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Strong start, but weak finish
I'm always a fan of Young Woo, because of his great past performances ... so I stuck with this series right till the end. It was a great story at the beginning, along with great acting by the four protagonists in their roles, but somewhere about halfway through, things changed a bit for me. I found the direction of the plot a bit confusing at times, but as I said, I stayed with it, hoping it would correct itself. Unfortunately that didn't happen, it really didn't seem to be as interesting from the middle part of the series through episode 11. The finale did have some good direction toward the very end, but I think it was just a bit too far gone for me at that point. To no fault of Young Woo, Yi Hyun or Kang Yoon, giving all strong performances, but I just wish the last six or so episodes were as enjoyable to watch as the first six.Looking forward to his future projects!
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One of Jun Ho's Best!
This is definitely Jun Ho like you've never seen before ...Some reviews were so brutal here, I'm not sure we were watching the same series. I found this drama to be so fantastic in every way. Jun Ho is masterful as always. For anyone who lost a parent and had to pick up the pieces of their lives and go on, this series shows us exactly that. In the beginning, you can't imagine Tae Pung taking over the family business for his recently departed dad, but not only does he transform himself, but everyone around him changes for the better as we get deeper into each episode.
Watching the two lead protagonists fight the evil and dishonest practices of the main antagonists, Hyeon Jun & Bak Ho (Pyo's Owners), it's exhausting to say the least. At times it gets a bit too overwhelming, watching the evil father and son get the best of Tae Jung over and over again ... but you know eventually things will change. It does take forever for this to happen, but don't give up hope. It really does happen!
Early on I couldn't see or feel the magic of Tae Jung & Mi Seon becoming a couple, but somehow it happens and becomes quite believable about halfway through the drama. They become perfectly matched, making for a one two punch tag team to keep Typhoon Trading alive. I think episode 8, the Thailand trip, is when it begins to show us anything is possible, especially seeing Jun Ho sing in English. That was definitely the pinnacle episode of the series. That's where everything started to gel with all the characters, and you could see and feel an unofficial family starting to bond.
Toward the end, I must admit I was hoping for a better demise of the wicked Hyeon Jun. Even though he gets what he deserves, it would have been nice to see the full retribution that was coming his way. The writers seem to leave that up to our imagination.
Throughout each episode, as things kept appearing to be so bleak for Typhoon Trading, one line used earlier on, seems to apply many times over... ... "stars still exist even when they can't be seen"
Don't give up hope!
Extremely enjoyable series with great performances to match!!
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Fighting fighting & fighting.
If you like bloody fighting to the death, this is your series. You can't help but get hooked on how Ji Jun get's out of every situation he's in, whether he's facing one person or an entire room of people. After a while, though, it does get a bit tiring how he just keeps killing every single person he comes in contact with. I think the story becomes a bit lacking ... leaving just the fighting to watch as entertainment, but not too much in the way of substance.The supporting cast give a good back up to all the fighting. Jun Mo played by Gong Myung makes you really wish for a painful death on his part ... which he eventually gets!
Young Woo, who I've become a big fan of, gives us a dark and sinister character of Geum Son. He does a great job at showing his acting ability with a personality he has never shown before.
I wish the writing would have equaled the acting & fighting ... but it did make for some good action, and lots of blood!!!!
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Great from start to finish
It's really rare for a show to come along that can make you laugh & cry just minutes or even seconds apart from each other, but this drama definitely did that. Going into it, I didn't think it would be as terrific as Hospital Playlist, but it came pretty close.Every Protagonist in this series added something special to the continuing story. The supporting cast was great as well. We watched all the characters mature throughout each episode, which made everything become more interesting.
For me, Jae Il was my favorite character, as well as You Seok who portrayed him. He brought a childish playful situation to each scene, but showed his serious side when it was needed. He was great at doing that. The relationship that developed between him and Sa Bi was done perfectly, as was the romance between Youn Jung & Jun Won's characters.
I think the only negative I found was a bit of "slowness in the story lines" during the middle part of the series. Some episodes seemed to make you want to check your watch to see how much time was left ... but having said that, once you got to the final three episodes, everything really came together, making a masterful end to the drama.
The retiring doctor's speech toward the end of episode 12 kind of sums up what this series was all about ...
"Facing the timeless truth of life & death everyday ... through every moment of despair and joy"
Definitely an enjoyable series to watch. Hoping for a season 2.
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Painful but satisfying to watch
At times this series was extremely painful to watch. It was probably the first time I was watching a series and rooting against the main protagonist, Ba U. Most of the series I found that he was the one that was really clueless, not Hun. It's true that Hun was way over the top possessive toward Ba U every minute of the day, it merely showed us how much in love he was with him for so very long.To see Ba U list his best friend of more than a decade as "stalker" in his phone, I just felt that was a heartless thing to do, especially since he really did care for Hun so much. Taking the advice from Ha Min, who he only knew for such a short period was annoying, plus that character really needed to get out of the way of these two friends.
BUT, that said, after watching episode 8, I just canceled most of the negative stuff out I was going to write about the character of Ba U. He finalized realized the true feelings they both shared for each other. It's just a shame they couldn't "go back in time" like Hun suggested and do it over again. Unfortunately, none of us can do that ... and the series showed us that. Even Ha Min did the right thing in the end, which kind of surprised me.
The painful part was watching two best friends both living with the pain of not being truthful to each other for more than a decade. The wasted time they both experienced because of it.
Min Ho & Je Hyeon were both great at pulling us into the pain their characters were feeling. In the end, the chemistry between them definitely showed up ... I just wish it would have showed up a bit sooner.
All in all, it gets high marks in the way everything wrapped up!
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Almost a Great Series!
This series had me glued to my seat, not being able to turn it off. A very powerful story line with a great cast of actors.Se Ok & Deok Hui was fantastic. Their characters had the skills of being believable, with just a touch of evil below the surface.
Being a big fan of Yoon Chan Young, I wish he would have had a bigger role, but he was great as a supporting actor in this. He gave a touch of comedy and sensitivity during the really dark moments.
The series did become a bit of a disappointment at the end. Without giving a spoiler, it ended sort of flat, nothing like I was expecting. Without knowing if there will be a season 2, it sort of flat lined the story and really left us waiting for the big moment that never came.
Hopefully a season 2 will happen.
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Sometimes lies are necessary ...
I'm kind of surprised at some of the harsh reviews with this series. I found this drama to be so fantastic from start to finish. Not only was it a great story to watch and travel along with, but the actors seem to be perfectly cast, whether being a protagonist or antagonist.Min Hyun delivers such a great role as Do Ha, somewhat mysterious early on, but eventually opens the character up so we know him completely inside and out at the very end. His counterpart, Sol Hee fits together with him like a perfect puzzle, somewhat mysterious as well, but she too becomes completely transparent to us as things move along. So Hyun matures her into the perfect match for Do Ha, something that didn't seem likely when they first met.
The supporting cast were all great, each adding something in their own special way. You can't help but feel empathy toward several of them, particularly Kang Min and Deuk Chan, each for different reasons. Ji Hoon's character, while you knew he wouldn't win back Sol Hee, you really wanted something good to go his way, which eventually he seemed to be in a happy place at the end. Ji On's role, on the other hand, was the surprise of the series. He did such a great job shaping this character, so when things take a major turn, you can't help but be shocked. I think episode 14 was definitely the pinnacle hour of the entire drama. From that point on, the last two episodes are like a rollercoaster ride, giving us all the answers we needed for a very satisfying ending. The way the final scene ends, it brought us 360 degrees back to where it began in episode 1.
I think what Sol Hee says at the very end of the last episode sums up this series ... "People's hearts are as deep and mysterious as the ocean .... you can't tell what's inside just by saying true or false"
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Every emotion you can feel is in this drama
This is an absolute rollercoaster ride of different emotions. Starting out happy and innocent to sad and extremely depressing, all within a matter of two episodes. Not knowing what the title "366 Days" really means when you start watching, you just need to stay focused and just keep watching.Gordon Maeda, who I'm a long time fan of, gives a fantastic performance, playing really two roles, Haruto before the accident and Haruto after the accident. Alice Hirose is also brilliant at showing the difficulties when dealing with a catastrophic event in one's family or relationship. The two of them match perfectly together to make for a very believable story, giving you several tear-jerking moments.
The supporting cast is great, showing the importance of friendship, and how "best friends" are always there for you, in good times and in bad.
I must admit, I started having a change of heart toward this series around episode 7, not liking the direction is was going at all, almost to a point of not wanting to watch the final three or so episodes ... BUT I'm so glad I stuck with it. If you're watching it and feel an annoyance to even anger come over you later in the series, stick it out, you'll be glad you did. The final episode definitely makes it all worth your while!!!
A line given early on in this series definitely makes total sense at the end, "No one knows what the future will bring. You have to work today, for the sake of tomorrow"
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Pure Enjoyment From Start To Finish
I'm a bit surprised at some of the negative reviews. I really found this series to be great in every way. It gives you all angles from the two main protagonists. I think the two actors in this are perfectly cast. Not only do they fit the parts so well, you can feel the chemistry building between the two as you get deeper and deeper into the drama. When Se Na has her first encounter with Laik, anyone who has idolized someone from a far, you know exactly what she's feeling. Soo Young delivers it so well.Jae Yeong is also fantastic as "The Idol". He makes you feel so much empathy for his character. Someone who had it all and in the blink of an eye, everything disappears overnight. He keeps you rooting for him throughout each episode.
I think what's a rare thing in this series, some of the antagonists in this story, that you really find hatred for early on, do a turn around and show some decency in their character, especially as you get toward the final episodes.
The one thing I always a negative in most series, is when time skips forward as you get toward a conclusion. Where you see that caption "one year later" ... right away I thought, oh boy, they just ruined it. But somehow the writing does a great job at keeping things in perspective. It doesn't turn out to be a negative after all and the final episode it truly an enjoyable sixty minutes right till the end. They keep a blend of drama with a touch of light comedy mixed in.
There's a line used at one point of the series that definitely explains a major story line of this drama ... "Sometimes people's hearts are hard to see, even when they're right beside you"
Excellently written and brilliantly performed drama!
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Just Awful
This was the single most difficult series I ever got through!!!Do Ha is the most arrogant and obnoxious character I've seen in a long time. How he can be the lead protagonist and we're supposed to enjoy this series? There wasn't one minute in this drama that I found myself rooting for him. It's just beyond understanding how this character was written for us to enjoy.
I like Jae Wook, seeing him in past dramas that were extremely entertaining, but there were times in this one I had to fast forward over him, because it was just too annoying to watch his character so sure of himself, again and again and again.
Equally annoying was the other protagonist, Ha Gyeong. Nothing ever goes her way. She's made to look so pathetic. Watching her in such misery and have so much anger peaking out throughout each episode. How she let Do Ha walk all over her, it was just incredible watching it happen.
I'm not too familiar with Sung Eun,. but I don't put the blame on her, it was just an awful character she portrayed.
Just an all around bad series. I will try to forget this one in a hurry.
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Brilliant Murder Mystery
Yes, this is a murder mystery, but it's so much more than that. It's a story about four kids that experience an ordeal so powerful at the time, they each carry a burden of it for 23 years, which is present day of this story. A story of murder, regret, first love, deception, lies and so much more.The adult cast is fantastic, making a great mix of chemistry with each other. Ryoma Takeuchi & Noriko Eguchi are definitely my two favorite, especially Noriko, who is the relentless detective with many mysteries surrounding herself. In fact, each character is hiding something about themselves, which eventually all comes out as you get deeper into the series.
Episode six would definitely be the pinnacle episode for many reasons, but as many questions are answered, many more mysteries are created.
This is the kind of drama you watch the story spider out into so many directions ... and as you get to the final episode, you think you have it all figured out. Guess what, you're not going to even come close as to what the final outcome is for the cast and the story. A truly great final episode leaves no question unanswered, and gives a great shocking conclusion to the original murder from 23 years in the past.
Just a great suspenseful drama, with a touch of everything to make it super entertaining!
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A bit better than these harsh reviews, wow!
This series is really in a three different parts. It starts out more of a dramatic with a darker tone, but eventually goes into a blend of some drama and comedy, followed by true drama with romantic storylines.It kind of took me a while to warm up to the two protagonists, they didn't seem to have anything in the way of chemistry early on, but if you give it until the fifth episode, things do start to change for the better in all ways. The story gets more interesting, the cast begins to blend together, throw in one or two antagonists ... and from that point on, it's extremely enjoyable.
I have a feeling that some of these negative reviews were people not giving enough time to the story. In Hyuk & Jeong Eui really develop into a believable couple ... eventually. The later episodes gives the story an entirely new and fresh direction, correcting for anything you felt it was lacking early on.
The final episode is a dramatic and powerful last hour, giving you a nice conclusion to what really turns out to be a pretty good series. Things kind of go full circle, leaving you with a smile on your face at the end.
Little Woo Soo played by Yu Ho is absolutely adorable!!!
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You're in it for life!
I must say, a lot of people were in bad moods when reviewing this series. I'm not sure why, because I thought this was a pretty decent drama. It kept your attention and curiosity coming back for more. Was it Wookie's best? definitely not, but overall, the combination of him and the rest of the supporting cast, it proved some good entertainment.I thinking about halfway through the series, things started to slow a bit too much, and what usually happens, did ... the story got rushed toward the very end. Instead of dragging several story lines too long in the middle of the series, it might have been better to shorten certain parts and stick more with the main characters.
I know the series is called "The Nice Guy", but Wookie's character, Seok Cheol was a bit too nice, a bit too laid-back for a gangster. Nothing against Dong Wook, I think he did a great job at showing us the character he was suppose to be, a guy trying to have a normal life with a normal job and a normal temperament.
The ending also matched the Nice Guy theme .. while it was a happy ending pretty much all around, it kind of lacked a great conclusion to the story. No big surprises, no major revelations to any of the characters. It basically delivered exactly what you thought would happen in the end, a nice finish!!
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Opposites attract ...
This is a very slow moving story at the beginning, but definitely give it a chance. It turns out to be quite entertaining with a good story line & good acting.The story is pretty basic, being attracted to and wanting someone you know it not good for you, but you can't help yourself.
Kaito Matsukura gives a great performance as a person searching for that special person that will give him what he's looking for in life, excitement and happiness. The problem with his character, Hiroto, is he becomes a bit blinded by what he thinks is love, but is really infatuation. Sone, the girl he wants, is so care free and such a wrong fit for him, but that makes him want her even more. Yuki Katayama is great at playing hard to get, showing a definite coldness throughout the series towards him. She does warm up a bit later on, but it's a long road in getting there.
I think my favorite character was in fact Ryo. Leo Matsumoto is fantastic as showing us his total disregard toward a truthful and monogamous relationship. He's such a smooth talker with the looks to back it up, so he gets away with doing or saying he wants. You want to hate him, but he makes it extremely difficult to do so.
Having been in Tokyo many times, but not actually lived there, this turned out to be spot on & very realistic for me. I think the writing, along with the entire cast was great. There's a line used toward the end of this series that applies to this drama ...
"Love makes everyone frantic. It makes them look pathetic at times"
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Two sides to every story
This drama really does show the true meaning of "two sides to every story" ...I think it's really impressive in the first several episodes how we see the story from Kazuya's side and then it's followed up by seeing the same situation from Misao's side. It's done in a brilliant way to make us understand what each character is going through. You sort of change your opinion as you see it from both sides, sometimes for the good, sometimes not so good.
Both these characters definitely need each other and change each other for the better by the end. Taiki Sato does a great job at making you dislike him in the beginning. He's self centered, uses women and doesn't feel any regret in his actions, but somewhere along the way, he's changed by Misao, played extremely well by Ai Mikami. Great chemistry between these two actors makes it an extremely believable relationship.
As usual, there's always several antagonists to get in the way of true happiness for this couple. If you can tolerate the annoying interference from other people, and believe me, it does become annoying ... but if you can put up with that, this turns out to be a really good story.
The supporting cast fits well, too. There are several other side stories happening, and seemingly they all play into each other as you get to the conclusion in the final episode.
Also ... a very unique opening credit scene at the start of each episode. The splattering of colored paint landing on the actors, just fantastic!
Overall, a very enjoyable series!!!
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