Smile or else!?
I'm going to be honest. I watched this show because I was curious why it's so hyped. Now, I understand it. It's all about the chemistry between the two lead actor! Overall the show was great, the acting, the whole production was top-notch, also I loved the OST too. I only gave 8/10 because the actors did a great job and the overall feeling of the show was good. It is a typical cliché KDrama for sure, BUT I was honestly surprised that there wasn't a HUGE problem with the whole "poor" girl dating with the billionaire guy. Usually they're stretching this type of story for 10+ episodes, but huge props to the writers not doing that on this show. It was refreshing that most of the characters felt real and they weren't overdramatic. I watched 'King the Land' right before 'A Business Proposal' so most of the storyline felt the same honestly, but this is just a minor issue. My biggest problem was the whole sister vs brother story. It was totally unnecessary, at least the way they did it. Also, they should've done more with the mother story too, but that's all, basically. One thing's for sure, Yoon Ah and Jun Ho set the show on fire.😅 I know they finished the story well, but I would love to see a 2nd season. Lastly, my favorite part of the show is the friendship between the girls and Da Eul's daughter, she was a little savage.🤣 The main Supporting Cast were fantastic.I know there are people who afraid of the hype, but I'm probably one of the biggest critic when it comes to overhyped shows or movies. So, trust me, this is a fun ride for sure. Not perfect, but to be honest, there's not a lot of perfect show, especially in KDrama world. Not to mention, that seeing Yoon Ah's smile worth every minute you will spend on this show. No wonder, she's the "IT GIRL" of this generation.
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If you loved the 1st season, you're gonna love this one too!
Don't expect too much! The 2nd season doesn't really offer more than the 1st, the casting is still good, the action is even better now, but the story is still average at best!What I loved about the 1st season is missing from here, and that's the time period. Even tho, I loved the first season more, I think the second one deserve the same score, because it's not worst, it's just nothing new.
Honestly, when I first heard the new season will take place in the present, I already knew how it's gonna end and what's gonna happen, and I was right. From start to finish, it was predictable. This is like a typical Marvel movie, average, BUT enjoyable and fun, but you won't think about it too much after you finished it.
I think the big problem with the series is that they have a fascinating story with a meaningful message, but just like in every blockbuster movie, they don't really care about that, it's more about the action than the meaning behind the story. They talk about the importance of life and stuff, but don't really show it to us.
Sohee and Seojoon are still amazing, what you can see is an acting masterclass, but I'm not sure if this show can offer more.
Also, I didn't like the ending. I mean, if we will get a 3rd season, I don't get why they had to finish Chae Ok and Tae Sang's story like that, because it's obvious what's gonna happen to them in the next season.
Not to mention the cliffhanger. Honestly, I'm intrigued how they would handle a story like that, but after watching 2 seasons, I'm not sure if I want to see it with the same writer.
Anyway, like I said, if you liked the 1st season, the 2nd won't disappoint you, probably, but if you want more from a show than average with good action scenes, then you have to watch something else!
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Three generation of tangerines!
Netflix’s latest hit drama, maybe not as big as other mainstream Kdrama on the platform, like the “Squid Game” or the “King the Land”, but it certainly achieved what others don’t, and it’s a perfect storytelling thanks to the writer, Im Sang Choon who also wrote one of my all-time favorite Korean series “Fight for My Way”. Her right-hand man is none other than Kim Wonseok, who directed multiple great drama, one of those is another fan favorite, and soul crashing drama “My Mister” where IU were also the main lead! So, even before the release, the chance for another amazing series were high, and if you watched “When Life Gives You Tangerines”, you probably already know, they didn’t disappoint us this time either.What you need to know about this drama is that it’s not an action packed fantasy or thriller. It’s a story about real people, packed with struggles, sadness, love, and happiness throughout 70 years! This is why I said it's “three generation of tangerines”, because just like real life, it has sweet, but sour moments as well!
"It's better to be born a cow than to be born a woman in Jeju."
In the beginning, the story takes place in the 50s and ends in our present. Aesun our grumpy, but lovable leading lady (played by the incredible child actress Kim Taeyeon, IU in her young adult era, and later Moon Sori) trying to make her mother Gwang Rye (Yum Hye-Ran – The Glory) to stop risking her life as a haenyeo, because she’s already sick. The main plot of the drama is not the romance! If you want another cute romcom, you're watching a wrong show! It’s about the relationship between parents and their kids, and how hard it is to be a woman in this era. The writer didn’t shy away from this important topic. Throughout the season, you can find a lot of strong female characters. More than I’ve seen in any other, probably. The mother-daughter bond was written in a way, I don’t think I’ve seen in any other Korean drama. It’s not in your face, they don’t spell-out everything, on the contrary, you have to listen very carefully to understand everything, because the creators paid attention to the tiniest details. I watched it twice, and I don't do this usually, but I had to, because I didn't want to miss anything, and after the second watch, it hit even harder!
"Parents dwell on what they couldn't give. And children dwell on what they couldn't get."
As I said, the most essential part of the story is the bond between loved ones. Obviously, you will get multiple love stories, and the most important one is Aesun and Gwansik relationship. Their story is not extraordinary, they don't have to fight with monsters, they just have to live day by day and support each other as much as they can, and oh boy, they did that. They not only fought to live another day, but for to earn everyone's respect and change things in an era where it was not usual to stand up for yourself, especially if you are a woman. Gwansik may be a silent warrior, but he was the strongest soldier in Aesun's army. Life is not easy, but if you have a partner for life, nothing else matters. It's a clishe, but it's still true. Aesun and Gwansik were partners in every possible way, not just as lovers, but as friends and parents as well.
"I was mad at my mom for being poor. I was mad because I knew I was the reason."
The second half of the season is where the drama becomes even more interesting, because the young adult duo turns into adults, and their roles is taken over by another two great actors, Moon Sori and Park Haejoon (who also worked with the director and IU on "My Mister"), and if that's not enough, we can see IU takes over another role as their oldest child, Geum Myeong, proving how versatile she is. At first, this may sound weird, one actress playing two roles, mother and daughter looking exactly the same, but it's easy to forget about this pretty fast, because the way IU portrays these characters helps a lot! Not to mention the make-up department, because even as a long-time IU fan (since 2008), even myself sometimes forgot that these characters were played by the same actress. One of my favorite part of the show is the narration! This is another example of IU taking her craft seriously. She could've taken this lightly, but she didn't. She not only uses different tones (also dialect, I think) for both characters, but her narrating helps so much to understand these characters and their struggles. On screen, you may see Geum Myeong arguing with her parents about something, acting as a brat, meanwhile in the narration, she's explaining, why she was a dumb kid who didn't understand her parents at all. This gives so much depth to the characters, both Aesun and her daughter, and of course Gwansik as the most important man in their lives. Sadly, as it usually happens, people realize too late they had everything from the beginning.
"I had a loving dad. But my dad didn't have a loving daughter."
Even tho the writer included many strong female characters of all ages, don't think male characters are less significant or strong. Of course, no man can hold the candle to Sir Gwansik, the Korean Lancelot, especially as a father and a husband. His relationship with his kids is something that will melt everyone's heart. Of course, his heart has its own Queen and that's Aesun, but all he can see since her birth is her Princess, Geum Myeong. If there's one man who gives his all to his loved ones, it's Gwansik, and it doesn't matter how long it takes, how much he has to do, he always there for his family, and he never gives up! The saying: "Not all hero wear capes." is really about him. You have to look for the tiniest details, even when it's about parenting or being a husband, because as I said, they don't say everything out loud.
There are so many elements of the show I don't want to talk about right now, because this is a spoiler-free review, and I know this isn't a feelgood drama, but I highly recommend to watch more than once, because finding all those clues, why these characters did something or didn't, why they're acting in a certain way is a huge plus. Even if they're frustrating at first, if you understand the signs, it helps you a lot to understand them. Even tho this drama is not a fantasy, you can still find exiting or even surprising moments. Especially if you miss those tiny details. It happened to me too on the first watch, and when I realized why that dialogue happened, it had a bigger impact on me than finding out who's the killer in a thriller. The scene where Geum Myeong hurt her parents' feelings, her dad raise his voice for the first time, and finding out the reason why that scene happened in the first place, is probably one of my favorite!
It's really hard to talk about "When Life Gives you Tangerines" without spoilers, and I didn't say anything about the amazing side characters or many other things, but I think, it's better if you experience it yourself.
If there's one thing, this drama taught me, is that nothing is simple in this life, but if you have people around you, you can achieve anything!
"To my parents who were so young, and always so tender-hearted all throughout the seasons.
With remorse, gratitude, and the deepest respect, thanks for showing us what to do when life gives you tangerines."
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WOW!
The headline says it all!I knew this drama is going to be great, but it actually surprised me a lot of times. For that alone, it deserves a high score!
We could say it has an original plot, likable and real characters, and it has a LOT of fun and meaningful moments as well.
There were only a couple of things I didn't like, that's why I can't give a perfect score.
(CAN BE SPOILER!!!!)
1. I think they should've focus more on the character's personal issues, the reason they lost their powers.
2. I didn't like what they did with the antagonists. Honestly, they should've kept them on the bad side, especially the "mother".
3. Lastly, the ending was a bit off and unnecessary. If they wanted to save him, they could've done it differently. A 5 year old kid saving his father is a bit much for me.
Also, I think they could've done something with the legal side of the story, because literally no one cared about what they did. That was also weird.
Other than these minor issues, this is a fantastic show, and I highly recommend it!
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Don't use drugs, okay?
This happens when you smoke too much weed, and you want to make a show. 😂The base of the story is not bad, it was actually funny, but it was way too long, and ridiculous. There were some real meaning behind the story, but the ending ruined everything. Makes no sense. They created a cycle in the finale. You can't change what happened if you don't know what happened.
This is writing 101, and they messed it up.
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It's perfect on it's own way.
I have mixed feelings, because this show AMAZING, but I don't think 12 episodes was enough. So many things happened with all these characters, but it felt like this is a sprint rather than a marathon. Honestly, I want to give this show a perfect score, because they portrayed a lot of mental problems really well, and basically every character was likeable in some ways. But as much as I love this show, I can't ignore the fact that, with more episodes or fewer characters, it could've been perfect. Sure, we can say that Da Eun's depression wasn't "cured" after 2 days, because she was in the hospital for months, probably, but it didn't felt like that. I could say the same about basically every other main or side character too. Everyone who had a problem, it was "solved" really fast. What was a bit weird is that I don't think there was any OST in the show, or I just don't remember. The acting was top-notch, just like the writing and directing. The visuals were crazy good, and the overall feeling of the show is perfect. So, even they tried to do too much, I wasn't disappointed. I was funny when it needed, and the whole message of the show is probably the main reason why people should watch this.Honestly, I would love to see another season, with new patients. Not to mention, I want to see Min Deul Re again. She was such a great character. Her cute little romance with Hwang was funny, like watching two puppies meeting for the first time.🤣
But with Da Eun and Go Yoon, I didn't felt the chemistry, to be honest. It was a bit weird, and I'm glad the love triangle didn't really happen.
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LAZY WRITING, AGAIN!
Why they always ruin a great show in the finale? Another lazy writing, at least in the finale. They had 24 episodes to finished it the right way, but no, let's do some stupid stuff. I honestly wouldn't mind if all 3 died. Why? Because at least that would make sense. Also, how on Earth is she was pregnant? They had one night together, and he left her for MONTHS! Are they never read anything about pregnancy? 3 or more months are not 3 weeks! Don't ever tell me the morning sickness is happening after 3+ months. They wanted them to have a kid just because the sake of it? Also, He had many times to kill the King, but no, why would he, right? Not to mention that everything was perfect with his army until the last half of the episode? A totally random guy just betrayed them? The whole show was so great till the finale. Anyone who says, this show is perfect is just another blindfolded fan, nothing more. The writers literally throw away everything they build. I don't mind the happy ending or even the sad ending with them dying with their kid, but I hate lazy writing so much!Was this review helpful to you?
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Almost perfect?
Well, it's really hard to write anything about this drama at this moment because I just finished it, so my thoughts are all over the place. But one thing is fore sure: This show needs one or two simple fixes, and it would be perfect. The first half of the season was but slow and sometimes over the top, and I really needed some explanation, that I've got much later. Also, I felt the ending was a bit rushed. These two things aside, it's pretty much perfect. The writing, the OST, the directing, (except the weird look of the flashback scenes) and of course THE ACTING! Holy Mother of Jesus, the acting in this drama is something else. Sure, some people could say I'm a huge IU fan but man, if this drama would be an American show, she would've won an Emmy for her acting! Lee Sun Kyun and IU carried this show like it was nothing. Also, the supporting cast was amazing too. I really loved the brothers, even tho, sometimes I wanted to slap them so hard.😅 I don't think I will ever forget Lee Ji Ahn and her sweet relationship with her grandma. I was so angry when she died, but it was great to see everyone support and love Ji Ahn. After 21 YEARS, she can be happy finally!!! And thank God for the happy ending, even tho it was rushed, like I said.This show is a MUST for everyone!!!
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I have mixed feelings!
Honestly, I started watching this drama because of Park Eun Bin, who has like 30 minute screen time overall?🤣 But I have to be honest. The first couple of episodes were hard to watch, also the makeup for the hair and beards were terrible most of the time and I couldn't focus on the story because of that. I don't know why no one cared about the fake hair and beard on the male characters, but maybe there's a reason for that. After like 30 episode or so, these fantastic actors made me forget every bad thing about this show. It's far from perfect, but overall I think I will watch it again one day when I want to be sad again. I really don't know what the hell is wrong with me, why I love so much shows with sad endings.😂I don't really know how to describe what Lee Yo Won, Go Hyun Jung, Kim Nam Gil and Uhm Tae Woong did on this show! All of them are exceptional actors. Also, the music, Jesus Christ! Every time I heard: "Step by step" and "Come people of God" just made me cry, honestly.
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You need to use the right ingredients for a food, and it was missing from this drama!
Everything started out good, until the cancer plot! The writer ruined the whole show with that storyline. Why? Well, because it doesn't make sense at all. She said, they removed 70% of her stomach, but we have never seen her struggling with her illness more than once, and that was all about a stupid love triangle as well! I'm pretty sure we've seen her eating food that she shouldn't eat. Anyway, it wasn't realistic.
Their chemistry was great as friends, but after they became a couple, it was awkward most of the time. When they were bickering, it was fun, but all the unnecessary drama was frustrating.
For me, the secondary couple was 10 times better! It was more realistic and original.
The story with the parents was also madness, but sometimes, it was really fun, until they included Alzheimer storyline, and they didn't do anything with that either.
This show don't deserve a high rating, because it feels like the writer wanted to do so many things, but other than the romance plot, she didn't finish anything else.
EVERYONE in this show is CRAZY and an IDIOT! The only character with a functional brain is the little girl.
I want to mention this, because the main plot is basically the romance. All of these characters are 30+ year olds, yet, they're still acting like teens. I usually don't care about these things, but the kissing scenes were boring, so to speak. I don't even know if we can call those real kissing scenes.
Most of the time, the writing was over the top, and too much!
So yeah, it was a disappointment, BUT if you don't think about the plot too much, it's a fun show, but forgettable.
If you watched one romance Kdrama, they won't surprise you. I knew what's gonna happen from miles away. One of the most predictable show.
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A MASSIVE LETDOWN, poor writing, and even worse new male lead!
After the interesting 1st season, the second one was disappointing to say the least.I can only name like a few positive things about this season. The biggest one is when this irritating Bobi guy weren't around. I just can't understand why people on MDL keep saying, they're on his side and he's the best. Maybe all of you are GOT7 fangirls, I don't know, but if that's the case, don't rate Kdramas, please!
They had ZERO chemistry with Yumi, it was a physical relationship since day 1. The guy acted like a typical perfect, handsome and kind dude, but he was anything but that. HE WAS A REAL PLAYER! He may look handsome, but Yumi were still in a relationship when he started flirting with her in the 1st season. You just don't put your coat on a woman, especially if her boyfriend is there, doesn't matter if he's drunk or not. And when they broke up, the first thing he did was asked her out when she only broke up with Woong like a couple of days ago. Or at least, I that's what I thought, because we hardly got any info about how many months passed. I didn't get why Yumi started dating with him so soon, anyway. She didn't have anyone for 3 years after her 1st boyfriend cheated on him, and they were together for 7 years, I think.
The other thing is that the minute they started dating, Bobi already was on a speed dial, I thought he's gonna do the nasty with her in the car. Who the hell does that? I'm not a prude at all, but he was a completely different character after they started dating. And let's not talk about the fact that he basically cheated on Yumi. YES, it was (emotional) cheating. If you don't feel anything for another woman, you just don't move away because you're afraid of seeing her again. How old are you, 5?
And this wasn't even the worst thing he did with Yumi! He lied for a whole week about where he was, he broke his leg, but didn't tell her girlfriend, because he didn't want her to worry? Then, 1 minute later, asked her to marry him, and she said yes? WHAT THE ACTUAL BLOODY HELL? Who the heck does that? Both of them were crazy, for sure.
You can say whatever you want about Woong, he wasn't perfect, no one is, but he never cheated on Yumi, and he only lied about his company. That's a fixable problem. It's understandable why he felt, he's not good enough for her, even tho Yumi never cared about that, and honestly, their whole break up was nonsense. If Yumi wait for 5 minute, he would've said yes to her proposal.
Honestly, I can't believe I say this, but Ruby was the best character on the show and with Control Z they were so funny.😂
If there's gonna be another season, I'm not gonna watch it, unless if it's about Yumi and Woong, because I don't see the point of watching another season with another guy.
I already skipped most of the animated parts because it was boring and irritating. It only felt fresh and original in the 1st season. The writers overused it, and we saw the same scenes multiple times as well, that was also ridiculous.
I don't even remember when was the last time a Kdrama made me this frustrated.
Big potential, big letdown!
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A realistic movie about love!
I wouldn't say it's a romantic movie, even tho you could interpret the story in two different ways, the message remains the same. Two women love each other till the end! It doesn't matter if they're only friends or lovers, these are just labels. This movie basically perfect, because it shows that relationships are not easy and simple, it's complex, and you have to work hard to maintain it.
What I love about this movie is that it's not about the guy, it's 100% about the girls' POV. As much as they love each other, they're always messing up something, but they never leave each other.
In the end, they're basically become the same person. It was like Miso not only finished her art, but Ha Eun's life as well.
The story isn't finished, you have to guess what happened with Jin Woo and his daughter. Who knows, maybe he will raise her with Miso, or just meet the girl once in a while. But I don't think that matters.
At the end of the day, this is about Miso and Ha Eun, and how much they love each other.
Like the title says: They're soulmates.
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The guy who wrote this should be fired from the industry!
I don't remember when was the last time any TV Show, not just a Kdrama made me so angry after 3 episodes.One of THE WORST written thriller I've seen for so long.
Like, seriously, nothing makes sense, and what's worse is that you have a so called SMART detective guy, and a woman who's a SPECIAL AGENT, and both of them doing the dumbest things they could ever make.
Great actors wasted for a crap script!
Don't waste your time watching this if you're not watching it only for the romance. Anyone who loves thriller, and zombie stories should ignore this!
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Another Kdrama with a soulless ending!
I honestly don't know when will Kdrama writers gonna realize what they're doing for years, is not good!Some of the best shows has the worst ending, and "See You in My 19th Life" is just another example!
The main plot isn't new or extraordinary, we've seen shows like this many times, but it was still interesting, and fun. It was well-written, till the last 2 episodes!
I don't want to go into details, because I don't see the point, but the most disappointing parts of the story are these:
1. They didn't do much with the past lives plot, she was struggling who she should tell the truth for a long time, yet she basically told everyone, except her own mother!
2. The worst part of the story is probably the Minki guy. He came from nowhere, he was like the all-knowing guy, yet we didn't get a single explanation why or how he knows these things, we just had to accept what he says. I mean, where's the proof that Jieum had to forget all of her past lives to save everyone else? That was THE DUMBEST plot EVER! Lazy writing 101!
3. The pacing of the story. It wasn't really stretched or anything, but I still felt, we hardly get anything from the story. The last 2 episode were just bad! I think, they realized they made a mistake, so they fixed everything in 5 seconds, basically.
Other than these, I think this show is pretty good, and enjoyable! The actors did a great job, but sadly, this is just another average fantasy show with a massive potential.
Another overrated Kdrama, but I'm not surprised. Most show here are overrated. Kdrama fans don't like to give low scores.
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I wish the writers would listen to the inner characters in their heads.
First of all, this show has an original, and interesting concept, and I have to say, even tho I disliked many things, it was more about the fact that the characters were written like real people.I think, the biggest problem with the show is that what makes it unique is the same thing that makes it boring as well after some time. The first 8-10 episode were great, but at one point the animated characters felt repetitive and boring, and I usually don1t skip scenes, but I did it.
Even tho I put this show in my favorite list, I only did it because this offered something different, not because it was the best written Kdrama.
The main couple was lovable and cute, and the best part is that neither of them were perfect Disney characters without any flaws. They're idiots, making stupid mistakes. And yes, it's irritating as hell, but that's how life is.
I don't think I ever wanted to actually k-ll a Kdrama character that wasn't a villain, but I felt the need to do this while watching what Sae Yi did. I despise people who act like a friend, but they're actually trying to ruin your life, because they're greedy, to say the least.
As for Ruby, well, she was also irritating, BUT I have to say, I think she was more interesting than the main characters. Why? Because the way she acts speaks volumes. She just wants to be loved, and that means she's probably the loneliest character on the show.
Overall, this is a pretty good show, fun, entertaining and real romance story, but I hope the 2nd season is better. Thanks to MDL's character descriptions, they already spoiled the main thing for me, but it's not like it was a secret, the writers already started to develop the new romance since the 1st minute the new guy arrived. And honestly, I already dislike him, because he's such a typical Kdrama male character. Pretty face, nice guy, pretty much perfect.
So, let's hope I won't be disappointed.
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