This review may contain spoilers
This could have been great
Let me just start of by saying that I absolutely love dramas about self-healing and growth but this one seemed to just miss the mark a bit. The acting was amazing and the premise had so much potential but it lacked that punch to the gut.I feel like the ML's character was a bit contradicting. He shows up looking like a thug and he supposedly stole a bunch of money from his gang but then as the show progresses, you don't really get to know how he stole the money or what kind of work he did. All of the flashbacks just focus on him trying to avoid a life of crime. They dressed him in those ugly patterned shirts for the first few episodes and gave him a standoffish personality but it doesn't match what the writers are trying to show us later. Redemption arcs are supposed to start from a bad person learning to be good but in this story, they try and sell us a good person with bad luck finding happiness. This is not a bad thing but it wasn't consistent with how they began the drama.
The FL also has some plot holes. We meet her brother once and then never again. The other characters talk about how FL lead had a rough life but then they don't elaborate on it....
All in all - it was an enjoyable drama but if anyone asked for a recommendation for a redemption drama, this would probably not be my first, second, or third rec. I'm the type of person who can take note of a show's flaws and still enjoy it but if you struggle to look past these things, this one might not be for you.
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This topic is very sensitive to me.
I hate that I'm aging and knowing that this may happen to me, I know now my life span is cut short. I want to have a feeling of peace before it is time for me to leave this earth. Hospice in the United States is not the place that I ever want to be. Elders in Assisted Living and Hospice settings are mistreated. So when seeing this story regarding Hospice and Last wish made my heart turn a flip. The storyline starring Ji Chang Wook, I mean this actor, just made the character Yoon Kyeo Re his own. I love him! Actress Choi Soo Young, Actor Sung Dong Il, and Actress Won Ji An also made their character come to life in this story. Actress Won Ji An was something else and very believable. I'm glad they brought two types of awareness into this story which are aging and suicide. The gangster life is basic in this story, so be prepared.Was this review helpful to you?
Hold On To Your Emotions!
Want to start this review with a suggestion....Go out and buy stock in Kleenex tissues before you begin!
What an amazing drama this is...and for me it was waaaay under the radar! I only found it as I was truly in between episodes on other dramas and wasn't finding anything to fill the space. And as I've always liked Ji Chang Wook, I think he is a wonderful and versatile actor I thought I'd give it a shot and he truly does not disappoint in this drama.
The supporting cast do just that, they are the backbone of this drama and I don't think any one of them was a miscast.
Having just gone through hospice with my husband this drama's individual stories were cathartic and heart wrenchingly beautiful.
I really can't say a bad word about If You Wish Upon Me, truth be told, it will touch anyone who has a heart's heart.
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If I watched it in the cinema, I would fall asleep. Hehehe supposition that can't possibly happen huh? The duration of the Korean drama "If You Wish Upon Me" is approximately 16 hours (16 episodes). Therefore, if I may, I suggest shortening it to 12 episodes. Eits.😀😀
Incidentally, I finished this drama while watching the ongoing drama "Call it Love" played by Kim Young Kwang and Lee Sung Kyung. So that auto compares the two.
Both dramas have a slower tempo and both tell stories about lonely broken home youths. However, the Korean drama "Call it Love" doesn't make it boring, instead it makes you want to know the next episode.
One of the keys lies in the camera game. Some reviewers also praised the angle of the Korean drama "Call it Love" which spoils the eye and wants to hug Han Dong Jin, played by Kim Young Kwang, and cheer him up.
I played the Korean drama song album "If You Wish Upon Me" while writing a review, there was Sooyoung who sang the song "To My Star" and Taeyeon with her song "You And Me", which unfortunately scored only C to support this drama.
So, why did the Korean drama "If You Wish Upon Me" not match predictions? Maybe it's because the writer-nim is too overthinking.
Inspired by the Ambulance Wish Foundation, which launched a charity program in the Netherlands, namely the activity of granting the last wish of terminally ill patients. Then combined with the fictional story of Yoon Gyeo-Rye (Ji Chang-Wook) who was entangled in cases of gangsters and possessive women, the Korean drama "If You Wish Upon Me" became.
A mix of stories that feel heavy huh? Luckily the Korean drama "If You Wish Upon Me" was played by Ji Chang-Wook and Sooyoung, actors and actresses whose acting skills need not be doubted.
Although the final segment is not clear. If you want to put it in an entertainment drama, how come it doesn't feel comfortable seeing a child being ironed by his biological father.
The next review can be read here: https://www.maria-g-soemitro.com/2023/03/if-you-wish-upon-me-review-drama-korea.html
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A drama that rendered pulls the strings of my heart the most.
As the theme show, it was a sentimental lift.Basically about the hospital team that grants wishes to terminally ill patients.
All sub-stories were so touchy and made me cry out loud.
Getting to the storyline, it wasn't perfect as I was expecting. The first half divulged so well and then it moved to needlessly for some episodes. The writer shifted the story to make it intriguing but it made the watchers lessen the interest.
It could've been great if they drew the backstory just as a backstory giving them life again was a horrible idea.
And talking about my dearest part it was Ji chang wook's character.
He poured his soul into the character.
I'm glad he agreed to try a different role beside a action related.
Soo-young did a great job as always loved her badass character.
All the supporting cast worked out incredibly.
The storyline got to be that point where things went a little incorrect.
Overall, it tightened my heart as no one else did.
HEALING AND HEART-WRENCHING SHOW INDEED.
Please sit with the box of tissues, you'll be had to them.
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A mixed bag, but worth watching
I have a dream, that someday I'll be able to watch a Korean drama that sticks with one genre and commits to it, that said drama will do said drama with excellence. I've been feeling, lately, that every drama throws a little bit of everything into the mix. This show is a drama, romance, comedy, SOL, action, mystery - you name it, it's in there.I thought the pacing of this show was very good at the outset, though I could have done without the gangster element. I was loving the stories of the hospice workers, as well as the patients. I would have rated this so much higher if they had just planted the storyline there. It was very touching to see how the workers deal with death, and how the families and the patients themselves cope. I found myself very invested, then BAM! Cray-cray ex-girlfriend and the mystery patient in the hospice. These two things really ruined the show for me. These storylines dramatically altered the direction of the show and pulled focus from the important storylines. I was tempted to drop the show at that time (especially since it seemed to go on forever!), but I waited expectantly, hoping it would get back on track. Ultimately it did, but for me it had gone too far to redeem itself.
The acting was exemplary. Ji Chang Wook: the past few things he's been in have been disappointing to me, because of the way his characters were written. I loved him in this. He's got toughness, but an innocence that is charming. I loved him talking under his breath all the time, not quite understanding everything that was going on. He got pulled into the lives of the people in the hospice, almost against his own volition. He seemed surprised at the things that he was doing and feeling. I could really sense his character's growing and developing his own un-biological family. Chang Wook also has an intensity about him: that soulful stare. If for no other reason, I'm glad I watched this show for his acting.
Sung Dong Il: I love him! He's one of those actors that is always lovely to watch. His character in this drama was wonderful.
Park Jin Joo: I didn't even realize early on that this was the actress I was watching. The makeup department did an excellent job. Her character was special, and I loved the process of her fulfilling her last wish.
And, as far as acting AND storyline is concerned: Kil Hae Yeon and Yoo Soon Wong as husband-and-wife hospice workers, was kind of sad, but so touching. The journey of discovery for these characters was surprising, yet spoke to the power of love, as well as the fact that everyone around them became family.
I can still recommend this drama pretty highly, but I just wish the editors had done a better job, edited out the unnecessary storylines, and given us more hospice stories.
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If You're Struggling Share With Your Close Ones
The story is emotional. It's about forgiving, friendship &, more importantly, you don't need to be blood related to be a family. If you care for each other, are always there for each other, you can be a family.Yoon Kyeo Re an ex-convict with a troubled past, doing community service in a welfare service which takes care of terminally ill patients. He is rude, unsocial, doesn’t have anyone to care or love him. Which is why he lacks family affection.
Seo Yeon Joo is a nurse in that same welfare. She loves exercising. She is a strong, independent woman, brave.
Kang Tae Shik is the leader of welfare who helps patients with their wishes. He also has a troubled past which connects him with Yoon Kyeo Re.
Loved Yoon Kyeo Re & Seo Yeon Joo first official meeting, she broke his car's looking glass.
It’s funny when Yoon Kyeo Re holds Seo Yeon Joo hair to prevent her from hitting her head while sleeping, when she awake up she also did the same thing to him. Their accidental kiss.
Love Seo Yeon Joo flirting with Yoon Kyeo Re & him being all shy. I would've been great if there were more flirting scenes.
Yoon Kyeo Re expression when he had to read Fifty shades to a patient was hilarious.
Dog’s death hit me harder than anything.
I laughed at the scene where Yoon Kyeo Re picked an old patient on his back the second time while Seo Yeon Joo & Kang Tae Shik both making excuses to make him do it.
Every supporting character has their own story.
It’s sad that each & everyone in Yoon Kyeo Re life, whether it's his father or adopted sister, sees him as an object rather than a human being. They just want him for themselves but don’t love him truly.
Jun Kyung is obsession with Yoon Kyeo Re is something I hate the most, but her past was sad. Her only wish was not to be abandoned.
I liked it. The drama tells us to spend more time with our loved ones, share our problems with them or even our wishes. I know in this modern age, nobody has time for others, let alone to hear others' problems. Sometimes people just want to share their problem or burdens with someone, they're not looking for someone to solve their problem or burden them with it. They just want someone to listen to them & spend time with them, so spend time with your loved ones before it's too late.
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Good Enough
Korean Drama " If You Wish Upon Me " is a slice of life melodrama.The story is bittersweet, with lots of sad moments, as well as heartwarming ones. The romance, in addition, is subttle and doesn't overboarden the story. Rather, it gives the rest of the story breathing space and allows it to be the centre of the drama and to have a proper development.
However, some of the things that happened or kept happening to the male lead were too much. Thus, it got unbelievable after a while. Actually, the drama started getting tiring in the second half overall.
Finally, the performances were great and enjoyable by everyone in the cast.
So, overall, seven out of ten.
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This review may contain spoilers
If You Wish Upon Me took a couple of tries and about 3 episodes for me to fully get interested in it. While it is a slow burn and full of heavy emotions, I found myself really enjoying seeing all of the people within the hospice and the two leads figuring out their feelings. As always with melodramas, you have a mystery plot playing alongside the regular one and I honestly didn't care for it at all. I found myself skipping most of those scenes to get back to the hospital storylines.I wish that we would've gotten more stories of the people within the hospice as well because I felt those were the most grabbing stories. I loved getting to know them and their wishes and watching them be happy for a final time. I needed more of those even if they were heavy and emotional to get through. I felt that they spent more time on the mystery plot than they did with the genie program itself and that's what I was really here for.
The romance is super slow burn, enemies to lovers, unexpected love.. It can be a little cheesy and tropey, but it was worth it for the relationship scenes you do get. They do add in a few things that annoy me like "ex comes back to ruin everything" trope which isn't my thing, especially when it's done towards the end of the series.
Overall, a good watch if you're looking for something similar to Move to Heaven, Chocolate or May I Help You.
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Best slice of life kdrama
If You Wish Upon Me is one of my Slice of Life favorite dramas. This was my first drama to watch when it was airing. Since I’m a fan of Ji Chang-Wook, I have good expectations for this drama, and this is my first drama with Choi Soo Young and Won Jin An. There are no big stars in the cast (drama) yet, but If You Wish Upon Me got huge success with its story and the acting of the cast. The story is so fresh at that time and forever. As we already know, this drama story is based on true events and is inspired by the Ambulance Wish Foundation, which originally started in the Netherlands. The charity program grants wishes to terminally ill patients. With Slice of Life, this drama also offers a mature rom-com and a decent, deep message about life, and it shows how a human being's life is small in this world. Let us live happily until our time on earth is complete. The drama starts with the interesting way an ex-convict got sentenced to do voluntary work in a hospital. Will he settle in that place, or how will he manage to work and live there? To talk about Ji Chang Wook's acting, it's just perfection. He is well known for the action genre, but the way he chooses his character roles from drama to drama shows what a quality actor he is. His character role is full of emotions; he made me cry by acting in emotional scenes and laughing in comedy scenes. The way he was trying to adjust himself in that place and falling in love with his opposite personality the female lead those types of scenes are a natural treat to watch. The story moves in a classical way, like Team Jeni helping the patients grant their last wishes, but it also insists on a mysterious element of the secret room patient, which felt like a lacking element in this type of story, but the writer gave a good reason why he put that in this drama and convinced us with its backdrop story. Choi Soo Young is one of the best idols turned actors, and although this was my first drama of her's, I became her fan after watching her acting. Won Jin An, I’m moved by her acting and her story point; her rudeness toward Ji Chang Wook’s love is pretty emotional. The scene where he says “please leave me free” to her is heartwarming, and the drama shows the efforts of the writer and director and how much they invested their skills to create characters for a particular scene. This drama standout as one of the best emotional character development dramas i watched. Song Dong gives another great performance in his Team Jeni leader role. OST is nostalgic, and the hospital setting is quite beautiful. Excellent acting from all the supporting cast. This is the best example of how a good story can get success without a star cast, with proper utilization of the full potential of available actors. It's a funny and emotional roller-coaster that also offers some good tears. I will recommend this drama to everyone who loves good character development and emotional character depth in new typical dramas.Was this review helpful to you?
Watch it with a hand to your heart and the other to a tissues box..
OK..this is not an easy drama to watch.. i have started watching it because of Ji Chang Wook , as an European viewer myself I find him to be one of the sexiest man on screen, beside being a complete actor, very versatile, capable of bringing a soul into his acting..He can make every character believable.
JCW is portraying an ex-convict, abused in childhood, lonely as an adult.. his eyes... just penetrate you.. the sparkles when he cries.. his cheeky curiosity.. his genuine feelings...
And, regardless of his hard life , he is still capable of trusting others.. he wants you to get close to him.. with nothing to lose...
This drama is so intense that it is making it difficult for me to watch one episode in one go.. but it represents the reality of many working in hospice, supporting the last breath of life of many left on their own...
Thank you to the production team, because you have been able to discuss an heartbreaking topic.
And thank you to the actors for telling us this story with your natural and great acting! 👍
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As for the cast, of course, I chose to watch this drama for my darling Wooky! He's such a lovely thing to watch on screen. I just don't get WHY he does not choose more meaty roles, and ALWAYS plays it safe. Going by the blurb of the series and his image in the poster, I really thought that he would be an anti-hero sort of character, like Seon Seok-goo in My Liberation Notes. But the blurb was all that was faulty with him. All throughout the series, he was the NICEST boy there could ever be, who was so unfairly wronged by the system, that one would think that he was a puppy without any agency of his own. It's alright if the director wanted to show him as a nice guy, but don't make the blurb SO misleading, please? It wasn't fair for the character tbh. His romance angle with Choi Soo Young was also meh, it was so extremely predictable, there was nothing worth rooting for. I actually ended up liking the doctor, he was this understated character, but quite sensible. Even if his character didn't have much screen time, he did a pretty decent job playing an introverted doctor. This might come up as offensive, but I did not like Song Dong Il as Kang Tae Shik - both the actor and the character were too much for me to take.
One thing that I really liked was the drama's investment in the hospice staff, which was quite good. Although all the stories eventually ended up being preachy, kudos to the script-writer for showing other stories other than the main characters' stories. I don't know what happened with Ha Joon Kyung and Jang Seok Joon, as I didn't finish the whole thing. I was interested to know, but the overtly preachy tone overshadowed everything else, and I lost interest.
The OST was nothing to write home about. The mini-play in the middle of the drama was SO STUPID AND UNNECESSARY. The only reward received from watching the entire mini-play nonsense was seeing Ji Chang Wook looking absolutely stunning in a suit. But then he looks good in anything, without anything, in whichever way he comes on screen really. So yeah, too little returns for too much investment.
Finally, using animals to persuade the viewer to tears was NOT CALLED FOR. Overall, not a binge-able drama. If you have time to spare, and you are REALLY in love with Ji Chang wook, then watch it. Otherwise can miss it.
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