Gorgeous cinamatography, Eloquent Story
If you are familiar with the Korean version, do yourself a favor and take this version on it’s own terms. While the characters are surface-level somewhat similar, the story is ultimately different and the way that story is communicated is very different.The plot development like a montage, switching between narrators sharing their particular experience of falling in love. The cinamatography is gorgeous, especially the use of shadows. The drama feels like an art student from the art school the drama depicts actually made the drama. In this way, there is a beautiful marriage of content and form in this drama. To add to this, art-making becomes a poignant metaphor for loving and living. By the end,
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Amazing Chemistry, Good Story But Falls Apart
I usually don’t feel this conflicted about a rating, but I do now.When I began this drama it totally gripped. I started binging it and I was totally engrossed. The story is not standard. I really like that it is an unconventional romance, but definitely still a romance.
The chemistry between the leads is top notch. I’m a sucker for good chemistry and this drama definitely has it.
Also, the characters were interesting, both admirable and flawed. This is one of the messiest love triangles I’ve watched in an Asian drama. Each of the three main characters, contributes to the complicatations of the love triangle and also suffer because of it. I felt compelled to empathize with each of them but also scream at them for not being stronger. I was deeply invested which I enjoy in a drama.
However, the story begins to falter towards the end. In the last third, the pacing is totally out of wacks. Some plot points are dragged out and over complicated, and other points are rushed. Overall, the sense of romance is not fully sustained.
That being said, I did enjoy this drama thoroughly the majority of the time so I’m happy I watched it. The story is unique and gripping and the chemistry between the leads is fantastic.
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A Remake that Revinvents and Outperforms the Original
Often remakes immediately suffer from lack of surprise but not so here. The premise is the same as the original and it starts off similarly but quickly it veers off—it is not the same story. Somehow, the changes to the story actually adds more tension, surpise and character development despite the shorter 10 episode format. The FL in particular shines brilliantly capturing the complexity and emotionaly transformation of her character, outperforming Park Min Young in the original. Additionally, her chemistry with the ML is more convincing and satisfying.Perhaps, the one character from the original that can never be replaced in my heart is the FL’s best friend. Song Ha-Yoon performance of Soo-min was so compelling and delightfully sinister that no one can touch it. That being said, Sei Shiraishi does deserve praise for making the role her own. Her spot-on acting and the additional character development this new version affords her and the other main characters adds to the totally engrossing aura of this drama.
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