Lighthearted Comedy with Depth
I loved this drama! The actors were amazing, especially with their spot-on comedic timing. What I really appreciated was how they kept things light, even while dealing with some pretty serious cases. They didn’t let the comedy take away from the heavier themes but also didn’t let things get too serious—it struck the perfect balance. A lot of shows like this start off funny but end up feeling way too heavy by the end, but that wasn’t the case here, which I really enjoyed.I also loved how they gave credit to almost all the extras at the end—it was such a nice touch, and it gave me the chance to relive some of the funniest moments from the show.
They also did a great job subtly touching on deeper issues like the struggles of parenting, athletes not living up to their potential, the scars parents leave on their kids, following careers you’re passionate about, and dealing with loss. They handled all of it thoughtfully without going over the top.
A couple of personal highlights for me were Kim Dong Wook’s goofy smile and the character of Dong Gu—they both brought so much charm to the show. This is definitely my second favorite, right after Gaus Electronics!
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This movie could have been so much more... Spoilers!
My gripe with this movie is that it had the perfect setting to turn into a romantic or social message. But in the end, it ended up being neither. The main character does grow in some sense, but not entirely.One example: The ML went through harassment himself while dressed as a woman, but he never directly addressed why he was wrong, just saying, "I am sorry," even when he got a stage to say it out loud. He apologized to several women, but it didn't feel like he understood why his previous behavior was problematic. His realization seemed surface-level. In addition, it is really hard for me to believe that he grew up with a sister and was raised by a mom and ended up doing what he did.
But the comedy was good and you can never go wrong with this guy! His acting was A+!!!
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SJJ killed this series for me single-handedly!
I feel like I would have loved this series more if SJJ wasn’t the female lead. Gosh, I think I’ll be a proud anti-fan of hers for life. Honestly, she has zero range. She tried the romance genre and failed spectacularly because she can emote, what, 2-3 expressions max if she tries really hard? Both on and off camera. Her eyes are dead—like, actually devoid of life. If she ever got botox (heaven forbid), what little movement we see around her eyes when she "smiles" would disappear completely, and we’d be left guessing if she’s happy or channeling her inner psychopath.Look, I know plenty of people (myself included) who have RBF, but I have never seen an actor whose entire character repertoire is just RBF. Except now, thanks to SJJ. Google her images. Go ahead! I pulled up the first 10 photos, fed them to ChatGPT and even ChatGPT could only detect three expressions. **Three!** Even Han So Hee, who’s been called stiff, manages more variety in her expressions.
Honestly, Hiroshi Ishiguro’s bionic robots emote more than she does. Just get Ishiguro to build a SJJ robot, throw in some AI for voice, and we’re all set—no need for her to even show up. I actually ran another experiment and added her name with various expressions in Google images. Same photos popped up for almost all emotions. I was dying laughing. Did the same with Han So Hee, Son Na Eun, Cha Eun Woo, who are all accused of stiff acting, and guess what? Different images for them for different emotions with maybe a little overlap! Shocking, right?
Honestly, I think a block of wood could do a better job. I have zero respect for her as an artist because she’s utterly lacking in talent. She is just riding on the coattails of her boyfriend. She’s getting more chances because of him, who, let’s be real, got her foot in the door to begin with in the industry.
And let’s not pretend she didn’t have chances to show emotional depth in this series because the character is "supposed" to be strong and confident. She’s being *chased* at the end for God's sake for her life—there should be a mix of desperation, strength, conviction, fear, etc. Instead? Nothing. Even dictators like Stalin and Hitler showed more emotional complexity towards the end of their reigns. Meanwhile, here’s Queen Woo, a woman at a greater disadvantage than any man in her position in history, displaying zero emotional range. Being strong doesn’t mean you’re never afraid or vulnerable. Fear is a survival tool; without it, you’re just overconfident and dead. And that’s why I’ll die on this hill: she has zero talent. She thinks she understands the characters she plays, but really, she’s just on autopilot, which is why all the characters she plays look the SAME.
Also, her so-called "strong presence" that she is being lauded for? Yeah, it looks more like condescension in disguise. Acting is >50% facial expression and the rest is body language and dialogue delivery. If you’re missing >50%, congrats, you’re a below-average actor. Simple as that. And let's not forget, she looks and sounds like a baby wearing a costume in this drama.
Man, JCW and the rest of the team carried the one star I gave this drama! You could tell everyone else tried their best, but the writers and SJJ sucked on it big time!
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If I could give this 0 star I would! Go read the novel instead and support the original writer!
The only reason it gets even a 1 star is the ML and WTC (Benjamin), they really tried to save this drama but you cant make up for shitty writing. The writers should return all the money they took for this writing or should I say rewriting this script. They did the novel dirty. (The censorship did not help either, the novel writer at least could take more liberties with justifications) They turned a depressed but resilient FL from the novel into a ditzy love smitten reporter. Under normal war circumstances, she would probably get everyone killed in the battlefield itself. And boy oh boy, Liang Jie gets worse with every new drama so I will be actively avoiding watching her! Girl needs to go back to acting school!!! I see so many talented Chinese actresses that get stuck in the second leads while mediocre at best both in terms of looks and acting like Liang Jie keep getting high profile roles. Sigh...I saw the first 8 episodes and just couldn't take it anymore and dropped it. Saw the end episode and was like WTF!
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Solid drama for the most part!
What I loved about this drama was the growth of both characters; it felt a bit more realistic than most dramas that aim for this. That is because there is no sudden change of behavior; there is a realization when things get messed up, and the characters learn their lessons the hard way. And even then, they don't change 180. The new attorney has grown to appreciate the seasoned attorney's ways, but she still has that idealistic side that she came with. The same is true with the seasoned attorney; she is still cutthroat in many ways but has softened a little after she learned from listening, observing, and suffering from the other side of what and whom she represented prior.Having said that, the drama seems it will get cliched after the DV incident with the seasoned attorney leaving to start her firm and some scenes we saw in the preview. I think a few people mentioned in the comments this drama should have been 12 episodes, and I couldn't agree more.
Overall, its still a pretty solid watch for me with more realistic characters than you see in most other dramas.
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Spoilers!
I wish I could give this drama a 0 on the story! It is not surprising that it is performing so poorly in the ratings. There is no excuse for its sorry writing. With a drama tagged as comedy and romance, I find little of either and more of blood-boiling awful human beings with 0 character development. If I wanted to watch appalling people, I would watch another show. Heck, even life is full of such people.The only saving grace is KJJ visuals!
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One of the few female actors that can carry a drama.
I am a fan of Honey Lee and even like her over the top acting. And I think she has done it again. I dont think any other actress would have brought the character to life like she did.The story was good too, and I like how the ML was actually just a supporting character and the story of FL carried the drama throughout. I was waiting for each episode with bated breath.
I also liked that they did not insert overtly modern themes in a period drama making it somewhat more believable than other dramas of the same genre.
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The Best Thing is the best thing I have watched this year so far!
This series was like a hot chocolate sitting by a fireplace on a snowy winter day. No unnecessary drama from SLs, also handled the topic of obsessive ex with care.All the actors were such a delight, especially ZLH and XRH! Both did an excellent job. Very few series that I would want to rewatch.
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With the story, I liked the novel better as it expands on their story a bit more. The ending of the series is different than the story and I would recommend people to read the novel even if you have watched the show.
At times it did feel a lit draggy but still excellent overall.
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Its like a game of telephone and the writers are changing every week!
This supposed thriller seems so mind-numbingly dull! It feels like the writers change every week, and they are playing a game of telephone with each other, where the original story is lost. Or they are just improving the story as they go, with no clear end in sight—such a try-hard for a thriller.Was this review helpful to you?
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SO MUCH BETTER THAN the sh!t show that was Wedding Impossible!!!
The writing and his fellow actors allow Moon Sang Min to shine! Acting is somewhat like Tennis; you need a good opponent to play and enjoy it. I had lost hope for him after Wedding Impossible. Jeon Jeong Seo, with her RBF, probably made it hard for him to reciprocate the right emotions, and his acting came off worse. The second lead was no better in that drama. And lets not forget how badly it was written, especially his character. I am glad he get a chance to redeem himself.Overall, I find the story quite refreshing. I also liked how the SML and his shenanigans have less screen time. he can also act more sensibly than most SMLs, especially when he called ML when the FL was drunk and missing him.
I also liked that the FL and her brother did not forgive their parents. I also liked that when FL cried outside the funeral home, she was honest and raw about why she was sad.
The second lead couple is also cute and refreshing. The SFL is caring and kind, unlike how they show most chaebols as super b!tchy.
The relationships between both pairs of siblings are also warming, and the brothers' are especially refreshing.
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The show is almost as good as the novel!
I really liked the novel and the nuance of how some sensitive topics were handled.As for casting, I was really hoping for a Victor Ma comeback, I thought the casting overall was better in the other drama.
But, BJT pleasantly surprised me. It took me some time to warm up to him as Sang Yan but eventually I think he matched the vibe the director was going for. I still think Victor could have done an equally good job if not better though but I am happy with Sang Yan overall.
Cant say the same about Yifan. Her character is so complex in the novel and I dont think ZRN was the right choice. I was hoping she would grow on me like BJT did but she simply did not. Her range of expressions is limited, an issue I find with many Chinese actresses. But I have also seen improvement (Angela Baby, she isnt great but she is improving) and I dont feel that way about ZRN.
Regardless, I was overall pretty happy with the drama.
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There is only so much back and forth one can take!
I LOVE Lee Se Young but despite that I could not get into the story. They were literally getting together and breaking up every other episode until the end.Also, I didnt get how the FL's dad cared so deeply about her and yet did not clear up any misunderstanding until the end. And the ML's mom was so annoying, I mean chill, I know she was starved for love from her husband but then her choice in men wasnt spectacular except for the last one. And too much screaming.
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