This review may contain spoilers
I’ve spend so much time watching this drama, that I decided I should at least write a review. As I want to do it thoroughly, it might be a tiny little bit spoilerish, so if you don’t want to know anything about the plot before watching, please consider not reading this review.First of all, the description can be a bit misleading, if you were hoping while choosing it that it will be a romantic comedy, you can end up being disappointed, because it’s back to back a family melodrama. If you consider it as such, this it will be a valuable watch.
What I found interesting about Korean family drama is that, while telling a story, it touches upon social and cultural issues between the lines, which makes me feel I’m learning something about Korean culture. (like I didn’t know how common racism was or how difficult it was for people in Korea after the war until I watched Ojakyo Brothers).
As for this drama what I really enjoyed how it broke some usual rom-com cliches and focused on development of heroines. Tropes like divorcing unfaithful husband despite having a child and then struggling with getting the once successful single life back together. Or marrying just for love and not sacrificing your career for it. These all was very interesting and fresh for me to see in a drama, especially in context of Korean society,which seems still pretty conservative (Disclaimer: I’ve never been to Korea nor do I know well any Koreans :[ so it’s only based on what I read or watched so I might be wrong). You could also see that it indeed cause some struggles between generations with grandma telling her granddaughter to forgive her husband and go back to him, or in mother- daughter-in-law differences. What was also interesting that it showed ajummas in some untypical light as well. Scene when Omounii, who was always sacrificing for her family, goes on shopping spree and buys high-end clothes for herself because “she deserves that” was simply priceless. I also really sympathized with the story of Joon Ho’s mother - I mean the male lead’s mother, in most dramas a character designed to be hated- she really got my deep compassion with her story of finding the sense in your life, when your family doesn’t care for your efforts anymore.
I really liked the characters of the sisters. Jeong Ae, who despite her mild character, didn’t weaver and was able to follow through her decisions. Joo Shin who was at the same time fierce and caring, never letting anyone to put her down.
I liked Soon Shin very much too, although she was a vulnerable character at first, not confident at all and a real give-upper -which can be pretty annoying, she really grew as the drama progressed and wasn’t afraid to speak out her feelings and resolve misunderstandings. Besides IU is so adorable and natural in her acting and such a cute and funny girl, that it’s impossible not to like her.
In the romantic department it was pretty interesting as well. Very pleasing actually, because every girl got a guy, that was really well suited for them. What was really interesting and not often seen in a drama- it was guys who chased after the girls, not the other way around. So if you’re looking for such development, this drama won’t disappoint. Because they chased after them faithfully and continuously, and they are really great and considerate guys to be chased by.
And yes we have our usual “CEO”, but he’s not usual at all! The official description could not be more wrong about him, because he is not “over confident, arrogant and coldblooded” in any way! If anything he’s selfconsious, adorably clumsy, very smart, independent and caring. I don’t know how Jo Jung Suk did it, but he played his character extremely believably, so Joon Ho seemed like an awesome, but still real-life man, not some made-up arrogant CEO, worshipped by everybody around. What I also about him was his backstory, that he wasn’t a second generation cheabol as usual, but a self-made man, who wasn’t afraid to go against his parents wishes, and after many hardships became successful on his own. He showed the same resilience throughout the drama and always made his own decisions, which I really enjoyed, even if he messed up sometimes.
It was really sweet to see how much he cared for Soon Shin and always supported her both in her career and as a shoulder to cry on. It is one of the most cutest and realistic relationships I’ve ever seen in a drama with both people really wanting to be together and supporting each other. IU and Jung Suk are a great pairing, you couldn’t feel the age difference between them, especially with Soon Shin being quite cheeky towards teppunim and him falling heads over heels for her. They really have a great dynamics and chemistry, and their scenes together were always enjoyable without being overboard. I became a fan of Jo Jung Suk after this drama, somehow he stands out among other Korean actors, because he’s very natural, has great expression and doesn’t take himself too seriously. And he was just too cute, when he looked at Soon Shin, telling her she’s beautiful
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Story: The story is hit-and-miss for me. The hits being the sisters and their adorable romances, the misses being the crazy mothers involved. It's actually kind of frustrating when you think of how much MORE time was spent on the mom's instead of the sisters. Really, if the drama had paid more attention to Lee Soon Shin, Yoo Shin and Hye Shin, then I probably would have given this a higher score. Instead, we got buckets full of frustrating mama-drama. Plus, Hye Shin and Jin Wook's story had so much ignored potential. In fact, a whole lot of side stories had ignored potential. It felt like the writer was just making this up as she went along without the foggiest idea of how much time she wanted to spend on story arcs.
Acting: So. Much. Wasted. Talent. Seriously. Jo Jung Suk was perfect here, but his character felt sorely underused. IU had a pretty decent break-out role, and I'm glad this drama was so popular, otherwise Jung Woo would have flown under everyone's radar for his awesome turn as Jin Wook.
Music: Like this drama, it was cute. But when the *same* song repeats the *same* word fifty thousand times at the end of *every* episode, I start to bang my head against the wall.
Rewatch Value: There were a lot of cute scenes in here that I'd like to rewatch, but I will never *ever* rewatch the entire thing. It just won't happen. I don't want to deal with premature hypertension.
Overall: My recommendation is that you have your finger on the fast-forward button while watching this. Otherwise, you're going to lose a lot of hair in the process.
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Story:
Im not going to tell a summary in order not to spoil you and also because the story is already told in the synopsis.
What I liked about the story was that it was not only a love story but also kinda a family genre telling about different families and all family members of all families kinda had their own (love) stories. It made you felt watching more than just one drama and it was pretty varied. What I didnt like about the story - and thats why I gave it an 8, was that in the middle the story started dragging on. On the one hand you felt like wanna drop it but on the other hand you didnt wanted those 18 or 22 episode you already watched being wasted, so I kept on watching it. And i didnt regret because the story became better an the characters and their relationship started delevoping pretty much.
Acting/Cast:
I think IU was a pretty good choice for Lee Soon Shin because of her cuteness. Something was bothering me...the first episodes people kept telling how "ugly" Soon Shin was...but please, just take a look on her, can you take it seriously if someone says shes ugly? This was kinda irrational.
In my oppinion Jo Jung Suk is not really an attractive man. (Im sorry to all his fans, but its just my oppinion) but he was okay. I liked his acting.
Music:
Is it just me or was there not many music? I only can remember to songs, the songs which were chosen for the ending. I liked both songs, but those are the only songs I can remember. Maybe bcause the other songs didnt leave much impression on me so I forgot them or theere really were only 2 songs during the whole drama...
Rewatch Value:
I dont think this drama worth a rewatch because its too long.
Overall:
I actually enjoed watching this drama. I kept looking for every week
so i could watch the next 2 episodes.
If you like a cute drama about love, family and life with success, failure and secrets you should give it a try. But it takes a lot of episodes until the relationship of the main leads start to develope, just so you know.
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For a 50 episode drama, there were still a lot of loop holes which got me scratching my head in a WTF manner.
Why can't the script writers make a solid character out of Lee Soon Shin? There was so much potential into the character which was instead wasted into having her in a constant inner turmoil and misunderstanding with her family. She kept on bailing out on her manager, then at work, then at her family. Watching her be like this was quite confusing because she's supposed to be the strong protagonist and this is supposed to be her story but instead her character felt faded. The supporting roles were so much more interesting to me than hers. Then there's also the main lead guy, Shin Joon Ho. I felt the same way for him like Lee Soon Shin, why did the guy have to run around and try fixing things but end up empty handed? He tries, but never really gets to resolve anything. These main characters are sad... their story are being much overshadowed by other elements. I blame the writers for this.
What made this show bearable to watch are the actors. If it hadn't been for IU and Jo Jung Suk as the main roles I wouldn't have the patience to finish this drama but since they are my bias and there were a lot of cute scenes (not just on the main leads but as well on the other characters), that made me rethink of dropping the drama. The supporting roles were quite interesting as well. They have brought balance to the story and made it watchable. The families were such a mess, but the three sister's different characters really brought this drama to life so I guess it is still worth the watch.
I couldn't say that this drama was great, but I would have to admit it was a good watch if you could get past the circling theme with long dragging plot lines full of cliche. It was an average drama, it made me laugh-cry-hate-love the characters but at the end of the day it's not something I would want to brag about or recommend to people. It's more of a drama that would let me pass time until I finish downloading that specific drama I have been pegging to watch.
When watching this drama, be mentally prepared that Lee Soon Shin's character isn't actually the best because the supporting roles were better.
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First of all this drama IS 50 EP. This means that the plot has to move progressively. Don't expect to see a problem be solved in 4 ep. The great thing about his drama is that the plot is moving at an awesome pace for a 50 ep drama.
Who will enjoy this drama:
-Someone who likes complex plots. Because this drama is long, the plot doesn't focus only on the main characters.
-likes romantic comedies
-doesn't have a problem with a slow plot pace.
-poor girl- rich boy relationships, although is not that cliche.
Overall, the drama is SOOO WORTH watching. You will enjoy all the acting and chemistry in this drama. From the main leads to the third parties. I shall say that the plot is so well written and portrayed so far, that is just flows awesomely. Don't be scared because is a long drama. Oh and the drama is CURRENTLY AIRING. So far there are 13 ep aired.
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on another not i dint care less for the rest of the cast, i seriously wouldnt have watched this show if it wasnt for him. chan woo was just unrelatable, his acting was too stiff and unreal that i was getting frustrated. his relationship with yoo shin was just blaaa hye shin and yoo were ok but the baker guy and shin's assistant were awsome supporter roles. the drama was just ok i wouldnt watch it again except for a couple of episodes with jung suk. did i mention him again....yes i love him. must watch him in king2hearts.
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This review may contain spoilers
My biggest complaint - Story: I love the actors, they have been the ones holding this show together so far; but some plot points (no spoilers, no worries!) have been dragging for episodes upon episodes. The drama had a lot of potential in the first 10-15 episodes, but after that I can't say it is worth watching anymore. I have a list of 10 characters I am currently annoyed or pissed at, whose actions don't make sense to me. After watching my allotted two episodes a week, I feel drained and uncomfortable. That is not the feeling one should be getting from a family drama that is more than halfway done. I was hoping this show would turn out somewhat like Ojakgyo Brothers, that it would be charming and sweet. And it was, at first. But the last few episodes had only had yelling and confrontations and the plot doesn't seem to have moved an inch. IU and Jo Jung Suk have been doing a great job as the main leads, but there just hasn't been enough of them together so far. For me, there has been too many downs and very few ups in the last 10-15 episodes, that I do not think I can continue this drama. This is the first review I wrote, and I am sad to say it is not a very good one. If you want to see what a family drama should be like, watch Ojakgyo Brothers. This is just my opinion. I am still holding hope that this show might change for the better and I might go back to it after it finishes airing, but as of now, I am done!
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I Like It Because:
-Has a Good Backround Story
-Nice Music & Good Actors/Actresses
-Interesting
-Not Likely Predictable
-Has Its Cute Moments
I Dislike It Because:
-The Love Story Is Slow
-Only 2 Episodes a Week ._.
-Its 50 Episodes
Other Than That Its a Good Drama So Far c:
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This is one of the best dramas of this year in my opinion. It's made me cry a lot, even through its long it's worth it and I recommend it!
first of all the actors were doing great in there roles, the plot it self is interesting and it will teach you lessons for sure! that's what I liked about it :D
but then the love story was kinda slow and its like 50 ep but still WATCH IT!
If you're gonna watch prepare a tissue box hehehe :D
Thank You!
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This review may contain spoilers
This is the longest drama I have ever watched and it was worth it for the most part. I was actually going to give up on it around episode 15-17 but I saw spoilers about the development of the relationship between Mr. Shin and Soon Shin so I made it through a few episodes and it started to pick up.Some of the story dragged along but I thought it had to do with the amount of episodes this drama had. The cast and crew had the ability to drag out a bunch of different story lines so sometimes I got bored when it was not the love line I wanted to hear about.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this drama. Jo Jung Suk is one of my favorite actors and he is just superb in this drama. IU did good as well but Jo Jung Suk definitely stole the whole drama for me. His acting made me believe his character was real and the detail in his acting is just... amazing. I would not rewatch this only due to the fact it is very long. If someone edited cuts of just IU and Jo Jung Suk's story line then maybe I would rewatch it.
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It's quite good!! And I'm hooked.
I am not a big fan of family dramas because they are long, too many conflicts involved, and becomes uninteresting as episodes move on. This is definitely something different.
On the other hand, this drama quite surprised me with this underdog tale of unlucky and optimistic,Lee Soon Shin and arrogant, cold-blooded (hides his feelings) character, Shin Joon-Ho. With lack of confidence in both characters, this is neat way to build a story from scratch from an ordinary girl into a famous actress and from an arrogant president to a changed person. This will help build their romance and understanding.
Each character has their own background and this drama takes time to expand their stories so each have time to tell their tale and how they got to this point in the story.
After watching 2 episodes, I realized that this drama will be 50 episodes long. Did not expect this at all. Great start in the few episodes with its quirky yet interesting story-telling plot. Impatiently waiting to watch for more!!
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