Han Ye Seul really impressed me as a strong character who always gets to the bottom of the story. She may have been a little naive but was not the stupid female cliche. I liked that she looked for sincerity. The two second lead males Seung Chan and Ji Ho had cute interactions that were always fun to watch.
It was a weird idea to that experiment but it was interesting and entertaining enough to watch. The main problem was it dragged on too long. Also it feels like Soo hyun never learns and that was annoying. I still don't know what the point of the doctor was.
Overall, I found the drama to be a little over the top and unrealistic, but as a romantic comedy it was good. The romance part was a little disappointing though because too much of it was an experiment, at least to Soo hyun.
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I had to watch this over the span of two months because from the fifth episode on it just wasn't interesting enough; the plot was dragged and all over the place, most of the character actions didn't make any logical sense and the fact that they took a different setting just to force the typical couple dynamic of hot and then cold jerk and understanding and annoyingly forgiving woman just makes all of this feel like you're watching the same old thing all over again.
With these things in mind, I suggest completely letting your logic and reason fall asleep and then settling down to watch this because this isn't a show that can really be taken seriously...otherwise it would get offensive.
The story brings absolutely nothing new to the table except for the appearance of the third male lead. That's it; we have the cool-headed, cold-hearted male psychiatrist who doesn't believe in love and decides to use that in his actual work in an experiment that frankly insults the profession of a psychologist. Enter the main female who has some super powers given to her by the late Austrian queen (not the historical version of course, because that wouldn't be romantic and in the dipshit Korean drama heroine fashion, she needs to be ignorant), and uses them to help people overcome their hurdles in life. There were times when you could glimpse at how smart her character could've been but somewhere around the middle of the show that was all thrown to the wind and consistently dragged out so as to get to the 16 episodes cap.
The supporting characters very quite funny and entertaining to watch, especially the scenes of the other two ships but there was also problematic writing that made some genuinely lovable characters insensitive and dumb. The plot is also intertwined with a few cases that were there to announce that it's a psychology drama but all of that disappeared in the second half where I could see many commenters on Viki asking 'What happened to [insert character name]' because both the story and the writing were quite frustrating and lost at that point.
In regards to acting, I think everyone did a pretty good job. It's only due to reusing the same old K-drama type of characters which made the entire cast unbalanced at times and the script generally had an issue with character development.
The musical background was neat, I don't recall songs being out of sync with the overall feeling of the scenes but neither was there a particularly memorable tune.
I personally won't rewatch this drama, the draggy plot is simply not worth it.
There was a great chemistry between the leads in the kissing scenes (quite hot at that), but it fell short in the other ones; as much as they have tried to carry across this 'sizzling' romance. That is, of course, to be blamed on badly timed scenes coupled with immature ones. Sung Joon did some incredible acting but his character is built on layers upon layers of mistrust, deceit and lies, while on the other side, Go Hye Rim is gullible to the point of stupid which makes for a lot of lovely episodes that will make your blood boil. I also feel that a lot of key points of the plot were rushed or simply passed over as if nothing happened, they crammed a few cliches near the end and some characters who were important were never heard from again.
Truthfully, there is so much wrong with this drama that it would take a long time to summarize and I don't think it's worth it to take it so seriously. This is neither 'Kill me, heal me' nor is it 'It's okay, that's love' and I think it shouldn't be taken that way at all. With a lighthearted approach, this can be watched as a cute albeit cliched drama with a few steamier kissing scenes. Anything other than that is just pulling at the leg.
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The main story is about two emotionally damaged, insecure, and manipulative people who fall for each other, but can't trust each other. There are times when that scenario is fun to watch, but a lot of the time it's extremely frustrating. I think Han Ye Seul and Sung Joon had some great chemistry, but it was less about feeling butterflies, and more like watching two rivals fight to the death. I still can't believe Sung Joon is so young, because I totally believed him as Choi Soo Hyun (who is supposed to be in his mid 30's). I guess it helped that Hye Rim seemed so immature to me (and often annoying), so they sorta balanced each other out. Both characters are super flawed, but still sympathetic, which is why I could watch their back and forth without getting too angry at either character. Choi Soo Hyun's backstory did make me cry several times (abandonment stories always get me in the "feels"). On the other hand, Hye Rim's "French" cracked me up every time. I also appreciated that they weren't shy about their physical attraction.
If you want cute, that's where Lee Joo Hyeong and Hwang Seung Eon come in. Lee Joo Hyeong is kinda adorkable as Won Ji Ho, but also kinda creepy (the blinking definitely raised his creepy factor). Ji Ho is at awkward level 100+, and his chemistry with Yoo Rim is the romantic highlight of the show. They were great comic relief, and good for lightening the mood. They were also more unpredictable than the main couple.
Jung Jin Woon, as Choi Seung Chan, was also super cute, but his relationship with Bae Mi Ran was a little too out there for me to root for. I think this is the most extreme cougar situation I've seen in a drama, but maybe challenging my notion of what's acceptable was the point. Some one cracked me up with the term "Ahjumma-zoned", but even that is putting it mildly. Their scenes were sweet, but still made me just a little too uncomfortable. They were both great in their roles though.
The writers also added a few patient scenarios to the show. The psychological subplots were only mildly interesting, and some were just too out there to take seriously, or too overused in dramas. I think the writers were looking for interesting ways to fill in the story, but I wasn't interested. Their therapist methods were also super questionable, but it's KDrama ethics, so I'll give them a pass.
Would I rewatch this again? It's possible, but not likely.
Overall, It was the characters, more than the plot, that made me like this drama. if you are looking for romantic escapism, this is not it. If you have ever been in a relationship with an emotionally damaged person, or have been that damaged person, or both, you will probably relate much more to the story (*raises hand*). I did get emotionally invested in the main characters, and all their issues. Still, It doesn't take itself too seriously, which keeps it from being too depressing. I also was satisfied with the ending, which didn't cross the border of being too cheesy (it came close though... lol)
I'm glad I watched this one. It did hold my interest, even during the slower moments, but I would hesitate before recommending it. It is definitely unique in a lot of ways, and has an interesting cast of characters, but if you don't like it in the beginning, I predict you will hate it by the end.
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All of the "psychology" in this is utter bullshit. It is, thankfully, better than what It's Okay That's Love considers psychology. It also treats psychological illnesses better than It's Okay That's Love did. But both are equally garbage at actual representation of mental illness. Don't @ me about this. I am mentally ill, have taken several psychology courses, and know what real psychology looks like. Neither of these shows is right about it. This show is just slightly more right than IOTL.
The main male lead was unlikable at best and unethical and sleazy at worst. I never rooted for him. The female doctor (can you tell I couldn't be bothered to remember names) was annoying. Especially the way the actress spoke. I don't know if that was actually the actress's voice or the way she chose to portray the character but it was SO grating. I also don't really care for Sung Joon as an actor at all. I've never finished a show of his besides this one.
So what, you might ask, did I like about this drama? I loved Hye Rim. I found her spunky and unique. I love me a good female character who's in her late 20s to 30s. She felt like the same character the whole way through. I saw some people were mad that she suddenly lost her incredible insight about people when it came to the three men approaching her, but honestly it never felt like she looked at any of them that hard. She was just having fun. The one man who did successfully lie to her knew how to manipulate her senses. Then when he was breaking on that, she wanted to believe the lies. It makes sense.
I also enjoyed most of the side characters and sub plots. They were cute and decently developed. I did find it weird that all three of the experiment subjects ultimately ended up liking Hye Rim. I also found the female doctor and the second male lead's relationship really weird and off putting but in it's own way heart warming, I guess.
Still, this drama hit a few buttons and I found myself unable to stop watching it. But I found myself bored and skipping scenes a lot. I don't recommend this drama. Don't watch it. Save your time and watch something actually good. I would give this lower stars, but because I did have SOME enjoyment I think setting it at a 4/10 is where I'm going to have to leave it.
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The best part was each episode (mostly) had a mini story line dealing with customers and how each side of the main romance pair helped them
The bad was how the relationship between the two main romance characters was constantly going round and round having the same conflict.
It is a light drama with a great cast of personalities and actors. So if you're looking for something to casually watch I would go for it.
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The performance of Han Ye Seul was the best thing, it was so wonderful that in many episodes, especially between chapters 10 and 15, I just kept watching the series because of her character.
I continued watching despite the fact that in the half some things very unreal and meaningless happened between Go Hye Rim y Choi Soo Hyun, he at various times was very annoying with his obsession for his own work and she was very naive (contradicting her personality in the beginning).
I would have preferred that it remains a little more insightful, because at various times the feeling is that he is the only wo can be smart enough to realize the games between them.
Although the final has not been bad, for me lacked logic: Hye Rim despite having suffered never questioned his own emotional distress.
A second weak point was the relationship between Soon Hyun and his mother and father, it all happened very fast, especially with regard to the father. So, it is used to try create an empathy with the feelings of abandonment of Soo Hyun (to justify his cold and obstinate conduct), but this failed and the all explanation sound very forced and inmature.
Another strong point: the relationship between Dr. Bae Mi Ran y Seung Chan - each episode in which they appeared was a joy because it formed a beautiful relationship of trust..
Again, every time Hye Rim open her fan, it was guaranteed laugh. No doubt her actor's job and charisma were unforgettable.
The soundtrack not had any detachable music.
I do not attend again because I think the story get lost during the second half and the good rhythm of the first part not remained.
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Han Ye Seul as Go Hye Rim is great. She is a good actress and the character was strong and smart. Sung Joon was also good as smart and slightly cold Choi Soo Hyun. I think they had good chemistry with each other. The other actors were good too.
The music is good.
I might rewatch this in the future.
If you like light romantic comedy, then this is for you.
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So if you want to actually enjoy watching a drama stay away from this one!!!!!!
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IDK why this keeps happening to me, but you're watching this for the secondary couples. They're cute and adorable and way more realistic than the nonsense going on between Go Hye Rim and Choi Soo Hyun. I now want them in all the things in ways I didn't know I needed.
I lay the blame in the failure of the main couple on the writing of Go Hye Rim. She starts off super awesome and you're definitely fighting for her despite all the obstacles Choi Soo Hyun is determined to throw her way. And then she turns into this simpering little girl experiencing love for the first time and it's so abrupt you're gonna get whiplash. Soo Hyun is much more maturely developed in his feelings, and it's fun to see the sneaky ways that Hye Rim gets under his skin and softens him up. He's still prickly by the end, but becomes more of an Irie Naoki type of character which you're much more willing to put up with than the straight jerkface that he is in the beginning.
One thing that absolutely drove me crazy is the total lack of Hye Rim's daughter in the storyline in the second half. There is a conflict involving her, it's resolved, and then we never hear from her again and it's so not okay. THAT'S HER DAUGHTER!! You don't just write off a person's daughter. Not okay.
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This review may contain spoilers
WHY ALL THE LIES?!
I wanted to love this drama. The main guy is one of the few actors I actually look forward to seeing. His kissing skills were just as amazing in this drama as it is in his other dramas. Main woman was independent, a con artist, but still very likable. I liked that she was an older single mom as well, though her kid wasn't in the show at all. However, the experiment was ridiculous, he was breaking all kinds of rules if you studied even intro to psychology (the biggest being getting the subject's consent) and he then engaged in a romantic relationship with her. Chemistry between them was good but he LIED to her like 5 times about this darn experiment. First two times were understandable but he would not let go to this idea about love. It just got ridiculous. Almost until the end he was trying to trick her which made me very upset and kinda ruined the plot for me.Was this review helpful to you?
