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The main lead chemistry was unbelievable, but I still think that the 2nd lead love story was more interesting and I was rooting for them every episode. Also, the bromance! My god, they are adorable!
Can't get enough of every character on this show, especially the doctors and how unique every one of them are. Would love to see this series on television everywhere in the world because it definitely deserves all of the praise that it gets!
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Now, obviously nothing is perfect. There are always flaws and the biggest ones here are some of the plot lines. While I enjoyed every minute of this show, there were certain plot lines I could have done without or that simply just fell short in my opinion. But what I loved the most about this drama were the characters. I am a sucker for characters and boy did this drama not disappoint.
These characters just felt so real and honest, it was really hard not to fall in love with them all. Especially Yoo Si Jin. There are so many qualities about him that I could highlight, but what sets him apart from mostly all other characters is his sarcasm. His sarcasm plus his charm makes for this lovable character who you are just constantly rooting for. While I know no man like him can possibly exist in real life, it still felt like someone like him could. Which major props to Song Joong Ki for absolutely nailing this character and portraying him so well and making me believe that a man like him could really exist even if it was just for 16 hours. That being said, I also have to give it up to Song Hye kyo for really bringing Dr. Kang Mo Yeon to life.The tears (sometimes just watery eyes) she brought to the character during certain moments felt so real.
I just really loved the moments between Si Jin and Mo Yeon. They were funny, sweet, heartfelt, realistic (in some aspects), and just all around great moments. I can honestly rewatch their scenes over and over again all day and not get sick of them.
The relationships/characters on this drama are what really make it. Sure there was some action moments, some a little too far fetched IMO, but still fun to watch. It wouldn't be a kdrama otherwise.
Might I also mention the bromance was on point. Which again goes back to the characters themselves and how you end up just loving them. That being said, I wish (and this is just my preference) they could've given us just a little more background on the past of these characters just because I want to know more about them and what they've gone through. Yoo Si Jin is a soldier and he's taken lives yet he doesn't allow that to damage his outlook on life and I'm certain that was something he had to get through and not something that came easily to him. The same with Dae Young.
Also, the secondary love story with Dae Young and Myung Joo was painful yet enjoyable to watch. I love characters who know what they want and aren't afraid to fight for what they want and that is who Myung Joo is. So it was great to see their story develop and I also really loved their interactions with Si Jin and Mo Yeon. It made for some really great comedy.
So yeah, the soundtrack is also amazing. I love when music can just transport you to a place that you want to be and every time I listen to one of the tracks, I am instantly transported to Urk and just relive those moments in this drama.
So again, this drama isn't perfect. I'll be the first to admit that, but when it comes to the characters and the relationships that this drama brings to life, I love every second of it. I don't know how many times I will rewatch this in my life, but it will definitely be more than a few.
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First of all,the plot had it's up and downs. I went from being interested to being bored in half a sec. The development of the story leaves much to be desired. And a lot of people cried but i had a poker face until the ending,i think i teared up a little but nothing more.
And second of all,my biggest problem was with some actors in particular. The english speaking scenes were horrible. They were so cringy that i almost wanted to die. I understand it was necessary but damn,everytime they switched languages it was like turning a good actor into a bad one. And the american cast was trash.
I loved everyone else tho. The supportive cast was excellent and the chemistry between the main leads was cute even if their relationship was 100% bipolar. The female main lead changing her mind and dragging everything was kinda annoying.
I mean,it's not a bad drama at all.I enjoyed most of it. The cinematography was breathtaking,one of the best ones out there. And the OST gave me chills. But y'know,those flaws were pretty strong.
Overall,do i think it's overrated/overhyped? Maybe? But everyone has their own preferences. And focusing on the good things,like i said,i enjoyed most of it. And you're probably gonna enjoy it too,just don't start this with high expectations. I think that was my mistake. A popular,hyped drama,doesn't always mean a perfect drama.
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Jong Ki and Hye Kyo were my faves since I have watched them and this is their first project together so I got curious as to how their chemistry would work. Honestly, it works fine. Not great just fine. Maybe because the story itself is not love story. For me, the story did not focus too much on them as a loveteam which is good coz it gives the audience more attention on the story. Every episode, I am more excited of how the incidents would turn out. Also, there's another love team that has good chemistry as well, and not to mention the bromance of the lead and support. So, this drama basically will excite you because of the story itself. The actors portrayed their character well based on the story. Undeniably, all of them are on top of their game. Both Jong Ki & Hye Kyo's last drama were heavy and its good to see them light up a bit on this. Songs were perfect. Acting were great. Story beautiful and fresh. A bit short on the chemistry of the leads. But nonetheless, its worth watching.
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For those of you who have not yet seen DOTS, but plan to watch, the most helpful comment I can provide is go into it with an open mind, tempered expectations, and judge for yourself. You may love DOTS as so many do, but don't assume that or you might be disappointed. I doubt most of us went into episode 1 of our all-time favorite dramas EXPECTING them to become our all-time favorites.
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Story: [8.0/10.0]
There are two things that DOTS should be applauded for doing well. First off, the romance found in this show was very refreshing. If anything, the romance in this show overshadows a lot of the action in the show. I enjoyed watching as the relationships started forming between the main characters as well as the relationships that were forming between some of the support characters. I found myself gushing at some of the romantic scenes as if I were in those scenes myself. Those scenes where just that good!
Another aspect of the show that was done well was the creation of the characters. The show made sure that each and every one of the main support characters stay relevant. You'll see which ones are the main support characters once you watch a few episodes. Each support character's interaction with the other characters only helped to make the story better. I especially liked the part where the doctors were watching the soldiers running. I thought that part was hilarious. You'll just have to watch the show to see what I mean.
Although there were some good parts in the drama, there was also some bad parts as well. Personally I was really annoyed with the villain that the producer/director chose for this show. Not so much because of the actor that it was chose. I was more annoyed at the villain's role in the show. Argus was the main villain of the show. The problem with Argus was the fact that he seemed like some sort of quasi-villain. Argus was more like some sort of jay-walker or speeder in terms of the types of villains that are out there. I was expecting more when they showed him as a drugs/weapons/human trafficker. Unfortunately that was not the case. Honestly I liked the parts where the cast was confessing to each other more than a lot of the confrontations that occurred between the villain. That's not to say that they all of the confrontations were bad though.
Overall, the romance and the characters in this show was great. However, the same cannot be said about the plot. The plot was lacking more than just the main villain as well. Sadly it also lacked events that I could actually care about as well. The main part of the show (besides the romance) where the characters where in Urk was mostly very boring. They could have taken about 50% of the material out of the material of that part of theshow and the overall plot would not be any better or worse. It felt like a lot of the story was there for the sake of filling the 16 episodes.
Acting: [10.0/10.0]
As mentioned earlier, the cast did a very great job in this drama. They both did very well in terms of acting and employing the cast to make the show that much more interesting. I did not pay much attention to the acting. That's a good thing in this case because it meant that there acting was very natural. Usually I only notice the action when it's bad. I.e. when someone shows no emotional sadness when there suppose to be sad about someone's death or something. I also enjoyed the fact that the most of the actors and actresses in this show had a great control of the English language. Some parts of the show required the cast to speak English. It was refreshing to actually understand the English when it was spoken and not having to work out the accents.
Music: [9.0/10.0]
As per usual, you really can't go wrong with the music. The music did what it was suppose to. It made sad moments sadder. It made happy moments happier and so forth.
Thanks for reading my second ever drama review on MDL! I hope that you have enjoyed the review. I only gave this show an 8.5 overall, but that does not mean I did not enjoy it. I merely tried to grade as objectively as I can. I rarely give shows that I review all 10s because most often they are often not as perfect as they can be to receive the 10s.
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The acting carried this drama!
Now, I am whipped for dramas with a sassy yet beautiful female lead and a handsome soldier who find his way to her in the most weirdest way, or vise versa (*cough* Crash Landing On You *cough*). So don't get me wrong, but this review is definitely biased in that direction!When the main couple first met in episode 1, I practically fell for Yoo Shi Jin because of his flirtatious attitude towards Kang Mo Yeon. Besides the point, I'm still fallen! Getting to the second couple, Kim Ji Won acted her part to the point I was gravitated towards the character Yoon Myung Ju just cause I related to the pain and confusion she felt throughout the whole plot. I'm not just talking about her relationship with Seo Dae Yeong either. I haven't even began about the rest of the cast!! Without them, the show wouldn't be as lighthearted as it needed. During serious times, they made me laugh either with their sarcastic remarks or just normal indirective jokes.
All the actors played their parts way too well that it felt like I was in the story the whole time. The emotional rebound this show brought me is undeniable, along with the tears I shed throughout it!
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This review may contain spoilers
A hilariously bad drama, but incredibly important for the genre
You have to admit, despite having thousands of new viewers every year, Boys Over Flowers was hilariously bad. It was a product of its time. Low budget, all the tropes you can shove into an hour for every episode, and the strangest hairstyles on earth. Despite all that, it was important. Too important. It put Korean Dramas on the map. It put the actors on the map. It changed the landscape of what foreign dramas could achieve outside their domain. The same thing happened with Descendants of the Sun. It's not equal in terms of impact, but it's up there. And for many, this might be their first Korean drama. This or Crash Landing on You. That doesn't mean it's without its fair share of problems, though. Let's do a little retrospective review as the show turns almost 9 years old now.I do think the budget was a bit higher than boys over flowers. I agree with others that the cinematography was incredible. Or rather, they did a good job with what they had to work with. I don't know if it was shot on location, that being Uruk, but they definitely took advantage of some good scenes. That scene where he helps her put on those hiking boots is pretty infamous, and no doubt some people decided to give this show a go, simply from that clip. But the show is far from perfect. But let me start with some of the good, cause there isn't a whole lot. I do like that for a show that was shot around 2015, there are very few tropes that would continue to plague Korean dramas well into 2020. There's no crazy ex-boyfriends, no lack of communication, no dimwitted characters. There are no pointless breakups or excessive storylines that distract from the first and second leads. In short, no filter. That I really liked. Some of the characters are also extremely blunt and forward. Not in a bad way, they know what they want. The decisiveness was really refreshing, especially if you had started watching these kind of dramas since Boys Over Flowers or even before. I'm talking particularly about the male lead and the second female lead. Sadly, this is pretty much it for the good. On paper, this should save most shows. But it just didn't here.
So let's list the bad stuff. Many reviews pointed out how annoying the female lead is. They're correct. But I need to point out something else before we start talking about bad characters. It certaintly isn't the actors fault nor is it a product of it's time thing. There are no excessive bad tropes here either, like I said above. To be it simply, the writing is just really fucking bad. I mean bad. The female lead is a doctor. She's seemingly 30 or young 30's and still has no idea what she wants in life. She goes on a date with a CEO of her hospital becaue he matches her "criteria" but she still has feelings for a soldier that she coudln't decide if she was really interested in or not. Basically, because he's so secretive and lives a dangerous life, she isn't willing to go down that road. The probelm though is that she keeps pulling herself into situations that involve him. She coudl have left Uruk early, but she continues to stay and this still doesn't solidfy her feelings. It's only when she's moments are anticlimatic that she finally reveals her feelings. Speaking of climatic, holy hell. Like I said, the writing is just so bad. In less than 6 months, there's an earthquake, a power struggle between gangs, a small community of orphan girls being prepped for prostitution, an ebola like virus, and much more. It's hilarious. Technically, this is a trope. The whole hospital visit and the dying cast member being saved or recuperated with help from the leads. It's typical. But it's soooo excessive here, that I feel it creates a whole new category. But it's more about how bad the writing is. A young doctor who gets bullied and controlled by a rescued victim purely because he didn't hold his hand and nearly die with him in an ongoing aftershock. He also becomes a part of the crew briefly and helps the doctors and nurses while still actively bullying the doctor who didn't save him but helps him recuperate. Wtf??
Going back to the female lead, after she finally admits her feelings she quits her job and tries to apply for a loan jobless. I kid you not, that really happened. During the story we find out that young doctor i mentioned earlier, his imother is actually one of the hospitals benefactors. She could have easily used that leverage to punish or remove the CEO for what he did. Trying to sleep with her in a hotel. Instead she crawls back to the hopsital and stay there. Nothing makes any sense. The male lead, there is nothing to say about him. Everyone knows who he is. His character is great. Charismatic and charming, but he KNOWS what he wants. The second female lead? Same. I actually kinda which they got together. Their characters had way much more in common. She also knows what she wants. She's in love with the second male lead and completely straight forward. The second male lead, good god. I think during the show the male lead said he's a man of too much or just full of principle. He was right. He's a constant yes man, who only follows orders and never reveals his feelings until the last minute. it takes 9 episodes or so before he finally reaffirms how much he loves his woman only for him to go back on and off to his principles well into the last two epiosdes. It's annoying as hell, and ruins a really good character he was paired with.
Now for the worse. In the last stretch of episodes, things go bonkers. The army characters we started to like somehow turn into secret service for some reason, the female lead becomes even more materialistic in subtle but annoying ways, the second leads have a temporary breakup due to the second leads principles that I stated previously, and much more. The male leads also get captured and they are absent for one year, but then they come back in dramatic fashion. If you want to label any of these as bad tropes, go ahead. I won't blame you, but I categorize this just like I said earlier. Extremely bad fucking writing. I won't go into detail about the last batch of episodes. I think this summed it up quite well. But I will say this, the leads ended up marrying a few years after the show ended. I think a year or two later, they married. But years later, they divorced. Just like Crash Landing on You, I think this is the reason why so many people made this show memorable. When leads marry, you automatically assume they had amazing chemistry. I think you could somewhat say this for Crash Landing, and be right in some respects. It is the better show, by far, but I think it's incredibly silly that fans make a drama more memorable when this happens. Anyhooo, please watch this show if you want, but remember my warning. Attractive actors can't save a show, only good writing. And this show just doesn't have it.
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