Contract marriages... is there ever really going to anything nuanced about a story line like this...
1) Girl meets boy, girl either dislikes or endures boy because of arrangement (do they ever have agreeable personalities, oh wait... they're 'jerks' on the top, but deep down, they're "NICE")
2) Girl and boy bicker, argue, don't get 'along' well because...
a) it was an arrangement, b) there is a love 'rival' (hers or his, or someone appears from the past who 'loves them)
3) feelings start to change and either
a) they take a longgggg time to admit it (last few eps?) or b) they have a ton of obstacles like their famlies or 'love rivals' in the way.
4) eventually they get along, and 'love' one another
5) it ends on a happy note, those who never anticipated love actually fall in love...
I'm actually upset that Aragaki chose this drama (because she's been in a lot of 'imma boss' roles). If there's a slight chance this one surprises anyone, and it kills all the possible tropes, I won't be tuning in. I don't know what has been up with jdramas lately, but lately tdramas (surprisingly) have been popping out some good stories here and there. Imma be the bit*h that says this, because lord help me, I have a feeling this one won't go beyond typicality.
I was so engrossed by this series for the first 30 episodes or so. It was different, and I LOVED the chemistry and nuanced dialogue between couples. I mean, some things were cliche, and some things we so not and I like that about this series. Aside from the adorable bromances, and womances (they were all well done), I thought the light-heartedness in this series makes this one easy to watch. Not too much tension, but enough to keep you interested. I was worried how it would keep my attention in the last 10 episodes, but it did, so I'm okay with how things ended.
HOWEVAS... my one complaint: Yi Xin. And not for the superficial reasons like her childish behaviour at points, and her obliviousness... but for the sake of the (lack of) or good chance for her to have a decent character development in this series. I mean, all the characters go through small to big transformations (in terms of their identities and feelings), but why, dear writers, did you give that half-ass move to Paris and return all mature (cough *Coffee Prince*) move on us...Yi Xin you deserved better... a lot better. If this series was still 70 episodes, she could have grown so much more and they could have added a love rival (like someone swooning her in Paris or something). I know that'd be really cliche, but I think that this couple needed something more mature to solidify their relationship (even if they were serious)
On a last note though, Huang Tender... man, does that guy know how to kiss. He and Shara Lin WAS ON FIRE peeps. Each one of their kiss scenes (even in comparison to Jolin and Hope) were suuuh good.
tvN is reallllly stepping it up with their dramas (as evident in the last two years). Like damn, cinematography goals, for real... even if this one has a tragic ending (hopefully not!!), this looks incredibly well thought out.
This is my opinion, but I thought I needed to say something about this series on this page for a few reasons. 1) because this show took away 2 hours of my life and I felt like I needed to react, and 2) for people interested in watching it, and are on the fence, this is for you...
I hate this adaptation. Okay, that's putting it harshly. I watched 4 episodes, and skimmed through the rest, and I actually couldn't find any reason to put any heart and effort into finishing it.
I've read the manga. I like the manga. It has a ton of humor, and Chiwa is an OL (office lady), and she's a lot more put together career wise in the manga (well, the actual fact that she has a freaking job that she moves forward with).The Chiwa here is... annoying (dare I say?). I mean, at the beginning she has her strengths, but in the manga, at least she has the ambition. Now, I'm not shitting on women who stay at home to take care of the kids and the house. It's work. Highly unpaid and unrecognized work (especially when it's naturalized.) But I don't know what the hell has been up with some jdramas lately (not to make swooping generalizations, because there are a few I have fallen in love with because they tackle serious social issues). Like, centring an entire story on women's plights of 'marriage,' like that's all she needs to care about. Although marriage is not for everyone, and cross-culturally marriage is constructed differently, I am in the thought-camp where I wholly believe women should not ever be reduced to how/when she marries, and how many kids she has. Women, just like all genders, have intrinsic worth.
I didn't expect for this to be right from the manga, but the way they contorted it made me feel like it didn't do the original manga justice. THIS IS NOT "Hapi Mari' the manga. Yes, you have the basic idea 'contract signed,' and Hokuto's drama with his family, but that's it.
I may have one of the more unpopular opinions, but I'm actually disappointed it went the route it did, and I think Chiwa's character could have/should have been written a lot better (because I loved seeing Chiwa and Hokuto's development in the office because, spoiler, Hokuto is the CEO/hence her boss). They, like some of her 'female co-workers,' really angered me at points. C'est la vie, I suppose. Really disappointed.
***BIG SPOILER***
The only thing that bothered me about this series was the death of Hong. To be honest, I felt like he was unfairly used as a plot device to keep things moving in terms of not only the reveal of Yu's illness, but also 'cherishing' the time you have on this earth/etc insert meaningful life metaphor here (*sighs*). I liked how everything flowed so well in this series, but that part of the series (especially so late in) made me upset. Like, you honestly couldn't let him be happy with Ching Ching? To let him continue on with his life, even if he was in the US (if you didn't want him in the second season so dominantly)? It made me feel like he was always proving himself constantly because he used a wheelchair, and then what? BAM, in an instant he's happy it's all gone. Shit, I liked this series, but that just left me bitter. One of the most painfully random deaths I've seen in a drama so far. Even though this series is literally about life and death, that was totally ridiculous.
OMGGGGG when you catch up to a series that's currently airing.... :'( lol my life... I should have waited until this finished, or was up to at least 60 eps. It's suuuh good!
If only this was a few episodes longer! I think it would have been nice to see the characters go off into the…
It has its parts where it's funny, but the show isn't overtly'comedic.' I'd say it's more stronger in the slice of life/drama/friendship theme here. There are a lot of things that Emi's character and those around her go through, so I'd say if you're looking for comedy, this wouldn't be the best dorama for comedy.
This is so under-rated! I'm watching a ton of Japanese dramas of late precisely because they often are underrated, but this one is suh good!! Very meaningful and loving! I might re-watch this one!
I just wanted to say... normally I am not one to 'enjoy' high volumes of violence in dramas... I mean, this is just ridden with fighting (though the premise makes it obvious lol!). And aside from my "why on earth am I going to watch this?" moment, I was surprised that this one had a lot more heart to it than a kind of senseless violence I had thought it would be. I can see, within different members of S.W.O.R.D, how unique each member is. I mean, each one is literally different than the other (which is amazing given how many people there are!), and has their own story. Which made me wish the duration of the episodes was longer. It makes sense though, seeing as the writing and the action sequences are keep sharp and are well done. There's just so many interesting things going on, in thinking about control, power, dominance, and societal expectations. I mean, there seem to be lots of metaphors in this show about revenge, poverty, rivarly, friendship, betrayals, (how they collide and intersect) and more. This show is packed with lots of great acting, and I like that there was depth to these stories, aside from a struggle to just simply rise to the top. Because there's more to the members of S.W.O.R.D (well, at least the one's like the Sannoh Association). Overall, I would definitely re-watch this one, and I can't wait to see more! Very impressed with this one! And the music was JUST FAB. It suited each of S.W.O.R.D's organizations. I could totally watch seasons and seasons of all their stories and events... seriously, this is what this series has done to me lol IKEMEN GALORE PEOPLE.
I am looking forward to this because I like medical dramas. The premise seems like a mix up of various dramas tropes (like the 'troubled young teen finding their way,' and harbouring feelings for the one that 'changed' their life' kind of feel), but what can you do?! Maybe the scriptwriting will be refreshing (with a great focus on the medical aspect of course!!)...Park Shin Hye redeemed a lot of her acting points for me with her work in Pinocchio. I do like her acting style in some of her dramas (I think The Heirs was a waste of her talent tbh!!). I like that she's picking up slightly more multi-dimensional roles, that at least are more maturing and interesting. I hope this drama lives up to my expectations! And really, I'm just hoping for excellent acting and writing :D
This totally reminds me of Monty Python: Quest for the Holy Grail. Just the constant subversion of the 'quest' story, with so many meta references. So hilarious!!!! I can't believe I just found this gem a few days ago!
If only this was a few episodes longer! I think it would have been nice to see the characters go off into the world, even momentarily. I liked the ending, but I think there could have been something more. I like that Takei Emi takes on strong female roles, and here she's really cool, but I wish there could have been more because this one was really great. I'm a sucker for friendship dramas, and this one is cute :)
This show should have created the climax around episode 35 or so, and tried ending it by episode 40. That got... well, melodramas are melodramas, but some of the character's literally went off the deep end. The direction the writing went was a little... well, I don't know what the hell was up with Wan Xing for a while there. I thought it was interesting for the first half, I think it would have been stronger if it was shorter. Also, the whole, give the parents an illness or something instead of actually condemning them for all the crap they did is also really stupid. I'm not saying send them all to prison, but at the end, I was like 'meh,' it could have been better. And I really wanted to enjoy this one to the end, but I found myself skipping some parts. I would recommend watching this one is small doses. A few episodes a day. Interesting enough to pass the time, but there are moments where you'll be like "whaaaaat just happened" in not a very good way lol
I really hope this series is renewable for a second season!! What amazing character development!! Too short for 10 episodes, it needs more!!! I praise the writing for tackling serious oppressions in society, like sexism in the work place and beyond. It captures so much, cross-culturally what women have and continue to go through. Especially in terms of sexual harassment and violence. I would call many of the instances violence, rather than just harassment. I found myself cringing at the amount of BS these women went through, and then I'm like, 'for reals,' this shit happens everywhere and it's unjust. I wish there were more dramas that focused on serious issues like this! LOVED IT!!
I love how realistic this series is, and I like how these 5 women are SO completely unique, with their quirks, histories, and takes on many aspects of life. I wouldn't say it's 'simple,' but it isn't fancy or showy. I love when a series like this can captivate a viewer with such interesting storytelling.' 11 episodes in, and I'm really impressed! I've been getting really tired of the same repetitious tropes/cliches in Korean dramas of late (I love me some cliche's here and there, but I needed a change up). Lately Japanese/Chinese dramas have been pretty amazing. I hope they produce/write shows like this one more often! Female friendships are so underrated sometimes in dramaland (with few exceptions of course!).
Akiko is... really annoying. Maybe it's the actress, but I'm having a difficult time (at ep 10 here) really trying to like this series (beyond the cheesiness of it lol), but she's been ruining it for me. I think it's because she's naive in certain respects. I'm hoping to finish it but, alas, I think they could have found someone better.
I really enjoyed this series! It was incredibly well-written (like episode 5, my goodness, so good!), and although I could spot some expected outcomes in the cases (who the 'criminal' was for instance), the science/forensics edge to this series was pretty cool and intriguing!! I wouldn't mind if there was a season 2! 8.5/10!!!
1) Girl meets boy, girl either dislikes or endures boy because of arrangement (do they ever have agreeable personalities, oh wait... they're 'jerks' on the top, but deep down, they're "NICE")
2) Girl and boy bicker, argue, don't get 'along' well because...
a) it was an arrangement, b) there is a love 'rival' (hers or his, or someone appears from the past who 'loves them)
3) feelings start to change and either
a) they take a longgggg time to admit it (last few eps?) or b) they have a ton of obstacles like their famlies or 'love rivals' in the way.
4) eventually they get along, and 'love' one another
5) it ends on a happy note, those who never anticipated love actually fall in love...
I'm actually upset that Aragaki chose this drama (because she's been in a lot of 'imma boss' roles). If there's a slight chance this one surprises anyone, and it kills all the possible tropes, I won't be tuning in. I don't know what has been up with jdramas lately, but lately tdramas (surprisingly) have been popping out some good stories here and there. Imma be the bit*h that says this, because lord help me, I have a feeling this one won't go beyond typicality.
HOWEVAS... my one complaint: Yi Xin. And not for the superficial reasons like her childish behaviour at points, and her obliviousness... but for the sake of the (lack of) or good chance for her to have a decent character development in this series. I mean, all the characters go through small to big transformations (in terms of their identities and feelings), but why, dear writers, did you give that half-ass move to Paris and return all mature (cough *Coffee Prince*) move on us...Yi Xin you deserved better... a lot better. If this series was still 70 episodes, she could have grown so much more and they could have added a love rival (like someone swooning her in Paris or something). I know that'd be really cliche, but I think that this couple needed something more mature to solidify their relationship (even if they were serious)
On a last note though, Huang Tender... man, does that guy know how to kiss. He and Shara Lin WAS ON FIRE peeps. Each one of their kiss scenes (even in comparison to Jolin and Hope) were suuuh good.
I hate this adaptation. Okay, that's putting it harshly. I watched 4 episodes, and skimmed through the rest, and I actually couldn't find any reason to put any heart and effort into finishing it.
I've read the manga. I like the manga. It has a ton of humor, and Chiwa is an OL (office lady), and she's a lot more put together career wise in the manga (well, the actual fact that she has a freaking job that she moves forward with).The Chiwa here is... annoying (dare I say?). I mean, at the beginning she has her strengths, but in the manga, at least she has the ambition. Now, I'm not shitting on women who stay at home to take care of the kids and the house. It's work. Highly unpaid and unrecognized work (especially when it's naturalized.) But I don't know what the hell has been up with some jdramas lately (not to make swooping generalizations, because there are a few I have fallen in love with because they tackle serious social issues). Like, centring an entire story on women's plights of 'marriage,' like that's all she needs to care about. Although marriage is not for everyone, and cross-culturally marriage is constructed differently, I am in the thought-camp where I wholly believe women should not ever be reduced to how/when she marries, and how many kids she has. Women, just like all genders, have intrinsic worth.
I didn't expect for this to be right from the manga, but the way they contorted it made me feel like it didn't do the original manga justice. THIS IS NOT "Hapi Mari' the manga. Yes, you have the basic idea 'contract signed,' and Hokuto's drama with his family, but that's it.
I may have one of the more unpopular opinions, but I'm actually disappointed it went the route it did, and I think Chiwa's character could have/should have been written a lot better (because I loved seeing Chiwa and Hokuto's development in the office because, spoiler, Hokuto is the CEO/hence her boss). They, like some of her 'female co-workers,' really angered me at points. C'est la vie, I suppose. Really disappointed.
The only thing that bothered me about this series was the death of Hong. To be honest, I felt like he was unfairly used as a plot device to keep things moving in terms of not only the reveal of Yu's illness, but also 'cherishing' the time you have on this earth/etc insert meaningful life metaphor here (*sighs*). I liked how everything flowed so well in this series, but that part of the series (especially so late in) made me upset. Like, you honestly couldn't let him be happy with Ching Ching? To let him continue on with his life, even if he was in the US (if you didn't want him in the second season so dominantly)? It made me feel like he was always proving himself constantly because he used a wheelchair, and then what? BAM, in an instant he's happy it's all gone. Shit, I liked this series, but that just left me bitter. One of the most painfully random deaths I've seen in a drama so far. Even though this series is literally about life and death, that was totally ridiculous.