uh... no.. nEvErThELeSs,
Honestly I can only recommend this drama to you if you like skinship.Hint, hint, i haven't read the webtoon so this review contains nothing about how good it is as a webtoon adaptation.
In the beginning, the drama made me feel excited for the mature and casual relationship between Nabi and Jae Eon, however it was really just me secretly setting myself up for frustration. They start with a toxic relationship, and end with one, making myself the only one to blame for the dissatisfaction i had when finishing this drama (i should've known). You think you're going to get a friends-with-benefits-to-lovers situation, but instead get something much more frustrating, boring and toxic than anticipated. I couldn't tell if the pacing was wack or if i was just bored. The repetition of events was tiring and lead to this frustration i keep mentioning. The drama is only 10 episodes, and i don't know if its because i was watching the episodes as they aired, but it felt so LONG. There was so much filler from supporting characters, despite the fact that they only had 10 hours compared to the usual 16 to tell a story. All the energy they spent making sure ten supporting characters were paired up should've been put into Nabi and Jae Eon's relationship.
With that being said, here are the positives that kept me tuning in
- The great side couples. All were unique and there was even a same-sex couple for once!!
- Great osts although this is more of a positive aspect and not actually a reason to keep watching.
- Cinematography and color palettes. Very aesthetically pleasing to watch.
- Skinship and open talks about sex. If you like a lot of kissing and naughty scenes then here you go. The drama is built upon casual relationships so be prepared for plenty of casual conversations/scenes with sex. If you want skinship, here is the drama to get it, but just know that there is not much else (at least for the main couple).
I don't recommend it. If you still decide to watch this drama, don't set your expectations too high.
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A drama that went from charming to childish
Though my headline sounds critical, i should start off with the fact that i did truly enjoy the whole drama.The setting and meeting between the leads was amazing. It played out like a unique love story where admiration quickly turns into love. The interactions felt realistic and the pace was perfect. Nian Qin's character was set up for development and he gradually became more lovable to watch. Wu Yan is a playful FL who strays away from the usual playful but clumsy and dumb female, which is something to be relieved about. The OSTS were fitting and the incorporation of music into the drama is flawless. Many things about this drama are so good. Im the type that needs to be hooked in the first episode, and this drama did that for me. However, it is very evident that the writing got lazy around the middle and lacked the same charm and elegance the first half did.
In the final third of the drama, there is cliche thrown upon cliche, and some distasteful ones at that. There were a few characters whose stories were abruptly cut off and unfinished as well as one that had an ending that made me ask if i was reading the subtitles correctly. Unfortunately, during this portion of the drama. Nian Qin has very noticeable changes, which make sense in some areas but seem so out of character and especially annoying in others. In the last few episodes in particular, there are moments where you feel like you have missed important events and relationship changing revelations. The second half essentially throws away all built in the first half.
Despite the lot that is negative, if you think the love you will have for the first half of the drama will be enough to pull you through the second half, then watch it, but if you hate inconsistency, proceed with caution.
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This review may contain spoilers
Oh! I wasted 16 hours of my life
Like something you might've heard before- the talented actresses and actors could not make up for the horrible writing of this drama. I'll admit it had me in the first quarter of the drama before going downhill. Many of the storylines were nice! And then there were more and more storylines just piling up! And then they ALL turned to shit!Some n̶i̶c̶e̶ ? things they had going:
- The relationships between Jooin's mother, Jooin, Bisoo's mother, and bisoo. The interactions between them all were always very cute. Any scene with Haejin or Junghwa was nice to watch.
But Bisoo's mother, Haejin, was sick and eventually died with little grieving from any of the characters considering how intertwined they all were. We also see Junghwa and the other old man less and less in general.
-A love triangle. This triangle was very useless. Annoying to watch. First, we know Yujin likes Jooin, but why is that his only plot point. His whole character is about being in love with Jooin and butting in. I could get over the sweet, best friend second lead trope if we weren't randomly thrown by Jooins's 'i like both of you' in the middle of the series. Other than letting Yujin make advances on her, it is never obvious that Jooin ever liked Yujin. And then its obvious she's already made up her mind within an episode and a half. For some reason though, Yujin still acts like it is a competition until the end- which is annoying.
-Literally the name of the drama. Bisoo is suddenly Jooin's tenant. They do this little thing of having Bisoo call her 'master' which then dissolves into nothing because Jooin's resolve is weak. I'm not even going to go over the fact that Bisoo just plainly disrespects Jooin in her own house multiple times with basically no consequences. You'd also think that there would be more moments about what happens when a girl who has lived mostly by herself begins living with practically a stranger. Like what was even the point of the cohabitation aspect if it wasn't explored? Why was it even in the title?
-Jooin being a 'top star actress'. Jooin wins many awards, is on billboards and does many dramas and ad shoots. She has a crazy stalker fan that is only used in a few episodes, being soon forgotten (which is strange considering the dark scenes we saw with/because of her). She makes sure to not obviously be with Bisoo while in their neighborhood. Despite all of this- she isn't crowded with people while outside and never has actual trouble with people. Seems inconsistent.
-The public/fake Yujin relationship and then Bisoo relationship. First Jooin is in a fake relationship with Yujin. Then there are rumors about her cheating on him with Bisoo. Then Yujin refutes rumors. Then Jooin goes out publicly with Bisoo. Am I missing something? I don't recall Yujin or Jooin making breakup announcements so how come Jooin is suddenly able to publicly date Bisoo (we see them in a building holding hands while a crowd is in front of them). Nobody was going to say anything about how she either was 'cheating' on her boyfriend or about how she went from one friend to the next?
-Bisoo disappearing. Probably the silliest and dumbest plot ever. So he gets hit by a truck, is supposed to die, but is brought back with a limited amount of time because his dad wanted him to express his love? And then Jooin is talking about Bisoo. And then the drama abruptly ends. I just found the fantasy element very ridiculous and out of place for a romance like this.
-Also the birth secrets. We love some half-fleshed out birth secret storyline!
-Also the short-lived open doors trauma!
Lets not even go over ALL the plot-holes, events that should've had a bigger impact and the plain forgetting of plot points.
The cute moments are there, yes! The music is nice! Sometimes I question the stylist yea!
Not the worst but overall, WOULDN'T recommend. There are many nice love triangle, sick parent, second-chance, actress and cohabitation dramas! Watch one of those :)
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came for the time travel, stayed for the heartwarming
Without touching too much on the things that the summary doesn't allude to, I will give my thoughts on My Perfect Stranger.I cannot recommend this to anyone who is looking for a sci-fi drama. This drama is like 10% sci-fi and there are so many questions I have for it. I want to call them plot holes but they honestly aren't considering that characters in the story don't even wonder about them themselves. It's like the writers just assumed that since the characters don't care that we wouldn't either.
Although the leads DO form a subtle romantic relationship, you will find a sweeter romance with the support characters (FL's parents). The best part of this drama is the relationship you'll see between them and the FL's family as a whole. It was beautiful and touching and I actually teared up multiple times. I was not expecting a murder mystery drama to be so warm. This aspect honestly makes the whole drama worth watching
The mystery and investigation part of this drama was also very interesting. You'd never guess who the killer was until it was plainly laid out. That was a good and bad thing. As the investigation deepened and the case was solved, everything made sense, but it sometimes just felt like the writers made certain things happen just to be sure that they could outsmart the viewer.
Although I enjoyed this drama while it was airing, in retrospect, I would've enjoyed it more if the characters had a bit more passion. It seems like they never fully felt any particular emotion.
Overall, a good drama. 8.5/10
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A nice drama to binge <3
Mostly good things about this dramaThe only thing:
There were a few times where I questioned the leads motives/emotions and wished it would be more obvious to figure out. All characters had great chemistry with each other and watching them gave a feeling of camaraderie. Leads were especially enjoyable to watch with their open relationship. Supporting characters were easy to feel for~ Yet there was something lacking just a bit in the leads. I've finished the drama a day a go and had initially named the male lead as one of my favorites but thinking back, I wish I was able to feel for him more as well as loving the female lead a bit more. These characters would've been better if they felt "just okay" a little less and felt angry, heartbroken and scared a little more. So Ji Sub's eyes have more depth than his character oof. The rationality in the characters makes this drama an easy watch but not necessarily a memorable one. This is a GREAT watch for binging in between shows or waiting for new episodes.
I don't remember anything of the osts even though its only been a day. Only the annoying theme song i can remember.. it takes a while to get used to btw.
Worth the watch, go for it~
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Entertaining, but mediocre.
A funny drama, but also one that didn't age well. I usually don't get kdrama humor (from cultural differences), but this one actually got many laughs from me. I think if you wanted to watch this drama, it would be for the nostalgia and not much else. Like other dramas from its time, My Lovely Sam Soon has the stereotypical asshole rich ML, a romance between the leads that you don't quite understand, casual sexual assault/harassment and uncomfortable possessiveness towards the women in the show! I'd say this show was strongest in the middle and especially weak towards the end. I don't love the show, but it was an easy and entertaining watch. 7/10.Was this review helpful to you?