rachel
Singapore
Even though Jung Il Woo is pretty much the star of the show, he is well and truly part of a tightknit ensemble cast that have great chemistry together. Each character of the ensemble have their own quirky personality traits, and their own obstacles (personal or otherwise) to overcome as the show progresses.
The Ramyun Shop is used very effectively as the one thing that holds all of them together. Truly a family away from real family.
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Delightful Girl, Choon Hyang
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The cast is nearly perfect, with the exception of the second female lead. Jae Hee and Han Chae Young have great chemistry as the lead couple. Jae Hee gives a heartfelt and comical performance at the right moments, showing his character's growth from a mollycoddled high school student to a college student who takes ownership of his relationship and makes a stand for Chun Hyang and himself. Han Chae Young feels too mature for the role of a spunky high school student at the start of the show, but she grew on me especially when her character graduates from high school and matures.s
Uhm Tae Woong performs the role quite suavely - an evil second male lead who goes all way out to thwart the relationship. I also grant him a concession because he is the Uhmforce. The second female lead is just mehh for me - in fact out of the four, she's the only one who has no name recognition at this point in time. She just performs the role of antagonist, as written. In fact, she has the kind of face that makes me want to slap her when she comes onscreen. Both second leads are just PURE EVIL.
Like another reviewer said, few characters will emerge from this drama blameless. Most of them have done something to hold the relationship back from progressing - but I wouldn't call them Nice Guy-type dysfunctional. The only two who seem to have common sense and foresight is Ji Hyuk and Mong Ryong's father. Even Dan Hee, who at the start seems to be a harmless and well-meaning friend, but at some point in the show, she started to grate on my nerves.
Pacing of the story starts well. After episode 8, it starts to be frustratingly slow but thankfully picks up towards the end of episode 10. But, the way everything is tied up by the end of the show leaves much to be desired.
The music is just alright. In fact, it gets very repetitive and it becomes obvious that the same tunes are used when certain themes and characters come up in the story. Pretty boring.
The wardrobe for this show, especially Chun Hyang and Mong Ryong, is pretty atrocious on hindsight. I don't understand how these clothes could have been considered trendy during that time. I would not allow anyone I care about to wear them in public.
All in all, even though there are many flaws, the show is spirited and full of heart. It also receives lots of praise since many Korean drama fans started out on this drama, of whom I am one.
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If you go into this show having great expectations just because Yoo Seung Ho picked it, don’t. The show isn’t meant to be absolutely fantastic or great. It’s a down-to-earth and humble drama with a simple story. I always looked forward to watching a new episode of this show because it wasn’t too heavy or required a lot of commitment into the characters. The characters are written very simply, without excessive or comprehensive backstories.
I really enjoyed the personification of the cat. For starters, the cat is adorable. The voiceover for the cat is really cute. The central relationship is between Yoo Seung Ho’s character and the cat, and I love that the show never lost sight of that.
Yoo Seung Ho is evidently the star of the show, not just because he plays the lead character, It’s also pretty clear in terms of acting ability. But that’s really fine. It didn’t ruin the show for me in any way. There isn't much to comment on in respect of the acting of the rest of the cast in the show.
Overall, a great choice for a light and brief watch. After you finish the show it won’t linger on your memory much, except for the fact that you may love cats afterwards.
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The ending is given to you right at the start of the movie, and it's certainly not a happy one. But it sets the stage for the viewer to fill in the blanks. The music is bare bones - appropriate for the bleak tone of the film (no pun intended). The colour palette of the movie and scenery also serves to set the mood for the movie.
Lee Je Hoon is thrilling as the protagonist, swinging from sincere and heartfelt, to threatening and fearsome.
A heartwrenching but rewarding watch.
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But the movie felt slightly directionless - probably due to a combination of the writing and the directing. The character and relationship development were half-hearted, especially between Lee Jong Seok and Park Bo Young's characters.
I was expecting Kim Young Kwang to have a more significant role in this movie, but unfortunately he was greatly overshadowed by the two leads, Lee Jong Seok and Park Bo Young. Lee Jong Seok's bumbling lover boy character did deliver some laughs, especially when faced with Kim Young Kwang's gangster character. But the standout was Park Bo Young - don't be fooled by her baby face, she can strike fear in the heart of any man with her punches and vulgarities. Quite a transformation from her previous roles.
I enjoyed the Korean and American music from the 80s which helps set the time period.
Still enjoyable in parts.
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Thankfully there’s enough cute to get me through the whole show, not just the OTP, all the other side characters too.
I’m pretty impressed by Ji Hyun Woo, it being only his second time as a leading man in a show. I was won over by the growth of his character throughout the series. He definitely have charisma and potential. Eunji, as always, is feisty yet moving at certain points. They have great chemistry too. Love the OTP.
The side characters were a mixed bag. Shin Sung Rok is magnetic as a quirky but caring boss. Lee Se Young, on the other hand, was so bland. Bleh. She just sucked all the energy on the screen whenever she appeared. It’s the fatal mix of one-dimensional lazy writing and wooden acting. I love Answer Me 1994 so I definitely liked Sohn Ho Joon. Shin Bora also played quite a funny side character.
Any re-watching of this show would just make me rage. So NO re-watching for me.
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This show has pretty much everything - a compelling romance, exciting mysteries and action scenes. In a way the story felt very similar to I Hear Your Voice, probably because they share the same writer-director team.
I love that the central relationship is strong - Choi In Ha and Choi Dal Po, and there isn't too much unnecessary angst as is too often the case in Korean dramas, and it gave us so many scenes of cuteness.
Well it certainly seems like everything Lee Jong Suk touches on TV turns to gold. While his character in this show really reminds me of his character in I Hear Your Voice, I didn't feel there was any baggage in his portrayal of the character. I was compelled and won over to his side, and rooting for him and his relationships and journalistic career. Can I also say Lee Jong Suk is a damn good crier?
Park Shin Hye finally was given the opportunities to show her abilities in dramatic and comedic acting which seem to have been buried somewhere after You're Beautiful.
I am a fan of Roy Kim and was pleasantly surprised at Tiger JK's inclusion in a drama soundtrack, so I quite enjoyed this soundtrack.
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In terms of story, I appreciate the effort to stay true to certain important themes of the first Let's Eat, like being single, living alone, and feeling lonely in a big city, yet introduce new dimensions like friends-turned-lovers, and talking about married people feeling lonely, not just single people. Frankly, I didn't like the recycling of the mystery theme which wasn't an important storyline for me in the first instalment.
The food porn was good, as always, and I like that they ventured outside Korean food and got the characters to try other cuisines like Chinese, Indian and Mexican cuisine.
Doojoon has made Goo Dae Young the character his own and I can’t see anyone else in that role. Seo Hyun Jin is a revelation in this show. I have never seen any of her previous shows and now that she’s in Oh Hae Young Again, I definitely plan to watch that too after watching this show. Initially, I was supremely annoyed by her character. But as the show peeled the layers of her character, I really grew to love her character and she was so good at bringing out the vulnerabilities of her character. Kwon Yul is a pretty interesting actor too and I look forward to seeing him in other shows. Park Hee Soon is hilarious as Doojoon's lonely, always-drunk sidekick. A great character actor.
Overall, an enjoyable watch that is peppered with romance, food porn, and just enough angst to break your heart but not too much that you can’t piece it back together.
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Yoon Shi Yoon and Park Shin Hye make an adorable pairing, probably due a lot to Yoon Shi Yoon (who is such an adorable, speed-talking puppy in this show). He balances the mischievous and insightful sides of his character, while Park Shin Hye does well as the shy and withdrawn heroine who grows out of her shell. I love the way all the characters enter each other's lives to challenge their assumptions and perceptions for the better. This is a nice ensemble cast, but not exactly the best out there.
Kim Ji Hoon has entered my list of ahjusshi hotties to look out for - his character Jin Rak is so endearing. Your heart just breaks a little for me every time he plays the better man and tries to put Dok Mi first, but unfortunately you just know he's the type who can never get the girl.
The conflict in the last few episodes felt a little draggy and weighed the show down a little for me, but I still appreciate the way the characters were written.
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The story isn’t dissimilar to most high school K-dramas. But the amazing thing about K-dramas is their ability to take the same storyline and types of characters, and present them in just a slightly different way to audiences. There’s definitely a lot of cute in this show and generally makes for an enjoyable and light watch.
I can’t say Eunji didn’t do a good job in this show, as she seems to do in every drama she is in. But one thing that does disappoint me is that the character Yeon-doo does remind me of the other spunky female characters she’s played in her previous shows. I do hope she tries out other types of characters in her future projects.
I’ve not seen Lee Won Geun or Ji Soo in any major projects before this. I’ve only seen LWG in Moon Embracing the Sun but that was such a small role. These two are a revelation in this show! Their characters are quite different from each other, but they share a close friendship on the show. It really looked like they were having fun playing these characters. They both stole my heart in this show, so it’s hard to go any further without turning into a rabid fangirl, so all I’ll say is I’ll certainly be on the lookout for both these actors in their future projects.
Super props to Chae Soo Bin for playing what seemed like an absolutely irredeemable villain who went all out to ruin the lives of our protagonists, yet with an interesting backstory that still managed to pull at my heartstrings everytime. I just wanted to give her chance to redeem herself every time, no matter how many evil deeds she had done.
On a whole, the cast have great chemistry and make the show such fun to watch. Of course, there’s also the fact that it’s a high school drama and personally there’ll always be a place in my heart for high school dramas.
Another good thing about this show is it’s short at 12 episodes. The ending did feel slightly rushed and that’s a small stain on this show. Otherwise, highly recommended!
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The story is not original - a good and dogged cop chasing after an elusive villain. The characters themselves are not that original either. But the cast make this script an electrifying movie to watch. Hwang Jung Min is fantastic as an everyday-man kind of cop who is passionate about his job and genuinely cares about people. Yoo Ah-in pulls you in with his performance as a villain who you love to hate, yet can't help but find out more about. Yoo Hae-jin is a sidekick with a difference and he does a great job of it, as he does with all his other roles. Special shout-out to Jin Kyung, who puts in a great performance in any show she's cast in.
You can tell that the cast are having so much fun playing their characters, and it is infectious, because this show is a thoroughly entertaining ride. Yes, you are rooting for the good guys, but you are also excited to see what tricks the bad guys next pull out of their hats. For this reason, I think this show has a decent rewatch value.
Overall, greatly entertaining with outstanding performances by the cast.
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Each character is written with a lot of care. We delve deep into their back stories, and I find myself cheering on each one of them, and crying with each one of them. The lessons each character learn are hard but realistic. The show takes you on that journey of growing up.
If there is one thing I dislike about the story, it is the Park Tae Hee character. Yes she's the typical female lead - ditzy but really sweet, cute and talented, but can I just say how annoying I find her. Otherwise, the rest of the cast was just perfect, especially Jo Jung Suk and Im Joo Eun.
The soundtrack is quite unique compared to other dramas - fewer romantic ballads, more fist-pumping songs that make you excited to be young, aspirational and full of dreams.
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Unfortunately the villainous ministers who plot to undermine the king are not given much time onscreen, but they really are secondary to the plot.
Lee Byung Hun portrays both the real and fake kings well, especially the fake king and how he settles into his role as king. Ryu Seung Ryong is the astute and trustworthy royal secretary who works with conviction. Han Hyo Joo does not have a lot of screentime in this movie, but she gives a good, controlled performance as the queen who loves the king but has been distanced from him by court intrigue and politics.
Really enjoyed it and I can see why it has received so many awards in the 2012 awards season.
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The narrative does keep to its intended track pretty safely - the antagonizing event strikes at a pretty predictable spot in the movie and the characters crack when they're expected to. But as is reflected in the story, the deviant streak that brews under the surface and suddenly erupts still takes you by surprise.
Where this movie excels is the casting - I think the casting reflected the characters and the actors' respective inclinations very well.
A pretty entertaining movie that leaves you with a little something to think about, but it does evaporate pretty quickly.
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This movie really is about both friendship and brotherhood. I am no expert on North-South relations, so I don't know how realistic it has been portrayed through the events in this movie, but I think it has been set up very well to show how both characters dealt with the conflicting loyalties they felt to friend and country.
The pacing of the movie is done very, very well. We are thrown right smack in the early stages of an operation, which escalates quickly. This quickly drew me into the movie and left me hungry to know what would happen next. The next part of the movie afterwards was slower in pace but was full of both funny and exciting moments, and left me emotionally invested in the friendship between the two main characters, followed by the last third of the movie where the pace picked up and left me on the edge of the seat. The ending was well-written.
I am surprised that I have not heard more buzz about this movie. This is a must-watch!
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