Great Actors, Weak Story
Where to begin? Individually, the actors all bring a strong catalogue of work, and I pick what I watch based on who has been cast. That being said, there just isn't any chemistry between any of the actors. Add to that the holes in the plot that never really get filled in and the who series left me feeling just a little flat.The ML and FL have a history together. But even before they split and came back into one another's lives, the chemistry just is not there. It always feels more like besties instead of lovers. The fact that the ML never explains to her why he dropped out of her life doesn't make sense. They leave it to the audience to infer that it was discussed. This poor young man has lived a life of loss and they really didn't begin to touch on that until episode 8. The FL had a disjointed relationship with her parents, but again, not touched on until late in the series. Maybe if they had more episodes it could have been fleshed out a little more but given that they had 10 hours to define these characters, I'm thinking they could have found a way to do it.
The second couple is just dysfunctional. The SFL is a stalker and the SML has been in a depressive spiral for years thanks to SFL (who is completely tone deaf). There is no chemistry between them. and it doesn't help that SFL actress was the weakest of the four leads. We get a glimpse of his relationship with his family for five minutes. We get nothing on her background. What's the point of having a SFL and SML if they aren't going to explore the characters? 10 episodes is more than enough time to develop all of these characters.
The supporting characters (including the injured brother of the ML and the ailing former neighbor of the FL) are just there, taking up space. Their stories could have been better told. The actors in these roles were underutilized.
It is not a bad production; it just lacks spark.
At the end of the day, there was a ton of potential that the director and writers just did not solidify. Unfortunate for the cast that did their best with what they had to work with.
Not unwatchable, but not at the top of the list, either.
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A Bit Disappointing
I really wanted to like this series, but I am left a little flat. The FL's character is annoying. She's a well-educated researcher in her 30's and incredibly immature. I just cannot see how the ML, a well-educated, worldly man, could find anything endearing about her. I understand that aegyo is a cultural style in Korea, but it's annoying. Especially in anyone over the age of 30.The story did not need to be carried over 16 episodes. I could have been wrapped up in 8. Siwon did a great job with his character and was probably the most developed of all of them. The rest all fall a little flat.
Honestly, it's a shame that given the level of talent in this series I cannot give it a better rating. Watch if you have nothing better to do.
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Great Cast, Disappointing Story
Wow, where do I start? The cast are all magnificent actors. I've been following them for years. But the material they've been given, in spite of their talent, is disappointing. They could have wrapped this up in 6-8 episodes. I don't know how they're going to keep it going for 16.The story is the same old, tired trope: rich Chaebol heir/heiress falls for poor but cute woman/man. Conflicts from within both families and antagonism between the two leads. But all of that plays out in the first two episodes. Flashbacks only do so much. How can a couple that was so in love three years prior be so distanced and bitter in such a short amount of time? Oh, and throw in a terminal illness as another tired trope.
The music, hair, makeup, clothing, locations...are all beautiful. That cannot make up for the total want of a story. I will continue to see this out, but it is definitely not a re-watch.
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1/2 Way Through...It's OK
The acting is great, the story less so. Slow moving and it leaves you guessing (a bit too much) for the back stories. How did this family come into their powers? Is this hundreds of years of a family with these powers? A recent curse? How did the sister gain all of that weight if she was once a successful model? Does the dad have powers or is he just along for the ride?After six episodes of a 12-episode series, one would think that the characters, especially the leads, would be a bit more fleshed out.
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I Want To Like This
I am past episode 5 now and I just don't know what to say. The whole show is confusing. By now all of the main actors' stories should be relatively fleshed out but, instead, the story lines has become more confusing.I will continue to watch because I have so much respect for all of the actors and have enjoyed their work in the past. Hopefully the writers and directors will start to peel the veils back and give us something tangible.
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