Oh my goodness, just why?!?!

Bad costuming, bad hair, and some bad acting. It was an old show and didn’t age well. I realize that production values have improved over the years, but this felt like watching a bad home movie. I'll be the first to admit that I don't care for people that are liars or con-men, so this one was problematic for me. Their separation throughout the show made no sense at all. They had no respect for one another and no chemistry. I had some second male lead syndrome though. It's also one of those shows that I watched again because I hadn't reviewed it and hoped it was better than I remember, but unfortunately, it wasn't.

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Hours of watching a depressed person

This show irritated me on so many levels! The story was so simplistic, which in and of itself wasn't a problem, but there was SO MUCH TIME of watching the main couple walking around, her being depressed, him trying to cheer her up. I didn't have problems with the actors (though Park Shin Hye does tend to stick with the doe-eyed somewhat unhappy girl), but the characters were so tremendously irritating!
The character of Go Dok Mi is a recluse as a result of something in her past, WAY in her past. She seemed to be someone that wallowed in her misery, so it was hard to like her or root for her. She seriously should have sought counseling. Throughout the whole show, I felt like I was watching Eeyore whenever she was on screen. I was starting to feel like I needed to take antidepressants.
The character of Enrique Geum - I didn't like him at all. He was hyper, extremely immature, pouty, talked fast and yelled a lot. I never was able to warm up to him, even up to the end.
The character of Oh Jin Rok - I loved this character and he was the saving grace for this drama, as far as I was concerned. Deep, quiet, abiding love. Always wanting Dok Mi to be happy. He was the maturity that this show needed.
All of the women side characters were awful and were typical trope-filled caricatures - evil, manipulative, lying, bullying.

I felt there was no chemistry between the leads. She was too cold, her was too immature. Sure, he finally got her out of her apartment, but I didn't feel them growing toward one another, or even in their separate lives. Two kisses, one really staged, the one at the end was better.

The time jump, that apparently has to be in EVERY Asian drama, was poorly handled. In this day of cell phones and air travel, him being gone for over a year made no sense, especially since they both had jobs where they could literally work anywhere.

So, this one is a definite NO on the rewatch list for me!

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Loved the friendships, the rest? Not so much...

I love a good school drama. This, however, wasn't one. There didn't seem to be a terribly cohesive storyline. I did enjoy the friendships and how they supported each other. So, other than the so-so storyline, I also had problems with some of the acting.

Park Ji Hoon as Gong Jo Young - he's as cute as the day is long. There were numerous scenes where his makeup was so obvious it was distracting. I guess his acting was okay, but his character was like a hyperactive puppy. Bouncing around, talking to inanimate objects, panting after Wang Ja Rim. He was exceedingly immature, and I found his behavior very irritating. Opposites attract, but there is no way a mature person like Ja Rim could like him.

Lee Ruby as Wang Ja Rim. She is stunning to look at. I found her acting wooden and the fact that I watched 30 episodes and her expression changed exactly one time left me extremely underwhelmed. When an actor has to play a character that has hidden depths, they need to be able to convey that through their actions or the expressions, even if just using their eyes. This did not happen here. Even at the end of the drama, I still didn't believe that Ja Rim liked Jo Young,

Kim Young Hoon as Lee Kyung Woo - he is an example of being able to use his eyes to express what he is feeling. The final scene in the drama, with him talking, leads me to believe that there will be another season. Why?

If you want to watch for the friendships, that's great, but personally I didn't find anything else noteworthy about it.

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Must pay attention!

I must admit that I struggled with this movie, if only for the fact that I usually do other things while watching movies. You CANNOT do that with this movie. The storyline changes on a dime! This movie is like the best sleight of hand - you are looking at one thing, and while you are, they do a bait and switch on you. I never knew what was going to happen from one moment to the next.

Excellent cast. I've seen everyone in other works, and enjoyed them each time, but You Ji Tae as Park Hee Soo, was outstanding, playing a different character than I've come to expect from him. Charismatic and yet cold, I never knew what his character was up to. The entire cast had good chemistry with one another, different Swindlers forced to work together. Hyun Bin, I'll be honest, he could probably stand in an empty room and read the phone book out loud, and I'd be in. He was good in this, I kept going back and forth as to whether I liked his character or not.

Low on the re-watch value for me, only because once you know what's going on, you wouldn't be surprised by anything. My only complaint was, and this is just my prude-like personal opinion, but I wish they wouldn't translate the curse words. I don't like to hear them, but if they are in another language, I can pretend they aren't cursing. Seeing them in writing was very jarring. Again, just my personal opinion.

If you've got the time to pay attention, give this movie a watch. You won't be sorry you did.

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Not a fan

I'll admit to having watched the Korean version, and the Chinese version before this one. I pretty much liked the Korean version, the Chinese less so. Unfortunately, this one came in third for me.

I found this one too slapstick, I didn't care for the acting at all, and the clothing wasn't very good either. The ML basically lived in a brown suit, which he also wore to his wedding. The FL clothes were okay, but everyone else seemed like caricatures of real people, both in the way they acted and the way they dressed. This is the first version that I didn't get SLS. Don't get me wrong, he was sweet, nice and took care of her and everyone else, but he just looked sleazy with his little moustache and goatee. I also thought she was inordinately attached to him - especially when she was going to let him kiss her when he left,

I thought the ML's behavior and attitude were better in this version, he was more likeable. I didn't find him terribly attractive, though. The FL was dowdy at the beginning, but in no way ugly. She was beautiful throughout.

My biggest problem with all the versions is the fact that the FL best friend does what no best friend should ever do, and basically the FL keeps apologizing for it, when she was the one that was wronged.

I thought the main couple was very sweet in this version.

I've watched a couple of other T dramas, and I find their acting to be over-exaggerated, which bothers me, but that's just a personal opinion.

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She's a surgeon!??!

I REALLY struggled with this one. First, the female was so self-absorbed it wasn't even funny. She only cared about herself and furthering her career. She was not a likeable character, and everything she did smacked of self-interest in trying to save her own skin. Because everything she did was to benefit herself, I didn't buy the relationship until the very end, and even then, I was unable to point to when she started to like him. This also left me with the feeling that everything she did was a lie.

The male lead, however, was a man stuck in his grief, and the actor did an excellent job. I really enjoyed watching him coming out of that grief, yet he was really able to capture that survivor's guilt. I probably would have rated this even lower, if not for him.

I also took issue with a lot of the medical things. First, there is no way they would let her be a surgeon with the medical condition she had, especially since it's often brought on by stress. Then, the whole thing with the patient in the hospital that this story revolves around (don't want to give anything away) - there is no way the hospital could have or would have let that situation play out that way, and for that extended period of time.

To sum up, worth watching for the male lead actor/character. Thankfully it was a movie and not an episodic drama.

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If you want to watch A LOT of on line gaming, this might be the one for you.

There were some cute things about this drama and it didn’t have a “typical” evil character, but, for me, this show was just too long and drawn out. There were so many scenes of the gaming battles that were just a waste of time. I get it, it’s a show about gaming, but come on! This show would have been so much better if they had done a better job of editing and decreased the episodes by half.
SCRIPT: The script was okay, but too long. Rather than the evil parent or the evil girlfriend, the evil in this show was social media. It really addressed the issues that pervade our society today, and how social media can not only make or break someone’s career, but can totally affect the way you see yourself. It was an effective hook, but it went on so long I wanted to tell the female lead to just turn off her phone. This script is more about gaming, some about friendships, and I would have to say that romance comes in third. The team friendships were fun to watch, and their responses to having a girl in their midst was amusing. The progression of them accepting her into their circle was handled in a realistic manner. I didn’t find the romance totally believable – the progression of this wasn’t written in the best way, and I felt that it wasn’t clear why they really liked each other. I did, however, appreciate that there wasn’t the obligatory time jump where they are separated for an extended period of time. The ending was very abrupt and unfulfilling.
ACTING: I thought that Xu Kai (as Lu Si Cheng) did very well. I didn’t see him as a “cold” character, but more as a driven and responsible leader for the team. He looked out for all of his teammates, he took his job seriously, and he was fair in his dealings. I've not seen Xu Kai in anything before. I'll have to keep an eye out for any contemporary dramas he might do in the future. He's done quite a few historical dramas, but they are not my cup of tea. Chen Xiao (as Tong Yao) was not impressive to me. First, the fact that her online name was Smiling made absolutely no sense. She hardly ever smiled. She spent an inordinate amount of time either looking surprised, confused, cranky or pouty. She seemed weak to me as well, placing so much value on the online comments and she let these comments affect how she dealt with Lu Si Cheng.
CHEMISTRY: Some very good kissing scenes that seemed realistic in the context of their relationship. I hate the shows that have the woman, even after admitting that she likes the man, act like she’s terrified to be touched by him. There were some hand-holding scenes that went well in line with the progression of their relationship as well. Secretly holding hands was a cute touch. Once they were a couple, I really liked his character. He was all-in on this relationship, while she seemed to be on the fence for quite a while. Xu Kai’s smiles alone are worth spending the time to watch this drama. There were a couple of episodes toward the end that were very sweet to watch.

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My opinion strictly based on my lack of enjoyment

When I first heard about this show I was so excited. Honestly, Ji Chang Wook could read the phone book (do they still make those?) and I'm all in. However, his character in this show was just pitiful! He was such a sad sack of a character, it was really hard for me to watch. Everyone just ran all over him. A spine was needed for his character.

I didn't care for the "bad girl" image of the female lead. Her toughness I found to be very off-putting. I didn't like the way she treated others. Unlike a lot of others, I couldn't really feel the chemistry between these two, maybe because I just didn't like either of their characters.

And I know it's a given if there is high school involved at all, but I'm honestly so tired of bullying.

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Didn't feel the love

So, I was looking for a romantic show that wasn't filled with too much angst. Based upon the reviews, I felt that this might be a good fit. It was a disappointing watch for me.

Jeju Island - beautiful. For me, the high point of the whole show, other than the So Ji Sub cameo.

Acting/casting - The acting was okay, except for the second female lead. Her acting felt really wooden to me, but the script certainly didn't help. I felt that the mayor of the town was miscast - he looked like he would have been a good "bad guy" but I didn't buy him in this role.

Writing - this is where the majority of my complaint lies. Sometimes it was somewhat slapstick, then it would move to melodrama, then move back to a typical romance. What did it want to be? I did not care for the male lead character at all. He was all over the place as well, but what stuck out to me most was that he was a doormat and I couldn't respect him. He's liked a girl for years that is an absolute nightmare (how anyone with any intelligence could like her, I have no idea), even goes so far as to say that even if she marries someone else he'll still like her, but then almost immediately switches to the female lead. Wait, what? Then the contrived situations that keep the leads apart were just unnecessary, it was one thing after another, including the "separated for a year" trope. When I'm watching a romance, and they are apart more than they are together, can that really be called a romance?

Chemistry - I didn't feel the chemistry between the leads (which is partially a problem with the script). Consequently, I didn't feel too invested in wading through the show until they got their happy ending (which was rushed, by the way). Some really bad kisses, but then they finally got a clue.

I realize that reviews are based on personal opinions, but if you are looking for a show that is really romantic, this would not be one that I would suggest.

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Oh my gosh, what happened at the end!?!?!

The acting was okay, the story was okay. The leads had good chemistry, and their story was sweet, but took a back seat to his mom's story line in 1989. I had to drop this score due to the last two episodes. What the heck!?!?! Episode 21 recapped what had happened throughout the show and led you to believe that they got a happy ending, until the very last, short snippet of a scene. Then, episode 22 recapped the show again, then showed him trying to get back to 1989 and going back to the place/time when he first met her, and that was the end. What about the butterfly effect? What about two of him not being able to be in the same time continuum? I was so frustrated that I wanted to throw something at the tv.

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Watch this show!

THIS IS NOT A ROMANTIC COMEDY! The photo, the descriptions, the trailers, all lead you to believe this is a romance. It is not. What it IS is a brilliantly crafted police/crime/psychological thriller. This is a show that will draw you in at the outset and not let you go until the very last notes of music have died down. I'll warn you up front that you really have to pay attention, because there is a lot going on. A lot of the names were similar and there were a lot of flashbacks. This show really speaks to nature vs. nurture, how much our environment contributes to who we become, choices that we make in our lives, and different components that can make up a family - straying from the traditional thoughts of Mom, Dad and kids to a family of friends, a brotherhood, a dysfunctional coupling of wounded/broken people.

Let me get the female lead out of the way - Jang Nara. She was very good as a tiny but somewhat tough police officer. I did wonder why so many Korean dramas use the "stalker" storyline.

The male actors in this make the show. Seo In Guk is good in everything I've seen him in. In this show he's got that cool demeanor down to an art, but when he shows his vulnerability, it's so touching. Park Bo Gum - WOW! He was absolutely perfectly cast in his role. That beautiful smile and the ability he has to switch expressions on a dime. When his eyes turned cold, I got chills. His character was immature in a lot of ways and he played that very well, looking to others for help and validation. The scenes with Seo In Guk and Park Bo Gum together were enthralling and oh, so powerful.
I've seen Choi Won Young in quite a few shows, and he played a completely different type of character than I've ever seen him do. He was excellent and I found myself fascinated in a weird way.
Min Sung Wook was the comedic relief in a lot of the scenes and was really good.
D.O. as the young Lee Joon-Young was chilling.
This was a great Bromance-type show, between the men in the police squad, the trinity of the three male leads, Seo In Guk's character's friendship with the art dealer. There was a lot of good-natured joking around but there were many instances that showed the real bond between the characters.
The writing - oh my goodness, there were more twists and turns in this than driving on a winding mountain road. Just when you think you've gotten something figured out, the writers correct your assumption by throwing something else at you. A few of the characters kept referencing a "happy ending" and I didn't see how that would be possible with this show, but I thought the ending was just perfect. There was the typical "gone for a year" storyline (so, are the majority of people in Korea just alone, waiting for someone to come back from where they disappeared to? When someone leaves for a long period of time, don't they call? What's up with that?!?!)
Finally, the music - in the BRIEF time the main couple was together (remember I said this wasn't a romance), the music was light and airy. Then there was the suspenseful music woven throughout. But the best thing about the music was when they used that one-note discordant tone, it just spoke of the evil that was coming. Very effectively done.
I, of course, would have liked more romance (there was one very well-done kiss to appease me a little bit), but that would have taken away from the effectiveness of this show. Everything about this show was amazing and I was surprised to read that it didn't do well when it came out. This may be because they didn't do a good job of explaining what to expect. This was a smart show, and if you're not in the mood to have to think, you would find this disappointing. I was power-watching this ("just one more episode") because I was so invested in the characters and wanted to know what was going to happen next. After taking a huge sigh of relief that I was finally going to be able to relax, I was sorry that it was over.

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So Ji Sub - 'nuff said!

I enjoyed this show for many reasons.
1) So Ji Sub - I've got to admit, I love this actor. I love his chiseled good looks and how he can emote the heck out of a storyline just using his eyes. This part was perfect for him, plus we got to see something a little bit extra. I knew he'd be perfect as a spy, but I was surprised how much I loved watching him with the children.
2) About the children - W. C. Fields said never act with children or animals. At the beginning of this show, I couldn't have agreed with him more. These kids were a nightmare! But once they got to have Kim Bon as a babysitter, they were a joy to watch and so flipping cute.
3) Neighborhood secondary characters - oh, my goodness, they were a hoot to watch! There were a lot of laugh out loud moments with them, and I liked how the writers also got them involved in the spy side of things.
4) The spy team - there was good chemistry between these people. They looked like they'd have each others' backs in a dangerous situation. I enjoyed watching them, but I have to be honest, Im Se Mi and her beautiful short hairstyle kept grabbing my attention.
5) Jun In Sun as Go Ae Rin - I felt about her kind of like I felt about the kids. She was a mess at the beginning, I just wanted to sit her down and talk to her about providing some discipline for those nightmare children. The writers wrote this character well, she progressed in knowledge and maturity as the show went on. Granted, she made some poor choices, safety-wise, but those choices often furthered the storyline or provided comic relief.
6) Son Ho Jun as Jin Yong Tae - I kept going back and forth - bad guy? Not a bad guy? How can I enjoy watching a bad guy? He provided a lot of the comedy in this show, and every time he said something in English, it just cracked me up, for some reason.

This show seriously requires suspension of disbelief, which I knew going in. The comedy parts were very funny, the action/drama parts weren't too heavy. For some reason, I can't even find too much fault with the lack of romance (because that's what I want most in my shows). If you go into this show just for enjoyment and your expectations aren't too high, I think you'll love it.

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It took me forever to finish this show, I kept rewatching the episodes!

I felt like I was going to be really disappointed in this drama after people loved it so much. Boy, was I surprised!

Story:
It's definitely been done before, and probably in some ways, much better. Now this is just my opinion, because time shifts, etc. always confuse me, but this one was sometimes difficult to know which time I was looking at. And also, I felt some time inconsistencies, but maybe I was just confused. That being said, I felt that they made up for the lack in other ways. When someone loves someone for a long time, even through time shifts, what's not to love? Normally I have some difficulty with adult actors playing teenagers, but it worked here.

Cast:
I can't even...
Byeon Woo Seok as Seon Jae: It's like this part was tailor made for him. He is so good at showing and holding back emotions. The thing that stood out the most to me about him was his amazing comedic timing. He's good at physical comedy, and there were so many times that he made me laugh with just a gesture or a look.
Kim Hye Yoon as Im Sol: With her diminutive size and her high voice, this part fit her perfectly.
Song Geon Hee as Tae Sung: I love it when a 2ML wants what's best for the FL. You know, up front, that he doesn't stand a chance, but you still have to root for him, just a little, because he's such a sweet guy.
All of the supporting actors were very good as well.

Music:
SO good! Woo Seok's voice is just beautiful, and the music/lyrics fit perfectly into the story line.

Re-watch value:
100%, considering I watch each episode three times before moving on. And I didn't even start this until AFTER the whole thing was released!

CHEMISTRY:
The chemistry was definitely chemistry-ing, and there were so many squee-inducing moments for me. I'll admit, romance is my favorite genre, but it was lovely to be able to see the main couple together so much. Good kisses, and I love the height difference (lots of good behind the scenes stuff on You Tube about this). This may sound strange, but I liked how they used each others' first names. I know it's a cultural thing, but it always bothers me when a couple is in this great relationship and they either call each other by their last names, or she calls him by his title. It makes no sense.

So, I may have had issues with a couple of things, overall, I couldn't give this less than a 10, because I enjoyed it so much.

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