This review may contain spoilers
[Edited: 07/01/2020][Watch this if you like series that are adult and women-centric and highlight their struggles without demeaning them.]
This could very well have been a soap opera with only entertainment value and nothing to take from. It is all in the characters, the situations and the commentary on relationships: how incredibly human all these women (something you don't commonly witness happening on television) and men were, how real their struggles were within their workplace (especially for women), and how incredibly vulnerable relationships are.
When it comes to the plot, you could boil it down to a marriage that starts to fall apart when it is discovered that the husband had been unfaithful at one point, with workplace politics thrown in the mix. However, the execution is what matters, and that was done wonderfully. The process of the trust and marriage breaking down was very authentic to life. Na Sung Jun went through different phases as she tried to come to terms with her new reality, and those were painful to watch. She acted unlike her past convictions once she was thrust into a conflicting, heart-wrenching situation where she is left questioning everything, from people she knew to herself. The writer fleshed out her emotional struggle so realistically it was frightening - one day, she is thinking she wants out; the next day, she wants to stay married because she cannot allow her marriage to crumble; then the next, she wants out; then the next, she wants to inflict misery upon everyone, including herself. Park Sung Joon is a man who is desperate, insisting on continuing the marriage, until he accepts that the trust is broken beyond repair, and acts in more hurtful ways in his confusion (which cannot be justified). We are also shown how lack of communication and presumptions in a relationship can be damaging. All sides of the story are told: the hurt woman, the remorseful husband, and the mistress (who is more than that).
I want to point out that Park Sung Joon was written amazingly in that his story is powerful and dreadful in its truth. He reminds the viewer that the act of unfaithfulness is not a symptom that reinforces how much of a jerk the cheater is, but a path (albeit highly immoral) that a good person can also choose, in an effort to counter the torment of self-inadequacy and threat of never being accepted if their rough edges come to light; it is a part of a series of decisions they make that end up leading them to a point they can never redeem themself from. His upbringing provides insight into how an adult with personal reservations so strong can be created that even their healthy relationship makes a dark, hidden part of them feel unsafe. The writer maintains a balance in that they make you feel sorry for yet angry at him, because his insecurities and presumptions were, after all, only in his head, if only amplified (and that is what we all fall prey to, so this is why it is so scary). Not only him, but the other party were also written in a human way: an everyday person, in their search for validation and understanding, making equally unjustifiable decisions.
However, the drama is not only about them. It is about womanhood, and so we are introduced to the stories of other women. The most notable were Lee Hyun Ah and Song Mi Na. Lee Hyun Ah breaks all stereotypes surrounding self-made, confident, proud women. Yes, she walks with a straight back, and has intimidating class, but she is also a woman with principles, a good heart, and her own pains, even when they are not apparent. Then there is Song Mi Na, a woman torn between her duties towards her family and her ambitions as an individual. I personally found Mi Na’s story really moving and something many family-oriented and ambitious women can relate to.
Aside from that, the writer did not label every thing as black and white. For example, emotions such as envy and jealousy were depicted in a very normal light, something anyone, even a good person, experiences. The main characters make irrational and imperfect decisions at many points, but they redeem themselves from that point and develop themselves. Of course, those who failed to fulfill the latter were criticized (Ohn Yoo Ri and Park Sung Joon).
I do have a criticism: the writer creates some situations but never follows through with them. It is a character-driven drama, so it was expected. However, I think there were occasions the writer could have built upon.
The drama could have fallen apart had the scene sequencing not been so good. The narration was spot on precisely because of the decision to withhold exploring a scene completely, piecing some events together in a way they looked true but, as the scenes are properly delved into, show how the viewers were misled deliberately. When it comes to the cinematography and the like, my favourite thing was the little nuances that the camera work caught and the director included. They were not always made obvious, but you caught them if you were present throughout the episode. It could be one or another woman’s doubts about herself, maybe her envy for the other, or some character's lingering emotion, or something more simple. It prevented things from being dramatized and maintained the natural element and its significance. Moreover, the music complemented the scenes well - one of the reasons I looked forward to this drama; the instrumental was well done!
Now the acting: amazing. Jang Na-Ra delivered, like she always does; she was cold, miserable, strong, warm, graceful, all at once. Lee Sang Yoon did not have a lot of freedom to share his emotional range, because Park Sung Joon was a stoic man, but he was very convincing for a man who was consistently battling internally yet his internalized beliefs about himself prevented him from expressing his feelings; him and Jang Na-Ra convinced me they were a couple of ten years that was falling apart. Lee Chung-Ah was amazing in her role - I cannot imagine someone else pulling off Hyun Ah. Shin Jae Ha has great timing with his expressions, and very natural with them - you could see his growth from one half to the next of the drama as well. Kwak Sun Young made Song Mi Na’s ambitions and conflicts come to life. Pyo Ye Jin was great in her delivery of a confused, insecure, and self-victimized person. For the side characters, I want to mention Lee Jae Won (Byung Hun) - he had great chemistry with Kwak Sun Young and was great at forming an intimacy with her of a married couple.
This was a very thought-provoking show about relationships, with yourself and others. A must-watch.
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made with taste and keeping it real up until the end, we get to see the evolution not of one or two but almost every character and it makes us see the good and bad side of everyone, focusing on the main points of this drama selfishness and image, everyone trying to hide things about themselves is such a real thing, it happens daily and although this type of drama tends to deviate in a pretty unrealistic way this drama excelled at being able to keep it real but still catch the attention of it's viewers.
The production was excellent and the ost was on point everytime, I really enjoyed specially the instrumental parts. Please give this drama an opportunity, it really does deserves it!
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This review may contain spoilers
And the MVP award goes to our sidelined player "Fidelity". What a fantastic drama from start to finish. Every episode, even the frustrating " ugg noooo... whyyyy?!" episodes still left me impatiently waiting for the next one to come out. Mature subject matter for sure. Infidelity, work politics, friendships, trust, and so much more. I don't want to say too much and spoil it. I will mention though, if you don't like a "who done it" kind of show you might not like this one. A lot of things stay hidden for a long time - it's a slow progression of truth.
The acting - WOW. They all hit it out of the park. Everyone did a fantastic job with their character. The cheaters left you struggling to find anything good in humanity, and the victims reminded you that all is not lost. I read a few articles saying that Lee Sang Yoon was getting a lot of negative feedback because folks loathed his character. I mean - it's a show - not real life. I'd take that as a compliment if I were him - that "I" did such a good job being a jerk that folks were struggling with it. Jang Na Ra. I love her. I'm so happy she played this role. I was skeptical at first because she's been typecast as the cute and sweet girl next door. She grew wings in the is drama and soared. She was level headed and decisive and had sound workplace ethics and more importantly a strong moral compass. I loved her character. ( and okay she was still cute and sweet).
Anyway - rewatch? Maybe a few years from now. The who done it element keeps me from wanting to because it's like saying surprise 2 times and expecting the same response.
Shout out to all the other actors - I know I mentioned only two, but man they all did a great job. <3 sorry for typos - it's early.
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This review may contain spoilers
Just finished rewatching this. Honestly some of the best acting from a FL I've seen in kdramas. This show is depressing af, but sometimes you need that, and FL had me distraught and grieving for her throughout. I love that she vented her hurt and pain, but I also appreciate that she didn't go full revenge mode at the expense of her own morality and dignity. The whole point of her is that she's a genuinely kind and decent woman, and if she'd truly gone dark it would've been a let down, and wouldn't be true to her character.ML was terrible and selfish in a realistic way and I have searched high and low and have yet to find a drama that can give me the pure satisfaction I feel in that scene where he gets the photos developed and just sobs in the street fully realising the harm he's caused himself. Exactly as his mother said, he had no idea what he'd cost himself, and no idea what he'd lost. Through his own vanity, fear, and selfishness he destroyed every shred of happiness he had, and noone felt bad for him.
Yoo Ri was wonderfully acted too. I like that she wasn't just a mistress or an illegitimate child, she was a fully fleshed character, who behaved selfishly and victimised herself to such a degree she thought she was being noble at times, and weaponised her trauma as an excuse for her behaviour. She was toxic and I'm glad that even though they gave her enough trauma to explain her broken moral compass, they did it in a way where it stayed completely unforgivable. Noone chose her, noone forgave her actions, and she stayed miserable. She did officially end things with him, but that was after knowing he didn't really choose her even when his marriage was over, and he was only with her out of pity, and she finally realised that was meaningless. I'm a petty asshole so it delights me that the people who did terrible things were miserable at the end.
All the coworkers were wonderful too, I cared just as much about their stories as the main one, and they were all realistic and acted beautifully. Honestly whoever casted this drama, well done. The writing too was wonderful. There were no empty spaces, and every conversation felt real purposeful.
If this were a fluffier drama they would've given FL a new love interest, or hinted at one as a real F U to the husband, but I'm so glad they didn't. She told him when she gave him the papers that for 10 years he had been the most important person in her life, and how they finished the drama shows she is focused on making herself the most important person in her life, which I love. She has a wonderful support system, and can live happily, and he can die alone.
Liked: This drama was full of strong female characters, who were totally realistic. They were strong, but not caricatures of empowerment. They struggled and suffered but found strength in themselves and in eachother.
The acting was phenomenal from everyone involved.
The pacing and the story itself was depressingly real.
Disliked: Honestly nothing.
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A normal affair tale which tries hard to show the cheater regrets it but fails ultimately .
Weak Premise all the way. ( Anything above 7 is overrating for this drama)Starts off with the most suspenseful way but then goes all the way down, with no conclusion other than what's visible.
This drama seems to be tough to digest for female viewers xD
But it's damn interesting at one point.
People don't seem to realize how selfish they can be.
If you're looking for something righteous, don't watch this.
This is a depiction of many of corporate affairs.
The baseline of this drama is the mystery and the outcome it will disclose.
Don't be a butt hurt over a drama and enjoy.
Laugh and see the manipulation in this drama xD
Life isn't your everyday bubbly garden but an ugly mud pool.
Denying the fact that affairs happen and getting butthurt over such things will only make yourself end up in misery.
Although the writer has messed it up in every way, the sole worth of watching this is the affair mystery.
This is a woman-centric drama.
Still, this is one of the rare cases where I'll say the writer being female has totally feigned ignorance to the male protagonist.
He's left like an emotionless bastard, his facial expression are zero.
I wonder how can you write such a sleazy character but nonetheless it went okayish.
I won't go into description coz there's nothing really to talk about, it's what it is if you've read the synopsis and it stays the same till the end.
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Unexpectedly great and very realistic drama
This is a little bit slow-burn drama. On the first 3 episodes I've watched I am like "another affair drama so cliché" but then it suddenly show it's true colors and made me really into it. And here I am, I finished the drama and can't get over it.The storyline started as a mystery riddle on who the hell is this great man and good husband's mistress in the team. It was masterfully played as everyone seems to be the mistress until they start to reveal the life of these girls one by one. Woman 1, the girl who really looks sophisticated and elegant full of confidence and secrets. Woman 2, the girl with ambitions and a working mom trying to excel both at home and at work. Woman 3, the woman who looks really naive and nice with very low self-esteem and is deeply wounded. The wife who's almost perfect until she knew that his husband is cheating. I won't tell anymore about the story but so far this is the summary of the first 3 episodes that made me literally sleep.
All of the characters really justified the role realistically. I cannot imagine this drama with a different set of casts because it will really feel off. I love that I find myself rooting for the characters, cursing the characters and crying with the characters as if I'm part of them. I rarely feel connected in a drama in a way that I feel moved and relate to them as if it's happening to me. The songs used in this drama is very subtle and it fits perfectly in the mood. It wasn't overpowering and it definitely not distracting.
This drama really exceeds all of my expectations and has a lot of life lessons as to how to value yourself and deal with the struggles in the world. It's like a reminder that it's not just you. All I can say are words of praises for all the casts and writers and everyone who made this drama possible. It really deserved all the attention it got from the public and I really really recommend it.
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Working Women
When I read the description (the Netflix’s one), I thought this would be another drama about relationships and cheating. In the end, I was wrong and I’m glad about it.“VIP” is a drama that revolves around the life of the people that are working as members of the VIP Management and especially, it focuses on the working women. The drama manages to show through its women characters the different kinds of difficulties that women face in their working life. Even though the drama is very woman-centered, the whole concept is handled very meticulously, with respect and it doesn’t give the feeling that is all over the place and that is the drama’s charm.
The drama is a mix of romance with some mystery elements but generally, I would categorize it more as a business and slice of life drama. It can be also considered as a light drama because it doesn’t contain extreme violence, gore or other scenes of this kind. As far as the pace is concerned, the drama is slow so there is a high possibility for someone to lose their interest. Fortunately, I didn’t lose mine (as I’m a slow-burn lover) but I have to say that the drama was tedious for me at times.
About the characters of the drama, the females seem more well written and complicated than the male ones. I consider it as a disadvantage because this was one of the reasons the female actors shine bright in the drama while the most male actors sank.The strongest example of this is the male character, Park Sung Joon. This character didn’t have enough scripted words to say. Every time he was talking with a female character, he wasn’t talking, only looking. In some way, that was his personality but it seemed as personality-lacking to me.
Anyway, I have to say, this drama made me adore all the female characters, even the women who had more controversial motives because they had Personality and I was really impressed by them. I especially liked Lee Hyun Ah because she seemed the most logical of all the characters. She always fought back, never gave up and she didn’t care about her pride. She was an amazing person.
The drama’s production isn’t top notch but it can’t be considered as bad. In fact, it is as it should be, so that the drama ends up being beautiful and eye-catching but nothing else except this. In other words, it isn’t so “artistic”. The music consists of some very interesting and wonderful BGM music that is likable, but unfortunately it is a little repetitive.
To sum up, VIP is a drama that I partly enjoyed because it has some really good scenes and it gets some very important messages crossed. I have to say though that I didn’t care about the general plot at all. There were times that I thought of dropping this drama. In the end, I completed it but I have very mixed feelings about it. I don’t know if I would recommend it, but I believe it deserves a try because of its beautiful (and rare) subject matter.
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A must see poignant drama.
I put off watching this drama as the synopsis didn't appeal to me, however after seeing some very positive reviews I decided to watch it. It was a rollercoaster ride for me as it almost mirrored my life (the female lead role) in so very many ways and I can only praise the writers and the actors for their skills. It has introduced me to some new actors who I will now follow to watch their next dramas. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys K romances. It's worth the time!Unfortunately I've said all I can without spoiling the drama for future viewers but it won't let me post this till I've reached 500 characters!
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But even in the end of this drama, you cannot understand their decisions or feel any sympathy - in fact, you won't care. You can also skip ahead, this drama has been drawn out for only 16 episodes, this affair scandal is so complicated, when it's not meant to be. It makes the whole world they live in a toxic environment and although they want to dramatise the heck out of everything to suit how important they think the scandal is - it's suffocating.
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Story: I feel the story of this drama is what kept me going with it, the only issue that I had with it was that this drama really took it time but with the payoff that it had it was worth the slow burn of the drama and I am really glad that I stick it through the end.
Acting: The main FL of this drama (played by Jang Na Ra) really showed her acting chops and I feel like the acting was really good that I really felt it and the material the actors were given was there.
Music: I can not say much for the music as most tracks were just not memorable and none were really ones that I would go out to listen to again.
Rewatch Value: I do not think I rewatch this with a story like this it would be hard to rewatch it knowing how the story unfolds in the end.
This drama I would say is worth it but it can be hard to recommend to people as this drama is really slow to pick up and it may not hold up to people as the slowness of drama could lose some people in the early episodes.
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