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Enjoyable body swap story
After avoiding kdramas for a few months, finally broke my "fast" with this. Branding in Seongsu is a light romantic thrillerwith bits of comedy.
What I like:
1. The mystery plot - was thrilling especially in the 1st part.
2. Acting - Kim Ji Eun & Lomon did well playing their roles (first
time watching their acting) although at times Lomon stole the show when he played Naeon.
3. Kissing - Wow Lomon can kiss. The first kissing scene was hot.
4. Song 'On my hill' - Love this song because the alluring beat is fitting for seductive moments.
5. Supporting characters - Team Underdogs out shined other side characters. Joo Rex reminds me of P1harmony's Keeho. Hehehe
What I dislike:
1. Villains - underdeveloped & tad predictable.
2. Supernatural element - wish they develop that element. It'd be interesting if the 'demon' is tied to Naeon's feeling of guilt.
Favourite scene:
As a non-drinkers, I enjoy the Mood project the most. I know there is non-alcoholic soju sold in Thailand because it is endorsed by Mark Tuan, a member of GOT7.
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great for tuning out the real world
i had so much fun watching this show! a romp of a genderbent-mystery-thriller workplace comedy. overall, it’s fast-paced and charming, with great chemistry between the leads and a couple surprisingly steamy kisses. it also covers some refreshingly progressive ground through the clients the agency takes on, among other elements. is the plot messy/rushed at times? yes. tonally uneven? sure. do i care? absolutely not! the show has a self-awareness of its more ridiculous aspects that makes even the pitfalls seem endearing. the leads have great chemistry and i came to adore many of the side characters. the songs at the end of each episode are all bangers. the perfect thing to watch when you just want to tune out the real world and be taken along for the ride.Was this review helpful to you?
loving it
An unexpectedly delightful journey! Initially lured by the charismatic female lead, the plot's gradual unfolding took an exciting turn with 'the switch.' The acting proved captivating, and the infusion of humor led to moments of genuine laughter. I embarked on this viewing adventure due to my admiration for the female lead, one of my favorite actors, and was pleasantly surprised by the depth of the storyline. The clash of values and unexpected twists, especially the body swap following an unexpected kiss, added layers of complexity to the narrative. The chemistry between Eun Ho and Kang Na Eon kept me eagerly anticipating each episode. The director's ability to balance humor and drama deserves commendation, creating a well-rounded and enjoyable series. The characters' development and the exploration of contrasting values added depth to the storyline. Overall, thanks for the quality work and an engaging viewing experience!Was this review helpful to you?
Interesting, Comfort Show, Fun
it's funny how others rant about this drama. i respect all the opinions but also wanna say, it's a good drama amidst of all drama lately that are almost same plot w/other dramas, just the artists are well known (no hate, just personal observation)btw, for those planning to watch this, definitely this would give u a comfort tho the plot is really fictional but there r things that also should give focus like mental health, moving on, queer, sex education.
tbh, i thought i'll get boring watching this bcoz i just watched this at first bcoz of Lomon & the girl has resemblance w/Ryujin ITZY. I don't hate this kind of plot, just not my preference. But then, when u started to watch it, u gonna hooked with the plot & the acting!
I really enjoyed watching this <33
lastly the good part also with this is the 30mins each episode! I think you'll not get boring or tired unlike if u know that the Drama has 16eps & 1hour each ep. (it gets me bored of Kdrama lately bcoz of that)
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Just give it a try !
I almost dropped at the first episode because I didn't read the synopsis well and thought that there was a...like HUGE age gap. Anyway, I still don't know how old are the characters, I forgot but it's not that bothersome. This is for the ones who are hesitating to watch this show... just watch it.At first, you might think that it focuses too much on the jobs of the male leads, well it annoyed me at the beginning, but then I realized that it is interesting, and gives you an overview of what's going on behind products, advertisement, etc... This side of the show has an actual link with the plot which keeps it captivating.
The "fantasy" side of the show: the fact that they swapped their bodies, was an idea that involved a big risk: that the acting wouldn't be on point. That's why I left 9 stars for the acting because it was very nice but Na eun character in Eun Ho's body could've been more pronounced. Like... He was cold but not as cold as the original ... Anyway who am I to judge? I'm not an actor and I think that the role is very challenging but overall they are doing such a great job! Don't worry the show is still good
And about the plot, it is very satisfying.
I won't say more, otherwise, I would spoil something so I'll just let you watch it, don't drop it too soon(like, the first 6 episodes, btw they are 30 minutes long) I guarantee that it will get interesting!
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Love this drama, entertaining, great chemistry, good actors
I love this drama, entertaining, great chemistry, good cast- Na Eon and Eun Ho has great chemistry
- I love the Branding Marketing topics nila nakaka relate ako🥰
- Ang cute at handsome ni Eun Ho as in haha, Bagay sya mapa Romantic Comedy or Action Triller, hope to see him more in this type of drama🥰
- The best yung Underdog team Rex, Jenny, Young Ae, eun ho
- I like how Lomon(Eun Ho) is great in portraying his character here well done mapa childish man or as Na Eon soul.
- Pero kapag nakay Eun Ho yung soul ni Na Eon which is mataray naiinis ako sa ugali minsan ni Na Eon kahit nasa katawan sya ni Eun Ho. I like pano mag act c Lomon as Na Eon.
- I really like Eun Ho personality kahit nong nasa original katawan or kahit nasa katawan sya ni Na Eon maganda personality nya and I like pano mag act c (Kim Ji Eun) as EUn Ho which is hindi nakakainis pag soul ni Eun Ho nasa katawan nya while nakakainis nmn kapag c Na Eon soul👍.
- They both nail it. I like their actings Eun Ho and Na Eon. 🥰
- Eun Ho was so enthusiastic pero tinatago nya yung pain at puot for 5 years dala dala nya 😢.
- I like how yung mga nakakainis na character eh nakakainis rin talga👍.
what I don't much like is:
- sayang revenge plot ni Eun Ho sorry na word lang yung need pala? Sayang kase kung nagawa ng tama ang nice sana
- ang ikli kase ng revenge plot na dala ng character nya siguru dahil konti lang din episodes ng drama or dapat episode 15 palang inintroduce na yung revenge
- halos walang character development c Na Eon or medyo weak lng pagka introduce...
- ang konti ng episodes huhu I want more
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mehhh
in the first like 6 episodes i just kept watching (idk why) even tho it was like the worst kdrama airing at that time but then it got better, then it got worse again and then better again lol, idk how i managed to watch this until the end, i feel like the plot was all over the place and the pacing was bad cuz the last 4 episodes were soo rushed when they had 20 more episodes to create a better pace also the fl was mean and all that for 22 straight episodes and then she just becomes so smiley and kind all of a sudden?? and also tbh idk how they started to like each other but ig they did and i think they have great chemistry so ill let that slide. if i could go back id definitely not watch it👍🏼👍🏼Was this review helpful to you?
It may not make much sense, but it was a fun ride!
Sometimes when doing reviews it’s tough to decide how to rate something because there are times when enjoyment and objective quality don’t line up.For example, I LOVE Devilish Joy, but I feel the need to put a disclaimer out if I recommend it to anyone, because objectively it’s not a very good drama. The plot is a mess of cliches and the villains are often cartoonish. Still I love it on the strength of the romance and main couple. I don’t care that it’s not some cinematic masterpiece— I thoroughly enjoyed it. On the flip side there are dramas that are well-made like The Red Sleeve (though honestly that drama had some very silly side plots), with masterful acting from the male lead, that I just don’t love. Yeah I guess I can recommend it, but very half-heartedly.
All that to say that Branding In Seongsu is kind of a mess. They throw so many things in there, and many of them make no sense. But it was charming and fun, and I genuinely looked forward to new episodes. The acting got better as it went along. Lomon in particular managed to make various twists land well, and Kim Ji Eun’s character at first seemed impossible to believe could ever be redeemable, but in the end she managed to gradually soften up in a believable way.
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WHAT A SHOW! LOVED ITTT
Signing in to write this review to boost the sad ratings T.T and not chat gpt but my own words T.TThis. Show. Is. Amaaaaaaaazingggggggg. All the recent dramas has been bleh for me. This was so intense and gripping, I finished it within 3 days - a bit longer than i would have liked. Other dramas welcome the jump forward or the 2x speed - but this? Every moment is a masterpiece.
I accidentally found out about this show because of a youtube short - was the funny periods scene lol. But im glad i gave it a try! The plot and characters have been amazing. No character was one-dimensional and bland like how other dramas generally do. What I also really enjoyed for once is the office space setting itself - being a graphic designer most of these elements were really nicely portrayed! And i liked how real they kept this - generally other office dramas have some mediocre drama and characters who are not that relevant.
Comedy kept goingggggg - no cringe and so well placed. It was nice to see comedy in the end as well and not be all serious like some other dramas.
For the main part - This is perfectly what I would describe a strong woman. Its not about being harsh or rude to others simply because it feels like so. Having vulnerabilities, overcoming them - going through a process of growth. Fantabulous! I'm so sad that this is over T.T I had to send my toddler away to finish this undisturbed XD Definitely among the top dramas I have ever watched in life.
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Shows the genuine side of characters
The pace picks up at ep 4. Thank you to whoever said that! I kept watching because of this comment and don't regret it.Carefully crafted character development and story. You get to feel each side of the story and get to understand each character. There is a genuine connection that builds between the leads and it feels heartwarming to watch.
As a marketing student, I found the branding projects interesting to watch as well - both the dark sides and the wholesome sides of re-branding.
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a average thriller drama which is ruined by romance
The first few episodes was very hard to watch as the writing and acting both seemed sloppy and forced.i almost dropped the drama but because i was curious about the culprit behind the bunny mask i finished the drama. The revelation of the mastermind was actually pretty predictable. However the thriller aspect of the drama was good but omg the romance? why? i want to ask the kdrama writers if it's really necessary to have romance in their drama.Romance actually ruined it for me . The progression of the relationship between the leads didn't make much sense to me.The side characters and villains are two dimensional.Also the character growth of the fl lead and ml's confession both was done so poorly and in a lackluster way.
The drama could have been a good thriller but the writers ruined it with bad writing.
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Typical But Quirky Body Swap Mystery Thriller
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At the time of writing this review, only a handful of people have watched this as it was released on a fairly new platform "U+ Mobile TV" despite having popular actors like Kim Ji Eun and Lomon. Therefore, the current rating of 7.6 is actually skewed and its lower than what this drama deserves (which in my opinion should be around 8.5)
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DISCLAIMER
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Before going into the details of the drama, wanted to give a fair warning that currently I am obsessed with Kim Ji Eun and totally enamoured by her beauty and personality. I think she is drop dead gorgeous and am crushing so hard right now that any scene with her is a straight 10 for me. So, basically I am unable to think objectively without any bias when it comes to her. Apologies in advance.
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GENRE : BODY SWAP
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Now lets talk about the mixture of genres the show tackles. As per the synopsis, we know that there is body swap and as a seasoned K-Drama watcher, I know that its nothing extra ordinary and not the first time in K-Drama history. But the way Kim Ji Eun and Lomon has acted when they were in each other bodies is basically whats the USP of this drama as both of them were freaking amazing as well as convincing with their incredible acting of the opposite gender. Special shout out to Kim Ji Eun, she totally slayed her role here.
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GENRE: CRIME SUSPENSE THRILLER
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Apart from body swap, the whodunit kind of mystery is intriguing and binds the plot together and keeps us at the edge of our seats guessing who might be behind the crime as there are several suspects. Though sometimes its difficult to follow as who is in whose body and which side is scheming what making the drama little disjointed and all over the place. So the crime mystery is not the strong part of the drama. The premise is interesting but the execution is messy.
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GENRE: WORKPLACE COMEDY
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There is fair amount of workplace comedy which lands most of the times involving a gay character, a young Gen Z girl and an old lady played incredibly by Jeon Jun Ho, Chae Soo Ah & Jung Yi Rang respectively. Their interactions with the main leads are hilarious and made the drama very entertaining. And when I am talking about the gay character, I should mention that the drama overall, is very liberal in its approach in depicting various things, though the politics of certain scenes does not make the drama cringe or woke in any sense as thats not the focal point of the series.
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GENRE: DRAMA AROUND BRANDING
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There is great amount of drama and emotions involved as well when it comes to showcasing how branding works as the name of the show is "Branding in Seongsu". The main leads would take on certain branding assignments through which we, the audience also understands how the process of marketing strategy actually works along with the creativity and nitty gritty of behind the scenes as well. All of this is presented in such a palatable manner that it can be easily understood and consumed by everyone even those who do not know the "B" of "Branding". Every case is so heartwarming that if the show has showed more of these assignments rather then indulging too much into the whodunit mystery, this would have been a way better show in execution.
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GENRE: ROMANCE
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Now this is the part where the drama shines the most as there is explosive chemistry between Kim Ji Eun and Lomon. As a heterosexual male, I have to confess that Lomon actually looks very handsome and is sometimes the star of the show. Kim Ji Eun looks sassy and sexy as the bossy "Kang Na Eon" which is a character who is very ferocious and have "boss bitch" attitude to climb her way to the top with her creativity and competence. Both of them shines when they play themselves as well as their body swapped versions. There are many romantic scenes and especially 2 kissing scenes that will make the viewers swoon and they won't believe what they actually saw on family friendly Korean Television. Lomon is one lucky MF that he got the chance to kiss Kim Ji Eun so passionately. The supporting leads are forgettable as their roles have been poorly written. Neither their acting nor their actions are interesting in any manner and are pretty bland in my opinion. They are definitely the weakest aspect of the drama apart from the convoluted plot about the whodunit mystery.
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OVERALL REVIEW
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Overall in a nutshell, its a decent body swap mystery thriller whose whodunit mystery plot is very mediocre but the chemistry between the leads along with their great acting performances makes this a fun watch. And the comedy by supporting characters along with "branding" assignments are a highlight of the show.
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