Definitely of it’s time
**POSSIBLE SPOILERS, Read at your own discretion.**I look back on 2016 K-dramas with so much love in my heart, as 2015 and 2016 were the years I really started watching, loving, and enjoying them. Most of my favourite titles come from these years, and the clichés that have since been mostly wiped away from dramas are what initially drew me to this one. Not to mention the two leads, Jo Jung Suk and Gong Hyo Jin, who are some of my favourite talents Korea has to offer, which was a huge bonus.
I went into this expecting only a couple of things that I remembered being common for dramas of this period: an overly macho male lead who eventually turns soft as a plush, a pushover female lead who may or may not grow a backbone, and a second lead who would make me root for him, only to end up as a great friend to the female lead when she ultimately chose the first male lead.
Little to say, I was incredibly surprised by some of what I expected, and some of what I did not. I was NOT expecting the male lead in this drama to have breast cancer, and for it to be introduced so early on came as such a pleasant shock. I think the cancer portion of this drama was incredibly well done, witty, and featured some of the best scenes, especially during the hospital visits. Most of my favourite moments throughout the drama came from the cancer and hospital arc.
That said, this drama definitely suffered from too many issues in my eyes. It relied heavily on the leads’ silly moments and made light of serious topics, which truly made me feel like the drama expected to be carried by its comedy and outright ridiculousness. This was especially true with the worn-out and incredibly tiresome love triangle. God, that love triangle made me hate Jeongwon so much, and somehow I hated him even more toward the end. I know this is an incredibly unpopular take, but it is mine nonetheless.
I saw Jeongwon as a creep, almost borderline stalker. Why did he always know where Nari was, and why did he constantly push his way in? I felt he was using his “love”, which felt more like obsession, to fill some kind of attachment void left by his mother, or to use Nari as a form of rebellion against his suffocating, luxurious life. He was very much in character the entire time with the rich boy gets whatever he wants attitude, and he often robbed Nari of her agency by forcing himself into her choices. It felt like their entire relationship consisted of him shoving himself into her life, constantly forcing himself into her orbit, and never letting her think for herself for even a second. He was overbearing, rude, and overall an unenjoyable character for me. Personality of wet cardboard, much? The only thing he knew how to do was yell and act entitled, no matter how much the drama tried to paint him as a good guy.
Not to mention how inconsiderate he was toward Ms. Geum, essentially his ex-fiancée. She was a surprisingly enjoyable character to me, and I felt she was just as wronged as he was, in a way he was unwilling to perceive or understand. As a woman, she had a duty and role to fulfill in securing a suitable arranged marriage, and she was more than willing to make it work. She genuinely seemed to admire Jeongwon for who he was and was willing to go the distance to get to know him.
As much as the drama tried to portray Ms. Geum as a wacko who was obsessed and a pathetic pick-me who could not let go, the more I saw her as a woman who simply wanted to be given a chance by the man she truly liked. She was willing to do what she had to do, and even wanted to know Jeongwon more deeply. I applaud her character and would root for her any day.
Furthermore, I can hardly begin to articulate how I feel about Hwashin and Nari, let alone them as a couple. Hwashin was very rude, narcissistic, and overly masculine. He was toxic to everyone around him, including himself. He is one of those characters I dislike but can unfortunately understand, though never validate. He is an asshole, plain and simple, with no excuses. He needed to learn respect for women, his friends, and himself. For much of the first half of the drama, he let his ego rule him, only for his cancer diagnosis to humble him at times.
I genuinely think being diagnosed with a disease most commonly associated with women was a major turning point for him. It forced him to step back and truly evaluate who he was. While I do not think he showed an insane amount of growth, especially during the far too long love triangle arc where he often became toxic and unrelenting, I did enjoy seeing the changes in how he approached Nari toward the end. He softened considerably, developed those “honey eyes”, and learned to address her more kindly and gently as he fell in love. I just hate that it took so long for such a jaded man to become enjoyable, especially around episodes 18 to 20. I really liked him then, and it felt like such a shame that so much potential was wasted.
I wish the drama had developed him more, especially with all the background they gave him early on. A clearer and more relatable explanation of how and why he became the asshole we met at the beginning would have gone a long way. It was incredibly obvious that his arrogance was a cover for a man deeply wounded by how his life had gone so far.
For example, there was so much potential in the storyline about him ruining his brother Joongshin’s life with that exposé. Was he forced to do that story, or did he do it purely for personal gain? He looked pained while delivering it, but even more hurt and disgusted with himself afterward. There was too little context for me to judge his actions, so it slipped through the cracks. With more depth, it could have made for a perfect character arc for Hwashin and added more weight to his brother’s death. Because so little was done with Joongshin’s character, I ultimately felt nothing toward him, either before or after his passing. He was just kind of there, and his death felt like a failed plot device meant to bring everyone together.
I also would have loved it if they worked harder to show that Hwashin was not popular with higher-ups at work and was consistently given demeaning assignments. I will never forget the remark where someone said Hwashin was overlooked as a reporter and never taken seriously, something along the lines of, “Why else would they have sent him to Thailand?” or “Why else do you think he accepted that position and stayed away for three years?” It is a small detail, but again, it was a missed opportunity.
It is such a letdown how much complexity slipped past Hwashin and his disgruntled family. The family was indeed a mess, but they could have been so much more. A mess with layered conflicts that eventually came together for reasons beyond just Ppalgang. Using a single teenager and a pointless character death to reunite everyone after years of resentment felt like the smallest and laziest writing choice.
Finally, Nari also felt like a massive missed opportunity. I fear that her hopes, dreams, and ambitions were completely squashed in favor of making her nothing more than a pawn of love. She was treated as an object and allowed herself to be handled whichever way others chose, all while insisting she was acting out of greed or self-interest. In reality, she was constantly pushed and pulled, rarely making decisions for herself or ever standing up for herself.
They could have expanded her character by portraying her as a dutiful older sister trying her best to make life work for herself, her siblings, and her abandoned stepmother, who seemed closer to her in age than a parent. It would have been incredibly heartwarming to see the two women bond and openly resent Nari’s father for abandoning his children, his eldest daughter, and his young wife. Instead, we saw little to none of her stepmother, very little of her brother Pyobum, and only some of Chiyeol when it conveniently served the plot.
Her family was honestly the most enjoyable part of the drama for me, and I would have loved to see more of them, especially her stepmother. Seriously, what did she do? Did she own the snack shop? How did she even meet Nari’s dad and marry him? Questions and stories like these could have easily replaced the countless wasted episodes spent on that stupid love triangle. Thinking about it genuinely makes me angry.
While I definitely have my qualms with this drama and could say much more, this is where I will leave it. As of writing this, I am on episode 20 and plan to finish the drama. I do not think I will edit this review afterward, as I doubt my issues will be resolved in just four episodes.
I will say that while I disliked many aspects of this drama, there were things I genuinely enjoyed as well. I will not rewatch it often, but if I ever do, it will be with a sense of nostalgic fondness.
I hope you enjoyed the read, and feel free to share if you had similar issues.
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The story:
I read a review that said the story is messy but perfect kind of messy. I didn't understand this until I started watching this drama... I ended up finding it the perfect description for it.
There is a lot of side characters (which I usually hate) but for this drama, I loved each and every one of them.
The beginning is a bit slow but after a few episodes, you'll find yourself hooked to know what will happen next.
The romance is perfect. If you're a romance fan you'll be satisfied. I think this is the best love triangle of all the dramas I've seen.
The comedy... God the comedy was amazing, beyond perfect actually, I was laughing all the way from the 1st episode till the last moment (which doesn't happen easily)
It was so refreshing and new., I'll definitely remember it for a long time.
What I didn't like :
- There was no actual plot. It felt like I'm just living their daily Lives with them. It wasn't bad but it could've been better.
- Towards the end they gave up on some of the side stories, it bothered me a little but I got over it because there was a lot happening with the main story.
- They could've finished it in 20 ep (not 16 though) it would have been richer with events.
The acting was perfect. It was like Every actor was made for his character.
Jo Jung Suk is at his best. I fell in love with him all over again..he was perfect for this role and I don't think that there was someone who could do it as well as he did.
The music was wonderful. A big part of the drama was the music. It controlled your emotions during different scenes.
Without the music, it would have been a very sad drama so thank God.
Overall I strongly suggest you watch this if you don't mind the simple plot and a fan of romantic comedy.
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FUUUN FUUUN!!??
It's always been on my PTW list, and finally watching it made me realize how much I missed old K-dramas🤔FUUUN FUUUN!!
I think "Jealousy Incarnate" is the first Korean rom-com I've seen with 24 episodes, and I managed to finish it quickly, a first for me! Usually, I lose interest around episode 16 or put the show on hold altogether.
But not this time with this one. It was chaotic in the best possible way, everything had me bursting into laughter because I was simply stunned 🤭Friends sharing the same taste in women, and two ladies working together having identical preferences in everything from clothes to men, which inevitably leads to conflicts over a daughter.
I won't deny that there were moments where boredom crept in, questioning where the story was headed or why certain problems were introduced, so I ended up fast-forwarding through some parts🤷♀️Still, I thoroughly enjoyed the drama, and it brought light to those days.
The ending was fantastic; I couldn't have asked for more. The cast was outstanding, from the leads to the supporting actors. I found myself missing some of them, and seeing them in this drama brought me immense joy.
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The acting skills in this drama were really high, with complex and fast dialogs, also a lot of corporal expressions and improvisations. The music was nice and most of the writings were really well thought and the themes were developed really well with deepness and intention.
So why I give and 8 over 10 in overall and no more?
As the title said I felt the drama lacked a bit on the charm side, maybe because they put too much effort on some bittersweet comedy scenes and the main male character had a kind of akward personality, with the contrast of giving a great personality to the second lead male and rival of the main.
Also the main stories were somehow simple (probably more suited for 16-20 episodes instead of 24), forcing the drama to focus on some side scenes not very intriguing but some of them funny at least. With that, the dramatics lost some strenght.
However, the high acting sklls and a decent conclusion of the stories made up for a really decent drama overall.
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Gosh it was sooooo binge-worthy and tbh, I don't even know why. This drama was a mess, but a beautiful mess! As if I was on crack, I couldn't get enough.
Some bits and pieces that made me love it:
- The work setting of a broadcasting studio ('Pinocchio' nostalgia!)
- Girl has crush on boy for several years but boy has no interest until fate pushes them together in the unlikeliest of ways ('Mischievous Kiss'/'Playful Kiss' anybody?)
- Even though the male lead says he has no interest in her, he comes through when other people disrespect her. (E.g. when she faced difficulties at work: he barged into the news room and was ready to throw hands!!)
- Another guy enters the picture to help him realise his feelings
- Love triangle with comedy & heartache
- Touched on a topic I wasn't expecting at all: male breast cancer. Was NOT expecting a fun broadcasting romcom to go down that road, but I'm so glad it did! So much came from it, from character growth, inner turmoil, shenanigans, great characters, and of course bonding of the couple.
- The male lead Hwa Shin's character is so interesting. A mix of arrogant, charming, tsundere and adorable. So multilayered, Jo Jung Suk truly shines in this drama.
- All the surrounding characters. Especially our big messy family
- Big relationship milestones that are we rarely see in kdramas!
If I had to describe the drama in short though, it's a love triangle taken to the extreme XD
It's one long, fun, bumpy ride that I'd gladly go on again and again
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Brilliant Acting Carried out with Charm
NON SPOILER REVIEW :' Jealousy Incarnate '
This drama is so true to its name.
There are 3 phases in this drama :
1. The Push
2. The Pull
3. The Centre
All describing how jealously is a part and parcel of the game called love.
People take each other's presence for granted.
Friendship and love go hand in hand.
You know what the best part about this drama is,
It's the charm, the easiness and the blending.
You won't even realize how good the characters are.
Each and every character in this drama is fantastic, especially our leads,
Jo Jung Suk acts so well, his facial expressions are one of the best in the entire industry.
Gong Hye Jin, Damn! She's the plotting queen for me.
Even though her face is not quite eye catchy still she's one of the greatest actresses in this industry.
If you're looking for a drama with a rom-com experience, continuing with the social dilemma, and great friendship continuing through the form and representation of a Broadcasting station. Then this is it.
The only con is 24 episodes so i do feel they could've cut the drama for around 6 episodes short.
It does get slow and I did skip many parts of it nonetheless it's a great drama.
Worthy of being watched.
Final Call
8/10
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I admit that at some parts, it is a bit draggy but come on.. sit back, relax and just watch it. The so-called draggy part is to snow-ball the feeling of the 3 leads between them. I find it rather helps the story well.
The acting of the leads.. AWESOM!! Especially Jo Jung Suk. He is a good actor, he can act so well. He is just born to be an actor. I'm glad that I watch his drama and I will definitely continue to watch his future drama as I know I won't be disappointed. Even if 1 day, he acts in a lousy drama, I know his acting will let me go on to watch finish the drama. He is just too talanted.
The story somehow I believe that there is a struggle between the 2 male leads because 1 is gentle and loving, the other is self-centered and arrogant. Some people will choose the one who is gentle and loving but in real life, the self-centered and arrogant one is the one who will attract you more. I really like how the script is written to round the story so nicely.
The comedy in this drama is DAEBAK!! You will find yourself ROTFL UNCONTROLLABLY. Maybe my laughing point is below average..lol. I just loved romance-comedy.
The reason for me to rewatch is the comedy and most important the acting. I'm not sure if you ever come across some drama that you just wanted to see the acting of the leads because it is just too awesome that you want to watch again and again. And strange enough, everytime i rewatch it, it just attracted me more to watch it again.
Seriously, it is really worth a watch.
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This review may contain spoilers
The summary here is not really correct I think
I started watching because of hate to love and without reading the love triangle tag. But in ep2 I just thought it is not a love triangle but love triangles. And there is no hate to love actually... It is not hate ... Of course it wasn't hate nor there wasn't any competition kind of thing which I expectedAnd I hate love triangle.
So y I continued watching was only because of the comedy. There were fun even at most serious moment. And hence I was able to brush away the triangle love. So for someone who may skip because of the love triangle... May be give a try and drop.. of u can't continue
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It's all about 2
Do you have spare time? Or having a bad day? Wanna laugh like crazy? Great grab some popcorn and you're good to go.This drama is a complete mess. I felt like I was watching a telenovela.
Summary: Stay single. If not, always date two persons at the same time. The person who makes you more jealous loves you more.
Reasons why I love this drama:
Fantastic casting! I love almost every work of Jo Jung-suk and Gong Hyo-jin, especially romcoms. Their acting will make you invested in the story for sure. Super addicting. The best thing I like about this drama is it's self-aware. It lets the viewers know that this series isn't meant to be taken seriously. There are some heart-touching emotional scenes if you love those. Production was good.
Reasons why I dislike this drama:
Plotline. The story isn't much, it's typical romcom just super messy.
Lacking side characters screentime. I was really interested in those three teenage characters, I would have love to know more about them. Same goes for Pyo an ri's parents, her father doesn't make an appearance, her mother snd stepmother had very small screentime, I wish it was longer.
Unnecessary events, overdramatic. As I said this drama is so extra, it has so many random events, not impacting the storyline at all.
Osts were bland.
I recommend, watch it. It's fun and a great time killer.
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The actors did a good job, although, let's be honest, here: the actors of the two main leads always play the same kind of characters. Having watched many of their dramas before, I absolutely knew what to expect when I got into this. Nevertheless, the drama was enjoyable as the plot about breast cancer and dating two people at the same time was very fresh!
What I did not enjoy was any other plot beside the main one. I could not have cared less about any of those other broadcast employees or the people living in the female lead's building. Those scenes were all extremely uninteresting.
But what really really bothered me was the music. It was soooo bad. Just horrible. It did not fit most of the scenes. Some were completely ruined by the bad choice of background music.
All in all, this was a fun but rather unnecessary long ride. Had they left out all of the uninteresting side plots and chose some better music, I would have given a way better rating because in my opinion, the main plot deserves it!
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Falls short in every aspect of the story - plot, romance, comedy, feel good moments..
This may not be a popular review, however, after watching episode 10, I have come a conclusion that I cannot go on with this any further. It is already depressing to see the second lead (the really good guy) being cheated by his friend and later, I am pretty sure by the girl friend too since he is the Second Lead.The Main male lead is almost as nasty as a villain of a story should be. He is selfish, full of himself, arrogant, rude and egoistic and worst is stabs his friend on the back.. that friend who was there for him and was ready support him, always. How can any viewer who love romance can fall in love with this guy??
The female lead is unsure about herself and so she decides to give it a try with the SL .. seriously.. what happens when you decide you want to go back to crush? Not a feel good moment for romance lovers like me.
The comedy aspect? Hardly any.. I was more stressed watching the episodes thinking how hurt the second lead is going to be.. someone said.. until episode 6 it is slow.. damn right.. it was slow even at episode 10. So I am giving up!
No offence to anyone who liked the story/series. This is entirely my personal opinion.
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