Love the BGM. This screenwriter writes consistently awesome stories and characters but somehow always manages to include a hokey premise (in her dramas that I love most). Once you get past the beginning of her dramas which introduce main leads who are aliens, mermaids or dropped in North Korea due to a tornado while paragliding, it's smooth sailing from there with well-crafted storytelling and endearing characters.
This story also has one of the coziest happy endings I've seen in a Kdrama. Vastly prefer it to the open ending of CLOY which was sweet but ultimately unsatisfying for me or My Love From The Star which was even weirder. They're all "happy" endings, but this one is the only satisfying ending (again, in my opinion).
In addition to the ones shared by others, two longer ones that are excellent are Rebel: Thief Who Stole The People…
Yes, Arthdal Chronicles is also quite good! Part 3 was actually my favorite, though it's more of a fantasy than historical drama/sageuk, and pretty violent/gory. It has fun world building and is well-acted. I can see why people compare it to Game Of Thrones (though AC is much cleaner, no sex or incest, being a Kdrama), and the CG is sometimes not the greatest. But a very ambitious drama nonetheless!
This drama sold me on Lee Jong Suk. He piqued my interest in Secret Garden even though he had a super tiny role, but in this he was so endearing and lovable! I proceeded to watch all of his other dramas because of his role in this one. He didn't disappoint.
I also thought the teachers were an awesome part of the story, and I loved how they interwove the students' stories with the teachers' stories. The way the problem students were dealt with was not very realistic, but I liked the focus on teachers in this drama that the other dramas dropped. 2015 had some focus on teachers, as well as 2021, but I don't even remember the teacher in 2017. This is also the only school drama where any "school" is shown to happen in the classroom. The rest of the dramas (except the woodworking focus in 2021) just have their stories happen AT school. Another way of putting this is that in the other School dramas besides 2013, school is just the setting, not the focus.
With all that said, this is definitely the best of the "School" dramas (ranked from best to worst: 2013, 2017, 2015 and 2021 (the writing for this one was very strange; nowhere near the level of quality you get in the other School dramas)), though I can't stand all the parent/principal/teacher politics in ANY of them (All the administrators in these school dramas are MESSED UP. I hope the school politics is exaggerated for the sake of dramatic effect and isn't remotely how schools function in Korea... I know some parents can be very tough to deal with and their portrayal here might not be that far off in some cases, but the way these schools' leadership functions is a joke.).
While the age gap is a little wide for me between the leads, I love that not only does this drama have a clear theme woven throughout the drama, it's also a beautiful, poignant theme. It highlights how love (not just romantic love, but selfless, unconditional love) can empower someone to do what is right, even when it's difficult to do so.
The two most powerful parts for me were when Hye Seong's mom, right before she dies, tells Hye Seong: "You know something? An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. If you live that way... everyone in this world will become blind. All those people who are rude to you because you're fortunate, it's just because they're jealous. So don't hate them, don't be mean to them, and feel sorry for them. Just promise me. You won't hate someone to the point that it'll ruin your life. Once a person is born into this world, this life is not even long enough to love each other, right?"
This theme is further developed at the end when Kwan Woo asks Do Yeon what the difference is between Soo Ha and Joon Gook. She says she doesn't know and he responds with, "Min Joon Gook had no one. No one who trusted him. No one who listened to him. No one who loved him. And he had no one to protect. But, if he'd had that one person, he might have lived differently. Like Park Soo Ha."
This drama highlights that two people with similarly horrible circumstances and good reason to hate and want revenge can turn out differently just through the presence of love in their lives. I think that's an insightful observation!
I didn't care for the somewhat ambiguous ending, but it was fun to see these actors/musicians while they were still up and coming. And Kim Soo Hyun totally holds his own with the dancers and singers (assuming the singing and such is actually done by him)!
I also just love the thoughtfulness of this screenwriter's dramas. She's my favorite!
Beautiful story! CLOY was my first drama and it drew me into the world of Korean Dramas/Asian entertainment and it's still one of my all-time favorites. I was not as into the second couple's story and sometimes the North Korean villager women were a little too much for me, but overall, wonderfully done.
does this drama have a heart fluttering romance like Weightlifting fairy kim Bok-joo...
I think the term for what you see in this drama is "slow burn." That said, I think the leads have great chemistry and their romance is enjoyable and satisfying to watch. Unlike Weightlifting Fairy, it's just not the main focus of the drama, nor does the progress of the romance happen quickly.
if anyone have any recommendation of drama just like this one,kdrama,cdrama,japanese drama anything please feel…
In addition to the ones shared by others, two longer ones that are excellent are Rebel: Thief Who Stole The People and Warrior Baek Dong Soo, with a big focus on friendship. Love In The Moonlight is a good, lighter one, along with Sungkyungkwan Scandal and Tale of Nokdu, all of which have cross-dressing. Moon Embracing The Sun is a classic with an excellent performance by Kim Soo Hyun. The Crowned Clown is great, too, but has a more somber tone (it has beautiful BGMs), though not as sad as Mr. Sunshine.
Whoever is dressing up the FL needs is not consistent. One moment she wears really nice clothes...nnext minute…
Korean fashion tends to be quite good and pushes global trends, so when I saw the dress and jeans I thought, "Oh please no, don't bring this back. No dresses over jeans again!" 😣 I thought this look was dead and buried for good.
In the episode with the creepy stalker dude, they kept making it seem like Do Ha was the stalker when he wasn't, which they made clear after he was caught mistakenly. What still confused me, though, is that in the convenience store, the guy Sol Hee sees there and mistakes for the stalker really seems to be Do Ha, since we see him with a mask a lot (they even showed close ups of his face), and from what I could tell, it was him (he even drops a coke, which we see Do Ha drink a lot, as he's chasing her). If that is Do Ha, though, why on earth did he chase her? All the other times he avoids her for fear of being recognized. I thought that part was so confusing.
I was actually shocked when I read that a lot of people found that scene unusual because that scene was so realistic.…
And Sol Hee, rather than thinking of how inappropriate that question was at that time, was just feeling insecure and frustrated about all his lies (rather than trying to understand the reason for them and wait for him to be ready to share what was behind them). It was an interesting scene because I think it's pretty easy to sympathize with both of them and where they're coming from. He didn't know how to talk about what was bothering him, and she was hurt by his deception and lashed out, pushing him even further away.
The ML is a little wooden at times, and I always want the leads to find out the cross-dressing lead's true identity quicker, since I think the deception once they begin to fall in love is so agonizing.
I've found it a little disappointing that Kdrama screenwriters rarely write FL's who are intellectual and bookish (poetic or philosophical), who can have deep conversations about profound topics (and not because it's their job (as a lawyer, for instance), but because they love to think deeply and are bright-eyed and curious) and who are invested in building a world that upholds justice and what is good/right. These types of female characters I encounter more frequently in western literature/movies/TV; think of Jo from Little Women (for a literary example) or Danielle from the Cinderella story retold in the movie Ever After, just to name a few imperfect examples off the top of my head.
But I found the closest version to this type of female character in a Kdrama in Kim Yun Hee (you have to get a few episodes in, though), and it was refreshing! I also loved the way Kim Yun Hee and Lee Seon Joon inspire, encourage and help each other to be the best versions of themselves throughout the entire drama. That interplay was lovely to watch, and it made me root for them.
I couldn't make it past the first episode without spoiling the ending so I knew I could root for the ML the rest of the drama (this is why I can't bring myself to watch Mouse). Definitely worth the hype (minus the unnecessary amnesia plot tacked on to the end).
A little rough around the edges for me, but Choi Woo Shik (and his character) are absolutely ADORABLE in this; Ho Goo's gentle, nonjudgmental support of and love for Do Hee is so heartwarming. Choi Woo Shik definitely steals the show!
While I love season one of Dr. Romantic, I think this one beats it out as my favorite season (since in season one Dong Joo just takes forever to become likeable), and still manages to be one of my all-time favorite Kdramas. So beautifully written, poignant and well-acted. I love the themes of growth through failure, doing the right thing (even when it's hard, inconvenient and unpopular) and mentorship that permeate both seasons.
My favorite quote from this series is when Cha Eun Jae mentions Koi's Law (that a fish will grow only as big as their environment allows) to the surgeon who tries to convince her to stay at the big hospital. She confidently refuses since the surgeon never nurtured her growth, and maintains that she's "outgrown" his "fish bowl" because (as Kim Sa Bu always says) "a person does as well as you trust them to do, matures as much as you care about them, and as much as they are acknowledged, they grow." Good stuff, that.
I think I've been scared off from watching this (it took me forever to get through My Father Is Strange, and my impression is it's considered one of the top tier family drama makjangs, so I think I'd never make it through this one 😅), but I'll admit I quite enjoy the liveliness and dedication of this drama's comments section. I enjoy the way many of you put things and love the banter and insightful recaps.
This story also has one of the coziest happy endings I've seen in a Kdrama. Vastly prefer it to the open ending of CLOY which was sweet but ultimately unsatisfying for me or My Love From The Star which was even weirder. They're all "happy" endings, but this one is the only satisfying ending (again, in my opinion).
I also thought the teachers were an awesome part of the story, and I loved how they interwove the students' stories with the teachers' stories. The way the problem students were dealt with was not very realistic, but I liked the focus on teachers in this drama that the other dramas dropped. 2015 had some focus on teachers, as well as 2021, but I don't even remember the teacher in 2017. This is also the only school drama where any "school" is shown to happen in the classroom. The rest of the dramas (except the woodworking focus in 2021) just have their stories happen AT school. Another way of putting this is that in the other School dramas besides 2013, school is just the setting, not the focus.
With all that said, this is definitely the best of the "School" dramas (ranked from best to worst: 2013, 2017, 2015 and 2021 (the writing for this one was very strange; nowhere near the level of quality you get in the other School dramas)), though I can't stand all the parent/principal/teacher politics in ANY of them (All the administrators in these school dramas are MESSED UP. I hope the school politics is exaggerated for the sake of dramatic effect and isn't remotely how schools function in Korea... I know some parents can be very tough to deal with and their portrayal here might not be that far off in some cases, but the way these schools' leadership functions is a joke.).
The two most powerful parts for me were when Hye Seong's mom, right before she dies, tells Hye Seong: "You know something? An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. If you live that way... everyone in this world will become blind. All those people who are rude to you because you're fortunate, it's just because they're jealous. So don't hate them, don't be mean to them, and feel sorry for them. Just promise me. You won't hate someone to the point that it'll ruin your life. Once a person is born into this world, this life is not even long enough to love each other, right?"
This theme is further developed at the end when Kwan Woo asks Do Yeon what the difference is between Soo Ha and Joon Gook. She says she doesn't know and he responds with, "Min Joon Gook had no one. No one who trusted him. No one who listened to him. No one who loved him. And he had no one to protect. But, if he'd had that one person, he might have lived differently. Like Park Soo Ha."
This drama highlights that two people with similarly horrible circumstances and good reason to hate and want revenge can turn out differently just through the presence of love in their lives. I think that's an insightful observation!
I also just love the thoughtfulness of this screenwriter's dramas. She's my favorite!
I've found it a little disappointing that Kdrama screenwriters rarely write FL's who are intellectual and bookish (poetic or philosophical), who can have deep conversations about profound topics (and not because it's their job (as a lawyer, for instance), but because they love to think deeply and are bright-eyed and curious) and who are invested in building a world that upholds justice and what is good/right. These types of female characters I encounter more frequently in western literature/movies/TV; think of Jo from Little Women (for a literary example) or Danielle from the Cinderella story retold in the movie Ever After, just to name a few imperfect examples off the top of my head.
But I found the closest version to this type of female character in a Kdrama in Kim Yun Hee (you have to get a few episodes in, though), and it was refreshing! I also loved the way Kim Yun Hee and Lee Seon Joon inspire, encourage and help each other to be the best versions of themselves throughout the entire drama. That interplay was lovely to watch, and it made me root for them.
My favorite quote from this series is when Cha Eun Jae mentions Koi's Law (that a fish will grow only as big as their environment allows) to the surgeon who tries to convince her to stay at the big hospital. She confidently refuses since the surgeon never nurtured her growth, and maintains that she's "outgrown" his "fish bowl" because (as Kim Sa Bu always says) "a person does as well as you trust them to do, matures as much as you care about them, and as much as they are acknowledged, they grow." Good stuff, that.