Nan Hee's much younger boyfriend. His character is the only one that really has anything to do with baseball, so this should not be thought of as a sports drama. Baseball is just used as a metaphor for relationships in a way that kinda reminded me of the movie "Love & Basketball". You don't have to like baseball to appreciate this drama.
Overall, "9 End 2 Outs" was a pleasant surprise, and I will definitely rewatch it. With all the cliché drama romcoms out there, this one certainly stands out. It's funny, and touching (though not a tearjerker), and I highly recommend it to anyone in the mood to watch a good romance unfold.
*I swear I didn't give this mostly "9"s on purpose : )
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The story centers around a ridiculously attractive couple played by Kim Hyun and Joo Ji Jin Hee. Their dysfunctional relationship ends up being the catalyst for infidelity, mistaken identity, family wars, business betrayals, and a lot of frustration (not a plausible plot at all, but still entertaining). Ji Jin Hee was great as Jin Eon (who I named "The Brat" because of his annoying tantrums), but Kim Hyun Joo was really unbelievable, and the MVP of this drama! I really thought of Hae Gang and Yong Gi as two completely different people. Even knowing that it was the same actress, I still felt like I was watching 2 completely different actresses who looked slightly similar. I started calling her "Orphan Black". Then there's Park Han Byul who played the young "homewrecker" who tests their relationship Seol Ri ( I started calling her "Young Ho" - inappropriate but befitting her character). I wanted to smack her in her head for most of the show, but that means she was really good. Then they added Lee Kyu Han as Baek Seok (who I named "Forever friendzoned"). Will he ever get the girl? I just watched him in "Can you hear my heart" and he is really the perfect second lead. I would totally friend zone a guy as cool as him, but I hope to see him as a lead (Does that drama exist?). In the first quarter, it's the dynamic between these four characters that drives the story, but this drama almost changed into a completely different drama several times before it ended. It's only the acting that really holds the whole story together.
I was really into the relationship story, then the show started to focus more on the corrupt family business, and that's when I started to slowly lose interest. Dok Go Young Jae, Baek Ji Won, and Gong Hyung Jin were great at playing characters you love to hate, but I just didn't care about that story line. Thankfully eye candy Lee Jae Yoon starts having a more prominent role (I called him Dr. Aspergers) and I started to wish that he, Kim Hyun Joo, and adorable Kim Ha Yoo had their own spinoff show. Soon I started to like them more than the main couple, who's antics became just too repetitive, but they weren't given enough scenes, and their story resolved way too early in the show. That's why, for the last few episodes, I was forcing myself to watch, because it seemed like a waste to drop it after committing so much time to it.
Would I rewatch this whole thing? No! I could definitely watch certain scenes again, strictly for the chemistry and attractiveness. The last few episodes felt almost like complete filler (so many flashbacks at the end), so watching those episodes even once was more than enough. I also didn't like the introduction of new characters at the last minute. It almost seemed like they had no idea how to resolve certain main character stories, so they just added random characters to make the audience feel better. I didn't feel better, I felt cheated.
What about the music? Ryu's "Years" is damn near impossible to get out of my head. That's probably because it was played so obnoxiously during every single tragically romantic moment. Once that drum intro started I knew Hae Gang and Jin Eon were about to have a "moment". It's a beautiful song, so having it as an earworm is forgivable. The rest of the soundtrack was good too, and I like how music played a part in reminding them about their daughter. Oh, and my confession about the Ryu song... yes I already downloaded it. The fact that i still wanted to listen to it after hearing it so many times during the 50 episodes, means I must like it a lot. I think I will play it while I finish writing this review, to set the mood *Cue drum intro*
Overall, This drama is good enough to recommend, but I definitely understand if people don't want to make the 50 episode commitment. I didn't feel that addicted feeling until about episode 10, and it didn't lose it's thrill until after episode 40. I'm personally not sold on watching dramas this long, but I have no regrets about watching. What this drama does really well is show the depths a relationship can go through, which I loved. This is a grown up love story that is sad, and sexy, and frustrating, and inspiring. I would recommend it, but suggest loading up on snacks, getting a super comfy spot, and not making any plans for a while.
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Unpopular opinion but honest...
Ok, here is my unpopular opinion. After years of people recommending this drama, and so many perfect reviews, and a brand new season, and a pandemic, I decided to finally watch Stranger, and honestly, I was bored. I kept waiting to get sucked into the story and it never happened. I kept wanting to root for the blank-faced Hwang Shi Mok, but I was as indifferent to him as he looked. Bae Doo Na as Han Yeo Jin was the only character I really liked a lot, and I did think the Lieutenant and Prosecutor duo had some great moments together, but as for the story - mostly I was very VERY bored.I admit that I don't have much interest in political crime dramas. I prefer thrillers, and this is definitely more crime drama than thriller. It starts off with a thriller vibe, but the pace was very slow and even tedious to me at times. There are several characters who are duplicitous, which is the main focus of this story, but not as much actual action and suspense. Most of this drama is conversations, arguments, eavesdropping, thinking aloud... LOTS of thinking aloud... I consider myself to be pretty analytical, but the plot didn't grab me enough to justify dwelling on the details. There are twists, but nothing truly surprising. There was nothing that made me excited to tune in to the next episode besides mild curiosity.
This is the kind of drama where you really have to love the characters to like it, and I found most of them to be pretty forgettable. The main character, who should have been the most interesting considering his back story, was too flat. I can't necessarily blame any performance, the acting isn't the issue, it's just that I had a hard time caring about any of them based on the plot. One character, Shin Hye Sun as Young Eun Soo, seemed completely unreasonable to me and I just couldn't sympathize. Other characters started to feel one-note, with lots of corrupt, greedy, and ambitious tropes.
Would I watch this again? Clearly not. I was tempted to watch this mostly in preparation for the 2nd Stranger season, but I will most likely pass on that one too. Well, maybe I'll give episode one a chance... but just out of more mild curiosity.
Overall, if you are not excited by the story early on don't expect it to be more exciting later. Most of the action is in the very beginning and the very end. I did become more interested around episode 14 and that's a long time to watch and wait for some excitement. To be honest, I should have dropped this and left it at that but with so many amazing reviews I was tempted to see if it would all be worth it in the end. The end is well done in some ways, and everything does come together, but for me, it wasn't worth completing. I wanted to add my opinion just in case anyone has a similar feeling while watching and is on the fence. The payoff wasn't big enough for me to justify recommending this. The most disappointing part is how they barely go into the main character's backstory, which would have been far more interesting than just watching him be slightly smarter than everyone with a mostly emotionless face, and maybe would have made him less boring to me. I won't say it's overrated, but it's certainly not for everyone. If corruption dramas are what you love you will probably like this way more than I did. If you find yourself wondering if there's romance... you probably want to skip this one. The political thriller shows I like are more like "House of Cards", but If watching someone solve a jumbo puzzle for 16 hrs sounds like a good time, you're in luck, because that's what watching this felt like to me.
Part of me wonders if high expectations made me dislike it more, but that's also what kept me from dropping it for good.
This isn't my first time not liking a beloved drama, so I'm fine being one of the less impressed few.
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"Emotional Damage!"
This drama is intriguing if you know what you're in for, and extremely frustrating if you don't. This isn't a true romance drama, at least not in the traditional sense. It's not exactly a love story either, but more a story about pursuing love... or running away from it. Many people watch romantic KDramas for the escapism of a 'soul mates who are meant' to be story or a 'love against all odds' story. Instead, we have a slow-paced drama about longing, obsession, denial, misunderstandings, toxic behavior, and emotional damage told in a more realistic way. The opposite of the escapism most people crave. I found the female lead enraging at times and the male lead frustrating, but I also couldn't look away. Yes, the leads have chemistry, but it's the kind of palpable chemistry that makes you torn between rooting for them and raging against them. This drama makes you seriously question what makes a relationship worth fighting for, or can it only be considered a love story if the love works out?It stars Yoo Yeon Seok as the stoic and dependable Ha Sang Soo, and Moon Ga Young as the stubborn and guarded An Soo Young. What I liked is that both characters felt non-cliché. Sang Soo,'s puppy dog eyes often made me feel bad for him while Soo Young.'s deceptive but pained smile made me both furious and sad. They are both messy, although it's clear that the female lead is much messier, and sometimes just the way they looked at each other could fuel the emotion of a scene. Then we have Geum Sae Rok as the spoiled romantic Park Mi Kyung, and the equally romantic Jung Ga Ram as small-town boy Jung Jong Hyun. If you hate love triangles be warned that this one is a love square most of the time and even ventures into love pentagon territory. Connections between the leads often get intense, depressing, and cringy... but never boring (although repetitive).
Would I watch this again? Not likely. I think the performances are great but what was exciting to watch the first time would probably just be upsetting if I watched again knowing the ending. Also, the story, although it follows a clear timeline, felt pretty one note at times. Boy pursues girl. Girl runs away. Repeat. Sure, it's not always as simplistic as that but that's still the main formula. The theme can be a downer as well since not one couple in this drama is drama & dysfunction free... well maybe one, but that's because they don't include them much in the story.
Overall, this drama is an acquired taste. We love to see stories of people who find the perfect match and live happily ever after, but what happens if you meet someone who sparks interest and desire but fear, misunderstandings, society, and past hurt get in the way? What if you love someone much more than they love you? What if you don't trust love at all? I understand why some viewers would not be interested in a drama like this, but I think I appreciate the imperfect love story it aimed to tell. I can even appreciate the reflective and bittersweet ending. This is one of the rare KDrama moments where the title is actually perfect. Whether it's about getting in the way of your own happiness, or regret, or accepting that every relationship isn't meant to be just because there's interest, it is definitely the kind of story that could have you reminiscing about any love unrealized. Still, This cast and this drama definitely held my interest, so if you're up for it, it may hold yours too.
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My guess is that Kim Sun Ah meant to play Jenny Jang as poker-faced and cold-blooded, but instead, she came across as robotic and with such an emotional backstory and such a fast-paced and plot-twisting story her being emotionless for the majority of the drama, besides a few restrained crying scenes, got old really quick. I felt like she was going for a similar vibe to Jang Hyuk as Pil Joo in "Money Flower" (which I LOVED) but he had so many emotions that were always noticeable right below the surface while Jenny Jang just seemed like she was on depression medication from the first episode until the very last episode only occasionally looking slightly shocked when something didn't go her way, or smirking and sneering slightly when pleased. Luckily so many of the other cast members are really exceptional and they are what kept me interested enough to keep watching.
If I had to choose a favorite character I would be torn between Jang Mi Hee and Park Hee Bon. Both of their characters are far from likable but their greed and ruthlessness were addictive to watch.
Jang Mi Hee is praiseworthy as the head of the Deo Group Kim Yeo Ok who puts success in her business before anything else, including her family. I loved watching her devious smile as she crossed lines no one would ever expect anyone but a sociopath to cross. Great villains are my favorite and she definitely falls into that category. If Jenny Jang had more of a personality and was less passive-aggressive their scenes could have been so much better but Yeo Ok's performance still shines. I also loved Park Jae Young as the Deo daughter Ye Nam. Her irrational greed and jealousy were so frustrating to watch that I wanted to reach through the screen several times and shake the hell out of her. I'm not used to seeing her as a villain type instead of the "quintessential bff" but she was perfect in this role. She didn't just play up her annoying and whiney characteristics but I also empathized. Even if I didn't like her I cared about her story and at times pitied her. I also loved her rivalry with Jenny even though she also carried the emotional weight in their scenes together too. I hope to see her in more roles as a main character.
The next characters that deserve praise are Kim Jae Young as Sun Woo who takes loyalty to the ultimate level, and the determined and strategic Go Min Shi as Lee Hyun Ji. I really loved their performances and complicated relationship. The scenes where they get to know each other better were some of my favorites in the whole drama. Jae Young nails Sun Woo's puppy-like loyalty but also his bad@ss qualities, and I found myself rooting for him much more than Jenny. I think that's because unlike Jenny he had moments where he was vulnerable and human, and that along with his backstory gave his character a lot more depth. I also loved that Hyun Ji was seemingly innocent and idealistic but usually one step ahead of everyone, and I liked watching her character evolve from being used to using others. I know Go Min Shi from one of my favorite dramas (The Smile Has Left Your Eyes) and I look forward to seeing her in more dramas. I think these two deserved way more screen time together, and their chemistry and storyline kept me interested when the rest of the plot lost some of it's spark. I wouldn't call the dynamic between these 3 a love triangle (or love square if you include Kim Tae Hoon
as Jung Hyuk) since there really isn't any romance in this drama, but it's more about devotion and support for each who they love with each character dealing with their own form of unrequited love.
The rest of the cast was good too but I wonder how much more I would have liked their performance if they got to play against a main character with more of a personality. The plot is also pretty fast-paced for the most part and has a good amount twists but as the drama went on things started to get more repetitive and less interesting until I was ultimately bored and no longer excited for the next episode to come out. Still, many of the twists are really well done, especially the first major backstory reveal which was jaw-dropping. And I didn't love the ending but the ending does make sense and wraps the story up pretty neatly, although it felt a little rushed even if I was definitely ready for it to finally be over.
Another petty complaint I have is that the "Secret Boutique" this drama refers to is mostly a glorified office and not worthy of inspiring the title name. I wish I could see more of the Boutique in action. Maybe that would have made the fact that Jenny built it with nothing more interesting too.
Would I watch this again? Maybe. I'm not sure if knowing what is going to happen would help me lower my expectations enough to like it more or just bore me for the second time. I would be curious to see if I missed anything since there are so many elements to this plot, but watching Kim Sun Ah's lackluster Jenny would probably be even less interesting the second time around. It also doesn't help that I didn't love the ending. Meanwhile, Yeo Ok is such a fascinatingly sinister character that it might be worth it just to watch her in action again. Who knew that stroking a cat and drinking tea could be so dramatic!
Overall this is a standard ruthless rich family power struggle makjang flavored with revenge that started off strong but just couldn't keep up the momentum. This really is the worst family ever on so many levels, which I found to be extremely entertaining, but because it centers around a female lead that I became indifferent to it's hard for me to recommend this drama without that warning. There's still enough to the story that I would recommend it to people who like rich family melodramas in general, it's still probably better than most in that genre in many ways, especially if you binge-watch instead of waiting on episodes as I did (which kept getting delayed). If you enjoy watching people casually do the most heinous things in the name of greed and power then there is plenty of that. I liked that I was never really sure who the good and bad guys in each situation were. It's also beautifully shot, like a film, with some scenes being visually stunning and haunting at the same time. As Aalia's Masquerade played for the final time I realized that this drama did deliver on what it was trying to do, even if I did still feel let down. Some viewers may also like Sun Ah's performance way more than I did, so it's definitely worth watching to judge for yourself. I think of this as Money Flower lite, which isn't a bad thing. It's also good to see such a female-dominated plot in general, with all of the men playing supportive roles to the women in this drama. This drama may be guilty of a few tropes but it being a female-centered drama around business and power is refreshing and unique. That alone may be enough of a reason to watch.
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I am the farthest thing from a Do Kyung Soo fangirl, but I was extremely impressed with him as the young fish out of water Prince. He is matched with Nam Ji Hyun, who I liked in a few dramas already (Suspicious Partner & Shopping King Louie), but these two specifically had really great chemistry together. I loved their banter from the start, and I loved how strong willed and equally frustrating they both were at times. Every scene they had together was entertaining, and I often felt like I was watching a real couple not matter how unbelievable their circumstances. They also both handled comedic and tragic scenes extremely well. And I think that period dress suits them both quite well.
Actually, I pretty much loved the entire cast, even the ones who didn't have the strongest storylines. The town members were all great, and more than just comic relief. I was genuinely interested in their side stories as well. I love a great villain, and Jo Sung Ha was so good that I almost found myself rooting for him at times. Another thing I loved about the characters is that they weren't all good or bad. Moo Yeon is the perfect example of that, and it helps that Kim Jae Young is easy on the eyes (all black definitely suits him). The storyline is pretty simple but the characters were often complicated which kept me interested from beginning to end. I really can't think of any character that I thought was weak. Maybe a few were less memorable than others, but most were well played, and played well off of each other.
As for the story, I appreciated that it didn't become overly complicated, and that the political parts didn't drag or take away from the lighter feel of this drama. There were some sad moments, and some tragic parts of the story, but the majority of the story is a romcom with the kind of comedy that made me giggle more than lol. I also liked the way the story ended, which I obviosuly won't give away, but it made me feel like the story came full cirlce in a way that made sense. I could see myself watching the whole thing again and still enjoying it. It may not be on the top of my rewatch list, but it has more than enough charm to make me consider watching it all again.
Overall I would definitely recommend this to those who avoid sageuks because they are too serious, or those looking for a cute couple to root for against all odds. It may not have made it's way to my list of favorites, but now that it's over I feel very... uncomfortable. Am I the only one feeling uncomfortable? :)
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The story revolves around a Mall's tragic collapse 10 years ago, and the plans to rebuild a new mall in the same spot. In the beginning I thought I would get bored by that plot pretty quickly, but the real story is all the characters directly or indirectly affected by this tragedy. Yes, it's also a great love story, but there are so many other interesting characters besides the main couple with their own struggles, romances, and personal battles. The characters are also extremely diverse as far as their circumstances (age, status, abilities...), but they all deal with their own frustrations, and self realizations. The cast is basically perfect.
Lee Jun Ho and Won Jin Ah were amazing together. I was impressed by how realistic their pain, angst, and chemistry felt. They never felt melodramatic or over the top, no matter how heavy the story got. Moon Soo has a cool no matter what personality, while Kang Doo has a dangerous charm, and both are frustrating at times, and heartbreaking at other times, but also incredibly cute together. I will say that Jun Ho was exceptionally good, and I was extremely impressed by his range. Whether he was tough, sensitive, smirking, crying, sickly, seductive, or just charismatic... he nailed every single emotion. I guess this proves once again that you can't underestimate someone by their past boyband status. I look forward to seeing many more awesome roles in his future!
This is the kind of drama where it's hard to pick out a few members of the cast because the whole cast is stellar. This review would be pages long if I tried to mention all the reasons why, just know that they are all realistic, sympathetic, imperfect, and that I genuinely cared about all of them. I will mention one MVP of the cast, which is saying a lot considering how good everyone was, and that's Kim Kang Hyun as Sang Man. There were many times that I thought his humor, wisdom, and emotional observations stole the show. It may be a stereotype to have the slowest person be in many ways the smartest, but he executed it so well. I loved Sang Man way too much not to mention him specifically.
I know I keep giving a lot of credit to the cast, but the writer and director deserve much of the credit too. The whole story feels extremely intimate. We get a sense of the Mall collapse's impact without it becoming too melodramatic. The images were also more haunting than gruesome, which gave them a stronger impact. The writer also avoids having everything work out perfectly, or making everything doom and gloom, which is part of why it all felt so realistic. Even during moments where the story felt a little slower, everything still felt connected, and necessary. There was one point where a character kept repeating the same frustrating action, and just as it was about to drive me crazy, they explained why they kept doing it and it all made sense. There's also enough balance in the story where it's never too sad, or too happy, for too long. If you like character driven stories, you will definitely not be disappointed.
The question of whether I would watch this again is tricky. While it's certainly good enough to watch again, you have to definitely be in the mood for this kind of story. Some of the suspense in wanting to know what decisions characters would make would be gone, which may make some episodes feel slower. Still, the cast is so phenomenal that I would enjoy watching these characters again even knowing the outcome.
I also really enjoyed the soundtrack. It was mellow, and moving, without being too distracting. I though that was perfect for a drama like this.
Overall, this is a must see drama, but be prepared for some tears... or many tears if you are a crybaby like me. With a story surrounding so many different characters, know that the ending is extremely satisfying (which I was worried about), as far as not leaving any characters hanging or forgotten about. I expected to be depressed when it was over, but instead I felt inspired to appreciate each day, even when life isn't exactly what I want it to be. From the beginning until the end I was totally invested in "Just Between Lovers", and I'm so glad I took a chance on it when I had no idea what to expect.
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Jo Jung Suk and Gong Hyo Jin are perfectly matched in this! She has basically paired with most of my favorite male leads at this point, and in some of my favorite dramas, but this match is definitely one of her best. Na Ri is quirky and likable, and frustrating, and definitely a memorable character. Parts of her personality would have easily made me hate her if she were played by a lesser actress, but she is so good that it works. Jo Jung Suk as Lee Hwa Shin however, is the key to what makes this couple so good. He's played lovably arrogant before, and extremely well, but he made me fall for him so much in this role, even though he is an absolute jerk. I don't want to give any of the story away, but it's certainly not your average love story set up. It also could have easily gone a much cheesier melodramatic route, which this story thankfully avoided. The plot stays true to the seriousness of the subject matter without losing any of the humor. What I never expected from these two was that they would have some EXTREMELY HOT moments, with an intense attraction that was addictive to watch. The relationship also felt real, with their personality flaws on full display, which made them super relatable.
Of course, I can't leave out Go Gyeong Pyo as Jeong Won. Not only is his bromance with Hwa Shin perfection, and an essential part of the story, but he completes my favorite kdrama love triangle, possibly of all time. These three actors had me excited about watching their shenanigans each week, and I could never quite guess what would happen next. I loved them so much that for the first time I was excited that a show was longer than I expected it to be. Gyeong Pyo is also the kind of character that the term "Second Lead Syndrome" was made for. His actions did start to annoy me after a while, but they never lost their charm as a trio, which was the best part of the show for me.
The rest of the cast is filled with memorable, and hilarious characters. It truly is a great ensemble, with entertaining stories of their own. I could spend all day writing about why I loved each supporting character, down to super cute Seol Woo Hyung, but I will just say it's a cast worthy of a perfect score. Again, I need to compliment the story for staying interesting, and not falling into the same old expected clichés. Although this is pretty much a romantic comedy, I not only laughed, but I cried, I also laughed while I cried, and got deeply invested in each story. It also made behind the scenes in the newsroom seem fun, interesting, and even intense at times. Usually, the "at the job" parts of the story just feel like filler to me in romcoms, but the cast and crew of SBC were entertaining on their own. I also feel the same way about the Chef, and the apartments at Rak Pasta, though it took me a little longer to get into that part of the story because it was initially kinda confusing (especially how related they all were without knowing it).
Would I watch this drama again? Absolutely. In fact, this is one of those dramas I was ready to watch again immediately after it was finished. I have the soundtrack, of course! The "step step" song will be stuck in my head for a long time! There are a lot of good songs and some that fit the mood of the story really well, like "Monday To Sunday"... which always played at the perfect time. Hilariously, "No No No" is maybe one of my low-key favorite OST songs of all time.
Overall, I knew this would be added to my favorite drama list halfway through, so of course I recommend it! By the end, I was totally satisfied and was never bored, and all the weirdness in the beginning made perfect sense... umm... except for the aliens... What's up with the aliens? Anyway, This is an absolute must for Gong Hyo Jin fans and Jo Jung Suk fans, and romcom fans in general. If you're not a fan of either, it's still worth giving it a shot. Prepare yourself to laugh, cry, and crave ramen while watching. This drama is definitely unique, so just go along with that "What the hell am I watching?" feeling that you will probably have in the beginning, and I don't think you will be disappointed. Personally, I miss the characters so much that I'm singing the OST to myself... "step, step, where do I go now?" :(
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Too much talk and not enough plot.
I expected "Doom at Your Service" to easily become a new drama favorite of mine. It starsSeo In Guk as an attractive and mysterious male lead, which is his specialty and almost a guarantee that I'll get hooked, but his storyline is hijacked by a mediocre love triangle/fractured bromance that made me lose any interest I had. Instead of getting a fully fleshed-out-fantasy- romance about Doom itself going against character and falling in love with a depressed woman, I got a boring office drama about writers and editors with way too much dialogue and not enough plot. This is also meant to be a tear-jerker yet my eyes remained dry the entire time. This drama went from addictive to barely watchable fast. I almost dropped it in the last episodes because it dragged so much. Maybe a more dynamic female lead could have kept me interested longer. Even though Park Bo Young may be cute, and even likable, she annoyed me as the Tak Dong Kyung.
Dong Kyung as a character starts off amazing. She does the unexpected, she appears brave and considerate and clever, but as the story loses direction so does the character. There were too many Park Bo Young scenes with her crying/whining before I had a chance to fully connect with the character's situation. I also felt declining chemistry between her and Seo In Guk as Doom/Sa Ram. What started with an interesting connection turned into long conversations and repetitive fantasy sequences but not a love story I could connect with. I'm just gonna say it, Seo In Guk is much better at passionate scenes and showing depth (like in "The Smile Has Left Your Eyes"), and he tried to carry many of their scenes with subtle choices I loved, but having Park Bo Young play so innocent, almost childish, missed the mark for me. She also seemed too indifferent about literally dying for too long. The denial in the beginning aside, which worked well, as episodes evolved I just didn't believe she was a woman making life or death choices which stopped me from caring enough to cry or just fall in love with the story. I can't say she was bad in the role, she just wasn't good enough to make me buy into this unusual plot. Big Park Bo Young fans may feel differently and be more forgiving, which would make a huge difference in whether you like this drama or not. She is in 2 unique concept dramas that I loved "Strong Woman Do Bong Soon" and "Oh My Ghostess", where being cute worked much better, but not this time. I was unimpressed.
The next problematic character for me is Jeong Ji So as "God". I didn't mind the whole Dora The Explorer Diety Gardner thing, or her performance, but her esoteric unclear presence in the story was more frustrating than interesting. Mainly, again, because she talked too much and showed too little (besides random plants). Maybe some things were lost in translation, but her long conversations and observations may be good in a novel, or a webtoon, but on screen, it just drags and bored me almost to sleep at times. I'm wondering if the dialogue sounds so "beautiful" in Korean that the writer fell too in love with their own words to cut any of it down and remember that showing is more compelling than telling on screen. Yes, there were a few well-done visual scenes but they were still mostly overwhelmed by talking. Too many scenes of the leads just staring at each other in bed (together and apart) was a huge romantic disappointment too. They were damn near platonic for such an epic fated love story, with too much narration. It lacked enough passion to sustain the story to the end and by the time things resolved I barely cared.
Oh, and about that extra love triangle, usually even a cliché love triangle has exciting scenes and chemistry but nope... these 3 characters also just have lots of conversations about the past, about each other, about what they may want to do or should have done, with very little actual progress. I think Lee Soo Hyuk as blunt and straight-faced Cha Joo Ik was supposed to be funny, but I found those banter scenes to be flat. I'm sure much of that intended dry humor was lost on me as well. For me, just having two attractive men isn't enough to fuel a love triangle romance plot. It also has nothing to do with the Doom plot, which makes it seem like unnecessary filler or a different drama.
I did like her brother's character, mainly for cute comic relief, but most of the other characters are just ok, and pretty forgettable (Shout out to poor Kevin who didn't even make the cast list lol).
Would I watch this again? I wouldn't torture myself like that. I'm sure a lot of these actors will go on to better dramas that I'll watch and I will probably forget this drama even exists after a while.
The OST is also forgettable but oh how I love Seo In Guk's voice. Rather, I just love him and his beautiful voice is a bonus. I didn't fall in love with any songs though... or his hair color.
Overall this drama is a huge miss. Maybe it's good if you want to hear more Korean dialogue than usual as language practice (it's A LOT y'all) but I can't call this drama good. It is an ambitious and pretty original idea but that's not enough to make this drama work as a whole. Characters saying how they feel instead of showing it for me felt like a romance buzz kill and lazy. If this drama had no Doom character I would have dropped it almost immediately. I also expected tears, since sadly cancer scenarios are too familiar in my real life, but my eyes remained dry the entire time. And what's worse than abusing flashbacks... describing flashbacks as you abuse and overuse them. I looked up the last drama written by this writer and it was "The Beauty Inside", another drama with all concept and zero plot. Another movie plot idea stretched beyond its means. Another missed opportunity to create a really interesting love story. Maybe I should have double-checked who the writer was before I decided not to drop this. Sadly, those who don't learn which drama writers create shows they should have dropped are doomed to repeat it.
I guess Seo In Guk was too good at his Doom role because he doomed me to complete this.
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The story is smartly told from beginning to end. It's based on a (supposedly true) blog, so each scene is a highlight marking their time together. Focusing on the highlights helps to fit this pretty long story into a concise film, though some of the leaps in time felt a little too sudden. Though fated love is a familiar theme, this story doesn't take the predictable route. I especially loved the ending, which I never expected, because it tied the whole story together perfectly.
I agree that My Sassy Girl is a classic. An american remake exists, but it's barely worth mentioning. This is definitely the type of movie you can watch over, and over again. I saw this for the 1st time years ago, and it's still just as good rewatching it now. I definitely recommend putting it high up on your Plan to Watch list.
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What I loved most about Ji Sung's performance is that Dr. Cha is often very poker-faced and hard to read, and when he was emotional it was usually very subtle where just a simple look from him, or tap of his finger, could break my heart, or get me excited. He is matched with Lee Se Young as Dr. Kang Shi Yeong, who is pretty young in comparison, so I wasn't sure if they would match well or have any chemistry. I was definitely wrong about that and she was often great at matching his subtle intensity and definitely held her own in all of their scenes together. This is less of a cute romantic pairing and more about watching two people inspire each other to be better. I really enjoyed how they worked together and complimented each other.
As for the rest of the cast, there are supporting characters that I loved and others that were a little annoying. I absolutely loved the team of doctors in the Pain unit, especially Hwang Hee as Dr. Lee Yoo Joon (aka the poor man's Gong Yoo). It felt as if I was actually watching a team bond and come together. On the flip side, I was much less interested in characters like Nurse Chae and prosecutor Son Suk Ki. I thought their story was interesting and resolved well, and I did empathize with them initially, but eventually, their actions became way too repetitive for me to continue to care. A large part of the "mystery" in this story revolves around them and they became my least favorite part of the story. I did like how the story took its time in revealing what was happening, but I wished some parts weren't dragged out for so long once things were revealed, especially in the later episodes. The last few episodes were definitely the weakest.
What I surprisingly did like a lot were the random stories of patients. They were extremely interesting, and their diagnosis was like solving mini-mysteries. Some moments are a little graphic, but never without reason. Many of them also stuck to the show's main themes about what the role of doctors can/should be and the more controversial topic of euthanasia. All of the stories are handled with respect and without heavy-handed judgment, which I think is what makes this show so thought-provoking. Maybe that's why I liked it more than I usually like other hospital dramas.
Would I watch this again? Yes, I can see myself watching this again, although I may be tempted to just skip past a few parts. Some of the mystery would definitely be gone, but it's still entertaining enough to hold my interest. I also think the soundtrack generally complimented this drama well.
Overall, I think this is a great drama to watch, even if you're not into medically-based stories because the mystery element makes it all more entertaining. The love story feels real, although it may not satisfy fans who like a strong focus on romance. It's at times heartbreaking, and frustrating, but also inspiring. The patient's stories are strong enough to override the weak hospital rivalry stories, but overall the hospital atmosphere also felt very real. I am curious about the book this is loosely based on, but I think this drama definitely stands on its own. I also don't understand why Cha translates to "John" but no matter what you call him Ji Sung nailed the role! This is yet another drama that won't be added to my favorites list, but I can't deny what this drama does well and that I am glad I watched it. By the end, I felt good, without there being an extra cheesy feel-good resolution. If you don't think you have a high threshold for dramas like this, give this one a chance, and you may be surprised like I was. I prescribe at least 4 episodes of Dr. John before making a decision. Just like this drama's themes show repeatedly, you can't always go by your first impression, and Dr, John definitely deserves a chance to really be seen, especially if you are a Ji Sung fan. If you're not, I suspect you'll become one after watching!
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What I think saves this drama is the cast, particularly Joo Sang Wook and Han Ye Seul's chemistry. Han Ye Seul plays Sara, the beauty in the title, who has undergone a complete transformation due to a tragic past. Joo Sang Wook plays Han Tae Hee, who has a mysterious past of his own, and who helps Sara adjust to her new life. They are very cute together, which will probably get romance fans hooked early on, but it doesn't take long before the melodrama takes over, and by the halfway mark romcom fans may be ready to abandon this drama completely.
Eventually cute banter between the two of them (I loved that he calls her Ahjumma) turns into frustrating obstacles filled with clichés. There's also a cast of villains that are really good at being horrible, that inspire an elaborate revenge plot, and the quintessential kdrama battle over the family business. Now I love a good melodrama, but like I said, I think the plot made very little sense, and was full of holes. This is why I had to give the cast a 9. They really are what kept this drama watchable. Sure, some characters were definitely more one dimensional than others, but in such an overdramatic drama, they did managed to keep the story somehow believable enough for me to want to see how it all would all end.
Another issue I had with this drama is that 21 episodes felt way too long. They do manage to pack in lots of extreme plot points, but I think they mostly backfired and made the story start to drag and feel boring. I was tired of getting mad at characters for making dumb choices, watching repetitive scenes between characters, and seeing too many flashbacks. I could not see myself ever watching this drama again, which may seem harsh, but the good parts just weren't good enough for me to want to sit through all of these episodes again.
This drama does attempt to reiterate the idea that what makes a woman beautiful is more than how she looks on the outside, but the problem is that it still makes Ha Jae Sook's looks the punchline of every joke possible. In my opinion she's the real MVP of this drama, and her scenes were the only ones that made me feel even slightly emotional, but I hated the fact that she was basically branded as practically hideous. I can't imagine looking like her and feeling good while watching this, no matter how much this drama tried to make the plot about self acceptance, and inner strength, the damage was already done. Some parts literally felt like a commercial for diet pills.
Overall, I thought this drama was a cute romcom about an unlikely couple overcoming obstacles together, that got hijacked by a bad revenge melodrama. I say this as a person who is normally a fan of epic revenge stories, but this story just made too little sense. By the end, I wasn't disappointed that I completed it, but most of the interest I had in the beginning was long gone. I can't recommend watching this knowing that there are so many other dramas that tell a similar story much better... there are even some dramas that I thought were mediocre but I would recommend them before this one. Still, I didn't hate it, so if you're a fan of anyone in the cast, that might be an incentive to watch this one just to say you did.
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Maybe it was a little more innovative at the time, but the story is super basic by today's standards. Super cute curly-haired Dalja is anxious about getting older, when she ends up getting involved in a pretend relationship with a much younger and carefree Tae Bong. Their story involves everything you expect, including a classic relationship contract, but that still didn't stop me from loving watching their story unfold. Dalja's constant complaints about being old were annoying, and some of her fantasies are super cheesy, but she is an extremely likable character. Chae Rim did a good job of making her naive without being extremely annoying. She matched perfectly with Lee Min Ki's much edgier portrayal of Kang Tae Bong. Tae Bong has a mischievous charm that makes him very crush worthy. His eyes were very red, as if he was always high, or had bad allergies, but the looks he would give Dalja made it impossible for her (and I) not to fall for him. Their kissing moments left a lot to be desired, but I expect that from a drama this old. Their chemistry alone makes the show good enough to watch, but there is also an amazing supporting cast.
What I love most about the supporting cast is that I had no idea how significant, and interesting they would become. On the surface they are stereotypical... the playboy, the cool egotistical host, the perfect on paper second lead, the scary boss (with the awesome glasses)... but each of these characters end up being way more complicated, and significant. I adored Lee Hye Young as Seon Joo, who I expected to hate, but won me over. Gong Hyung Jin was great too, even if his hair was distractingly stupid. I even loved some of the more minor characters, like Jang Young Nam as Ki Joong's psycho wife. The minor storylines were also entertaining, so they never felt like filler, and they helped to make the 22 episodes not drag for me.
Even though I really liked the writing, if there was a kdrama trope checklist, this drama would almost check every box. The drama is however clever enough to make fun of that fact several times during some of the show's "if this were a drama" moments. It also plays off of some of Dalja's romanticized ideas about romance. Still, it's super predictable at every turn, but the cast is so good that knowing what will happen didn't stop me from wanting to see it happen. My only real complaint is that, although I liked the endings for the supporting characters, I didn't love the ending for the main couple. I rolled my eyes several times during the last 2 episodes, but It did however leave me wanting more, which I guess is a good thing.
The OST for this show is also a good one, and matches the mood of the show well. The main song definitely got stuck in my head! But it's the illustrations that really steal the show! I looooooved the artwork, which was a really nice touch, and captured the characters and stories well.
Overall this is a drama cute enough to stand the test of time. I could see myself watching this again just because the characters are so fun. I really liked the theme of true love vs expectations of love as well. I highly recommend Dal Ja's Spring to anyone who avoids retro dramas... I think you may also be pleasantly surprised.
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The best part of this story is the relationship between Gong Shim, Joon Soo, and Ahn Dan Tae (I don't know why the sister is even in the promo pic). The bromance, the romance, even the rivalry works. Together they are hilarious and heartwarming. I loved weird Gong Shim, in her wig. I think Min Ah was a strong leading lady. I loved sweet Joon Soo with his perpetual smile. Ohn Joo Wan is adorable. I loved seeing Nam Gung Min not play a sinister bad guy, but instead play a strangely adorable character with a random super power. The early episodes, where we get to know these characters, and they get to know each other, are the best episodes. It's like a completely different show compared to the rest of the drama. As soon as they started getting more into the missing kid storyline, the show went from fun romcom to the stupidest mystery thriller ever.
I am so angry at the writing that I actually had to google the writer. Apparently she wrote for some dramas that I liked, so I don't get it. I am giving the story a 4 only because of those early moments between the 3 characters, but honestly the cast deserves the credit for that. The story itself deserves maybe a 2.5 at best. The worst part of the story is that everything is obvious from the very beginning. EVERYTHING. We watch the whole show waiting for the characters to figure out what we already know, and watch them frustratingly misunderstand each other in the process. What also doesn't help is that our main characters suddenly start acting completely different. Ahn Dan Tae starts to literally seem like he has multiple personality disorder. He always retains at least a small part of his charm, because Nam Gung Min is a great actor, but once he started to change the show became less interesting. His booty is consistent though, and deserves an honorable mention.
The rest of the cast is pretty mediocre, and stereotypical, while some have some really horrible overacting moments. I liked Gong Shim' parents, but her sister is a useless character. If they wanted to make her a serious rival that we cared about, then she should have been much more involved in the story. The grandmother was another character that I honestly didn't care about, and some of her crying scenes were laughably bad. I liked the dude from the convenience store, but when a minor convenience store character outshines other major characters, you know something is very very wrong.
The soundtrack is good though. I really liked a lot of the songs, but some lost their charm when the show started to.
Overall, this is a drama of wasted potential. It didn't know if it wanted to be a romcom, or a melodrama, or a thriller, so it just tried to sloppily integrate the them all. All that did was water down what they could have done well.
As much as I want to recommend watching the 3 main leads, I have to recommend skipping this one. The story goes nowhere. It's longer than it should be, and felt like it. It desperately clings to drama clichés to fill in the time. The last two episodes are embarrassingly bad. Not only do they pretty much identical to another drama that aired around the same time, but the closure for the characters felt so forced that I could't take it seriously.
I hope someone takes the best moments between the three leads and edits this show to be the length it's supposed to be (10 episodes max!). I would recommend watching that video in a heartbeat. Otherwise watching 20 episodes of this is not worth hitting the iceberg. And if you already started it, don't listen to rose, it's ok to let go.
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Uee and Lee Seo Jin took super cliché characters and made them feel real. I'm not a Uee fan, but I was super impressed. Her character goes through so much, and she nailed every moment. I think she's missing some of the charm that other actresses have, so she often comes across as too cold for me (even when she's being sweet), but she gave a very believable performance. Lee Seo Jin gave a great performance too, that proved he's more than just dimples. My only complaint is that some of his really big smiles looked more creepy than genuine. His tears however were extra heartbreaking. Watching their bittersweet relationship is the heart of this drama, and why it worked at all for me.
I admit that in the beginning I didn't like any of the characters. For the first few episodes no one was likable, not even the cute kid. Uee was the most sympathetic in the beginning, but she was also so pathetic that I was frustrated watching her. Then, around episode 4, things finally started to shift for me. Suddenly I was binge watching, barely able to stop myself from watching what happened next. Han Ji Hoon became more charming, Kang Hye Soo became more admirable, and their chemistry started to develop into something engaging. Shin Rin Ah as Eun Sung was also such a strong character that I think she deserves a main character status. She gave a performance that showed she was just as talented as her adult cast members. If she's that good now, I can only imagine how good she can be in the future,
The rest of the supporting cast was excellent as well, even really minor characters, except for one. Kim Young Pil was really bad, like REALLY bad. I almost removed a whole acting point for how bad he was. I'm not sure it was all his fault, because the character was written as being petty and ridiculous, but he just seemed too over the top and fake evil, even for a melodrama. Honestly, all of the characters are pretty one note, and don't have much depth, but the actors managed to insert depth into their performances. Like bad dad Kim Yong Gun, who was text book evil, but he was such a believably unbelievable character who's outrageous actions cured a lot of my boredom with the rest of the plot.
I think the writer is the problem for me. The plot is predictable, it's full of everything you've already seen in a drama. So many of the female characters seemed to be irrationally obsessed with men (husbands, exes, sons) that I often had a hard time empathizing with them. Some of the episodes felt repetitive. There were about five episodes where the literal plot was cry, plan to divorce, cry again. Some other episodes rely heavily on flashbacks, which was annoying. I became invested in the characters and their relationships, so I could never bring myself to stop watching, but I definitely had to push my way through to the end. It did pick up momentum again in the last episodes, and I did like the ending (though it was nothing original), but I just didn't fall in love with this drama the way others did.
This is similar to the problems I had with "Secret", which has the same writer. Weak characters, a predictable plot, skippable scenes, a pathetic lead character always in tears, dragging episodes...
I did like the direction, the same guy who directed "Kill Me, Heal Me". That, and the cast may be what made me like this drama much more than "Secret". My one complaint is that the blatant product placements were pretty hilarious.
I thought the music was not great either. Some of the music chosen seemed so out of place. I did appreciate that Ji Hoon's ringtone was mo' better blues, which gave some insight in how important music was to the character. Too bad they never incorporated a real musical storyline in the actual script.
That could have helped me understand why he struggled so much to join the company.
Would I watch this again? Only if I am feeling apathetic and want to cry my eyes out to prove I still have feelings.
Overall, I would only recommend this drama to fans of super sad melodramas like "49 Days" (which had too much cloud of impending doom for me), "Scent of a Woman" (which I loved, and had similar themes), or "Secret" (which proved to me I do have a melodrama limit). Romance fans will be able to appreciate the love story, and some of the family themes are heart warming, but this is a drama you have to buy a jumbo tissue box for and then just embrace the chronic eye wetness.
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