A focus on mental health with a touch of appropriately-placed comedy
I started watching this show after being intrigued by the Netflix preview. Going into it, I was expecting something of an exciting plot with silly, heartfelt comedy. And while that was delivered exactly as I expected, the show's latter half focused more on romance. Except it wasn't the typical k-drama romance...Mad For Each Other took a more realistic approach from the traditional romantic portrayal. It captured the awkward essence between two strangers becoming close really well. And while I appreciated the recognition of mental health, it was the storytelling and appropriate scene execution that really put it to the next level - I especially love the scenes where the leads shared their feelings in relation to their mental wellbeing with their therapist. This was a really subtle yet creative way to show character development and chemistry between our leads.
Overall, I really don't have many negatives to pick about this show. The only thing I can nitpick is some of the subplots weren't really developed in the end. But the story, the acting and the scene delivery were done exceptionally well - and that's 99% of what I care about. As a plus, support characters were also both likeable and memorable. Overall I would recommend this to anyone.
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two crazy people falling in love!!
AGHHHH i love this show so much!!!Its exactly like the title says “mad for each other”, and the two love interests were certainly crazy and mad for each other LOL
i didn’t expect myself to love this show as i would, but every episode was freaking hilarious and so fun to watch.
to break it down for you *starts break dancing*
okay for real, to break it down, its essentially a woman with some sort of OCD/ PTSD disorder who falls in love with a cop whos got anger issues.
when those two were first introduced i was curious on how they would make a MAN with ANGER ISSUES…seem like a good lovable character. but oh my god. I LOVED HIM.
both characters are most certainly insane and the shows title didn’t lie one bit. but their craziness was done well because it blended well with the humor and it evened it out.
this show was seriously silly and funny, there’s many moments that made me laugh, especially the ending where they made up 😭 you’ll see what i mean if you watch it!
overall, the characters in the beginning were frustrating (especially the FL) but its obvious that that was the whole point of it. so it didn’t bother me, because thats how she was meant to be lol.
but other characters (such as the women neighbours) were also a little annoying in the beginning but they had their development once a man who dresses up as a woman was introduced and they learned to accept him for who he was.
thats also something i wanted to mention, its how the ML was always so supportive and open to that neighbour characters choice of dressing up as a woman and being referred to as a woman. everyone in the show didn’t show any transphobia or homophobia, it was refreshing.
such a well done show, everyones dynamics with one another was flowing smoothly and i thoroughly enjoyed every second of it.
the one little nitpick i have is the makeup in the show, i think the FL had so much concealer that it was painfully cakey whenever she was on screen, sometimes i could even see the makeup on the ML, but like i said its a small nitpick of mine. it didnt bother me THAT much but i kept noticing how at the moments where the FL should look distressed and as if she has no makeup on, she clearly has makeup on and its cakey! 😭 but that doesn’t matter fr, the rest of the show was really good.
i recommend it!!
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a pleasant surprise
i dont know how i got to watch this drama but im glad i did. first two episodes were good but not fantastic, which was a letdown but i kept watching since the fl was really pretty and the plot was actually interesting so why not giving it a chance? it really surprised me, every episode was better than the last one and you get to know a little bit more about the main characters and it lets you get more attached to them which i love.the episodes are short, it will definitely make you laugh and you may even learn new things! please do give it a watch, as i said, episodes are really short (30 minutes each), it's on netflix and it airs on mondays, tuesdays and thursdays (3 days a week!!!)
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Cute mediocre short drama! Kudos to filming during a pandemic
The last two episodes are... a whiplash of emotions that I didn't find greatly enjoyable. It's a cute, lighthearted K-drama showcasing a lot of mental illnesses, and domestic abuse. One of my favourite characters is Samantha, I was very worried with the first scenes (especially the older women's comments) but turned out alright.The way it was filmed was cool, to make it seem 'intimate' even though for COVID restrictions they were standing and being quite far apart the whole duration of this drama. Which is not a bad thing! Seeing how to film through a pandemic is why I would recommend this. Even if I didn't personally agree with the ending, or how certain things were handled it has it's moments.
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Such a lovly romcom
I was surprised by this series. I found it exciting and the main actors were a very good match.I love the actress Oh Yeon Seo.
I have seen Jung Woo for the first time. He ist lovly.
It was so compassionate when he had tears in his eyes. I almost cried with him.
But in the last episode, I didn't understand why Lee Min Kyung was away??
The ending was a little poor. I was expecting a greeting kiss.
The dog was cute.
Does anybody know another show with animals who play in?
I love animals. But I actually doesn't know a show.
Thanks for helping.
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Good Enough
Korean Drama " Mad For Each Other " is a short drama that manages to pack in not only romance and comedy, but also deeper issues that were all well explored.The story starts on a comical note, as the viewer gets to know who's who, and the two main characters get into one misunderstanding after the other. In that beginning, the male lead is more likable and gets the biggest part of sympathy, as the female lead acts, well, crazy. But, as the story gets revealed, slowly but steadily, everyone's actions are justified and the story turns more dramatic, enhancing into issues like dating violence, family dynamics and relationships, even gender identity. And even though the drama is short in length, everything is blended nicely and even the romance gets a smooth pacing.
As for the performances, everyone did a great job with their characters and even the side characters were enjoyable.
So, overall, eight out of ten, because the ending was a bit cliche.
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This review may contain spoilers
The main weakness of the story is that the main characters are not well paid, Especially Hwi. Hwi in the first episode is a psychotic character who does not have a good life situation; a pitiful character who is supposed to be next to the female main character. But all of a sudden, in the later episodes, he turns into a calm and pleasant character who has good control over his behavior. It seems that the process of these two returning to normal life and becoming interested in each other should have been a little more complicated.Honestly, considering the rating , I expected more. It was low in terms of realism and believability. For example, the neighbors slandered Ming Kyung and quickly realized their mistake! and similar cases.
The secondary characters are more pleasant, especially the women's association and In Ja. Baek Ji Won with his charismatic personality makes the audience interested in continuing to watch.
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This review may contain spoilers
What I found especially effective about the drama is the way character traits are shown rather than explained. Instead of using dialogue to describe a character’s emotional issues or social awkwardness, the writing lets us see it unfold through their behavior and presentation.Instead of explaining these traits through dialogue, the story shows them through how the characters present themselves to society — one hides her face and wears a flower on her head to look strange on purpose and keep people away, while the other reacts with anger to ordinary situations, which also pushes people away.
Narrating backstories: The backstories are revealed gradually through interview sessions and bits of dialogue, sometimes supported by short flashbacks. Before the full story is shown, each episode gives small hints at the beginning — we see the protagonist’s strange or emotional reactions to certain situations without knowing why. Later, during a therapy session with the psychiatrist, they explain what happened and how they felt. The doctor then offers advice or suggestions for how they can improve.
Later on, the characters encounter a similar challenging situation, and we can see how their reactions have changed.
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Funny & Touching Kdrama About Healing
This drama was not on my radar at all and I only heard about it from seeing a clip of episode 1 on Youtube. I finally gave it a try recently and the drama really surprised me. The drama poster gives a comedic vibe but the drama has some really great touching scenes about mental health and issues in society. The comedic scenes definitely helped pull me in at the beginning because it gave me a great laugh but it was the characters' story and relationships that later kept me going. The main characters' backstory and pain made me understand why they have become the way they are. Min Kyung and Hwi Oh are also a cute couple as you keep watching. They are funny and relatable.The chemistry between the leads also surprised me because I did not expect to like the two together but they are actually a good pair together as I kept watching. There are so many good scenes of them interacting, but my favorite was when he bought her a new pair of sunglasses so she would look at the world more happily. I believe this has a double meaning because our perspective of the world can really change how you feel and I think that was a message of those sunglasses. Min Kyung was slowly learning to trust people, starting with the sunglasses. I love how realistic the writing was about their relationship as well. It would be impossible for Min Kyung to completely trust others and that is why she had the argument with Hwi Oh about that misunderstanding. It was great seeing Hwi Oh change as he fell in love with Min Kyung as well.
The conflicts in this drama were carried out nicely. The argument between Hwi Oh and Min Kyung made complete sense and the villains' motives made sense. There was a purpose in their actions, even though it was so hateable. The script was also written well for 13 episodes with each episode lasting around 35 minutes. It flowed smoothly and I loved how we saw the characters grow. I didn't feel like there were any filler scenes except for the parts with the convenience store part-timer. I felt that her storyline was unnecessary and did not have any role except to fill up some space. It would have been much better to leave her out of it.
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This review may contain spoilers
So much potential
This was so good for 12.5 episodes. The chemistry between the leads was good and the back stories were good. There was not a lot 2nd lead action, but it was a cute story. The comedy was good, it had a few annoying side characters, but they were tolerable.Then the story shit it's pants, with a ridiculous plot twist that left so many loose endings and so much potential on the cutting room floor. Why do these writers do this, do they think it's cute, are they hoping for a second season or there some cultural masochism that eludes me. There are so many things I would like to have seen tied up, but I won't spoil it for you. It's still a good watch, I binged it all the way through.
I was going to rate this at least an 8.5, but I ended up at a generous 7.5 because the beginning was so good. If you want to be happy, stop at the last kiss; you should know it when you see it.
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Short Refreshing Rom Com
What an astonishingly short and refreshing show! This show is an example that a rom-com does not always require cliche plots such as childhood relationship or triangle love. The story is lightweight and the plot is effortlessly "flow into the chaotic situation" by itself. The idea is fresh, about two person struggling with their own mental health issues, how they overcome and heal each other. The comedy is also super hilarious. Also there are a lot of messages behind this show, especially about mental health awareness, abuse and hate comments. I can't believe they put a lot in this super short show!The chemistry between ML and FL is just incredible! Both Jung Woo and Oh Yeon Seo play their respective character perfecty, whom have their own struggles, and full of rage.
Still, I feel the story is going south after their first kiss. Min Gyeong frustratingly begins to make illogical decisions. I personally think the drug dealer story isn't really necessary. It doesn't really relate to the main story and just only plays a bit part on Hwi-O reinstation. Additionally, I think the last episode is kinda "forgivable" makjang. And what about Seon-Ho, does he get what he deserve or does he able to get away again? Oh come on, it could be a strong message there!
This show is still a gem. For someone who is seeking a lightweight romcom, this may be the answer, with such short and full of laughter drama.
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