i guess what turned me off was how i wasn't that into the relationships, and the obvious product placements & sponsorships. at some point it's also very predictable, but it didn't cease to be entertaining.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
What a wonderful slice of life. It took me back to my 20s when I felt like there were so many goals and dreams I wanted to pursue but I was hampered by lack of experience and my youth. It’s not easy to make your way through this period yet it’s a time of such promise—it really is the time to pursue your dreams, have fun, and fall in love, sometimes multiple times. Park Seo Joon and Kim Ji Won were so wonderful together, and their relationship made me laugh but it was so sweet too. The path to true love can be bumpy. It was fun to see many of them again in What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim! Was this review helpful to you?
Was this review helpful to you?
Maybe the reason I liked this drama was because their relationship was exactly the kind I was looking out for a long time in a drama. For some reason I loved Ae Ra as a female lead. She was strong, fierce, sassy and had an amazing group of friends. Another one the character I loved was Sul Hee. She was clearly an inspiration. Her dreams and aspirations were something I could relate to and she was able to evolve very gracefully.
I loved the silly comedy, and how airhead Dong Man was. I also liked many small arcs that were different from some of the conventional ones like the Moo Bin's arc, that was a really nice twist. Also the Kyung Koo one was interesting. One arc that was unnecessary which I felt was the Nam Il arc.
Anyways I really loved it. The ending scene was just too cute. Anyways I'm happy happy. Shouldn't have delayed this.
Was this review helpful to you?
The story is about four main characters, each living in a routine life that is far from the childhood dreams they had sacrificed for reality. It hits so close to home, that no matter what walks of life we may be in, there will always be something that you can resonate with in this show. Whether it is not being able to advance in the workplace and earn just enough to build a love nest, having to give up a dream you were passionate about just so you can "grow up", or the pains of seeing a loved one pursue a dangerous job knowing they may get severely injured or even die. These characters each have their own unique struggles, and despite all the obstacles thrown at them they all end up deciding to break free and fight for their own way, disregarding those who look down on them and believing in themselves. And the brilliant message takeaway is, it's never too late to achieve your dreams. But you'll regret it if you never tried.
We all had a dream some time in our lives. It could be an impulse thought during your childhood, it could be something you were interested in but couldn't pursue because of financial reasons, family pressure, or it simply because it wouldn't earn you enough. Of course, in real life these constraints will not disappear out of the blue like in dramas, but it's the hope we hold on to and the opportunities we are willing to take that may give us unexpected returns.
The friendships, family love and coach-student bondings in this drama were also very sincere and down-to-earth. They yell at each other and fight every day, but you know how much they truly care about each other and the lengths they'd be willing to go to protect one another. Expressed not in words but in the form of hidden devotion, these are the kinds of relationships you don't realize you have until you need them.
I cried mostly between ep.12-16 where the tension kicked in and I was in for an emotional rollercoaster ride. The previous episodes were more slice of life and involved side stories and childhood flashbacks to lay the groundwork for the characters and bring them together. The last quarter of the show is really when the main story begins, and everything that was set up beforehand collapses as their individual worlds tumble down and become the driving force of their change.
My only complaint for this drama is that the ending was too rushed and some important character conflicts introduced only in the last few episodes could have been introduced earlier and spread out across more episodes. The first half of the plot was a bit too slow, but the second half was extremely fast and there were many things happening at the same time. That caused the ending to be a bit unconvincing. Aside from this, the show was an enjoyable watch and it fuelled the fire for my passion. I hope it also gives a positive impact on other viewers in the same way.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Heart, Laughter, & Happy Ever After
When society deems them mere sidekicks in life due to their lack of connections & not having esteemed backgrounds, will these four besties have the courage to instead take the roles of the main characters in their own lives?If you’re looking for a rom-com where the “com” is actually funny, then this is a definite must watch. These characters are hilarious, especially the main duo. Their interactions & comedic moments had me full out laughing several times. Their banter & witty comebacks are just so well done! And kudos to both actors because they have amazing presence & stellar command of their facial expressions which adds a TON of humor to this drama.
I loved the ML. He wasn’t perfect & he made some really ill-advised decisions regarding his ex-girlfriend in the past (who is totes delulu, btw), but he’s such a green flag guy. He’s loyal to his friends, super protective of the FL, & wants to make the people he loves proud. Does he screw up? Oh yes, but so do the rest of us. He’s very puppy like until it comes to someone hurting the FL - then he transforms into an alpha wolf who will take anyone down. And while he was okay letting the FL boss him around at times, when it came to serious matters, he totally stepped up & took the lead. Which is definitely my kind of ML so I was totally invested in his story.
The FL was a bit harder for me to like. She’s a very bossy & I’m-always-right type of person which aren’t attractive qualities to me. I didn’t want her to be a simpering ninny, don’t get me wrong. That’s not attractive either. I just think you can be a tough girl without being arrogant. Now, having said that, she did have her good qualities too. She was also very loyal to & protective of her friends, like the ML. While she may pick on them, she never allowed others to do so. She’s a hard-worker, clueless in love, & quite quirky. And though she’s used to being the “boss” of their four member squad, when the ML would take over in important moments, she always willing followed his lead. (And please note: anything I didn’t like about her, is all about the character, NOT the actress. This review is in no way meant to throw shade on Kim JiWon - she’s incredibly talented.)
The other two besties add a lot to the story with their lifelong love that suddenly hits a rough patch. They both show great character growth as they experience life after their relationship ends. Navigating what that looks like is tough, especially since the ML wants the FL back, but she’s determined to no longer be taken for granted. I think this is a good message lots of couples need to be reminded of - it’s easy to take our partners & the many things they do for us for granted the longer we’re together, simply because things become routine & expected. We have to be intentional in continuing to appreciate what our significant other does for us, as well as making the effort to make sure they know how grateful we are for their presence in our lives.
I enjoyed the bond the four managed to maintain since childhood. The ways they know each other so well & how that allows them to be comfortable & authentic with one another is a precious thing. Friendships like theirs are hard to come by. They’re funny & heartwarming with all their crazy antics & cute memories they share.
Then, obviously, we have the Leads & their journey as they go from best friends to lovers. This was not a smooth path for them as they both had insecurities from past failed relationships, as well as fears of ruining their friendship by confessing. Neither of them want to lose the bond they share so they take quite a bit to work up the courage to take a chance & hope the other feels the same. And, y’all - the confession scene is so totallyyyyy worth the wait! When the ML finally puts his delulu ex in her place & chases after the FL? Swoon. But THEN! That kiss!!! SWOOOOON!! 🔥🫠
I LOVED them together. They’re adorably awkward as they figure out their new dynamic as lovers. They fumble a bit, but they totally make up for it with all their affectionate scenes & yummy kisses. The bond of their friendship really shines through as they become more, allowing them to connect as boyfriend/girlfriend on a level that takes other couples a long time to achieve. Be prepared to laugh, swoon, & feel all the feels as this duo loves without holding anything back.
And now that I’ve shared the good points, I simply must share the portion of the drama that significantly lowered my enjoyment & rating.
**Warning: Mini Rant & MILD SPOILERS Incoming**
If I was given the chance to change only one thing about this drama, I’d choose to nix the point where the FL gives the ML the ultimatum to either quit the fighting or she’d break up with him. Yes, it’s natural for her to be so concerned with his well-being that she wants him to quit. However, her making him choose between his dream & her was selfish, IMO. I get that it hurt her so much to see him hurt (I’d be devastated if that had happened to my guy!) But it’s not like his dreams were a big surprise to her - hello, they’d been besties their whole lives. So for her to suddenly make him choose, even though I know it was because she was scared he’d be permanently injured, was a horrible move. Then for her to actually follow through on breaking up with him, even knowing he wasn’t able to go back to being just friends with her? I just hated the whole thing. I think this could have been done in a healthier way & still been realistic. Not everybody splits when things get tough. WHY must we normalize breaking up when things are no longer smooth & easy?!
Giving ultimatums is not love, it’s manipulation. Her demand was unfair, despite that it was coming from a place of genuine worry for him. It would be acceptable if he was just getting into fights with random people out of anger or a need to prove his manhood, but that’s not the case here - he fights professionally. It’s his job, his dream. Asking him to quit was like asking an author to stop writing; a ballerina to stop dancing; a soldier to stop protecting; an artist to stop creating; a musician to stop playing; an athlete to stop competing; a first-responder to stop rescuing; a journalist to stop reporting; a doctor to stop treating; an actor to stop performing, etc. He got into the ring because it was his passion. This wasn’t news to her. He was a top athlete in his youth who dreamt of being a national athlete one day,
After all the blood, sweat, & tears he’d poured into making his dream a reality it was really sucky for her to tell him to quit. It honestly made me angry. He deserved better than to have the person he loved the most make such a demand of him. He was determined not to let the fear of getting injured & permanently losing his hearing hold him back from pursuing his dream. She should’ve stood by his side & supported him as he prepared for the biggest fight of his career rather than trying to cut his wings due to her fears. I don’t hate her or think she’s an evil person, but I truly cannot relate to her in this instance.
Okay, rant over. I’ll move on. I don’t want my incredibly high level of annoyance at that one plot point to make you think I hated the whole story or discourage you from watching the drama! It truly is a good show with a very talented cast who have wonderful onscreen chemistry. The bonds of friendship, the struggles of being who you want to be versus who society deems you to be, the workplace dynamics, the many different familial issues - it all comes together to tell a good story.
And the love of the Leads. They truly are so cute together & incredibly funny. They have a bond that’s so deep that, even when it’s “broke off”, it’s never actually broken. The love & care they have for one another is the kind that could never die. So while their separation was heartbreaking to witness, their reconciliation was so sweet.
_________\\__________//________
-⬇️ S P O I L E R S 🚫 B E L O W ⬇️-
.
…
….
……
The things I always want to know 😏😉…
- First(real)Kiss : ep.10💋
- Together : ep.10 👩🏻❤️👨🏻
- BreakUp : ep.15 💔
- BackTogether : ep.16 ❤️🩹
Was this review helpful to you?
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Watched in March/April 2019, finished on 8th April 2019. review from 2019:
A lovely slice-of-life show with a great ensemble of characters.
I loved the first half, but I felt that the second half was messy and concentrated on the wrong things... Solid romance built on a life-long friendship was a highlight of the show and Ae Ra was a blast to watch as a character. Needless to say that the whole cast was amazing, especially the two leads.
However, some scenes/aspects made me really uncomfortable (how the community treated Ae Ra's mom) or downright disgusted (how Ae Ra's dad beat up Dong Man with a hanger, I hate that this kind of physical violence is played for laughs in k-dramas). 8 solid stars!
Was this review helpful to you?
Starting with why did I choose to write my first ever review of this show clearly states the place it holds. This show is among those shows which carry the power to make you fall in love with everything in it instantly. It's light, good-paced and funny. Let me review it more precisely.
STORY : If you've already gone through the synopsis, I won't write it here and just simply tell you that it doesn't have a much story to tell. It's not complicated. It's more realistic and you will love this thing about the show. No cliches, no Rich man-Poor woman romance, no repetition. Like I mentioned, the pace is really good, you can't get bored. Writers have done a perfect role in not extending unnecessary shit and keeping it really simple and good. It clearly witnesses the struggles of youths, searching for jobs, enduring failures and yet, standing strong to fight back whatever comes.
CAST : I SIMPLY LIVE FOR THIS CASTING. What more do you want? I already knew who Kim Ji Won was and she never failed to impress me. I did not know who Park seo joon was and OH MY GOD, beloved DONGMAN impressed me (ignore the fangirling part, I really really adore this human being) The fantastic four is perfect. Casting Directors, Cheers! for making this show more fun with this stunning cast. Choi Ae-ra (Kim Ji-won) charms leave a very strong impact. Park seo joon wins heart in many places like "that failed kiss when joo-man enters in the room", "the traffic accident dialogue of Girly Girl Episode" and of course, when he imitates Ae-ra's charms. Song ha yoon (seol-hee) and Ahn jae hong (Joo-man) are perfect in their roles. I liked how Seol-hee wanted to become a good wife from the beginning. AND HOW CAN I FORGET, I ESPECIALLY, LOVED THE COACH'S ROLE. Kim Sung-oh was amazing and so, overall, Cating IMPRESSED me a lot.
OST : Okay, let me start with one of my most favorite Osts of all time, 'Ambiguous by BTOB' it's cheerful and the moment it starts playing, my nostalgia makes me want to watch that show again and again. It's wonderful.
Other Osts like Good Morning by Kassy, Miss you, Arieband perfectly fits, these osts are played wherever they're required. Good Morning by Kassy is that soothing song which carries the potential to heal and make you fall in love. I love the official soundtrack of this show and it kinda impresses me how they always work a lot on their Osts in these shows.
Watch it because it will leave you hooked right from the first episode.
"it's not 'youth is for being in pain', it's 'youth is for making trouble" ; "It's better to live as if you don't have a dream. If you do have a dream, you feel sorry for yourself. Must everyone have a dream, anyway? Even if I don't have a dream, the world goes 'round just fine" and some more powerful lines get stuck inside your brain. Watch this show for the sake of freshness it carries. :)
Happy Binge-ing!
Was this review helpful to you?
One other nice thing about this drama is that there are several side stories that draw your attention as well, instead of being totally focused on just the main two characters. You come to care about the side characters and there is even a small mystery that is intriguing to try to figure out.
I give this show two thumbs up for sure.
Was this review helpful to you?
Touching
Good show, not much cringe or exaggerated moments which is nice. The fighting subplot feels a bit weird and the choreography isn’t always the best but it doesn’t detract from the show too much._______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________
_______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________
_______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________
_______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Keepin' it real!
This show goes down easy like a lozenge or whiskey, or whatever is your preference! Park Seo-Joon is one to watch. His last few series are gold. He has the Midas touch due to his a) Masculinity b) Sexiness c) Charisma d) Comedy e) Versatility...Well the list goes on, you get the point. He's different from the typical Kdrama leading man. The show's main question is 'Can men and women just be friends'? And the answer is NO, especially if he was my friend! ;) Kim Ji-won is well cast as they couldn't have a conventional beauty play female lead, it just wouldn't have worked with the storyline. The scenes were they are all kids are so cute in reference to their backstory to present day. I love the honest & real dialogue between the leads as it's sooo romantic & funny, and as only Park Seo-Joon can deliver ( he had a similar effect on me with 'What's Wrong with Secretary Kim'? )I wasn't really convinced by the supporting actors love story, but they only serve as a prop to support the main characters so it's no biggy. They could have used his younger sister more as she was a pivotal motivation for him giving up his dream, but you can't win them all. I really enjoyed the soundtrack, it was very catchy, upbeat & fun which really complemented the drama. But one thing that really impressed with this drama was that it didn't drag! Up until the last minute I was still engaged and I think it was due to the clever plot device that introduces Aera's mum's backstory towards the end which kept it going, however the question of whose mother she was confused me the first time I watched it as I kept thinking is Ko Dong-Man's mother his real mother...whaaaatt??? And it just felt a bit messy. Also because they were freed from the usual Kdrama tropes they had more room to be creative. It's a story of 4 kids who grew up together, yes none of them became super rich and successful by society's standards, but the important point was that they all ended up following their dream and their poverty didn't stop them from accomplishing that, which is a really hard thing to do and I think that's what made this drama stand out, it's about you & me and utilising what we've got to be happy in this world were people can be easily forgotten when they grow up due to financial & family responsibilities.Was this review helpful to you?
