Really generic but gets the job done.
FIRST LET ME NOTE: You can watch this on koreaondemand if you live in the US but there are ads unless you signup but a good thing to know is that you can watch the first three episodes with no ads on kissasian.STORY:7.5
With that all being said let me follow up to my title, i feel as if i've seen this Kdrama a million times because it's really a basic plot line type romance which is okay but you have to understand actors really carry these types of shows. Whenever theres a good relationship another girl/boy has to butt in and this is for 95% of all the romance kdramas out there. In my opinion it is a bit overused. That's why I can't give this drama a amazing rating but nor can i give it a bad one because it was pretty well executed.
ACTING: 9
I think the chemistry between Sung Joon and Im Ji Yeon is great and makes me want there relationship throughout the episodes and the feeling of "WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?!?!" when one breaks another's heart. Acting is really good and gets the job done.
MUSIC: 8.5
I love the music choices in this i wish it would be released to YouTube at some point.
REWATCH VALUE:
I've seen up to the 14th episode at the moment but can assure you it's not too rewatch worthy but definitely a fun first time watch.
OVERALL: 8
If you're simplistic and like most romance dramas you will probably find this very enjoyable.
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Differing opinion
So, let me start by saying that I watched this because of Sung Joon.I loved him in I Need Romance 3, which led to me watching a bunch of dramas that were hit or miss. He seems to be inconsistent in the scripts he chooses.
That said, I don't think this drama is a bad choice. The story is messy. The characters are sometimes unlikable and they make bad decisions. But I mostly understood why they did those foolish things. This is a drama about damaged people. About one tragic event that changes everything forever. And those ripples caused by that event are still felt years later.
They make some really interesting choices in this story. So Ju isn't a sweet and innocent flower. She's a bit shrill. She's abrasive. She does things that might shock you. She lies. But I actually loved that. Because too often female characters are asked to be flawless while the male lead runs amok being awful. Until he realizes he loves the FL, and then, it's all fine, right? ILU solves everything. Except it doesn't. This drama kind of realizes that life isn't tidy, and things spill over. Problems persist. And sometimes we do ridiculous things because our options are crappy and crummy.
I don't have to fall in love with drama characters. I just have to believe they've fallen for each other. I wasn't bored watching this. Sometimes I was annoyed, but I grew fond of everyone involved. With all their messy imperfections.
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NO!
I usually like Sung Joon but this is by far his worst project to date. At this stage of his career he shouldn't accept such projects. There's almost no story, just a very long sequence of plane clips. Who ever edited this turned up the saturation to a disgusting level. No wonder this was delayed for years because it's a failed project, dead on arrival. Absolutely a waste for the cast time and talent.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
First of all according to the huge amount of negative harsh comments i didn't expect much while i was watching this drama That's why somehow I enjoyed it
What i liked about this drama
It was light
I enjoyed watching sung joon so much
The third couple was really cute
What i dislike about it
I've to admit i had much
The character development was weak
The Quadrilateral love was annoying because the second couple were sticking too much
The story could have been much more better
And more arranged than that
They could give more space and logical events between the third couple
(ji hyuk & the bartender girl)
They waste lots of time with the side story ssong ssong and literally they can cut it it wont affect the story at all
They could give much more space for the second couple to fall in love in a proper way
but They focused so much time on the Quadrilateral love which made all that changes towards the end illogical
I saw the second half of the last episode was too rush
The most scumbags characters award goes to the FL's brother, the second FL and her mother
I dislike a lot that the fl was treating her best friend so good,
although she knew he loved her a lot
She was too much good till the limit sometimes i thought she really loved him
The FL's makeup artist was the worst ever
He made her mouth as if it was stick to her face
And at her kissing scenes with the Ml i noticed more than once she wasn't normal as if she was forced doing this which made the scene awkward
But inspite of all that,
i didn't hate it
At least you can watch it once and enjoy it really
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A great performance from the actors, but spoiled by a poorly written story.
PLOT: ML, a playboy who wastes his life in France, returns to Korea for his grandfather's inheritance. He only inherits 1 old bookstore which he transforms into a cocktail bar, with the help of the FL. She dreams of becoming a great French chef. Through her love, she will little by little heal the ML of the guilt that gnaws at him. But romantic rivals and family relationships will pose multiple obstacles.PROS:
+ very good actors who bring the story to life. It's a very good role for Sung Joon, but I wasn't totally convinced by Lim Ji Yeon's performance which lacks micro-expressions. On the other hand, the CL shows great chemistry and there are many scenes of kisses.
+ an adorable kitten (✯◡✯)
+ Characters are not one-dimensional. They are all bruised, damaged by life, complex.
+ the most consistent character in this series, the one who has the most realistic-intelligent behavior, is Lee Shi Won. The actress shines throughout the drama.
CONS:
Above all, the story is poorly written, with:
- unnecessary and annoying characters and narrative arcs: the Thai prince and his music group for example; the FL's brother, a lazy person looking for easy money; etc.
- The ML's behavior consumed by guilt, OK. But he hurts the FL, by being totally submissive to a visibly super selfish and manipulative FL2. Suicide blackmail is poorly handled, not convincing.
- FL2 has typical toxic behavior, as does her mother. And the ML's family watches him destroy himself without doing anything, without saying anything?? Seriously ?
- The behavior of FL2's mother is not credible. Why would you want to find someone responsible (especially a 16 year old kid) for an accident? Her final apology is not acceptable either.
********************************************************************************
PLOT: Le ML, playboy qui disperse sa vie en France, rentre en Corée pour l'héritage de son grand-père. Il n'hérite que d'1 libraire qu'il transforme en bar à cocktail, avec l'aide de la FL. Celle-ci rêve de devenir un grand chef de cuisine française. Par son amour, elle va peu à peu guérir le ML de la culpabilité qui le ronge. Mais les rivaux amoureux et les relations familiales vont poser de multiples obstacles.
PROS:
+ de très bons acteurs qui font vivre l'histoire. C'est un très bon rôle pour Sung Joon, mais je n'ai pas été totalement convaincue par la performance de Lim Ji Yeon qui manque de micro-expressions.Par contre, le CL montre une belle alchimie et il y a de nombreuses scènes de kisses.
+ un chaton adorable (✯◡✯)
+ Les personnages ne sont pas unidimensionnels. Ils sont tous meurtris, abimés par la vie, complexes.
+ le personnage le plus cohérent dans cette série, celui qui a le comportement le plus réaliste-intelligent, est Lee Shi Won. L'actrice brille durant tout le drama.
CONS:
Surtout, la story est mal écrite avec :
- des personnages et des arcs narratifs inutiles et gênants : le prince thaï et son groupe de musique par exemple ; le frère de la FL, fainéant qui recherche l'argent facile ; etc.
- Le comportement du ML rongé par la culpabilité, OK. Mais il blesse la FL, en étant totalement soumis à une FL2 visiblement super égoïste et manipulatrice. Le chantage au suicide est mal traité, pas convaincant.
- la FL2 a un comportement toxique typique, sa mère aussi. Et la famille du ML le regarde se détruire sans rien faire, sans rien dire ?? Sérieux ?
- Le comportement de la mère de la FL2 n'est pas crédible. Pourquoi vouloir trouver un responsable (surtout un gamin de 16 ans) à un accident ? Ses excuses finales ne sont pas acceptables non plus.
=> Une belle performance d'acteurs, mais gâchée par une story mal écrite.
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Falling for Innocence
if you want something sweet, cute, funny, and warm with a very satisfying happy ending, this drama is such a good pick. I honestly enjoyed this way more than I expected to. The actors have amazing chemistry, and they did such a great job selling the relationship. I loved watching them grow together, and I especially adored the FL — she’s sweet, dedicated, soft, and kind. sometimes a bit too kind 😅The ML starts off a mess (and a little frustrating), but I really liked his character development. Watching him go from chaotic to someone who actually steps up and becomes better was really enjoyable. Their dynamic was so fun — cute, funny, soft moments mixed with some emotional healing, which I love.
My biggest dislike was how unnecessarily long the breakup stretch was.
Episodes 13 through 16 dragged the angst way too long for me, and I hate when a couple I’m rooting for is separated for that many hours. It didn’t ruin the show, but it definitely cost it one and a half star.
Really good rewatch value — I can definitely see myself rewatching this
Overall, this is perfect for anyone who wants:
✨ A fluffy romance with emotional moments
✨ A broken ML + sweet FL combo
✨ Strong chemistry
✨ A happy ending you don’t have to stress about
✨ Something fun, light, and easy to enjoy
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This review may contain spoilers
"Casting a Spell to You" is a romantic comedy centered on the relationship between Ji Woo and Jung Hee.Ji Woo suffered a trauma as a teenager and he can't sleep without the help of medication and lots of drinking, because when night falls, he remembers the moments when his friend died. When he meets Jung Hee, she is the first person who tells him that what happened wasn't his fault, Ji Woo fell in love and she helped him get better. There is a similar situation with Jung Hee, she has a trauma with alcohol because her father died from drinking too much, but working at Ji Woo's bar and the different way he sells cocktails, as an experience, not to get drunk, this helped her overcome a little of the distaste she had for drinks.
The story was supposed to have a romantic foursome, but poor Ye Ji was basically there as a supporting character, because what we actually have is a love triangle between Ji Woo, Jung Hee and Young Kwang. I really liked Young Kwang, but he had his chance with Jung Hee, he preferred to remain as friends all these years and when he finally decided to confess his feelings, she was already in love with Ji Woo. The drama really took the issue of them fighting over her seriously, until there is literally a scene where they are fighting and accidentally end up hitting Jung Hee. HAHAHA'
What I would change is the actor who played Songsong: Yasuo Namekawa, also known as Kangnam, since he is not Thai and that is very obvious, I don't understand why they didn't cast a Thai actor to play the role, I'm sure there are several talented ones in South Korea and his mannerisms were very forced, almost too childish... I couldn't really like the character.
This drama was a big positive surprise. I wasn't expecting anything when I started watching it, but the story is light, fun, easy to watch and at the same time it portrays serious issues, such as alcoholism and post-traumatic stress and the couple is really good.
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This review may contain spoilers
CASTING A SPELL ON YOU — OR ATTEMPTING TO, AT LEAST
Every once in a while, life gets too loud. Deadlines, bills, existential dread — the usual chaos. And in those moments, all I want is to sink into my couch and watch fictional people make dumb decisions so I can feel slightly better about mine. That’s how I ended up watching Casting a Spell on You — mostly because I needed a break from the legal drama marathon I was running with Suspicious Partner (40 episodes of intense plot twists will fry your brain cells, I swear).Let me start with the male lead. He’s your classic kdrama chaebol — silver spoon, expensive suits, ego the size of Seoul. But plot twist: he’s actually broke. His family cut him off, handed him a debt-ridden property from Grandpa, and told him to figure it out. Character development via financial ruin? We love to see it. And of course, there’s a deeply traumatic childhood backstory — because heaven forbid a kdrama protagonist has a normal past. That trauma explains why he left Korea and spent years drifting around like a handsome nomad.
Now, here’s where things get messy. The female lead. I don’t even know where to begin without my blood pressure spiking. It’s not her storyline that’s the issue — it’s the way she was written. Or maybe the way she was directed. Or maybe both. This character makes "unhinged" look like an understatement. She’s loud. Not just “expressive” loud — I mean eardrum-shattering, neighbor-calling-the-cops loud. If I earned a dollar every time she screamed instead of speaking like a human being, I could buy the drama’s debt-ridden property and renovate it myself.
As if one chaotic female character wasn’t enough, we had to deal with the second female lead — who felt like she walked straight out of a psychological thriller. Her entire existence revolved around emotionally blackmailing the male lead, from episode 1 to the finale. I spent half the drama waiting for someone to file a restraining order or praying for the white truck of doom to show up.
Strangely enough, the side characters were the ones carrying this entire mess on their backs. When your main leads are causing migraines and you start genuinely looking forward to scenes with the quirky café owner or the overly invested landlady, something has gone very, very wrong.
So why did I finish it?
Two words: Sung Joon.
The man could read a cereal box and I’d still be glued to the screen. His acting? On point. His face? A national treasure. Somewhere between his jawline and emotionally tortured gazes, I got sucked in. So yes — maybe the spell almost worked. Not because the plot was groundbreaking (it wasn’t), or because the romance was heart-fluttering (it really wasn’t), but because Sung Joon stood there looking like that and doing the absolute most with the little he was given.
Would I recommend this drama? Only if you’ve got noise-cancelling headphones and a high tolerance for chaos. But hey, at least it gave me something to yell about — and isn’t that what kdramas are all about?
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This review may contain spoilers
This spell did not work on me!!
That drama gave me mixed feelings.* Story: the storyline wasn’t very interesting. For me the writer made the mistake to start the show with the two leads doing bad stuff. They never gained my favors after that opening and I wasn’t invested on what was happening to them. Supporting cast weren’t helping as everybody was flawed. The story was messy. The end wasn’t very pleasant too and basically they finished exactly like they started, did they grow ? Did they gain a little bit of depth? Not sure.
There weren’t to me funny moments. The romance was not compelling. The business storyline was so predictable. Some choices in the events were very questionable. They apparently never heard about consent. What is the take away of that drama? 없요! How that script has been selected? 몰라!!!
* Photography: The colors weren’t appealing. They were sad and not lively. I had the strong feeling watching this that it wasn’t made in 2021. Nothing gave me 2021 vibe, the light design looked 2014-2018, the fashion looks 2016-2018, the music, the acting too. Did they had that thing in their drawers for years and released in 2021 because Lim Ji-Jeon and Sung Joon looked straight from High Society. Even Kim Yoon-hye at the beginning (hair salon scene) looked like before 18 again…
The actors weren’t bad but the story and the production were less than average. I came for the 2 leads and it looks like it’s the worth thing they ever made.
Nothing memorable. This doesn’t deserve to invest 16 hours of your life.
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I really enjoyed the drama
I really enjoyed the drama, and I don't understand why its rating is so low. The apparent drama begins and is defined as a comedic drama, although it has comedic parts but at the same time it has messages on so many topics such as dealing with breast cancer, self-esteem, fulfilling dreams, emotional abuse, the cost of living, fraud, escaping from reality through excessive drinking, Choosing between family and coolness. And how much love and honesty can heal the soul.Great chemistry between the leads and perfect casting of the other actors, a great soundtrack, definitely a recommended drama
For me, her rating is 10/10
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I didn't hate it
Things I liked1 The first episodes. I thought there were funny and I was looking forward to the interactions between the main leads. It didn't last.
2 The kisses. This series had a lot of kisses and the ML is a great kisser. There was some chemistry with the FL, I can't deny that.
Things I disliked
1 The ML. I liked him more than in other series, but still not enough. I'm not sure if t's his acting style but most of the times I can't take him seriously. Although I cried when he cried. I also loved the kisses, he's a great kisser.
Things I hated
1 The FL. I'm not sure why she became unlikable, when I loved her when it started. At the end I wanted him to find someone else.
2 The dramatic par. I'm not sure why they do that, but I hate the mix of comedy and heavy drama. Not the fault of the actors, the script wasn't good enough.
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