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It is a character study (which I enjoy despite them sometimes being difficult) but sadly, the writing was just messy and the characters behaved in ways that became tiresome and confusing. I felt the male leads did a fantastic job. The SFL was more interesting than the MFL but again, could be writing, directing, or just her being a new actress? Not sure. Hard to watch at times. Though, ironically, she’s maybe the most consistent (consistently frustrating in her inability to be upfront and honest..but I digress) character overall until the end. The supporting cast was fabulous. Where’s a show with those ajummas!?
The ending was absolute crap. Seriously stupid and uselessly sad and “what the heck!?”. Overall, when the writers let the characters BE who they seemed to be writing them to be instead of inventing things for them to misunderstand, the show is amazing! Those fleeting moments made watching the other episodes (where I actually face-palmed at the insanity) worth suffering through, mostly, sometimes. Won’t watch the whole thing again but also wouldn’t say it wasn’t worth a watch.
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This review may contain spoilers
Greedy egoists bite other´s throats
The Film portrays assaultive. egocentric, quite narcistic men, and selfobssesed women ... but men treating women as their posessions, aside of the elder arrogant "bitches", Yoon Hyang Sook, Madam Jo and her "stupid" demanding daugther. There is way too much boozing shown and an antediluvian image of and objectifyed women, when it´s coming to the younger women. Mistreating and beaten up employees be their chefs. An abusive father. And generally men who don´t have their emotions in too many situations under control ... and a picture of the 2011 fallen NAZI Galliano in Yeong Gul´s office ...The use of other people to get the to the goals one want to achieve is unfortunately common ... but this K Drama is toping such misbehavior. Even the bad treated Lee Ga Young who seems innocent, no naive.
Jung Jae Hyuk the chaebol´s son as love blinded, and out of contol character is sometimes portraied quite loveable, especially when getting overdemanding, abusive and playing the tough guy ... in the end as toxic, as his father, and Yeong Gul.
Yeong Gul end in New York is disturbing in 1st sight, but he said min 2 times in the show that he never will end like his father.
But that Lee Ga Young did not hear the bang ... literally or in the meaning of ... while talking a last time with her hate love is significanr for her charakter. She went to Jung Jae Hyuk to stay with him ... does she love him, as Jung Jae Hyuk suggested near the end of the show? The phone call evtl. was prior to the shoting of Yeong Gul who wasn´t bleeding out his head despite the bullet hit him there ...
The show is by far not a picture of the fashion industry ... but the abuse of models is quite common. And its with male and female models. Some are used as horizontal hosts and hostesses ... while others are used as nude display puppets ... or are raped men (like Bratt Pall and others, as from Abercrombie & Fitch, and others) and women, which can be destroyed by their abusers. And its not only by the fashion designers or photographers and their team.
For the fashion designers in this show ... Michael J and Director Kim ... playing obvious gay charakters. Stereotyped? Given to a scene in the elevator with Yeong Gul and Jung Jae Hyuk, hands at their throats; stop it or they think we are dating ... is so typical then more than today the conservative homophobic society of Korea. But that is changing to openess actually, despite an antifeminist and anti equality president.
... rewatch value? NO, not really.
... why did I watch till the bloody end? I just wanted to see the end ... as K Dramas are somehow addictive.
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Unexpected Ending
I'm on the 18th Episode. Ive heard so much about the ending, im not sure I want to watch it.I read many reviews and many don't like Ga Young ir Young Gul. They favour Jae Hyuk.
I didn't particularly like her being so wimpy and letting two guys telling her what to do. The woman should say something. Her silence made me frustrated on numerous occasions. One thing I liked about her. She was loyal to Young Gul and loved him. She looked genuinely happy being with him.
She did have a gentle nature men want to protect. Her wishy-washy attitude confused me when the guys were tugging her.
Young Gul was handsome, trendy, had lots of swag, and was the right type of guy that would easily be a player. Obviously, falling for Ga Young was unexpected so no wonder he was afraid to love her back once he revealed more of his background. I wanted them to be together at the end. Episode 16 is my fave when they get together in New York. She wanted Young Gul, the man she first loved not the rich man he had become. He wanted her to have the finer things in life, she wanted a simple life with him, designing clothes.
Jae Hyuk was arrogant, snobby and superficial on the outside. On the inside, a scared little boy trying to please his Dad and avoid his mother's meddlesome and overprotective ways. He didn't love Choi Anna. That's why he dumped her. He pitied her and it showed when she had seen his mother. He confused Anna by giving her so many mixed messages. He didn't know what love is. Then he falls for Ga Young. His feelings for her were clearer and obvious to anyone. His idea of chasing after Ga Young when she conveyed that she loved Young Gul, made him look pathetic and bratty. Rich boy used to getting his way. He sets out to make their lives miserable. Both Jae Hyuk and Anna acted like spoiled brats just because they didn't value themselves they made others suffer.
That's what pissed me off about this drama. The other part was Young Gul and Jae Hyuk fighting over Ga Young.
The drama should have been 16 episodes.
All the cast did a tremendous job. If i watch it again, which i doubt i will, i would go to Episode 16.
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Story(4) - Episodes 1- 8 or 9 were great, there was a lot of content and it kept everything really interesting, 10-20 were just complete trash. They just kept dragging out everything and even without watching the entire thing you could tell what would happen. JaeHyuk would do this, get pissed off at YG, lament over SSK and the entire stupid cycle repeats.
Acting(7) - They're great, but i just hated the second half of the series, it was just annoying.
Music(1) - TOO MUCH MUSIC, I muted my speakers everytime the OST came on because it just got to my nerves so much.
Rewatch(1) - do yourself a favor, if you end up watching this drama, stop around episode 10 and just say that it ends there with YG ending up with Shin Se Kyung and Yuri with JaeHyuk, you'll be much better off.
Overall(4) - yeah no, even though the first half was great, the entire second half of the drama was just irritating, cant give it over a 5.
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I did watch the very end.
The one positive was the eye candy they provided.
WHile it shows not all in life is a fairytale. I am hoping that is what the writers were going for.
I hated it in the end.
I would not recommend it to anyone.
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This review may contain spoilers
Not happy with the ending
I watched this drama in 2025, so my views have changed accordingly. The drama was originally telecast in 2012, and a lot has changed since then. I've already seen many dramas with a similar theme. I watched this one solely because of the male lead.
Initially, the drama felt cliché to me until the love story between the leads began. After that, elements of hatred, jealousy, desire, and anger took over, ultimately leading to a terrible ending.
I was enjoying the drama until the very last part of the final episode, which left me deeply disappointed and why???
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Fortunately, when a story is written this way, you begin to see the true abilities of an actor and the range of their acting skills in being able to portray the same emotions in different ways. I believed Yoo Ah In was a great actor after seeing him in Sungkyunkwan Scandal in comparison to his real personality which I found to be completely different. In fact, he's the reason I watched this. He's not a bad actor, but after watching this, I found his facial expressions to be somewhat loud and over the top in comparison to Lee Jae Hoon's which gave a stronger impact without being too showy. This suited his character but made it unlikeable as well. Jung Jae Hyuk had one of the worst cases of second lead syndrome I've seen to date. His acting skills pushed him up to one of my top favorite actors ('top' because I have many favorites). As for the two girls, Shin Se Kyung was the same as she was in High Kick Through the Roof and Yu Ri was there. Yu Chae Young and Jang Mi Hee were excellent side actors.
Though some people were disappointed by the ending. I was okay with it (neither impressed nor disappointed). I did not need to know more. I was satisfied knowing it was the end and the the same thing would not repeat again. It took me a little longer to watch but I don't regret it nor think that I will watch it again.
The actors did better than I think most could with what was given to them. I enjoyed the nice scenery in many of the shots. I don't plan on recommending this show to others.
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