kori
It's story was based off of a simple plot that I'm sure has been done tons of times. But the execution was great. The idea of the 49 days was simply great. The entire world just felt so real, and it almost felt believable. This drama has its cliches, but they are not painful to watch, and they're well done. The writing for this drama was wonderful, in my opinion, from start to finish. It left me completely satisfied and happily contented with the writers and storyline.
Perhaps its weakest part /was/ the romance, as others have mentioned, but to be honest, as you're watching the drama, you really can't distinguish any character as a distinct male lead. This drama is not intended to be a complete or even half romance, but it's about one girl and her chance to live again. This drama will most likely be a heavy one to watch, due to its rather unomedical nature and heavy topics, but I found it highly... addictive, in a way. Grab some tissues, around the last few episodes, by the way. ;)
I thought the acting was great, and the characters were even better. I really can't help but love the writers. Really. While Shin Ji Hyun was not the strongest character, she was a good character, and she developed over the course of this drama well. Even all of the side characters' are great.
Honestly, one of my favorite characters ended up being Kang Min Ho. (*gasp*) He was truly well-acted, first of all, and unlike a lot of other antagonists I've seen, this guy was /human/. You could just /feel/ the fact that he was still a person. Shin In Jung was like that as well--she was a person who still had emotion, though hers was less evident at first. I liked these two because they felt real. The reason they were what they were was believable and both of them were driven to do what they did because of their emotion and experiences. Their actors were great during the whole drama, as well.
Regarding music, the songs were nice, but they were not strong. They fit very well with the drama and I liked some of them, but I can't remember them clearly. This is kind of random but I loved that whenever something bad would happen, the music that's playing will kind of halt and echo out with a bang of sorts.
I will not rewatch this. This drama thrives on the suspense, and while certain aspects of it would be okay a second time around, it would be far less intriguing.
Overall, I loved this entire drama. The ending was one of my--no, it probably /is/ my--favorite ending of all of the dramas I've seen. I loved the writers, the actors, everything. Though a lot of people probably did not like the ending, I thought it was perfect.
I definitely would recommend people to watch this at some point. If you can deal with a heavier drama, definitely try this one. :3
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After just the first three or four episodes I was feeling like I had just finished it because so much happened, but it seemed so...complete. I think the first four are the most powerful, but that doesn't mean the rest aren't amazing as well.
The storyline is great. I mean, sure, I bet there are tons of these types of stories out there, but man, this was really great and amazing and I think I cried more than once.
The whole complete feeling is just so weird, because I don't get that from many dramas, but this one was definitely complete. I was satisfied, and everything just finished in a way that was good.
Surprisingly, even after just the first few episodes, I was so ridiculously connected with the characters. There was something about them that I found was easy to relate to, I suppose, and to have been able to create the emotional attachment between viewers and characters so early... That was pretty cool.
The fact that this drama is more about friendship and starting a band was refreshing, and while there's romance in it, I found myself wanting less of it. It's well-balanced though.
The entire drama I found rather realstic, which is pretty awesome.
All of the acting I thought was really good. The characters they portrayed were realistic and relatable, and really well done.
I found Woo Kyung somewhat annoying at times, but still she's a great character. Even the most annoying guys like Pyo Joo were likable.
As it's a music drama, the music was prominent, though personally I wished there was more. I loved all the songs though.
I would rewatch this, definitely. And if you haven't watched it already, go watch it.
Excuse my gushing though. I just finished watching it and remain amazed.
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This entire drama made me very reminiscent to Lie To Me, with similar characters and relationships. There's even an Oh Yoon Joo in that one. The characters and story made me think of a few other dramas, in general. The plot and relationships made me think of Lie To Me; Oh Yoon Joo reminded me of Hye In from My Girlfriend is a Gumiho; and Jung Woo made me think of the director from Heartstrings.
The story for this one was nothing too original, but it was interesting and I liked it. There were weaknesses, of course, and I think a major one is the question of why Lee Seol and Hae Young even end up falling in love. There doesn't seem to be any progression until all of the sudden they love each other, which is especially noticeable from Hae Young's side of the relationship.
Also, that last few episodes were kind of, I don't know, slow. The ending was sweet though, and it was satisfying.
The actors did a pretty good job, I'd say. The two leads were good, and I loved their characters. Most of the characters were likeable, except Oh Yoon Joo, and I still can't really see why Jung Woo ever ends up liking her after all that went down, but, um, okay.
Music wasn't very prominent--it was unfitting at times but otherwise was pretty unnoticeable.
I personally wouldn't rewatch it, except maybe the tense scenes or the cute ones.
Overall it was good. Typical, but it held my attention. Some nitpicks I'll just add here: I was hoping maybe Lee Seol would be more assertive throughout a lot of the time when she was whining over things. Also I found her expressions similar to Kristen Stewart at points. Another thing was the kisses, as they would always have jumpy camera shots.
Either way, if you're bored, this is a good drama to watch.
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Considering it's much shorter, with only eleven episodes and the average length being 45 minutes, a lot of the scenes were cut, though honestly, I didn't mind, as most of it was the comedy. Some great scenes were cut though, sadly.
The story is obviously the same, and it's a great story. It was faster-paced, and while it was natural in some points, at others it went by far too quickly.
The character development was differeing in comparison to the Korean version, obviously due to the time constraints. Something I really didn't like was Shu's character though.
We all know how heartbreaking Shin Woo's scenes were in YB (it's really ridiculous how much that guy made me feel so heartbroken), but I didn't get the same impact for Shu as I did with Shin Woo. I think it's due to the huuuuuuugggee lack of Shu-Mio talk time. We got a ton of adorable talks between Mi Nam and Shin Woo in YB, but there just wasn't enough sweetness coming from Shu. I didn't get that super adorably nice feeling from him.
The acting was pretty good, but nobody can beat Jang Geun Suk's experience. I think the Korean actors were better, putting all appearance biases aside.
A majority of the music was the same, except in Japanese, and while they were good, I like the Korean version better. A few songs were not translated/included from the original though.
I personally wouldn't rewatch it, but I can see watching some parts of it over. Maybe just for Jang Geun Suk's cameo in episode eight. ;P
Overall, it was pretty good. If you liked YB, you should definitely try watching this version out. It's fun, and it puts a Japanese spin on some of the scenes we all know and love.
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Alright, the story is nothing new, considering what it is, but the writers seemed to really take away quite a few things. There wasn't much interaction between dorms, and it felt like it lacked more sports involvement.
The romance was typical, but during the drama I was somewhat annoyed with Jae Hee. She was almost TOO obsessed with Tae Joon, to the point that not only it was painful for me to watch Eun Gyeol, but where it almost seemed a little too odd that nobody caught on to how weird it was.
I tend to end up loving the supporting characters more than the mains, and this was no exception. I was supporting Eun Gyeol a lot, and watching as she flat out ignored him was pretty terrible. I had hoped there would be more tension with him, and he got more of a chance, but she seemed far too focused on Tae Joon.
The characters were fun (though I'm disappointed to find that Kayashima doesn't exist), and most of the actors did a good job. At some points the two leads seemed stiff, but I just kinda brushed it off. Yong Min made me laugh; I loved Seong Ri; and somehow Han Na was more likable near the end, but really really annoying in the entire first half.
Something I didn't like was that I could not keep the characters straight. Some of their names were mentioned, and their faces would be there, but it would be a while before they reappeared, or their names would later be brought up again and I would be lost. Or maybe I just should pay more attention. I was kind of disappointed that the doctor--Min Woo, was it?--didn't get as big of a role as in the manga, but eh.
The music was good, and I liked it. It was pretty fitting as well.
I personally would rewatch it, because it was just fun (aside from the painful Eun Gyeol parts when he's ignored). Then again, I'll be watching the the versions as well, so...
My suggestion: read the manga.
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Starting with story, there were two different storylines going on, one being Jae Kyeong's terrifying murders, and the main being, obviously, the story between Min Joon and Song Yi. The story is typical and a cliched plot, but it was extremely well done, and it never had me bored. Around the last bit, it definitely could have been cut, and the last few episodes all kind of mush together, but it was enjoyable nonetheless.
There were some things that didn't get tied up around the ending of this though. The original thing that had been so focused on was completely forgotten, that being the fact that it was Min Joon who saved Song Yi twelve years ago, and how she looked exactly like the girl he knew during the Joseon period. That was a completely dropped fact. The other thing that we never really were told was anything about his world. It's really kind of a shame that it ends with such little information on his world, when the entire last part of the drama is focused on him returning to it.
The entire cast was great. Kim Soo Hyun made the perfect indifferent alien falling in love, and Jun Ji Hyun made that typical female antagonist character into a main that we all loved. Shin Sung Rok as well, played a chilling but awesome character. It felt like he was oozing evil constantly, plotting the deaths of everyone in his way with a smile on his face. Still, I loved Jae Kyeong as a character; he was so terrifying.
The second leads were good too, but they disappear at points of time, and don't get quite enough time for their characters to develop. They were very much used as plot-pushers.
The characters were just great though. I felt like, while they were archetypes of every other character we all know in dramas, they were so quirky in their individual ways that it brought a fresh start with character cliches. Do Min Joon was the 'typical cold guy', but even with warming up to Song Yi, his personality doesn't make this drastic change in the name of love, which is what we usually see. The way their relationship progresses and they develop is what I found the best, since it didn't feel like a typical drama to me.
I enjoyed the OST, and thought it fit well most of the time, or simply faded into background music. There wasn't any point where it sounded horribly off, and I liked the songs.
I am not a rewatcher, but I can see the appeal in watching this over, maybe just for certain scenes.
Overall, the ending was a bit weird, but it was great. There was nothing that really frustrated me to the point of anger either, which happens sometimes. The characters and the actors playing them were really the best. This drama is something that ends with satisfaction. I didn't feel like it needed more, and I didn't feel sick like with the usually-cliche happy endings. It was a satisfactory watch, and I would suggest it if you have some sort of interest in great acting and a cute story.
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Regarding the story, it was cute. The movie was extremely rushed, with little explanation for some things, and while there was potential be better, the time constraints really killed it. It was a cute movie overall; it's very lighthearted and good to watch if you just want a rom-com. I found it funny, and it was just plain fluff. But if you're watching for story, don't bother, as it was extremely choppy.
The acting was good, and I thought both of the leads did well. I thinly both Kim Ha Neul and Jang Geun Suk are good actors, so um, yeah.
Music was basically irrelevant, and other than one out-of-the-blue dance and song, there wasn't any music that stood out. Also, for him being a ballet dancer, there really was no dancing involved.
I would rewatch this movie if I was bored. I enjoyed it because it was cute and it was funny, which is good if you're just coming off some romantic tragedies or melodramas.
Overall, it wasn't that good, but it wasn't that bad either. It was fine, in my opinion and judging it as a standalone movie.
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The storyline was different, but very interesting. It's a comedy, in a way, but it has a serious kind of tone to it, mingled with the humor, which is unique. The entire premise of the story was very interesting, and I liked all of the characters as well.
I had originally thought that with so many characters, I would be lost, but this movie made sure that none of them would get mixed up. The separate backstories were what distinguished the characters from each other the most, and it was very clever. Almost no names were mentioned--at least, that I can remember--yet it was easy to tell them. Of course, their faces are different, but something about it was very odd in the way they distinguished the characters.
I think the actors did a great job as well, and I liked all of the characters they played.
Music was unnoticable, but I think that's good--at least it blended in.
Personally, I would definitely rewatch this. As the very ending was something I didn't understand, yet vaguely understood, I'd like to watch it again after some time passes. The vague ending was still great though.
If you have two hours on your hands, and you don't want the drama of a romance, definitely DEFINITELY check this movie out. It was great.
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The story was interesting, and it was something I thought was a twist on a standard romance. The fantasy element brought in an interesting situation. The mix of comedy was very nice, making it far more fun to watch.
The actors did a good job and I loved the relationships between all of the characters. Even the female antagonist was a character that I enjoyed to hate.
It was a very consistent drama, being a balanced mixture of serious things and comedy. The beginning and the ending were probably the weakest parts of the drama.
At the start it was somewhat slow, but it was quick to pick up, which was great, because it continued on at a steady pace.
The ending was a different matter, though, and I found it somewhat hard to drag myself through them, though it picked up for the very end, maybe a bit too fast.
It was supposed to be sad, I suppose, before ending happy again, but while the sad was there, the ending resolved itself far too quickly. It was rushed, and I felt like I had been somewhat cheated, I guess.
While it was sweet, and it made me cry a bit, it was far too fast and in that way, I was unsatisfied. Not to mention that the time span IN the drama was also very short, which made the event very, I suppose, unimportant-feeling. It didn't sink in,
Otherwise, it was very interesting, and I enjoyed it very much. Don't miss out just because of the ending, as the whole story was good, and the characters were even better.
I'd also say it's very good for rewatching, as you don't need to be too invested in the storyline, and it's entertaining and sweet.
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The story was absolutely bizarre but adorable. It's a strange story, but I think it was done well. It's got it's cliches, but to be honest I was not bothered by them in the least. As most have said, there is not a lot of romance, but I suppose that's also what makes it charming. This whole drama also had me guessing to the end of who the real father was. It's extremely lighthearted (aside from a few parts) and is an easy watch. I personally thought that the draggiest part was episode 15, but that simply might have been because of a character bias.
Speaking of then, the characters were adorable, and their actors were awesome. Specifically Shin Sung Rok (who I started the drama for) and Jae Hee. I think those two did amazingly during this drama, playing their absolutely adorable in their own way characters. As a Sung Rok fan already, I was already impressed, but even more so when I found that I couldn't even think of him as anyone but Kyeong Tae. (Then again maybe I'm just fangirling a bit).
The music was good. It didn't particularly stand out to me, but I didn't hate it.
I do not rewatch dramas, but I rate this high because of how light the drama is. It's easy to watch and is addictive. And also, there are no painful misunderstandings.
Overall, I loved it. Especially the characters. It was well-executed for its lighthearted plot and the characters were absolutely lovable. It's something I would recommend for those who do not want to watch something heavy, or those who want to watch something lighthearted.
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The drama was really good at first. It was really great at the beginning, honestly, and I hoped it would have a satisfying ending.
The story is nothing original, and it's just like most romances out there, which isn't a surprise, thought at least those romances managed to keep the interest level going. Being a standard romance, the first half was still good, until maybe the tenth episode. The entire plot was completely predictable, though.
The acting was really good, and I loved all of the characters. They really did a good job portraying them. I loved Sang Hee, and really hoped his character would develop more and cause some tension as a rival, but nothing really happened, and that was a HUGE letdown. Still fuming about that, considering they really kind of just shoved him in the story then dropped him.
I wasn't fond of Yoon Joo, but she was still lovable. She had more potential for story progressing, but nothing interferes with the two mains, apparently.
As for the last six episodes, they were boring. It was repetitive over and over again and nothing new happened. Why? Because they were already so in love with each other, that whoever it was writing decided NOBODY would ever interfere again.
So the others just gave up. Bye Sang Hee, and Yoon Joo. Well, Sange Hee gave up long ago.
Anyway, it really was very, very boring until maybe the last ep. Nothing crazy happened except maybe that episode, where there was some tension that I enjoyed. Of course, we all know that happy endings are a must, but I was rooting it the other way.
The ending was really, er, okay. It was too typical, but what can you do?
Ah, overall, it was good until the tenth or so episode. I really wish they had actually, you know, had Sang Hee do something.
Wouldn't rewatch it, except maybe some scenes from the beginning.
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The story isn't original, but the way it's executed is what hooks you. This drama is definitely more of a comedy than anything else, and I was grinning throughout most of it. They focused even less of the sports than in TTBY, but the dorm competitions were absolutely entertaining and I was glad to see them prevalent.
The romance was cute, though I hoped the side romance with Nakatsu would have been more prominent than it was. There was less head banging and "oh my god Jae Hee" than in TTBY, however.
The actors I enjoyed watching, and all of the relationships seemed very real and believable. I definitely was crying at the end. A lot.
Personally, I liked this Mizuki much more than TTBY's Mizuki--Goo Jae Hee--perhaps because she seemed more convincing as a boy. Nakatsu's Korean counterpart, Cha Eun Gyeol, seemed more involved than Nakatsu.
All of the characters were great nevertheless. Kind of disappointed that Gilbert wasn't involved though.
This one had a faster pace though, probably because the episodes are shorter, and there are only twelve. It did pretty well with keeping consistent though.
The music I liked--especially the opening. Wasn't a big factor though.
I would definitely rewatch it, probably because of how lighthearted it is. It's more comedic than TTBY, which definitely would make it more fun to rewatch.
I loved it, honestly. Both versions I've seen were great, but this one wins, perhaps because of the humor. Definitely would say this is a must watch.
Now off to the Taiwanese version, and the remake. ;)
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The MC, Tee Woo/Myung Hoon, whatever MDL has it as, was /extremely/ boring. His actor didn't help. He expressed almost no emotion, and, no offense to you T.O.P lovers, didn't seem very... connected with the character himself. I didn't cry at the emotional parts, but rather, I was waiting for all this drama to go away and everyone to die.
The other actors were okay, I guess. I dunno, I didn't feel connected to /anyone/ during the entire movie.
The story is pretty meh. I just watch Secretly, Greatly, so maybe I'm comparing too much, but it wasn't a very interesting one.
Since it's a movie, I can't blame it's rushed-ness, but it was pretty rushed, and maybe if the writers didn't try to cram so much stuff into it, it would've been a little less confusing.
I looked at it objectively, and this movie really wasn't very good, imo. Maybe if you want some background noise with gunshots that hurt your ears and loud action it'll be good.
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It was really unique and well-written--something hard to find. I thought it wouldn't get so...dark though. There is some gore (and had I known that, I wouldn't have watched it so late--or at all--as I'm easily freaked out), and I really think that a select few will be ones to enjoy this movie, but I think it was good nevertheless.
The acting was great, the story was great. I really never caught onto all the subtle things--it was very unexpected. The ending was wow. There's nothing I can really say.
Definitely watch it yourself. You'll either love it or hate it.
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Regarding the storyline, it was average, and there wasn't much to say about it. I wish they had played the whole Austrailia/U.S thing up more, and also the other love interests as well. It felt like the other interests had about as big a chance a Gyu Han would have with Sang Eun.
There were a lot of misunderstandings, and while I know drama usually runs on those, this was ridiculous. People always seemed to forget to mention, you, the IMPORTANT parts for what they did, or they just wouldn't bother to explain, which really annoyed me.
Maybe this is just because it's not tradition over where I live, but the elders respect thig was foreign, and also it made me want to bash my head against a wall in annoyance at everybody.
To those saying it's too long, I'm somewhat inclined to agree, though I think the reason is was so long was because of all those side romances that annoyed me, and the misunderstandings that could have been cleared up with a single sentence. Like, really.
Regarding the side romances, I was enjoying Yoon Hee and Gyu Han's romance until I died at the end. I was rooting for him.
The Sae Won story was cute though it provided no tension at all, and I didn't like his end. Chul Ho and Hyo Eun had an adorable relationship though.
Regarding the acting, it was fair. I think it was Gyu Han's actor that seemed uber stiff though. It wasn't the best.
Music was ok. I can't figure out the name of the slow song that plays a lot, and I really like that one. It was mostly unnoticeable.
I wouldn't rewatch this drama simply because it's too long with top little progression. It could have been condensed to 25 episodes at the most I'm sure.
I'll finish it with this: I have never seen a drama with so many annoying characters--Yeo Joon's mother (the worst), Hye Rim, Hye Rim's mother... There are more.
But yeah. It wasn't that good, in my opinion.
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