The actors are great. All of the acting is a little over the top...so don't expect it to be realistic. There are some great veteran actors in this drama. However, Lee Yoo Ri totally stole the show. She takes crazy to a new level as Min Jung. She wears this thick bright red lipstick that is just way too much which goes perfectly with her character. Her ending is better than the endings for most "bad guys". Everyone else is good in this too. Kim Ji Hoon plays a totally adorable Lee Jae Hwa that acts kind stupid, but isn't. I like that the romance between him and Jang Bo Ri (Oh Yeon Seo) is consistent once it starts. Strangely enough, Bo Ri isn't the center of the story to me although the drama is named after the character. My favorite relationship dynamic was between Moon Ji Sang (Sung Hyuk) and Bi Dan. Kim Ji Young is just the cutest little thing. I worried about Bi Dan from beginning to end.
The music is fine.
I probably won't rewatch this, but it is rewatchable.
I know some people don't like this kind of drama, but I enjoy them. If you like them, then JBR is definitely a must watch.
Was this review helpful to you?
In this drama there are people who deserve to get all the happiness in the world which were taken from them since the beginning. And there are people who deserve to be slapped in the face. The comedy is great, with all the grandmas and moms. BUT IF you are going to watch this drama bring a bottle of punch and a box of tissue, because you'll be laughing and crying all together. This drama was a great experience for. I have watched it five times. It teaches lessons about greed, secrets and lying. I recommend this drama to everyone.
Was this review helpful to you?
The casting for this drama was THE BEST! Oh Yeon-Seo played Do Bo Ri, a wonderful, bubbly (but also dinky at times) character that was funny and we (the viewers) instantly fell in love with her bright attitude. Meanwhile, Lee Yoo Ri played Yeon Min Jung, possibly the best villain ever existed in Korean dramas. Lee Yoo Ri payed attention to the littlest details that made you despise her even more. From the taunting in her voice to her stunning make-up scenes (seriously, even her putting on lipstick made me despise her!) I have never hated a K-drama character more than Yeon Min Jung. Lee Yoo Ri absolutely deserved the Daesang prize!
The story was brilliantly written. Props to the writer, who must've had something going on in their head to come up with a despicable villain and a plot that infuriated us so much. How makjang can a drama get? Although, the comedy in this show was absolutely hilarious, I loved the supporting characters who made us laugh so much. But there was also an intense character solely focused on revenge, and they played their role so well. I'll be researching the writer, I love her style of writing.
The music varies from light-hearted to dark and evil-sounding. Seriously, even just listening to the music that played at the end of every episode added to the "I'm on the edge of my seat" effect! A beautifully written OST. I applaud the show's orchestra, they did a wonderful job.
The reason I'm giving the rewatch value an eight is because it gets to the point where if you rewatched this series twice, you'll soon jump around from episode to episode, rather than start to finish.
I highly recommend this drama for everyone, because it has a good makjang plot, a heartfelt romance, and great comedy. So this drama is good for everyone.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
One of the best Makjang Drama I've seen
I have watched this multiple times, and never gets bored. The writer did a good job writing this drama. I know a lot of people were annoyed at FL because she's too forgiving, but I think it is realistic. When you're in a toxic environment, it is hard to get out of it and you're finding yourself stuck in it. I've been in a toxic relationship and it was hard to get out because I was chained in it, but imagine if your own family is the one that is toxic. Even though the mother is not FL "real" family, still, she's the only family she remembers for years. So I think the writers did a good job writing the FL character.The acting is so good in this drama, especially Lee Yoo Ri. She DESERVED a Daesang Prize back then. She's a very talented actress. Before I watched this drama, I watched her in "My Father is Strange" and love her character so much, so I search through her dramas, and found this gem. Although the character she played here and "My Father is Strange" are the complete opposite, she managed to portray each characters the best way possible.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
"Jang Bo Ri Is Here" tells the story of Jang Bo Ri. As a child, her name was Eun Bi, but due to an accident she got lost from her family, suffered amnesia and ended up being adopted by Hye Ok, who only agreed to take care of the girl because she accidentally ran her over, causing her memory loss. Jang Eun Bi then became Do Bo Ri, her life changed completely, since she had to work from a young age, doing everything her new mother asked her to do, for fear of being abandoned. Hye Ok has a daughter named Min Jung, the girl hates being poor and at the first opportunity she gets, uses one of Bo Ri's drawings to enter a contest and wins a scholarship from Eun Bi's family, who feel a connection with Min Jung because of the drawing. Min Jung then becomes like a daughter to this family, replacing the place Eun Bi left behind. Time passes and the two girls grow up in completely different environments and situations, as if their lives had been switched. Bo Ri starts doing embroidery, but since Min Jung is in the same business, she stops her from continuing and does everything to keep her away from it.
Jae Hwa and Jae Hee are half-siblings who hate each other. Jae Hwa meets Eun Bi as a child and creates a connection with the girl, when she suddenly disappears, it leaves a mark on Jae Hwa, making him look for her. The two siblings are the pairs of Bo Ri and Min Jung.
Jae Hwa and Bo Ri meet again as adults and literally fight like children every chance they get, it's really fun to see the two together, Jae Hwa falls in love with Bo Ri's innocent and different way. Everything seems fine, until Bo Ri one day finds a baby on her doorstep, what she doesn't know is that the child is Min Jung's, who got pregnant by her boyfriend Ji Sang and decided to leave the child for her mother to take care of. Bo Ri then decides to become the child's mother, leaving Jae Hwa furious, thinking that she deceived him.
Time passes again, Bo Ri is now the mother of Bi Dan, a beautiful girl and she finally decides to follow her passion for embroidery, not letting Min Jung stop her again. The two compete with each other, with Min Jung always making schemes to ruin Bo Ri's life, until the truth about Bo Ri's identity comes to light. From then on, all of Min Jung's lies begin to appear, as well as her true self.
The romance between Bo Ri Bo Ri and Jae Hwa Jae Hwa is simply adorable, seeing these two fighting and loving each other at the same time was an incredible experience, even more beautiful was seeing Jae Hwa accepting Bi Dan and becoming her real father, even after finding out that she is Min Jung's daughter.
The highlight of the drama besides the romance is Lee Yoo Ri's performance as Min Jung, she is a spectacular villain!
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
It went from 8 to 2
Things I loved1 The aunt character. The actress was great and her character as well. I think she's one od the few likable characters and her arc wasn't bad either. I wouldn't have keep her away though for so long from her nephew. Whatever you deal with there's something to say about being there for a little boy who lost his mother. But other than that she was absolutely great. Whether she was sad or helpful or dynamic, she had the right tone and the way she behaved felt real .
2 The father of the FL character. He stayed decent from start to finish and I can't find anything to blame him for except for getting back with his stupid wife of course. The actor did a great job.
3 Moon Ji Sang. I don't know how but the actor managed to give a great performance and his character stayed dignifying until the end. Well, almost the end because the story about his future wife and his future in general was one of the reasons the rating went down again. but the actor isn't at fault and he gave a great performance. I cried with him and my heart broke for him several times. Great father figure, smart and cunning antagonist to the 2FL, it was great to watch him shine over her.
4 The ML. He could be better and sometimes his acting felt forced but his character was absolutely great and I loved his relationship with the FL. I loved that he was honest and eager to help her becoming a better, bolder person. I loved how he stood up for her and the Bi Dan. I loved how he didn't abandon his brother and how he loved his aunt. I also think he's gorgeous, moreover later on. I happened to watch another series with him recently and I can say he is gorgeous now. He's the only one I'm looking forward to watch in other series.
5 The actress who played the FL when she was a kid. What a charismatic child and she was so great in expressing sorrow and kindness and the character was a pleasure to watch.
Things I liked
1 The premise wasn't bad. The disappearing of the little girl but he whole hanbok theme as well. It was interesting to watch for me. Now how the premise has been done is another thing entirely. I know it's a Korean soap opera of sorts but it could still have been thousand times better.
2 The grandmother character. The actress did a great job. She made me feel things and although I disliked her actions quite a few times, she still delivered and made me feel the things I was supposed to feel.
3 The father of the ML. I want to put him on the dislike list since he was a hypocrite more than once and the whole second family thing irritates me, but he was also great with the little girl and that alone makes me move him to the liked list.
4 The FL. The actress was good but also not. I don't know how to explain this but sometimes I found her gorgeous and her acting was up to par and sometimes I found her blunt and her acting subpar. But to be fair I think that it's her character that didn't work. Although I've watched another recent series with her, Positively Yours, and not only I could never recognize her but her acting was awful, so maybe it's her acting as well the problem.
That said, her character was the main issue. For more than half it was torture to watch her get maltreated by her mother and sister and say nothing. It was so painful I lowered for the first time my rating. She woke up after a while but it never was enough for me. She should have been bolder and less pushover from the start.
5 The little girl. This little girl has talent, no doubt. How many times I cried when she cried and how many times I wanted to hug her is crazy. That said, I come from a rom com where the little boy stole my heat forever so although I loved her performance something holds me back from saying I adored her. Nevertheless, I can't imagine anyone do better. Kudos to her and I hope she has a great career.
6 The stepmother of the ML. I can hear you asking why. She was also a terrible mother and human being. Yet, she was also the only character in this whole drama along with the ML that made me smile and laugh a few times. The actress managed that feat and I tip my hat to her. She was overacting as many other characters but her overacting was funny while I hated watching the other actresses overact. So, yes, it is weird but I liked her a lot.
Things I disliked
1 The younger sister of the ML. I thought she'd be a good character at first and I liked the actress, but she turned out awful. Her arc wasn't interesting at all, the whole plastic surgery thing wasn't funny and she was never kind or good. I never cared about her in the end and that's a failure in my book.
2 The brother of the ML. First of all I never liked the actor so there was a problem from the start. Then his character was weak, stubborn and nonsensical to be honest. There was no development, I never got his problem with the ML and even though I get he had a difficult start I don't see why he'd become that irrational and stupid. I didn't care about him, and I'm happy he went through some difficulties because he deserved them for being such stupid.
Things I hated
1 The mother of the villain. Many will say the sister was the villain and of course it's right. But if you ask me I think I never hated a character as much as this mother. I wanted her to die a painful death. Her behavior was torture to watch and she had no excuse to behave like this. None. She was awful to the FL and she may have paid a price in the end but it wasn't high enough for me. not to mention that the overacting with the oi oi was one to drive you crazy. Actually that what she was if you ask me: crazy. Whoever came up with this character must have some major issues themselves.
2 The biological mother of the FL. I'm sure the writer has an issue with mothers because none of them except for the FL was a decent one. I would love for the FL mother to pay as well and she didn't pay enough. Everyone forgave her, what the heck? Why? She was despicable from start to finish exceed for when she confessed her crimes. The stupid FL let her be in her life and the aunt absolved her. Again, WHY? She didn't deserve any sympathy. She was never a good mother or wife and even the husband took her back. Not to mention that everything she did was for frivolous reasons. Awful, despicable character.
3 The ending for Moon Ji Sang. What the heck was that? Where did that come from? How did that make any effing sense? This was my last straw. I lowered the rating to 2 because enough is enough. Not to mention the fact that it doesn't make any sense for a child to lose their father because she was adopted when the parties are in good terms. What kind of logic is that? I was stunned when I saw that and I thought it was so stupid the writer should never write anything again.
4 The villain of course and thankfully so. My issue isn'0t that she was a villain, I get that and it was one of the reasons I started watching the drama at the first place. What I hated was the actress herself. I found her so ugly, and I thought she was great for the character just for that. Unless the actress is crazy in real life she gave me crazy vibes so many times it became uncomfortable. I wish she died a painful death or pay for her crimes in a much more rewarding way. Yes, she ended somewhere awful with a crazy mother, but she still had people to support her and I hated that. I hated that they gave her even a glimpse of a better life and they they hinted she changed. I don't care. I want her to suffer for eternity. I never killed a fly in real life but when it comes to dramas I want bad people to pay. It gives me hope that people in real life will also be punished if they make other peoples life miserable.
Was this review helpful to you?
It's a Trap!
If you're coming into this thinking it's a weekend family kdrama, then you're going to be blindsided--this show is basically an hour-long makjang.If you're into that kind of thing, then you might enjoy this. As far as makjangs go, this is actually pretty well-constructed narrative-wise. Still, though, there's a reason why makjangs are typically daily, 30-minute affairs--it can be utterly exhausting to watch a heavy soap for a little over an hour, and due to the unusual format, a lot of story-beats also felt a bit too far stretched-out at times.
The stuff revolving around the hanbok crafting was really interesting though, and if the showmakers only leaned well-into that and trimmed a great chunk of the makjang elements, this would have been a top-class weekend drama in the vein of Five Enough, Father is Strange, Glorious Day, All About my Mom, Mama, What Happens to My Family, or Yeah, That's How It Is. As it is, I can only recommend this to those who are into full-blown soaps, the rest might not enjoy this as much.
Was this review helpful to you?
Stepping up and out
I watched because of Yeon-Seo. I watched all her early work (that I can access) up thru 2021. I see a step up in a complex character pushing multiple roles, from pre-Bo Ri. I also liked the twisted can go any direction plot(s). This show put me onto Yoo-Ri. She nailed it, and from some of the other stuff she has done, this seems to be a step out of the box for her. The Ji Hoon/Jae Hwa never wavering, push thru it all, feelings for Bo Ri was a really nice anchor to the rest of the nutty characters. Overall it just felt like everyone got to fill out their roles and contribute in big ways when in scene, from mains to supports.Was this review helpful to you?
52 episodes but it had me hooked from Episode 1
One of the best 50 Episodes Kdramas I've ever watched I didn't bored each episode every character very interesting stories I loved Bori Bori.. But I'm still very curious as to how the brothers personalities changed so much it looked like they swapped personalities when growing up as for Min Jung her lies left my jaw on the floor every time but glad we got to see her try to change even though her love for money didn't 😂 atleast she's trying to be a better person all in it's a very good show took almost 2 weeks to completeWas this review helpful to you?
Dare I say, this is the best family kdrama
This show was so beautiful from the start to the end from child actors who played like it’s on their lives wow just wow.I was skipping watching it for so long but now I feel like watching is the best idea I have ever had.love how they did just do basic family drama stuff and added some special things like bi dan, poor thing, I know it’s just a character but poor poor thing. just want to hug you and en bi and tell you I love yall.
I know I sound like acorn ball right now but try watching maybe when you see en bi and bi dan you will get it.
Thank yall for blessing my start of 2026 ;)
Was this review helpful to you?
Но там была божественная U Hui Jin, которая в этом году блеснула в "Алых сердцах" придворной О и неизвестная мне доселе Hwang Yeong Hui, которая просто поразила здесь своей ролью матери, которая все отдаст ради своей корыстной дочери, даже откажется от нее.
А главный "пушной зверек" этой дорамы скрывался в сюжете, который даже и не пытался притворятся логичным и адекватным, а просто был как сказитель- бессмысленным, беспощадным, но сладко тёк в уши слушателя (читай зрителя). Вот так по струнам - бляяяяммммсссс - и поехали!
Ён Со в роли бедной гоповатой девушки была привлекательна и неизменно вызывала симпатию
Как часто бывает в таких многосерийках, уделялось времени разным членам многочисленных семей дорамы. И вот непутевый роман U Hui Jin и ее бойфренда-гангстера, вставшего на путь исправления был таким милым и кавайным, что даже залет от обнимашек был проглочен безболезненно
Was this review helpful to you?
