Ji Eun is a well developed leading lady. She's so kind and naïve how could I not love her? She might not be worldly and this gets her into a lot of trouble. Especially her capability to love. Sure I'd get frustrated with her inability to stand up for herself or even turn her friends in to the police after they scam her. But that's part of her charm. Ji Eun is fully realized, friendship and her ability to forgive are definitely her crowing glories. She's kind and while that makes her a victim at times you can't help but admire her tenacity. Especially when she wants to get her father's home back.
Sadly Yeong Jae, Rian's character, doesn't do well for me. Oh, he's well fleshed out. His problem is he's spoiled, and a super horrible person. Yes, his character evolves and it's clear that underneath his horrible personality resides a nice guy. (Deep-deep-deep-deep-deep-deep-deep down.) The problem is that most of his development happens in the last few episodes of the series. Because this guy is a jerk to Ji Eun. He spends most of the show pining away for another woman, who is basically the male version of him. He does a few nice things for Ji Eun in between his trying to win the love of another woman. And watching him slowly (SLOWLY) fall for Ji Eun is sweet. I advocate for shows to take their time and build the love story.
It's a sticky point for me when a male lead is a jerk. That the scenes where I want to punch him out way anything else I've seen from him. The last few episodes should not suddenly be crammed with how he finally realizes how awful he's been to the lead, and now he wants her. It irks me. Whether books, TV, or movies. It irks. Especially because Ji Eun is so great! I loved her and I wanted to watch her be wooed and romanced properly. Not just by the third wheel of the love triangle, or again the last part of the show.
The rest of the cast of characters are fun, but none of them interested me. In fact, I disliked the majority of them. Their basic purpose for being there was to make Ji Eun miserable or give her some new hardship to over come. Sure there were some great friendship moments, love triangle swooning, and other things to add to the story. Sadly just not enough. Being able to enjoy supporting characters is something that can save a dramas and enhance. Of course conflicts need to come from them. But at least let some of them be likable and developed.
Now another painful thing was the music. Holy cow. Whenever Yeong Jae visited this bar the same song would be playing on endless repeat. (A song I used to love.) Some of the music was good, but after hearing it on endless repeat, during a pointlessly drug out scene . . . ugh. Oh, and the music that came on for the endless cleaning sequences . . .
This dramas took me three years of stopping and going to finally finish. It caused me to give up dramas for a while as I TRIED so hard to finish it. Full House will be the last drama I ever force myself to finish. The fact that this is a drama standard classic, and I can see how it has influenced and inspired many a dramas after it. (A formula that is very hit or miss with me.) Sad truth is that if I hadn't watch Rain in other roles and adored him before that, it would have been a lot harder for me to become a fan.
This is a drama staple. Just be sure to watch it because you enjoy it. Don't push on. If you really need to see it what I said above would be great advice. Especially if you've tried watching it before, or you hit the point where Full House is no longer working for you. This was the dramas that truly taught me that though dramas may be short, they can be some of the most repetitive and drug out viewing material out there.
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What I love most about this drama was that I had a really good laugh at every episode and as the story progress I kind of get used to the characters instead of feeling awkward. They were cute, Rain and Hye Kyo did really gave justice to their characters. I never laughed so hard watching a Korean drama, this is the first and I am happy to have decided to watch this.
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Full house is the adaptation of the korean comic book (manwha) with same name. I am very much amazed on how well they closely executed the storyline and even the changes they made. Let me also point out that they built the "Full House" almost exactly the same as the one in the book!
The characters are so refreshing and their antics are sooo funny! Not to mention they have an undeniable chemistry! I have enjoyed watching this drama and has a good rewatch value!
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This review may contain spoilers
More laughs than tears, loved it
I’m watching it almost back to back on Netflix in Australia (2025) as I loved it so much.The OSTs are amazing, I listen to them all the time. The chemistry between the main leads is undeniable. I love the punch lines like “I’ve never given my rice cooker as a gift”. Yes, name calling and bickering is not necessarily healthy but some people express their feelings differently. I’ve been married for 30 years and my husband is my soul mate but he does tease me all the time and I do too. Who doesn’t love the three bears song? I think Ji-eun was more clueless than Yeong-Jae in many ways. At the end of the day he was the one that helped her financially when she was stranded in China. Her friends are totally despicable and I could not bring myself to like them. The one I totally dislike was Hye-won, she was a selfish entitled princess, I cringed when she’d tell Yeong-Jae “I will not let you go” that’s not love, that’s sickening obsession. I was happy to see that his family had embraced her and had not looked down on her. I was relieved it had a happy ending although I would have loved to see them kissing passionately in more scenes during the last episode. I know I’ll watch it many more times as I love the two main leads and the music is awesome.
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This review may contain spoilers
It started out great but went downhill
The first half of this drama was great ! It was funny and interesting. There were no dull moments . The outfits and jewelry worn by rain were really nice.But after the first half the story began to drag . They argued way too much for adults . They literally told everyone but themselves how they felt about each other .
From episode 10, I waited and waited for a confession because I thought I was close to getting one from them but there was nothing until towards the end of the final episode .
If I knew that that was what I was signing up for, I wouldn’t have watched it at all . There were so many unnecessary conversations.
If the writers knew that they had nothing else to write, they should’ve wrapped up the entire series in 12 episodes.
I hope this review helps anyone that is interested in watching it . 🙂
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Somehow special
I am a fan of contract marriage trope and my favorite parts of the drama are when one or both leads start falling for the other, is unwilling to admit it to themselves and especially not to the other party. Since the majority of this drama drags out this phase, although there are repetitive scenes where you want to scream "enough already, just confess!", It managed to stay adorable till the end.The leads share a wonderful chemistry and so naturally at ease in their roles, although the show barely shows more than a couple of fish kisses the entire time it keeps you hooked to the series rooting for them. The ML is adorable when he smiles and acts cute. The FL is simply adorable all the time even when she cries and acts like an idiot. Second leads are eye candy and the SFL is absolutely irritating as is meant to be. The friends are despicable towards the beginning but you somehow get used to them towards the end, possibly this is how the FL also got used to them over time! The father -mother - grandma scenes were cute as well. Would have liked the closure episode to show a future where the FL interacts with them again. The Three bears song was adorable but got absurdly repetitive after a while. And there is a little too much focus on cleaning and eating meals at the table, a little too much repetition of one or the other lead waiting at the entrance of the home for the other, etc. Somehow it was still enjoyable due to the chemistry and i binge watched the series in a few days time.
All in all a great clean contact relationship romcom drama and if you park your brain outside and just indulge in the sweetness of it, it will be a heartwarming treat.
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I HATED the ML, ironic because I started this drama for him.
I really liked the FL in this drama, and I usually don't for old Kdramas. The ML got on my nerves, I mean the romance was sweet between the leads, but the bickering went TOO FAR. I don't know how the FL didn't burst out crying because of some of the shit the ML says, because I cried. Ji Eun was a really strong FL similar to the FL's in current Kdramas. My heart broke a million times watching this drama and I just wanted the FL to give up on the ML altogether.I LOVED the SML, which is funny because I started this drama after being sure that Rain was the ML. I had really bad second lead syndrome in this drama, not because the FL and SML had better chemistry, but because their friendship was better than any romance between the ML and FL. Yeong Jae was such a PRICK to Ji Eun and he had so much double standards, I couldn't believe how blind he was at the double standards he had for Ji Eun and Min Hyuk but couldn't see how he was worse with Hye Won. The fact that the ML was nicer and much more understanding towards the FL when they were strangers and not when they were married, really annoyed me. If you're going to get married to someone, even if it's not real, you should at least respect the person you're married to. Yeong Jae had no respect for Ji Eun and it took until the end of the drama for him to finally respect her as a friend (first) and then as a WIFE, if it even reached that point. He really told her that she means NOTHING to him as a person and he always compared her to an inanimate object, not to mention laughed in her face when she confessed her potential feelings for him, at that point, he just became a joke.
As much as I loved Ji Eun, I couldn't stand how many chances she gave Yeong Jae. I got sick of her love for him when he told her MANY times that she meant nothing to him.
Yeong Jae was similar to the SML in My Little Princess (Cdrama), only here, he was married and not engaged to her. The SML in My Little Princess is so much better than Yeong Jae overall, because he at least had some good qualities personality wise. I also HATED the FL's so called friends, they were the cause to almost all the problems in this drama.
The only characters that made this show worth watching are Ji Eun and Min Hyuk.
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Unexpectedly hilarious
Is this a terribly outdated drama by 2025? Yes. Did I find it cringey at times? Yes. Did I unexpectedly like it though? Also Yes 😊Just to be clear, this cannot be seen as a romance drama, because the romance would come off poorly written now. It's a COMEDY and that's what remains with you even afterwards.
I only watched it this year - 21 years after it released and I can see why it became a classic. The comedy is hilarious and Song Hye Kyo is so loveable in her role. I loved the naive, clutter brained but still so loving character she was. I have watched some of her other dramas before this (The Glory, Descendents of the Sun, That Winter The Wind Blows) and yet this role from 2004 stands out somehow. It's also one of the few times she can be seen so carefree. Her comic timing is also brilliant!
But enough about my Song Hye Kyo stanning LOL - the drama also pulls you in other ways, I think the story is unique and especially for 2004 must have been so original. The way the leads come together grows from being forced to naturally willing to be together. I also liked the contrast of Yeong-jae and his friends being so polished, put together and mature. Whilst Ji-eum and her friends are more immature, childish, and in a mess generally.
Yes it is clichéd and terribly outdated in terms of including toxic tropes. I disliked that Yeong-jae was this man who shouted at Ji-eun and ordered her about all the time, even when he knew he liked her and wanted to be with her. He came off as a spoilt brat and a bully to her for majority of the drama. But of course, she had to fall for him instead of the more polite and caring 2ML, just the way it happened in these old dramas. I also disliked that they had to make the 2FL so toxic and unlikeable. It may have been common then but watching it now you can tell it's so overdone. The plot was just going in circles with how ML and 2FL couldn't decide if they wanted to like each other or not, and 2FL comes across insecure with how she only wanted Yeong-jae when he was 'together' with Ji-eun.
That said by the time I finished I unexpectedly did LIKE the drama more than I disliked it. It has a lot of heart and charm to it which is what attracts me. Also several iconic moments, Ji-eun's Three Bears song being one of them. I think I'll still think about these from time to time.
Overall I rate it at 7.5/10. it has higher rewatch value than is deserved for the quality of the drama's story, but I think it's worth it for a funny nostalgic rewatch.
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Young-Jae is really childlike and can’t express his feelings well, so I can understand why he express it will childlike way and often drag ji-eun along, but you kinda se him evolution through the the series. I thought it was sweet series and worth a rewatch.
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sweet romance with beautiful mains
It's old and simple romance, nothing new or deep, but it's really sweet to watch, because of main leads are really beautiful people and nice characters, also these old dramas are more free, without usual clieches (yes, there are clieches, bot not so many and same as we see in 90% modern dramas, where every story, character and situations are in same narrative); in old dramas even clothes are more free, characters act more free with less taboos, it doesn't have to be first and only love and many things like this...drama would be better with less episodes, because there isn't much story and it's repetitive, they fight and FL or they together clean up house (like all the time), but still I didn't wanted to skip, though I'm skipping 90% dramas).
best thing in this romance is realistic emotional developments, I mean when person loves someone very much it wont change in one day, even if old love is SFL and new FL ))) ML's feelings aren't changing fast and it's natural, though FL is much better person then SFL, more beautiful and nice, supportive (SFL is very selfish and depressive person, nothing to like, but the fact that ML loves him very much is natural, because he loved him from childhood) .
so recommend it, at list you will look at really beautiful boy and girl, nice FL and sexy charismatic ML )))
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A classic but not great.
I did mostly enjoy this drama, it is a classic but I must admit that it isn't the greatest.I did find myself skipping through a lot of the "filler" in each episode. I find that tends to be a common element in older Kdramas.
The story is honestly very basic, very middle of the road. There is absolutely nothing spectacular or unique about it. It is your basic average girl meets a rich guy who ends up being an enemies-to-lovers story.
The acting is pretty good, especially considering these top stars were very young at the time. The OST is cute. The rewatch value is low, I mean I guess if you just want to rewatch it for nostalgia purposes but it's not interesting enough to watch more than once.
Overall, again it's not bad, but it's not great, it's just okay.
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