Pretty good
Since I love romance (especially rom com), there was not enough romance for me, lack of chemistry between leads (I didn’t feel the focus was romance.) That said, WONDERFUL show about friendships. Friendship between female leads and between the female lead and 2nd male lead. I totally had second lead syndrome - Siwon was terrific. They didn’t use the usual storyline of possessive people or evil parents, which was much appreciated. She didn’t seem too upset that he was leaving for a year - which kind of went along with the lack of chemistry.Was this review helpful to you?
Good main couple
Now for Radio Romance, Kim So Hyun was plucky and stuck to her guns and didn't turn out to be the doormat I was afraid she would be. Yoon Doo Joon - how in the world can he convey so much emotion just through his eyes? They were a wonderful couple. I didn't care for Yoon Park until about halfway through the series, he was a little over the top until then. Typical evil parent storyline, which was irritating. Competing team at the radio station were irritating as well. Personally, the highlight of this series was the relationship between the two main characters.Was this review helpful to you?
Dysfunctional people need love too
First, the synopsis is not correct. The character of Na Ji Young is not a "rugged individualist". She suffered from depression, antisocial personality disorder, and probably a couple of other disorders. She was a mess, and she wasn't a nice person at all. Then you have Park Byeok Soo, who had problems of his own - he couldn't stand to be alone. So you've got her that can't love, and him that loves too much. This was a difficult watch for me because I wasn't able to relate to their personalities.However, thankfully it was only two episodes so it didn't get mired down in filler that is so prevalent in Asian dramas.
The acting was good, and once they got together and opened up a little it became more enjoyable. This drama emphasized the damage that people that are supposed to love you can do. It also brought to light - is it better to have loved and lost or never to have loved at all? She didn't want to let anyone in because she was terrified of being hurt, yet her transition of putting herself out their to her co-workers reaped positive results. The photo montage toward the end of the show gave us a glimpse into their future lives. One amazingly hot kiss was a treat to see.
I felt that the woman playing the psychiatrist did a poor acting job. She was entirely too flippant to be dealing with other people's psyche. She could so some serious damage.
I can't totally recommend this drama, but due to the fact that it was short, I was glad I watched it.
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Full of irritating characters
There were quite a few irritating characters in this drama. It went a little bit deeper than the typical rom com, but I felt like the acting was bad, or maybe it was just the writing. I had a hard time relating to any of them. Jasper Liu is so cute, but he always smiles at inappropriate times. Puff Guo has pouting down to a science, and not in a good way. The characters had a lot of immature traits to add to the unlikability factor. This was a show that I "watched" and was not able to invest myself into at all, which is a shame. I did love the cooking scenes, however.Was this review helpful to you?
Korean "Fame"
It was fun to see these actors in earlier roles. I almost switched it off after the first episode because the FL was so hateful. I stuck with it though, because I refuse to give up on things. It had a "Fame" vibe to it. The competition to be the best, to stick to your guns, and still find a way to forge friendships was well fleshed-out. I thought the friendship development was very realistic. I do have to say that I despised the ending. But that's just me. It frustrates me to watch something all the way through and have the ending be an afterthought.Was this review helpful to you?
Enjoyed this one
This was a very good show. Lee Jong Suk was good. He's a good crier and he is just so beautiful - easy to watch. Suzy did a much better job than she had in other things I've seen her in. I do have to say that the brother and the friend looked so much alike I always had to figure out who I was watching, which took me a little out of the story. It was an interesting premise and I liked how each episode tied up a small loose end, but kept the overall mystery intact. The music was PERFECT - created lots of tension. The ending was terrific. This is one of those shows that has some pretty good kissing scenes, and it is a drama that I go back to periodically.Was this review helpful to you?
Seemed like a low budget show
So, overall, the show was very cute and they packed a lot into six episodes. I enjoyed when their bodies were switched. He did an excellent job of portraying a more feminine form, and she did a great job of being more "tough". Being short, there was not any wasted time, which I always appreciate.The only reason I rated it down was that the production value was seriously lacking. It seemed more like an After School Special. The lighting left everyone (especially the male lead) with a slightly yellowish tinge. And the makeup on the male lead was awful. It wasn't until the last couple of scenes that he looked attractive.
Barring those things, the story was good and they did a good job of character progression - they both got to see that the grass isn't always greener on the other side of the fence, and they could appreciate their own lives a little more.
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This romance made me happy!
I enjoyed this drama a lot. This was one that I smiled most of the way through. The main couple was so cute together and their chemistry (romantic and otherwise) was just wonderful. I loved the height difference between the two and that just made his care and tenderness toward her more marked. If the “we knew each other as kids” trope is used well, I really like it (I’m a sucker for fate/destiny), and it was done very well in this drama.WRITING: I loved the way the two main characters were written. They were both mature and independent but together they were better, like they were more complete. They weren’t selfish. I appreciated the progression of the relationship, we really got to see everyday conversations that demonstrated why they came to like each other. They never swayed from each other. Arguments have to be used to create tension, and I thought this one was handled well, and resolved quickly. On the surface, it seemed very immature, but when you stop to realize that neither one of them had been in a relationship before, it made sense. Thank you, thank you, thank you for not rushing the ending. I’m probably in the minority, but I didn’t care for the second couple at all. I didn’t see how they could like each other at all – he was completely closed off and she was just a hot mess! I loved Cong Rong’s cousin and he was good for comic relief. I also appreciated that they didn’t bring in a totally evil, conniving person to try to keep the couple apart.
ACTING: I found no fault with any of the actors, but I especially loved Fair Xing (as Cong Rong) and Daddi Tang as (Wen Shao Qing). I was totally on board with them as a couple. Fair Xing had some very cute expressions and eye rolling that added to her likability.
COSTUMING: I loved the way the main couple was dressed. She wore a lot of suits that were tailored beautifully, and he always looked great. However, the way they dressed U Lin Huang (as Chen Chen – 2nd female lead) as very jarring and over-the-top. She looked especially tacky next to everyone else in her torn short shorts and high-top shoes.
SKINSHIP: There are some wonderful kisses in this drama, as well as a lot of hugging. Thankfully, she didn’t have that terrified look that the female has in a lot of dramas when she gets kissed.
REWATCH: I will definitely re-watch this one, but I’ll fast forward through the second couple’s scenes.
This was a drama without a lot of angst and good development of the couple’s relationship. It had a light feel to it and just swept me along with it. I’m so glad I finally broke down and watched this one. I was reluctant, because I didn't care for Put Your Head on My Shoulder. This is one that I will definitely go back and revisit when I get stuck watching shows that don’t have enough romance in them.
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WAAAAY too long!
This show would have been great if they had gone to about episode seven and then cut to the last two episodes. The writing/storyline got on a continuous loop of stalled story! The middle episodes were almost painful for me to watch, because it felt like the writers threw every trite stumbling block at the characters, and the story STILL wasn't moving forward. And I was really bothered with how many bullies and evil people were in this, If I was school-age and moved to Korea, I'd be afraid to go to school. And the adults? Don't get me started! The second male lead's and Sunbae's transition to evil made no sense and was just another time wasting filler, I felt.The lead actress was, in reality, only 14 when she filmed this. Some people were bothered by the age difference, but I didn't notice it, because there was one really bad kiss and a couple of hugs and that's it as far as skinship went.
The actors did an okay job with what they had to work with, The acting felt unnatural and forced in a few places, but that might have been due to the script.
I did love the mention of the ML looking like "that idol from Infin...I don't remember." Very clever. The soundtrack was good and lent itself to the feelings of loss when that was what was being conveyed.
Once again, you made us suffer through way too many episodes and the happy ending is the last five minutes of the show. So abrupt and unsatisfying.
So, if you've actually watched everything there is to watch and you've got some time to fill, watch the first few episodes and the last few. You'll get a complete picture of what is going on.
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Light-hearted and fun
Seo In Guk, as always, truly special. I especially enjoyed his progression into maturity when he was dropped into the work place. Lee Ha Na's character was older than him, but she was very immature, so they worked together. the physical comedy was wonderful. I loved all the various friendships at work, at school, and at home. My favorite scene of the whole show was when he left school and found her waiting for him outside the gate. Sigh...so romantic. I downgraded the show only for the ending. Once they decided to get married the whole thing became a big old mess.Was this review helpful to you?
Watch this for the food!
This show had some beautifully filmed scenes that were like a food orgy. The colors, combinations and freshness of the foods were a joy to see.The story was okay, but it moved from cute and fluffy to melodrama unnecessarily. The main couple had talked through their past traumas together, giving each other advice to forgive themselves, but when push came to shove, the female lead forgot all that, hence causing the obligatory separation. She said some terrible things and never apologized, which really bothered me.
U-Know as Chef Yeo Gook Dae - there were certain scenes in which I felt he was overacting and I never really felt a progression for his attraction to her. His scenes after they broke up were touching, however.
Kim Ga Eun as Park Sung Ah - she was cuteness personified. She seemed so tiny and they had her dressed in these cute little skirts with clunky shoes and she was just precious. At the very beginning I thought she was going to be a total airhead, but she calmed that down pretty quickly.
Jang Seung Jo as Kevin - it hardly ever happens, but I definitely had SLS in this show. I felt that he was a much better match for the FL. I had just finished watching this actor in The Good Detective (he was excellent, as was the show) and he was a completely different character here. He was classy yet kind of goofy, and I loved his supportiveness of the FL.
I have to say that my favorite parts of the show were Jang Seung Jo and the food.
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You must pay attention, because there is a LOT going on!
My husband and I can never agree on anything to watch. I'm alone in watching K-dramas because he doesn't want to read subtitles. Well, I convinced him to give it a try and we were both hooked!This show is full of action, drama, corruption, subterfuge, tension, comic relief, and enough tension to cut with a knife. I'm not going to go into the storyline at all, except to say that just when you think you know who the guilty party is, someone else comes along and you find out you were on the wrong track. I am not, however, saying that this show was full of red herrings that didn't make any sense. This was a tightly-written and well-executed show.
The cast was exemplary. Everyone was perfect in the part that they played. I saw a lot of familiar faces from other dramas I've watched and was surprised at the range that they were able to achieve. Someone that I've always seen as a good guy was chilling in this.
Two of my favorite things about the show were 1) discussions and demonstrations on what makes a family. It's not always genetic, but a family unit can be just as strong by people going through shared experiences. 2) The relationships. The police detectives were just so bonded as a unit, and their interactions were so funny. You know, you give someone a hard time every second of every day, but when push comes to shove, you'd take a bullet for them.
I actually have that "let down" feeling that I get when I finish watching an excellent show. I've invested time and come to know and care about the characters, so I'm kind of at a loss. Upside? There will be a second season, beginning filming in October 2021!
Oh, and I don't remember if there was a tag for romance, but this is NOT a romance. I normally stick strictly to romances, but I'm so glad I branched out this time!
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The music was the high point
I must say, watching this show, I actually felt like a spectator, rather than really being invested in/caring about the people.There was a lot of "going through the motions" with the cast, sometimes due to the writing, sometimes due to lack of expression of the actors. Instead of a typical love triangle, this one had something like a love pentagon. Everyone was in love with someone else!
Since this show is 10 years old, the video quality and the sound quality were not up to par. During the music scenes, the sound would vacillate between being clear and then going into what sounded like a tunnel. The songs, however, were good. I liked how they were able to combine traditional music with contemporary music. Then there were the clothes and the hairstyles - I kept wanting to give Park Shin Hye a brush!
The main couple's storyline was cute, though I couldn't actually feel when or why they started to like one another. His change was especially abrupt. Their scenes together were cute. There were a couple of open-eyed/static/fish lips kisses which really irritated me. Consequently, it was difficult to buy into the chemistry between the two.
There was the obligatory time jump, which found her having a meteoric rise to fame, and the rest of the cast pretty much staying the same. The break up before the time jump was lame and they finally got back together in literally the last five minutes of the show. Needless to say, I felt like I had invested so much time that I wanted more.
So, overall, it had some cute moments, but I definitely don't feel that I would need to watch it again.
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It's not all about fat shaming. Give it a try!
This drama is a little deceptive, in that it starts out seeming that it’s going to just be a funny romp, but turns into an emotional ride with a lot going on. At the beginning it was a little too slapstick for me, and I pondered giving it up, but decided to stick with it, and I’m glad I did. I went from possibly quitting to “just let me watch one more episode before I go to bed”.The writing: the writers did a good job with the comedy, but really shone with the emotional scenes. You really get a feel for what each of the characters is going through. This didn’t seem so much about fat shaming, but more about the consequences of the person that gets shamed for being fat. It also speaks a lot to living your dreams and not letting anyone stand in your way. I’ll tackle the actors/characters to address this more fully.
Actors: I felt that all of the actors were good in their parts. I’m only going to address the ones that stood out to me. Shin Sung Rok as Seo Yi Do was brilliant in this part. Here is a man that has the world at his feet, who made his dreams come true because of his first love; however, he was a complete mess. He had a list of phobias and allergies longer than your arm. He was arrogant, cocky, immature, rude and completely emotionally closed off. It doesn’t take long for the viewer to see slow but sure changes in his behavior. The first time he attempts a smile, it looks like he’s afraid his face will crack. As he begins to develop feelings for Ye Rin, Sung Rok does an excellent job of showing that wall around him starting to crack. Sung Rok is gifted with the ability to do physical comedy, and that comes in a lot in this show. But I was really impressed with the emotional scenes. My heart just about broke watching that one tear fall from the corner of his eye. Go Won Hee as Min Ye Rin was very good. She was terrific at acting like a 40-year-old, giving advice to her juniors (which always confused them!). Some of the things she did and said didn’t quite make sense sometimes, until you remember that she’s supposed to be 40 years old. In some ways, it was watching a caterpillar turn into a butterfly – her self-esteem was so non-existent and she just wanted to be invisible. Her body language was good in that respect. STANDOUT PERFORMANCE for me was Ha Jae Sook as Min Jae Hee. She played this part perfectly. Even in the scenes that were supposed to be funny, she was able to convey her overwhelming heartache, just with her facial expressions. The character of Jae Hee was one that was totally beaten down by life – cheated on by her husband, emotional abuse, giving up all her dreams, mean daughter, just to name a few of her issues. My heart went out to her in any scene that she was in – her feelings of defeat and her vulnerability were almost palpable. A brief shout out to Kim Ki Doo, who played Yi Do’s secretary – he normally plays kind of goofy characters. In this he was very likeable and I really appreciated the way the writers wrote his character and how he got the inside track on what was happening before everyone else. Another shout out to Jo Han Chul, who played Jae Hee’s husband – this is another actor that normally played kind of loud, quirky characters. In this show he was chilling. He progressed from just a self-absorbed man to a psycho. It was scary to watch.
The OST was lovely and the music really lended itself to increasing the emotional impact of the scenes.
Chemistry between the leads was lovely and there were a few really nice kisses.
I have to admit I was a little confused by the ending, and disappointed that it was so abrupt, but watching Yi Do living his life in faith, believing that he’d see Jae Hee again, was lovely.
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Just no!
I'll start with the good: it was short and didn't waste too much of my time. Some nice clothes, ummm, yup, that's pretty much it!The story was weird and kind of all over the place. Who is good, who is bad? It didn't take too long until I just didn't care. It IS possible to write a decent fantasy script, but it was definitely not done here.
The acting was wooden and unnatural. Some of the blame for this must be placed at the feet of the writer, as well. If you don't have a good script, there's only so much you can redeem yourself, acting-wise.
Now, can we talk about what I considered to be the elephant in the room? What was up with the makeup and contacts? The makeup was poorly done (or should I say, overdone), and it was difficult for me to get past it.
So, now I've got to re-watch something I've loved, to get the stench of this show out of my system.
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