JanuaryWonder
Of course, no drama is perfect, and Coffee Prince isn't either by virtue of belonging to the category (of a more broader category, which is - all things in life). But does it stand head-and-shoulders above the other things I've seen so far? Damn straight.
The first refreshing thing about it was the absence of villains/antagonists who stole valuable screentime with their sleeked up hair and inane filler intrigues. No such filler here: all the characters were loveable (more or less so), the story got you invested in their arcs and you genuinely cared about them as much as they seemed to all care about each other. Though I liked all of them, two stood out particularly - Gong Yoo's Han Gyul and Lee Sun Gyun's Han Seong. I literally could not decide whom I liked better: I have thus far never fallen prey to the second male lead syndrome, but in the beginning of the drama I was all about Han Seong (possibly because he reminds me so much of my own boyfriend). As the story progressed, Han Gyul caught up in my affections and they ended basically tied. Both actors inhabited the roles flawlessly. My heart broke for Han Gyul when he found out about the deception, his pain and disappointment was so genuinely portrayed, with such evident vulnerability, I felt like hugging my laptop. On the other hand, I smiled every time Han Seong smiled because.. how could you not? That smile!
I have to mention Yoon Eun Hye here as well: she was believable as a boy, and I found myself even forgetting on several occasions about the whole gender-swap plotline, it was that realistic. The way the story progressed between Eun Chan and Han Gyul was consequently also realistic: from their interactions, I could see why he became attracted to her even up to the point of being ready to accept that he was in love with a male person. (Can someone say swoon? That scene in the coffee shop, HEAVENS. The tension between them was palpable, and organically built up to that inevitable moment.)
The final solutions for both female characters were also something I appreciated in this drama that I rarely see. They made their own choices, grew as independent people, and were the better for it. Kudos to the writers for this. Another separate kudos goes for the realistic depiction of adult (kind of) relationships, with all the s-e-x and other stuff, even if with the added cuteness/drama that I wouldn't expect to see between a 24-y-o and a 30-y-o or however old Han Gyul was supposed to be. They still followed through and I was both amazed and extremely happy that they did.
Lastly, as a side note: I loved the music in this drama, it had a great vibe, from the Kings of Convenience I heard (if I'm not mistaken now) to all the rest of the soundtrack, it got me to discover some great music.
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Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy it - it was a nice 16 hrs or so of solid entertainment. I just don't think I'll be watching it again, and mostly I think it's because I didn't really feel the chemistry between the leads as much, it didn't jump out of the screen for me. Even though I understood him and he did soften towards the end - especially when you get to the reasons behind why he'd been living the way he had - I just couldn't get into Gi-tae as much as I'd have liked, which for a rom-com is pretty important.. Also, although the surrounding family drama sometimes really hit the feels and provided poignant moments to balance the over-the-top-silliness (which I loved), the tone just changed so abruptly at times that I was taken out of the story and just felt depressed.. but Gi-tae's mom was definitely, for me, the best executed, layered character and I loved the part of her story a lot.
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For the good parts - I totally fell in love with Wang So and his character (and Lee Joon-gi in the role, he was so on point, anymore and it'd become a black hole and swallowed the universe). He was just the type of anti-hero I love in my romance - misunderstood, issues abound, yet mindful of others, caring, with a soft spot for our heroine. Seeing him get out of himself and his character ark was one of my favorite parts of the drama, though I could've done without the last couple of episodes which rocked my love of him somewhat. He did make up for it in the end, but then the end had so many other issues that.. meh. I REALLY want a second season of this because I feel like we still haven't seen the best of Wang So, and what he could be. I'd also LOVE to see him in the modern age. Basically, I rooted for him from the beginning and though the love story was a sloooow burn (understatement), I just really want to see him be happy and have a worthy romance with Hae Soo.
On that note, I found Hae Soo lovely. She was spunky when she needed to be, but she was also a deeply compassionate person and her relationship with the brothers was one of the highlights of the drama for me. Seeing them through her eyes I really got to care for all of them, even those I didn't really like at first. The problem I had was that because her ark with Wook was so long (and done really well), I started resenting her at a point because Wang So was my main man and it felt like she didn't really reciprocate his feelings until very late in the drama. And then... yeah.
Wasn't really expecting that ending (I guess I should've read up on the storyline first before I committed to watching), but I'll take it and hold my breath for more someday.
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The story is pretty straightforward, no great twists and surprises, it delivers just what it promises: a nice low-key story about two people getting to know each other and falling in love. To boot, it offers some funny and heartfelt interactions with the rest of the minor cast and is an all-around feel-good experience.
Took me a while to warm up to So Ji Sub's character because he was SO introverted for almost half the show, but warm up to him I did (though I'm starting to wonder whether this is something to do with the actor himself, all the roles I've seen him in so far, I've had a similar problem, apart from where the character was explicitly introverted). The main female lead was sweet enough, though ultimately a bit forgettable, which I suppose is what most ordinary people are like so in this sense this added a touch of realism to the story.
All in all, nothing was over-the-top - either in a bad or a great way. An enjoyable little piece.
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The cast was, I think, very solid. Everyone seemed to fit their roles which made the characters believable and nice to watch. Tang Danson is a beautiful man, and he does have sometime of the vampire in him. The character of George was the one I empathized with the most by the end, though - he was funny, quirky, and his plight of not being able to feel human emotions (while at the same time caring very much for Roy), was an enjoyable side story.
That said, the plot was a carbon copy of arrogant hot rich dude/vampire meets poor girl soulmate stories, except perhaps a bit more lighthearted, and funnily enough with less focus on the villain (one would think that vampires provide much more fodder for conflict and having genuinely evil guys, as opposed to the upper management of successful companies - seemingly not the case). That makes his appearance in the end of the show completely random and to be honest, it left a very bitter taste in my mouth. Had it not been for the last minute or so of the show, it would've gotten a higher mark, but as it depended on predictability for most of its 9 episodes, the shenanigan from the end was completely unnecessary and disrespectful to the viewer.
But, I'd still recommend to watch it and judge for yourself. It has provided me with half an evening + morning of pleasant leisure, nothing too smart or awesome, but still enjoyable.
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The actors, and the characters they portrayed, were superb. Jang Hyuk... my gosh, how did I live without hearing that laugh (that could have been obnoxious in another actor, but he's just.. it works 100%) Not only that, but his character was endearing in his care for Mi-Young and his more emotional scenes were spot on. I also adored Jang Na-ra as the leading lady, though it seemed at the beginning she would be way too shy and nice for my taste, and even if she was all those things, she was too lovely for me to take it as a fault, which made me really feel for her. Their chemistry was insane.
Anyway, would recommend this to everyone and anyone looking for an equal(ish) balance of heavy feels and cuteness overload.
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Light-hearted, and yet incredibly moving at the same time. A story about friendship, the importance of changes, overcoming obstacles, and about how everyone needs a little help now and again. Also, obviously, romance. Would recommend to everyone ever, but especially if you're in the mood for mostly-down-to-earth characters who are also complicated, yet relatable people and an uplifting romantic story!
(RANDOM THOUGHTS)
For one, it was GREAT to find a show that made me want to exercise, instead of eat which is what most K-drama inspires in me (looking at you, Oh My Ghostess). For all of the two days that the inspiration lasted, I'm still grateful. Now, I LOVED this show. I didn't expect to love it, I was even dubious on whether I should try it at all, but I was determined to watch something on the lighter side and this seemed like the most promising one at the time. I built up such a connection to the characters, even the supporting cast, that I just couldn't help being moved - I've only cried twice to a drama, and I really didn't expect it to happen here, but it did. The story was mostly predictable, but guess what, so is life. What it had going for it was just that - the humanness and likability of most involved, getting to uncover their motivations and their history, going along for the ride and having some laughs and some "aw" moments. It surpassed my expectations in every way.
Starting it, I was also interested whether So Ji Sub could pull off a not-cold-as-stone or introverted character. Boy, could he. I fell in love with that man here. His acting was so visceral, you could really feel the character's pain and helplessness, but he was also pure gold in the comedy parts. He acts with his whole body, or should I say presence - and this is something I didn't appreciate before, but began to after this drama. I was seriously blown away. To boot, the character was an actually decent guy, it reminded me of the revelation I had when watching Queen In-Hyun's Man - that the lead doesn't have to be an A*hole to inspire interest in the story and a lot of swoon. A lot of swoons were had here.
Another thing I really liked about this was that the character of "Venus" was relatable and real. I could see some of myself in her, and I rarely can in K-drama heroines because they're just so darn cute. She was cute, but she was also a grown woman, and I was pleasantly surprised with how they handled the sexual innuendos. I mean, that the intention was at least there in the subtext, and that she had a normal, active approach to it rather than staring blankly in half-terror while being kissed. Her chemistry with So Ji Sub punched you from behind the screen, and what's more - they didn't need intense and unbelievably dramatic twists to show it, their relationship was actually "healthy" (in the psychological sense, as well as the exercising one).
The story lines of the supporting cast, each of them, added to the experience rather than bogging it down or slowing the pace. I sincerely enjoyed all of the comic relief and the trio-bro-mance, as well as the story between the 2nd leads. It was a different way to go, for sure, but it was one I appreciated. Actually, for all its straight-forwardness, this drama was hella-progressive in subverting the tropes it included. Kudos for that, kudos all around!
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Apart from this, the story itself is beautiful though slow and depressing, so I'd not recommend watching this unless you're in a certain contemplative, melancholy mood already. Otherwise, it'll really dampen your spirits.
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I'd only seen So Ji Sub in Master's Sun before, and though certainly a beautiful man and a wonderful actor, he didn't really strike a chord with me in that drama. Here, though, he hit the feels in the center. Wonderful, subtle acting - it's a true art to playing a quiet, subdued character I think and really *act*, not just not-talk. He accomplishes this wonderfully here. The main female character was lovely as well, for me she especially shined in the last quarter of the movie. Their relationship was beautifully portrayed - with nuance, the obligatory sweetness, but also a realism I'm not used to seeing in K-dramas normally. They both behaved like adults, though true to their characters.
Although the plot was predictable, it didn't detract from my enjoyment one bit. Will definitely re-watch it in the (possibly near) future.
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Yeap, all there. But damn, this was better than I ever could've expected. "Every moment shined." In deed. Ok, so maybe not *every* moment, but 89% of them for sure. I cried. I laughed. I wanted to group-hug the Goblin and the Grim Reaper and have a beer with them. They were friendship goals, level: immortals. Sometimes I actually wished there'd been more short arks with those two alone, because their interactions were both hilarious and heartwarming. The smartphone scene kills me every time, as does the one where they coolly go out of the tunnel with leeks and grocery bags. Bromance for the ages. Gong Yoo and Lee Dong-wook had the best chemistry out of all male actors I've seen so far. A+.
About the love stories.. though it was pretty hard for me to get with the program and support the Goblin and Eun-tak relationship at first because it was, frankly, wrong, to my great surprise (and maybe, a bit of disdain as well), I did like how they were written by the end and how their interactions were dealt with. I don't want to be hypocritical, I've enjoyed many a vampire romance in which the differences in terms of age were probably greater, but Gong Yoo was just so obviously older and the way they dressed him (op.ed. wonderfully) made him seem super serious. On the other hand, Eun-tak was.. a girl - this characterization is something I struggle with the most, because it both prevented me from rooting for them from the start, but was also a pretty realistic portrayal of the character, which I appreciated. By the time we got through the age gap though, I was totally on board. Well, a bit before that as well, just in time to bawl my eyes out to the rooftop scene. Her character really struck a chord with me in the end and I wish they'd done the jump a bit sooner and shuffled the stuff a bit so we could see more of older-Eun-tak's moments with Shin.
The story between the Reaper and Sunny was hilarious, I loved them together and I'm super happy that they got the ending they did, both of them. Eye-bawling moment #2. I especially loved Sunny's confidence which maybe made her come over as shallow at the start, but when you later realize how much she cares about him, and the history they share, it breaks your heart. The Grim Reaper was definitely my favorite character and that didn't change throughout the series. The deadpan comedic delivery, the whining, his brotherly love for Eun-tak and his "clients"... some of the short scenes in the tea-room were my favorite parts of certain episodes, especially the one with the soldier and his sweetheart who was waiting for him for 70+ years.
Overall, the series was wonderfully imaginative, poetic, with beautiful photography and lovable characters. It did seem to drag at certain times, but never enough to even consider dropping it or putting it on hold. The fantasy world created in the show was rich and magical. Love, love, LOVE. A must-see.
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