Starts as a silly rom com and ends in equality of genders and clear communication
I disliked the start of this drama, it was a very silly frilly rom com for youngsters.I like that the FL was a functional strong adult and I like the ML bc of Twinkling Watermellon, so I kept watching and I am glad.
The drama made a U-turn into amazing social commentary.
Eventually, it became a testimony of CLEAR COMMUNICATION, TEAM WORK, AND EQUALITY OF GENDERS, and there were many episodes in that mode
In fact, this drama is a pioneer and a peek into the future where genders are equal
How ML and FL resolved issues, separately and as a team, was great .
Two functional productive adults in great love.
The drama also addressed social stigmas, bullying and how to resolve that.
SO IF YOU THINK THIS DRAMA WAS BORING and something like Dynamite Kiss or Cam this Love Be Translated are "interesting", then we have nothing else to talk about. Do not even bother writing to me :)
=== Disclaimer ====
I wrote this review on Jan 17, 2026 bc so many ppl quoted my review earlier. They are clearly some kind of paid troll if they are making up stuff like that.
Perhaps I should have not written this review now bc someone quoting a non-exhisting review is a sure sign of a (paid) troll.
I still decided to now write this review bc I think it is important.
On April 14, 2026, I moved the disclaimer to the bottom of the review.
Ok drama.... Actor Yoon Bak shines here, great script and acting .... SML-SFL couple is the best
The fact that I 100% forgot I completed this drama a while ago, says it all... BUT after reading recaps to jog my memory, I realized I DO remember one thing: the second lead couple. The drama is worth watching it for them.Why I watched it? bc of the premise - HOW DID CINDERELLA FEEL AT 2AM?
I just saw the title by coincidence and it looked familiar, so I clicked on it and YES I watched this drama. But I dont remember much about it except the second lead couple..
In retrospect, why I watched it?
SangMin gave a decent performance as the ML - but not great
and his brother gave an AMAZING performance, and the relationship between him and his wife was just wonderful, how two strangers fell in love
and FL was not bad. She was written as a decent person, not a damsel in distress
So overall it was not a terrible drama. When I was watching it, I was not too happy nor too unhappy about it :)
but the fact that I dont remember too much about it... means it was not so... deep or impactful or engaging
A nice frill, shall we say :)
Meh
Nothing newpalace politics, greedy fenale villain, eccentric ML who is also half villain, dumb FL
Of all characters, I remember only the Tastefully Yours ML for his excellent acting of a seemingly good but super slimey character
and I remember being totally tired of ML who was too blood thirsty possessive and cemented, all the way to the end
and yeah there was a bunch of pretty young princess, I thought wow what a chick bait
overall - I dont see why this drama was so popular. Honestly.
Great fun for 6 or so episodes and then becomes a trashy evil melodrama. Watch Moon Sang Min
SUMMARY: 2024 kdrama Wedding Impossible is so fun for the first 6 episodes, Moon Sang Min is a great great actor and comedian..and then the drama tanks and becomes a toxic trashy melodrama, double evil, stupid ML and stupid FL bailing out at the first inconvenience... VERY stupid drama.
Moon Sang Min is a great actor though for acting "as if real life." And he is a great comedian too, he knows when to exaggerate just enough at the right time to make it a great comedy.
From ep 6 on, if you watch just his scenes, that is enough, the plot and everything is just junk. Too bad. It had a good start and then just FLOPPED
==========
WRITTEN AFTER WATCHING EP 1:
I just saw episode 1, it is Jan 2026.
I am watching bc ML actor is also ML in To my Beloved Thief 2026 historical drama. He is such an excellent actor and a fabulous comedian that I decided to check this drama out too. Omg. I love it. The script is tight, the dialogues are great, and the acting is stellar. WELL DONE DRAMA. I love FL character such a strong honest woman, and I love the acting of that actress
and yeah it is a smart drama and so the rating is so low ... MDL ratings are useless :) This is an excellent drama
===it is great UNTIL EP ... 6 or 7? BC THE DRAMA DRAGS THE SELFISHNESS OF THE GAY MAN WHO JUST WANTS TO GET MARRIED TO GET RID OF CLOSET GAY PROBLEMS. WHAT A JERK!!!
AND FL TURNS INTO A LAZY GREEDY JERK TOO AND JUST GOES ALONG AND KEEPS LYING
trashy script... very boring...
THEN.... the other brother goes off deep end and breaks with the love of his life...
THEN... she too dumps him.... !!!!!! IDIOTIC!!!! and it is totally unclear WHY except that it is two little kids..
What started well, has gone totally off the deep end. The script became trash. The drama is about 3 spoiled teenagers, well JiHan is least spoiled, but his bro is a snowflake slimey jerk, and FL is ... immature .... and then we have Grandpa CEO who is a super bad businessman, showing his conglomerate into hands of De Hon who does NOT want it. Grandpa has not learned ONE thing in all those years, and is a CONTROL FREAK to the point of being mentally ill.
The gay brother is a total complete monster jerk, soooo slimey selfish, it is ... well... pathetic. Then we have the dumb FL who helps that PARASITE. The parasite has an art studio in Korea, an art studio in NYC, lives his life with lots of money - as long as he keeps it secret that he is gay. Then he uses FL to marry her and camouflage himself and blackmails her she has to do that for him. WOW MORON.
SO overall, ... the drama is ... a story of 2 kids, their kid brother and a nasty grandpa trying to control them. But really most time in the drama is 2 or 3 kids on the screen.
And ML FL kids keep promising to each other there is no secrets, and NOBODY ever is saying hey the groom is gay. Common.... no secrets, ha?
And if you are a girl, you gotta be a midget and be up to the navel of the guys. What the heck is that, to make all females look like children???
then... the non-gay brother admits publicly he was chasing FL and then he DISAPPEARS, breaking up with her "to protect her".... ??? wtf??? what was that about??? I didnt not even understand this idiocy.... HOW is he "helping her"???? excuse me... ??? WHAT IS GOING ON in this drama?????
Then... this chick DUMPS HIM.... !!!!! wtf? ... what kind of plot is that.. ???
THIS IS A ***VERY STUPID**** TEENAGE DRAMA after ep 6or 7....
ep 9,10, 11 are IDIOTIC SCRIPT .... FL "doesnt want pain" and keeps bailing out and dumping her true love..... IT IS COMPLETELY STUPID.... and that guy - why did he dump her first... ???? WTF IS EVEN REASONING IN THIS DRAMA???
The actor I wanted to watch, Moon Sang Min is doing a great job of acting in this mess. He is the brother of the closeted gay and he wants his bride... who is too ... dumb....and lying... and sooo weak... and he too.. he dumps her... then she dumps him... then he comes to get her back... REally really DUMB toxic script... He is acting well in a script that is stupid...
So this year 2024 drama THAT IS THE SAME as old dramas where you have a super weak woman making dumb choices all the time to save her as# or to "help people" and TAKE EASY WAY OUT and in tthis drama, her true love ALSO makes such choices, so you have TWO DUMB PPL
In other words, this drama is totally evil. FL IS DUMB AND WEAK, AS USUAL, AND KEEPS CREATING STUPID PLOT PLUS HER MALE PAIR IS STUPID TOO,.... !!!!!
COMMON!!!! YEAR 2024 WITH YOUNG ACTORS!!!! WHAT BULLSHIT IS THIS???? Well millenial bullshit... Snowflakes..
And FL gives it voice over - how in life we CANNOT BE HONEST bc we lie to cover our cowardince and clumziness. WTF.... WHAT KIND OF MESSAGE IS THAT!!!!! for year 2024!!!!!!
---
The only adult in this drama is the 2FL, the "top 10 Forbes" female CEO. She is really worth her high position.
FL is a trashy cheap INSECURE weak looser who keeps making promises bailing out.
ML is a spoiled insecure brat.
Gay brothere was a slimey parasite and luckily quit that at the end.
====
So overall, this is worth watching for the first 6 episodes or so. It is fun and seems to be moving along.
Moon Sang Min is a great actor and a great great comedian.
He is super cocky and keeps advertising himself as good looking with a great voice, and sure you have to notice he is cute, bc he is such a good actor. He really acts well and cathes all comedy moments, he is hillarious.
Fun true love story, lighthearted warmhearted and uplifting
This is not one of those masterpiece movies, it is rather simple and lightweight, BUT it is also rather profound. Simple is beautiful :) The story is about true love - the dude does everything to help her, lets her go and lets her come to him on her own.The plot is fun, the actions are righteous, and the resolutions lead to everyone growing up and changing for better... So, I say, this is one movie to watch.
The only problem with this movie is that the FL has done NOTHING for her character growth except to go away to fulfill her dreams and then come back to him. She is oblivious to everything that happened LOL
ML did all the work.... as usual in most kdramas :(
The second most of the emotional work and growing up was done by the "demon" LOL who luckily responded to all the work of the ML. FL's dad and sisters stayed consistently great.
As for technicalities:
Hm, FL lead got an acting award for her role here... "The 29th Chunsa International Film Festival was held on December 23. Lim Yoon A, who played the lead character Jung Seon Ji in the film Pretty Crazy, released this past August, received the Best Actress award for her movie role. "
I saw the FL aka this actress in question in King the Land and in Bon Apettit your Majesty and she acted THE SAME in both - exact same facial expressions and body language..... It was OK in Bon Apettit bc it fit the ML acting style and the two of them did some great comedy together. She has a talent for finding comedic moments.
But ... the point is, she acts the same every time.... And she acts that SAME as the Daytime FL in this movie too. The only difference is acting crazy at night. She did that part fine, but anyone can act that... acting crazy is easy.... and .. even some of those demon faces are repeats of her SAME "angry look" from all other dramas.
So ... why did she get the award... ? bc her dramas brought in a lot of money and had lots of viewers?
So that's why I gave 9.5 for acting. Bc FL is the same old repeated herself. I really dont see different characters when she acts.
The Dad - that famous actor - should get an award for his role, he is great...
ML in this movie is great and should get an award for acting too.
This is the first time ever I saw ML actor. I was pleasantly surprised.
ML is incredibly handsome! Esp since he doesnt look like a "plastic flower boy" but like a real person, he even has wrinkles from frowning, had real color in his face, clearly he was not indoors all the time, and he is a genuine healthy athlete, not just a couch potato lifting weights, and he has genuine black hair. So refreshing!
So many models taking up acting and being terrible at it.. like... ML in Would you Marry Me, etc etc etc. Many cannot even smile, or have artificial "gym" bodies, like ML in Dynamite Kiss... Many are so pale, it is clear they have not been outdoors forever, like... ML in The Real Has Come or ML in Spirit Fingers (at least they acted very well there, but a pale bloated face is just .. not a healthy sight.)
After writing this, I read the bio of ML actor and found that I was correct, he is a gold medal boxer. Ok, I got that! I am an athlete myself so I could tell he is an athlete and moves correctly from the core. All right, score in investigation, inspector megre!
But I know nothing about plastic surgeries.... so... am I correct that this is not (at least not big) plastic job? Maybe I can only detect only huge distorted plastic looks, like... Cher, mom of FL in Graceful Liar, etc.
In any case, ML is one handsome guy who looks like a real guy to me and is a real athlete, and also acts well. Wow refreshing!
Meh
I still do not understand why this was so popularThe only good thing about this drama is how Goblin was considerate to his bride and did not sexually exploit the teenager throwing herself onto him. He WAITED for her to grow up and become adult first. That was commendable
The bickering Goblin-Grim Reaper was NOT funny to me...
That's all I remember
Old time sexism on steroids aka PRINCESS FANTASY FOR LITTLE GIRLS AKA A GREAT BUSINESS SWINDLE
I was wondering - has Netflix really made something along the lines of a real kdrama... ??? Where was the catch... ? And sure enough LOL this is a smelly pile of script..So the first part is mostly about virtual dating, where the princess girl gets a big house, lots of dresses, shoes, jewelry, and any guy she wants - and she wants pretty guys :) with nice bodies :) That's THE ONLY criteria :)
The FL actress is acting so well, she is confident enthusiastic hot girl going on dates with several virtual guys and having fun... FL is rather selfish and immature... but at least NATURAL... and ML actor is on screen just a tiny bit as her colleague in her real life.
THEN THE SECOND PART IS DATING IN REAL LIFE - and this lovely young lady goes into the 1950s mode of trash kdrama sexism - she is prudish, child-like clutz woman-child. OMG!!!! in year 2026!!!!! we see a grown, professional woman behave like a little school girl with boys.... Not even kids behave like that today... !!!!! And... she sticks with her virtual boyfriend too :)
AND THE DRAMA TAKES A NOSE DIVE AND BECOMES SUPER BORING **** C R I N G E **** Basically you get the Practical Guide to Love, FL and ML....
THIS SCRIPT IS TRASH!!!! and consequently, the acting of FL goes down the drain and for the second half of the drama, she is a mentally disabled dumbo and a very weak immature loser.. chick... A WOMAN-CHILD ... using men
INCREDIBLE!!! this is a real ... jester job... ENTIRE DRAMA IS ABOUT SHOPPING FOR PRETTY BOY TOYS AND GETTING A GREAT SERVICE
it is like ... going on dates with a bunch of escorts... who are all dying to take care of FL...
THIS IS TRULY ... A CON JOB.... and a very successful one, women are paying to see many men without a shirt on, and seducing, and kissing as# and doing whatever the woman says, and the woman can be as awful as she wants... or, to be more precise, as she IS.
WOW THIS IS CONSUMERISM TAKEN TO A NEW LEVEL... SHOPPING FOR A PRETTY BOY TOY!!!! and it is all planned!!!!! bc sooo many dramas have one chick trying zillion guys, or dating 2 at a time.... wooow...
So this is like female Epstein files, allowing women to do what men have always done and women complained about. Instead of becoming better people who are equal, this drama is along the lines of becoming equal in being murky selfish people and using each other.
======
The first part is the satire of all the tropes that kdramas use to grab female audience. It is such a great ridicule, a great jester comedy!!!! The most fun and most sad part is that so many women will not realize that they are being made fun of, and they will be too busy admiring all the good looking guys... And the whole point is to show how immature women fall for those tropes.
I am sorry to male actors, their roles were so ridiculously simple and actually - demeaning - they had to act out some delulu immature chicks fantasy. Well - just like they do in real dramas :) too often.... I realized - the male roles are to be an ESCORT ....
I am glad I saw Undercover High School ML, he was so fun in that drama... This role was waaaay too simple for him in this drama.... he was like a robot escort... ... ML actor is also wasted, he is such a great actor and this role is super simple and dumb...
Then the 2nd part starts and ... gosh this is the classic old time sexist kdrama... AGAIN!!! where FL is this clutz immature weak woman-child... WHO WANTS HER AS@ KISSED AND GUYS WHO ARE ALWAYS THERE FOR HER... like robots .... And... her behavior with ML is just... CRINGE childish... she is portrayed as a total moron for personal life , sooo immature and weak... and such a consumer, eating up guys who dote on her... AND YET ANOTHER IDOL WORSHIPER OF PRETTY FACES ... gosh... such a dumb chick ...
So again, the drama makes fun of such women-children and again lures them in with a "pretty face guy"
AND ML CHARACTER PLAYS INTO THIS TROPE OF LOYAL DOTING GUY, he liked her for so long and didnt pick anyone else - although she never deserved his liking her. So that is the old sexist kdrama trope - this fully dedicated man although the woman is super flawed, stupid, childish, and very crude to him and in general... in general, just a dumb immature snowflake... .
So right now I am starting ep 6 and I SO BADLY WANT TO SEE REVIEW BY OPPA_ if that person wrote a review on this...
Bc I am suspecting there is a catch with this drama...
I like that FL actress is a great actress. IN THE FIRST PART ONLY. After ep 5 or 6, when the real guy steps in, the FL actress is clearly acting fake bc the script is trash cringe. She is having difficulty acting the immature cringe..... BC IT IS NOT A NATURAL BEHAVIOR to behave like an elementary school girl. YET THAT IS WHAT KIDRAMAS EXPECT. this is the classic classic kdrama sexism... !!!!! What FL did here, is EXACTLY how all those FLs behave ... Practical Guide to Love is an example of that ..... woooow....
That FL chick is totally undeserving of ML's attention, she always treated him badly, then he confessed and she avoids him and rejects him, non stop and he keeps coming back.. .... AND SHE IS AFRAID TO LOVE BC IT WILL END, SO SHE KEEPS REJECTING HIM AND DUMPING HIM.... ... omg what a loser coward ... and he keeps coming back ...... omg what a loser coward.
WOW this is the recipe for every trashy rom com.... YUCK!!!! how did a great actor like the ML end up doing this? Does Netflix pay very well... ???? I do hope he has better scripts to choose from..
THIS SCRIPT IS TRASH!!!! and consequently, the acting of FL goes down the drain and for one half of the drama, she is a mentally disabled dumbo and a very weak immature loser.. chick... A WOMAN-CHILD
WOOOOOOWWWWW THIS IS A SCAM!!!!! THIS DRAMA IS A SCAM!!!! THIS KIND OF SCTRPT SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING IN YEAR 2026!
or ... it should be... ? bc there are so many lonely women with money who will pay to watch this smelly piece of script...
I really like that actors are not super skinny skeletons :) FL got nice legs :) ML also looks like a normal athletic guy. So at least the drama has a healthy look. I really like that ML has naror and slanted eyes, not plastic surgery big eyes.
I dislike that such a great actor like the ML actor is put into this overly simple role. But then... I realize... all typical male roles ARE this... omg... this is like seeing the whole mechanics of dramas... This is like seeing the swindling behind the scenes...
Wow who was it who thought of selling this idea of reverse polygamy and/or decadent lewd behaviors by women - basically everything rotten that men used to do? Great busines mind. So many - most? - new kdramas are based on such women.
Our Universe, Practical Guide to Love, Climax, A Graceful Liar, etc etc etc etc etc ...
1950s values - shallow/blinded women competing. doormat women doting on stoic parastitic guys
The first few episodes while they are bus conductors are cute and ok and even powerful social commentary. That part shows young ppl putting in effort to move forward in life, and "UglyFriend" as a powerful force in social change and worker's rights. BUT THEN THE CHARACTERS NEVER GROW MUCH IF AT ALL.After the time gap, this drama went totally trashy and promoted 1950s relationship between YR the doormat and JP the entitled male brat
The ONLy good part was the MrQueen King actor, he was awesome, and Sang Cheol taking Single Mom on a honeymoon and saying he will do his best to bring home a honeymoon baby. And scenes of him and Mr Kim the driver talking about handing off the fatherhood and Mr. Kim peeking at the church. The rest... forget.
The rest was trash - the narcissist JH and her abuse of YR being mean etc, YR as the naive baby girl doormat sucking up to JP, and JP as a robotic poker face using YR and then playing with JH
YR is somehow supposed to be good for being a naive immature doormat who taks cute like a little girl and thinks cute like a little girl and crawls on the floor FOR YEARS to catch any sign of polite and cold kindness of the fat as@ Jae Pil, who finally bestowes his princely charms because he realizes he needs YR as a personal servant for free the rest of his life.
The characater of JH is immature, mean, shallow to the max, and the most disturbing thing is how many of the audience found her charming and angelic and even accused YR of backstabbing her. All the narcissists in the world love JH ....
OVERALL THE DRAMA IS ABOUT TOXIC RELATIONSHIPS THAT DO NOT ADVANCE AT ALL BC PEOPLE DO NOT CHANGE
IT IS HOPELESS
and that is very western. This is Netflix. THe drama is about ordinary toxic ppl doing toxic things and not fixing their messes. It is a study in toxicity. REading the comments and reflecting on the drama should be a required homework for every psychiatrist, psychoilogist and social worker.
THIS IS JUST 10000% TOXIC
and worth watching just to analyze all the shades of it
The acting is good so you get to see how real life plays out
TERRIBLE, DISAPPOINTING, HOPELESS, NO CHARACTER GROWTH, JUST TOXIC, **** DEAD END ****
YR, JH and JP are very realistic toxic characters from real life. And that is why it is so frustrating to watch YET ANOTHER character like that for 12 hours. Nuff already. We saw it all. We see it every day. We do not need to see that anymore! We need to see the solutions.
This drama skillfully and cunningly endorses "1950s" type of people and relationships as commendable, so in fact it promotes the status quo in sexism, catering to men, women competing and backstabing each other for men, shallow ambition of being in a peagant, shallow ambition of waiting around a guy, women not thinking further than their nose, men ennjoying privileges and personal servants for free, etc. This drama could have been set in Goreo or Joseon or before, and it would be the SAME plot.
And that dead-end just stating problems and never showing any hope for any solution is the trademark of western media.
For a piece of art to be truly a piece of art, it has to give some ideas for solutions and has to show some transformation.
This particular drama is useful as a study in toxicity because you can dig through the layers and you can see the comments of the audience and realize the toxicity in the society and the false beliefs.
**** So this drama is useful like a dissection class at the medical school. **** But someone needs to start producing art with solutions, ie. some healing ideas and solutions.
Interesting :) Lots of smoke and mirrors and a puppy-eye serial killer turned hero
This drama is very western concept in some ways bc it addresses "rare" "special" pepple, a high level diplomat who becomes a President of a country (FL) and Paik San Ho, a man with a very shady and for-most-part-unknown past....Paik San Ho was a professional assassin, he was a cold blooded killer, and he still kills people like moskitoes, to the very end of the drama. YES.
Yeah he was a strong silent type and he fell in love with FL. And she too. AND million women in the audience, all swooning over him.... puppy-eyed assassin who works for you is apparently a great turn on... !!!!!
But in this drama, we saw Paik transform into someone in love - not only to the woman, but to the PRINCIPLES of peace and unity that the woman stands for. And he vows to help her accomplish that, and puts his skills and his life on line to help her accomplish that.
.
In this drama, paid assassin and bodyguard Paik was used as a vehicle to bring peace to the world. He turned out to be a hero who saved the world from nuclear holocaust. And that is an interesting message...
The ending? You have to decide. The ending looks like an open door to possible season 2. Maybe... and also looks like an advertisement for Catholic church. The entire drama is...
This drama has cat and mouse game that is really really really intricate, if you are going to watch it, you have to pay attention to every detail, the twists, the games, the betrayals are out of left field, all the time.
The drama is very western as it feels like whiplash, they are always in life danger and everything is so hyper, your adrenaline will be severely tested...
So there is some character growth but it happens in midst of chaos... This drama is CHAOS
The real fun part is commentary on the state of the world and the politics. The drama is worth watching for those 2 minutes.
The ending is of course a very artificial happy ending. In real life, FL and ML would have been dead by ep 2 or 3, the latest.
PS - So this drama is 100% different than Ms and Mr Smith american movie, those two were assassins and stayed assassins... for the sole purpose of lining their own pockets.
Had potential but failed
>>>>> Written after ep 68:Started as not a cheap makjang but a deep psychological drama, with some great acting by loan shark Nan Suk and villain Chairman. FL was terrible so I kept waiting for the plot and FL to improve but ... the drama kept getting worse and I dropped.
FL is written badly, and the actress cannot act so it is best to sideline her. Her lines and her acting are THE EXACT SAME from ep 1 to ep 68. Finaly in ep 68 her dumb entitled behavior has consequences and she ends up in a coma - where she should stay until the end, imo bc that actress cannot act.
Other characters also do not change. Everything is just about outsmarting and outdoing each other with clever schemes
Bc of no growth in characters, and the only good guy Ha Neul regressing to be a bad guy, I dropped this drama after about ep 52 and occasionally come to take a peek.
The end of the drama became a smelly pile of script as the characters engaged in decadent sick behaviors, you did not know who was sleeping with whom, who was killing whom, and whose child was who, it was total Kardashians-like cesspool, and I was DISGUSTED. I stopped even coming in to check if the drama finally made it back on track. It was TOTALLY derailed.
============================
>>>>>Overall impression Written after ep 52:
The story is a chess game of manipulations and lies between ppl who are acting on their greed and complacency. Supposedly good characters turn corrupt, there are all kinds of messes... and eventually it seems some bad characters turn complex and some even redeeming. Or not LOL
The main purpose of this drama is to make the audience question where the line is. Are you supposed to go on a rampage spree and destroy people so that you can "revenge" that you were poor and powerless, or is there a better way.
Our female lead started as poor and powerless and exploited, but then she turned in an evil character who made so many people suffer needlessly - and DID NOT ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING EXCEPT KILLING HER FATHER .... and dragging the only moral and sane person down to her level of low cheap TOXIC dirt.... ... so now in th second half of the drama, she is starting a little differently but still with the same basic TOXIC ideas... and it is not going to end well :)
The main plot here is based on a woman - FL - doing revenge against her mother and another woman (YC). The revenge is based on GREED and BITTERNESS and BLINDNESS. She went after YC for good and proven reasons, but in a way that is .. wow destructive to sooo many ppl, including killing her father and emotionally wrecking her husband, whom she used for the revenge... and the audience found that entertaining and justified... If anything, this drama exposes the nasty in ppl.. .
And the way FL went after her mother is super ... blind.
And the way she went after the money is ... exposing the most nasty possible in every human being.
FL is pretty bad at acting and that is a real problem of the drama... and MLs are not acting too convincingly so that dampens the drama - why are drama ppl using "young and supposedly hot and popular" actors regardless of their ability to bring their character to life .... ???
I referred to Ha Neul as the ML :) I was shocked to find that SH is supposed to be ML. SH is not much on the screen, and it is pretty much flat and very ... simple character... and quite boring character and acting. We do not know anything about him!!! he is more like a tool on the side rather than a participant in the actual plot
luckily there are other characters who do pull the drama - the main ones are Chairman and Nan Suk - and
after ep 50, side characters are brought up to save the show, and it helps a lot. Hopefully the script will bring them out too - we need to see who they are.
We still got only ONE glimpse of who FL's husband really is... YC is still pretty much one-sided stupid brat ....
FL's mom was made more interesting by showing her greedy nasty side :)
the henchmen are now "waking up" etc
_____ A LOT OF INSIGHT INTO THE DRAMA CAN BE FOUND IN COMMENTS BY OPPA_ BELOW. I WILL QUOTE SOME OF IMO THE KEY POINTS:
THIS IS OPPA_COMMENT THAT SUMMARIZES THE DRAMA:
=== begin comments by OPPA_:
"In this drama, the FL didn’t choose the right or difficult path — she chose the easy one. And that’s the core of my point. Her actions weren’t empowering or revolutionary; they were simply convenient. Success without dignity or honesty doesn’t feel like success to me, and it definitely doesn’t make the character admirable or justified."
"FL did succeed in deceiving people long enough to manipulate her way into marriage with a wealthy man who would’ve never even looked at her if he knew her real identity. That’s the kind of “success” built entirely on lies. "
"those fancy outfits and that money don’t come for free. They come with anxiety, constant fear, and the pressure of maintaining a lie that grows bigger every day. Once someone chooses that easy, unethical path, they keep going deeper because turning back means facing consequences they are terrified of. It becomes a point of no return — submit to the dark side or let the truth destroy everything. And most people who choose shortcuts never plan to deal with the fallout… until it’s too late."
"there was nothing noble or romantic about Ha Neul behavior. It didn’t feel like love; it felt like pure lust and infatuation. He wasn’t protecting truth or doing what's morally right — he was driven by desire, not principles. "
==== end of comments by OPPA_ =====
>>>>>Written after ep 7 by me LOL:
This drama is so well done. The complexity makes it interesting, and the fact that FL is not a clutz as typical. FL actress is doing a great job portraying the complexity, which is also rare.
I think the description of the drama has to be changed bc it does not really fit the vibe. This is not a cheap makjang but a very serious deep psychological drama (and social commentary).
The acting is great. There are a lot of characters and they are all... shady to some degree LOL the best one is the Ha Neul but even he is shady, hiding secrets and wrongdoings of FL...
I think HN story is TOXIC AND DESTRUCTIVE...
NL story is a very toxic plot and toxic relationship with FL... He started as someone with brains and intergity, and then dragged himself down into her mud bc he "loves" her.. Capul... he does not love her for real.. it is rather ... codependent relationship... ... it is a very toxic relationship and plot...
He dragged himself down into her mud... It is like falling in love with an addict and enabling them... HN enables wrongdoings of FL and it leads into tragic outcomes..... for so many ppl. HN betrayed his best friend, enabled killing of FL's father, etc etc etc
======
A typical kdrama FL is a clutz clueless loser who is taken advantage of in some way and/or lacks the skills to navigate life and is always on the bottom, taken advantage of. These losers are usually "good" characters, who are naive, insecure, etc and in fact acting as indirect villains i.e. enablers, because they allow the real villains to wreck chaos, unchecked :) So their path of redemption is to stop being enablers... and to still stay good LOL I think this plot was suitable for housewives in 1950s... or abused women...
In this drama, the FL is not an enabler :) She starts as a good but insecure naive character who is capable and keeps trying to win her life in proper ways - but there are objective obstacles to it and she lacks the luck and the know-how to move on forward - and then.... makes a bad decision out of greed and complacency, and then goes further down the easy glam shady path LOL
and then she has to return :) her redemption will be to make her designer dream come true and make money that way and leave the impersonation
I think this plot is applicable to many contemporary working woman today :)
======
WRITTEN AFTER EP 52:
FL actually turned to be a very small wounded child who did all this out of greed, and justified it with revenge against her bio mom, and then blindly like a raging bull, without any thought or reason, went in to INTENTIONALLY HARM people.... And caused death of her father... and emotional breaking of her (spoiled snowflake chaebol) husband...
It was pretty pathetic.... FL has so much to grow... and the actress is not good in acting...
The plot is a real chess game of ppl playing manipulation games with each other. HOPEFULLY it results in some character growth. So far... not really :)
The characters turned out interesting... bc ... Chairman actor is so good at his camouflaged serial killer role... so sweet and polite... and then horrifying.. He added an element of a horror movie... Truly!!!!!! Although I totally admire his acting, he is scary to watch. Like watching a hungry lion monster in your face, sniffing you quietly. He is suuuuper good at his role. It does not get so much screen time bc he is one sided psychocrazy serieal killer camouflaged as a sweet loving charming person, but he steals the show as he sets the tone. HE SETS THE BASE TONE AND THE BACKGROUND FOR THE WHOLE DRAMA.
And the main villain Nan Suk actress is so good at acting and so fun to watch and listen to. The script makes her say aloud what she is thinking, so we got to "know her" and she has masterfully brought that character to life The drama is alive bc of *her*. I love watching her. That actress is so masterful in acting. Also, she is pretty and acts a lot with her face and body language and voice, and has amazing flashy wardrobe and jewelry and makeup, so she is really really really fun to watch. She is a complex character.....
So I would say these two actors carry this drama.
They made their characters totally REAL and ALIVE.
FL's dad was such an unpleasant redneck, but it turned out he was the only relatively sane and moral character... He is gone now. And it is ok. He and the acting was not enlivening the drama...
But the rest of the characters are far from moral or sane... This drama is about so many ppl making severe mistakes out of greed and/or complacency....
Now the side characters are starting to get more time and it is getting more interesting.
The only other "good" character - well USED TO BE good - Ha Neul - and I call him ML bc he is the true love interest of FL - and the actor listed as ML is doing very little - well he is a very shady one too. Out of cowardice and complacency, he stood by FL as she was doing all kinds of crimes. So he started as a moral and upright person to end up at the pit of being a pathetic partner in crime... It is a very toxic relationship as he stands by FL as she does one stupid thing after another... So now we have TWO little wounded kids collaborating in revenge... I am not sure what will happen. but.. And this actor is young too and not quite capable of showing the complexity of this character. The script too has to help him.
The "official" ML has so little screen time and is shown as one dimensional flat moma boy snowflake, and the acting is really mediocre. But perhaps could be better, there was ONE scene where he did not have any veneers (the shower scene with YC trying to seduce him) and that is the only scene where he was uncensored himself and acted well.
The drama ppl try to help these young male actors by showing them in the shower, and that is a lot nicer self therapy than getting drunk and a lot more fun to watch LOL and leads to better plots... but I think the guys should ACT more and rely less on the shower. The shower scenes are not what we are here for. It's ok to have two so far but let us work on acting.
Actually, the amazingly handsome dudes are the henchman. One is obviously some kind of heavy duty athlete and looks stunning in his business suit, and both are excellent actors as finaly they are being brought from the background and acting and more alive as as human beings. Ep 52 the heavy athletic one is shown eating and moving around .... in his business suit ... and yeah that dude has a body!!!! But what is more important, it is a body of a character that is shown ALIVE, SMART AND CARING, the ***acting*** makes it wow.
So it was fascinating to see how a totally dead character - a henchman killer just standing there stiffly with a poker face in every scene he was in - suddenly turned alive ... and now we see a PERSON! a person who physically looks amazing and has lots of feelings. That actor is amazing.
And then two shady henchman characters who helped in all kinds of murders etc turned out to be a little bit humane .... The other one is comical... but that one at least did not kill anyone that we know of so far,,,
Side note but imporatnt - this new fad of demanding that female actresses be SO THIN to the point of looking like a skeleton... One thing it does, it makes their bones be weak and their legs esp under the knee look like an O...
so putting a mini skirt on that looks hideous while walking, as the knees look so gnarly and the bones clunk around... boots make it even more visible...
Started as a pretty good fun drama - but no character growth whatsoever for FL
This started as a fun drama, explores some deep issues and questions about The Will of God versus our own will, our karma, our karmic duties, and what happens when we do not cooperate with the Divine ....The main issue is that FL is 100% immature and coldly selfish, cold closed heart, and she STAYS like that until the very end. A total waste of drama...
It could have been a 10 star drama bc the actors are great and just were not utilized properly.
The ML and FL are not shown liking each other. Either the actors just didnt feel it, and/or the director didnt force them to act it... but .. it is already Feb 18, I think ep 8 finished? and there is only 12 episodes and we havent seen enough of the romance or friendship ....
Sure they start as total strangers, then she tortures him and ruins his life and of course he is not gonna like her, however, that part of that drama DRAGS TOO LONG. She tortured him bc she was intrigued by him and kinda "owned him" and explored him and found reasons to keep appearing to him. But the drama doesnt explore that. It seems like she is just a mean person. But the fact is, she likes him and wants to make sure he noticed her - and she is using wrong methods for that. Sure, she is not aware of her feelings yet - but we the audience arent either!!!! bc the drama showed it, in a few seconds here and there. It was not enough to create tension and to convince the audience there is something romantic going on. We saw her being confused bc her hear flutters but the drama never explored that...
Lomon is really good at acting romantic scenes. ANd FL is also cute when she tries to flirt with him. That should have happened a LOT sooner.
First it should have been accidental blopers - since she liked him first and tortured him to get his attention, there should have been a LOT more "accidental" hitting on him too - WE HAD TO SEE THAT SHE WAS SOMEHOW SATISFIED THAT SHE HAD A REASON TO KEEP HANGING AROUND HIM "TO SHOW HIM" WHAT SHE CAN DO - and then it should have increased to the point where they became cognizant of their attraction, by the middle of the drama (ep 6) they should have been kinda together already
It was just too slow of a burn, and also while they didnt like each other, it was too harsh. She kinda hit on him and suggested dating, but it was so ... scientiically cold... and he just ... didnt feel anything bc she was so harsh, her tinny screaming nagging criticizing voice was irritating even to me... LOL LOL LOL
So perhaps, if they started being more friendly earlier, that would have saved the drama. This way, they are kinda jumping from enemies to lovers kinda overnight. So I think a little less of episodes on how she was misbehaving - we got it!!!!! omg we got it!!!! she was just obnoxious!!!! gnarling fox, so unplesant!!!! and he so cold and hurt.... SO LESS OF THAT - and more episodes about the two of them... I am not a script writer so I cannot say anything official, these are just some ideas.
The ending was terrible as FL just regressed back to how she was at the beginning... Ouch... !!!
So overall, if the plot/acting was a tad bit softer and their FRIENDLY INTERACTION and then naturally evolving into romance started earlier, it would have been a much better drama.
But - each couple is different, some jump from enemies to lovers into romance fast. If the script writer wanted to portray that, then I am not sure what kind of tricks they could use to squish the number of episodes while they are enemies, and/or to show more "cracks" in how they are officially not on the same page but are feeling attraction.
Their attraction happens just too fast and sudden and unnatural, and TOO LATE in the drama
That is a sad loss of talent, bc both actors CAN act very well.
And the drama would be worthwhile if FL changed and opened her heart by the end. SHE NEVER DID.
We the audience really do not care to spend the entire drama watching two people quarreling and bickering and learning all there is to know about their character faults and personal issues... That can be shown quite well with a few selected scenes... . We want to see THE PROCESS OF TRANSFORMATION and we want to see THE RESULTS of that process.
So the old kdrama format - 1/4 for context and issues, 1/4 for starting romance, 1/4 for overcoming challenges to being together, 1/4 about putting it all together - did I get this right? I think this is usually the recipe. Sometimes it is pushed bc Part 1 is too long so putting it all together is too rushed at the end, but.. This recipe generally is a pretty good recipe that leaves the audience satisfied.
DON'T DRAG THE PAIN
SPEND A LOT OF TIME SHOWING TRANSFORMATION
is my advice here
Lesson in karma. Spiritual equvlnt of "don't drink and drive or else bad things will happen to ya"
This drama is about absolute stupidity of ppl who do NOT listen and who think certain things are a joke or some kind of fun, and who utter wishes which are totally ... inappropriate, and who make actions that are totally inappropriate - and then cause unnecessary trouble like crazyFor example: the shaman's daughter wishing that her mother dies. then getting soooo mad about the talisman that she publicly ridiculed her friend; the "pretty boy" who beat up the friend; and then friend wishing they all die and hurting herself. THOSE ARE VERY DUMB STUPID ACTIONS
This drama is really a lesson on karma and what not to do. It is spiritual equivalent of "dont drink and driver or else you will get in trouble."
The drama is quite cringe and totally Hogwarts kind of stuff for young ppl
BASICALLY THE MESSAGE OF THIS DRAMA IS TO STAY CALM, PAY ATTENTION, NOT GO TO PLACES THAT FEEL WEIRD, NOT HANG OUT WITH PPL WHO FEEL WEIRD, AND NEVER WISH OR SAY OR BEHAVE IN WAYS THAT ARE LESS THAN EXEMPLARY
the whole drama is about the law of karma
and the demonic forces that help to execute punishment for creating bad karma
Also, it is notable that most kids got in trouble for sheer curiosity, stupid needless joking, as well as perceived "needs" such as grades, and asking to get it without any effort, i.e. the kid was delusional in their thinking. Also notice that no kids wished that the app be deleted forever, they all were too self-centered and did not see beyond their own little issues in front of them - and that allows the evil to propagate.
Notice that only kids who had the courage and intergrity to HONESTLY TALK about what happened to them survived. Kids that believed some bs and never asked to clarify it, did stupid stuff and died/got stuck.
Also notice that all key players actively contributing to the evil app were somehow connected to evil and/or had a propensity for it. For example:
Shaman's daughter GENUINELY wished her mother to die, publicly ridiculed her friend, did not stop the beating of her friend by the "pretty guy", wished to create the demonic app - she was truly the daughter of her mother whom she so hated - her mother was a black shaman, capable and willing to harm others...
the friend kept hanging out with the shaman mom and wished death to others;
Na Ri was a chronic liar and deceiver/manipulator/backstabber, grabber, club goer/drinker and an entitled rich kid; I would think she would end up as a drug addict and/or a major nasty figure of authority
and the weird Discord kid who reactivated the app was taking pills and giving them to HJ; he read the online manual for the app; and he knew for sure that HJ died and the app kills - YET he listened to what the demon wrote online and went to retrieve the phone and reactivate the app. That kid was off the rails somehow...
All the kids who helped the evil had some major problems and evil streaks
and some looked so cute ... those girls with long hair, so pretty like dolls... but ... killers
The discord kid definitely looked weird and behaved weird
So the bottom line is - be someone exemplary, live a clean decent life, and do not indulge in things that are overboard, shady, etc communicate honestly,
and that will be your "wash your hands before you eat and dont drink when you drive" kinda protection mechanism.
>>>>> The drama has some very deep messages that most of the audience might miss while watching the glitz special effects :) <<<<<
For those messages, I give the drama 10/10.
The gory details and shocks are kinda cringe cheesy so that's why overall lesser rating.
Again a weak FL and a stupidly caring man
The first few episodes are some nice storytelling of a by-chance first love, nice cinematography, and I love acting of ML actor.it is a mismatch between a shallow, weak, dumb girl and a smart, dedicated, deep boy.
Then... they grow up and really cannot continue, she dumps him brutally bc it is convenient to her, but he is still stuck on her.
So, I dropped. I am tired of watching a grown man going after taking care of a woman-child.
FL is no match for the ML and he should NEVER try to come even close to her.
FL IS A WOMAN CHILD WHO IS NOW TWO TIMING
AND ML KISSES HER AS#.
How boring.
FAREWELL!
Again, FL who is immature, weak, lacks focus, and wants some boy toy when it is convenient for her
and ML who chases her, loves her and takes care of her bc he is ah so pure and dedicated.
The fact is, she is a sleazebag, and he is a moron, and the two should never be together. LET GO OF IT ALREADY
So many dramas like that lately - Surely Tomorrow, Our Universe, Practical Guide to Love, etc etc etc etc
DROPPED WITHOUT A SECOND THOUGHT
THIs DRAMA IS FOR VERY DUMB WOMEN TO FANTASIZE OF CAPTURING ATTENTION OF A HIGH QUALITY GUY FOREVER AND DOING WHATEVER THEY WANT AND HE WILL STILL ALWAYS BE THERE
HECK NO
BLOODY VIOLENCE LIKE WEAK HERO + KIDS PEDDLING DRUGS, KILLING TEACHERS, ED POLICE BEATING THEM
Hm wth is Netflix doing to S Korea with this drama? Do S Korean schools look like this??? I didnt think so. I think this is trying to do some damage to S Korean image... ?For sure, AMERICAN SCHOOLS ARE FULL OF DRUGS LIKE THIS
SO THIS DRAMA IS A LOT WORSE THAN WEAK HERO / STUDY GROUP BC WE SEE SCHOOL KIDS SELLING DRUGS, KILLING THEIR TEACHERS AND EACH OTHER,
AND YEAH THE ED POLICE BEATING THEM
THIS IS A NIGHTMARE AMERICANIZED PROPAGANDA
-----------
The fantasy of this drama is too painful to watch, bc the plot is based on overpowered MC who never does wrong, beats up students but never harms them... He too never gets hurt and has miraculously powerful powers, and has political backing that is based on integrity and never goes away. IT IS A FANTASY FOR SURE.
In real life, this "education police" is ripe for abuse. Sure these super hard cases are solved but in real life, the lines would get blurred so easily and the educational police could be bullies too... and there would be severe consequences, e.g. the education police could severely injure or even kill some of the bad students
and teachers are not all angels and victims are not all angels
And in real life, victims and abusers are usually from troubled families, sometimes poor and sometimes rich, and rich and powerful are definitely privileged and often abusive, so those deep societal issues have to be addressed
So - setting that fundamental drama flaw aside -
This review builds on the great review by @HappyPacket. I watched only 3 eps so far and I really appreciate the SA, beating, cell phones, etc issues the review pointed out so astutely
I agree that the drama went overboard with portraying teachers ONLY as good guys , and giving them permission to beat up students too, like hitting students' palms with a stick or the education police really beating up bad students.
Imo the drama went overboard too with portraying victims as stupid, dumb, naive, isolated, and/or passive, as victims incapable of self defending - but I think that was done to exaggerate to really show the traits that all victims do have
And the drama went slightly overboard to show how the other students and teachers did not care - but again it really showed what it REALLY LOOKS LIKE IN REAL LIFE - the environment of selfishness.
Hiding real SA *sexual assault and harassment" is a LOT MORE COMMON than false accusations of SA, and I agree that the real SA should have been addressed. That "livestream influencer" girl was first a victim of real SA. Teachers and many adults do such bad stuff to kids and other adults, and most victims just eat the sh.t and stay silent, and if they speak up, the society shuns them, because the perpetrator is usually a skilled sociopath/psychopath.
I am also glad that the false accusation of SA was brought up as a part of sociopathical manipulation, bc sociopaths are actually very common and we never talk about it.
In this case, the drama showed us how a sociopath works, and it was very obvious, nobody from the audience could miss it in. In real life, it is often done behind the scenes via gossip, gaslighting, making deals, and the other people "beat up"/destroy the victim, and the lying sociopath stays well hidden. SOCIOPATHS ARE SUPER DANGEROUS BECAUSE THEY ARE "NICE PEOPLE" AND EXTREMELY WELL HIDDEN.
MUCH OF BAD STUFF IN THE WORLD HAPPENS BY SOCIOPATHIC MANIPULATION where the sociopath manipulates others to harm/destroy the victim and the sociopath stays hidden and "innocent". https://www.recoveryplusjournal.com/2017/10/the-empathy-trap/
and yeah there are also psychopaths, the ones who directly attack, and often from a well camouflaged position, usually in a positions of power, like Congressman and his son. Most who you call "sadists" are actually psychopaths
The last thing that the other review did not mention and imo is the KEY to everything is that all this beating up of few bad guys and the teachers beating up any student is .... very stupid bandaiding.
Yeah sure there are always some sociopaths/psychopaths who are bad apples and cause problems. BUT
The real problems are all the OTHER students, who never said a word, who blindly obeyed bullies, who GENUINELY LAUGHED at bullies' beating up, humiliating the victims. *** THAT *** is the problem.
The real problem is that we saw ONE other student who was raising questions and trying to raly other students, but we also saw how all other students just ran away.
The real problem is that we saw only 3 complaints to this "educational police" - how come no other students complained to anyone, not even other teachers or their own parents
The real problem is that the victims were dumb and did not take any action.
The real problem is that the bullied teachers were dumb and did not take any action. We saw some teacher talking about it but we never saw teachers join together to take action.
The real problem is that the teachers and principal were corrupt and/or dumb and did not take any action
The real problem is that the parents did not take any action. The bullying was either by kids who had parents who "beat up" / destroyed other kids' parents and teachers, or by kids who had no functional parents.
The parents of bullied kids never took any proper action.... They did not know their kid was bullied.... they did not care.... OR they were naive and stupidly stood up to the bullies and destroyed themselves and the kid
The parents of OTHER kids never took any action.... did their kid even tell them about bullying that prevented learning and destroyed students' lives?
So until this GENERAL SOCIETAL SITUATION changes, the bad guys have a free reign
And the general situation will NOT change by teachers beating the students or parents beating the students. it can change ONLY if the students inwardly know what is right and what is wrong and stand up together against any violations.
I dislike the drama for so much violence. The "education police" beats up students, and students beat each other up just like in Weak Hero or Study Group.
I will fast forward this for research, just to see what other people like to watch, and what the current bullying strategies are
InspectorMegre 14 hours ago
In summary:
well this drama shows it as it is - the OTHER kids participate!!!!!! THE OTHER KIDS DO WHAT THE BULLY SAYS... or stay silent or LAUGH, fu.king idiots, and teachers too. As simple as that. THE PUBLIC IS **** S T U P I D *****
THE PUBLIC IS **** S T U P I D *****
THE PUBLIC IS **** S T U P I D *****
THE PUBLIC IS **** S T U P I D *****
THE PUBLIC IS **** S T U P I D *****
None of this would happen nor continue if the public was not THAT stupid.
And Dae Seok and otehrs are so blindly immature to commit suicide. Those bully idiots are NOT worth anyone's attention, and esp not life. Go take some martial arts class, run fast, and change schools.
WHERE ARE PARENTS AND FAMILY OF VICTIMS???
If all the kids got up and shut up those bullies - it would be over.
And the best ever fashion show of business male attire. Never seen such great combos for suit, coat and tie. WOW.
It was comical and one of the best roles of PSJ
and also FL actress, seems like this was before all that plastic surgery, botox and dieting
FL character here is unique and very competent
Some scenes are totally hilarious, like the two of them in bed drinking wine and watching TV
Some are very endearing, like he helping dig the "clams" or whatever it was

1