I enjoyed hating parts of this drama more than I enjoyed loving them. How ironic, I know! It had me pulling out my hair, screaming and cursing with frustration. I almost wanted to give up watching, and for some reason I couldn't. I was addicted badly to it. The characters were all crazy and nobody is normal in this drama. All their lives suck and every character suffers from deep guilt, abandonment issues, mommy issues, daddy issues and what-not. Plus, it being a melodrama had the tragic makjang also. All this craziness is what makes this drama complete. Perhaps all this seems a bit too much for me since I am not a melodrama loving person. For those who do watch melodramas, I can guess it won't be a big deal at all.
The acting done in this drama is way above than normal ones. The main leads are perfect at playing their roles. This drama does have a lot of crying in it, but some scenes have been done beautifully. Especially Ko Hyun Jung- who I've seen for the first time here was outstanding. She really knows how to pull off emotional scenes with perfection. In fact, I've not been so impressed with an actress in a Korean drama before. Jo In Sung went way overboard at times when he was crying or yelling, but at least his emotions came through to me as a viewer. Plus he's so good to look at. :D I liked the other actors too especially Han Go Eun who always plays her characters well.
As for the overall story- I thought it was good. It does have flaws and boring parts in it but it manages to be decent enough. I suppose I loved the characters most. This one is an entirely character-driven drama. I loved the fact that the characters were messed up and there was no good guy here. All characters were flawed- especially Jung Eun and Eun Sub.
Jung Eun is at first a female who has been closed off and living in a shell for years due to her sad past. Then she meets Eun Ho who helps her open up and they fall in love. She also meets his younger brother- the hot, self-centered and childish Eun Sub who also falls for her. Then you have a complicated story with brothers in love with the same woman. The only question here is who she will go to in the end.
I thought Eun Ho was perfect in the beginning but later on he sort of became redundant to me. I couldn't root for him as much as I did for Eun Sub. I didn't even love Eun Sub entirely. He was too flawed. But I have to say that Jo In Sung suited the role. Eun Sub makes for an interesting literary character who has an unhealthy, all-consuming love for the woman. Not just that, he needy and desperate for love and he shows it time and again. He was unlike other Kdrama guys that I have seen till now who usually remain closed off. Here you have a guy who shows that it isn't easy to close off once you have opened up. Apart from these characters I LOATHED their mother. She drove me crazy. She was beyond INSANE, I tell you! I didn't get why she kept beating up whichever female got close to her son. Crazy, crazy woman!
I think every person would want to root for the brother that I rooted for. He's the one who suffers like hell and also gets his deserved happy ending. In fact the ending is happy for almost every one. Sort of. That is why this is one of the best melodramas according to me. :)
This drama has an outstanding background score. I also loved the main song which they kept playing in every episode. It was simply perfect.
Since it was so tiring to watch, I will never rewatch it. Ever.
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Let's start off with the story. At first, it seems like another cliched nice girl-bad boy falling for each other story. To say briefly- this is the real story. Yet, so different and likable. This drama dared to used heavy cliches but twisted and turned them in such a way that it was hard to get bored. One aspect I loved was that both leads- Yi Lei and Mei Le were characters with real depth. Generally, the romantic comedies tend to have shallow characters and their behaviour is hard to contemplate. Here, the guy and girl are both damaged in their ways and they always give us the reason for their behaviour. And the excuse doesn't seem silly. It is actually believable.
The main girl seems too perfect and boring at the beginning of the show, but after she meets Yi Lei her flaws start showing. And on the first few encounters Yi Lei seems predictable and the typical bad boy who never changes. But eventually he starts softening up because of Mei Le. I think this is the first time in any drama that I have understood why a super rich, super handsome guy fell for an ordinary girl. Mei Le is really unique and a hard worker. She strives to do her best in every thing and gives it her all. Because of this, she also manages to win over Yi Lei. Both characters manage to break the image that they first created as the story progresses. Also, I love how they both bring out a different side of each other. When they are together I felt like they were an actual couple! The depiction was so realistic.
As for the secondary characters- Yi Feng is, and remains an idiot (till the end) who cheats on Mei Le and goes for an insufferable girl like Xuan Xuan. I actually empathized a bit with Xuan Xuan at the beginning but after that I wanted to yank off her stupid woolen hats. She was very annoying. Then there are the brother and sister of the main couple who very cute together. Again- the first time when the second love story was equally likable. There was also the mother of Yi Lei who was a completely nasty and horrendous. I hated her the most. The actress also overacted and her angry expressions were almost comical.
Now- the relationship between Yi Lei and Mei Le. Where do I start? I love, love, love their relationship together. Here, instead of the girl the guy falls for her first. He managed to completely win me over by the second or third episode. Mike He in the role was an added advantage because of his good looks. I won't say he is the best actor in the world and he definitely overacted at times- but he was so cute! Especially the actions of Yi Lei and what he felt for Mei Le was FANTASTIC. I also love how the story gives them time and the perfect opportunities for them to get to know each other before falling in love. I had some issues with Mei Le denying her feelings, but she confesses the reason for her behaviour too and I felt like it was forgivable. Cyndi Wang is an amazing actress because she managed to make a naive, clueless, pushover sort of a girl into some one who was easy to like. And this is a record where I was hardly annoyed with the main girl.
Plus, the chemistry between Mike He and Cyndi Wang was too good. When they kiss or hug, it ends up giving you a warm feeling. I really loved how they were able to understand each other completely. You can really compare the relationship Mei Le had with Yi Feng and the one she has with Yi Lei. I was almost wishing like I could be in their fairytalesque story too. Both characters have their shortcomings and they way they manage to make it work irrespective of that is amazing. My shipper heart was happy all the way upto episode 10.
Now, the last 4-5 episodes were kind of lacking in romance. I wasn't too thrilled with the reappearances of Xuan Xuan and Yan Shao. The sister-pretension plot was silly, but it managed to be an alright plot device to drive the main couple apart. Plus here there was another more of a sensible situation than a dumb ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend breaking up the couple. I have seen enough rom coms to know that separation is always inevitable. It happens here too. But it is amazing that the story managed to remain interesting enough to watch even after driving them apart. I had a few issues with the last episode because every one was crying so- I suggest you skip the depressing parts.
I don't know why every one complained about the ending. Okay, they didn't show Mike He but I actually liked how they concluded it. Plus, it was a happy one so what's there to complain? Rom coms never have perfect endings either.
So, all in all- it is one of the many romantic comedies, part-melodrama. Yet, I think it was different and definitely more enjoyable than the ones I have been watching till now. It has ended and I feel like I parted with a friend. I am happy giving this drama a try and it definitely goes in my favourites' list. Highly recommended!
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Do Joon blew me away here. I actually want to see him as a chaebol/king in any drama because he did a great job of it here. What I loved about this drama was that they stayed true to history and yet played with it in every way. I might not know a lot about Korean history but I know that they at least managed to not distort facts through this drama.
The two episodes go by really quickly and the romance is so worth watching! It will give you flutters and leave you with a warm feeling. Managing that in just 2 episodes is commendable and I wanted more. :D
This drama is enjoyable every single minute and it's amazing how they managed all Kdrama sageuk cliches within these two episodes. Plus the kisses are great too! Give this drama a go, you won't regret it. :D
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I expected a lot of darkness (look at the poster!) and some melodrama in it. The drama does have a dark tone to it but it has comedic relief which makes it less serious than it is. It was mostly focused on finding the killer and the emotions of the three siblings. Although their motive seems like they are capable of big actions but they are all soft and kind inside.
The characterization was really good. All three siblings are equally likable and you can always defend their actions. I ended up feeling sorry for them when they reminisced about the events that changed their lives, and laughed hard whenever they tricked other people. All I can say is these three are a lot smarter and stronger than they seem. My favourite character was Kouichi and I loved Ninomiya Kazunari's performance. He can act quite well. Being a fan of Erika Toda, I liked her here too. I am used to watching her as a nice girl in almost all her dramas but when she played bad here briefly, it was different. This was her best performance till now out of what I have seen. I also liked Nishikido Ryo. He made his character relatable and didn't fade into the shadows like an underdog.
And as for the mystery- I guessed correctly in the beginning itself. But later when they were doubting someone else, I went with the flow. The murder didn't seem random neither the culprit. It was added up well and made sense. Things were strung together pretty neatly. They didn't mess up the plot in anyway. Apart from that, I didn't care about the romance because it failed to touch me. I found those parts boring and repetitive after a while.
The ending wasn't what I expected. The morale of characters made a major role in here. I would have changed two major things if I could, but it's alright since this ending makes it different from other murder stories I have ever come across. A cliche would have ruined the whole thing by making it seem predictable, but I have would have liked it better. I don't know if I completely agree with the current one but it is sensible so it's hard to criticize it.
I think it's a great drama and not too depressing to watch. Everyone should give it a chance and not hesitate.
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For me melodrama definitely has its limits. Innocent Man thankfully didn't cross those limits. It was obviously absurd, but over-analyzing ruins pretty much every drama out there. If you take it as just entertainment, it does a good job of it. Also there is Song Joong Ki to make things easier for the female viewers. The occasional nonsense in the drama only got bearable thanks to a good cast. I believe every one of them put up a good effort and did a good job of their characters.
While I have lots of issues with this drama, I think this might be the best melodrama to exist with a not completely horrible ending. Of course that doesn't make the ending okay in any way because it is actually the weakest part of the whole drama if you ask me. Another thing that got to me was the overuse of amnesia in the plot. It felt like a cheap plot device just to make things dramatic. That is a very big flaw on the writer's part.
Apart from these things, the drama has some very interesting moments to keep a viewer hooked. It has lots of cool revenge and scheming that is enjoyable to watch. But then again- it being a Kdrama things tend to get very repetitive. I suppose I can forgive that bit though.
Overall this is a drama which was a mixed bag of feelings for me. There is stuff that I enjoyed and stuff I didn't enjoy as much. It does have a very good cast though. I have to mention that again. Sadly, in the end like almost every other melodrama it leaves no room for rewatch value. In the end, it is a highly forgettable one.
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Firstly, the plot is fictional as well as realistic. It presents you the love between King Sukjong and Jang Hee Bin as epic and legendary irrespective of what happened in reality. It was a controversy in Korea but hell I don't care- I am not a Korean. It presents me a history with all the twists and tropes of a formulaic Kdrama. However whatever it presented was cute, sad and likable. But I have to say I was yelling in some parts because of having seen Dong Yi before (they are related, you see). So separating Dong Yi and Jang Ok Jung is crucial when you watch either of the two.
I loved the romance between Lee Soon and Ok Jung. Both Yoo Ah In and Kim Tae Hee are ridiculously good-looking people and had believable chemistry together. Their romance was for most part cutesy and angst-ridden. It's been a while since I've seen a drama like this one. I also liked the male second lead in it and plan to stalk the guy from now on. :D
There were moments when this drama had me tearing out my hair in frustration or left me plain annoyed. Similarly it left me very high when it had its good parts going. So this drama managed to make me feel a variety of emotions. It is even cheesy at its best in many parts where you just wanna LOL but it is so DAMN entertaining!
For me the drama was an interesting one-time watch. The OST wasn't great but I didn't hate it either. Overall, this drama is good and definitely worth the time.
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I was kind of doubtful whether I would like it or not because this movie is SO highly talked about. I realized my doubts were wrong. Sunny is a great tale of friendship. I love stories which focus on the bond between females rather than just bromance. It was nice to watch a movie dominantly on the power of female friendship.
I know I am not that old yet but it still made me think of my school days. This movies very deeply brings back memories of school, the first crush, friends and mostly- the time of our lives. It was so relatable. A lot of aspects of it were so realistic that I couldn't help but giggle.
I assure you, you will be wanting to have a posse like them by the end and you would want to be with them the same the way they are in the movie. Their love for each other only proves how it doesn't really matter how much time has passed. Friendship really is a forever thing.
I loved the way they handled the ending because it was almost sad but then you're reminded of the awesomeness the females possess and they are dancing till the end anyway. Daebak!
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Let's start with the good first. I think this drama has one of the best cast ever. All actors were brilliant at what they did. I couldn't think of any flaw in that department. Lee Seung Gi pulled off his character amazingly well. He completely made me fall in love with him more than ever before. For me he was a big factor in saving this drama from being unbearable. Never have I been so well hooked by an actor's performance in the past (okay, I have but it's been quite long). I consider Han Hyo Joo as one of the best Korean actresses and I loved her once again here too. Her character cried way too much but she did all those scenes wonderfully. There were other actors in the drama too who I've never seen in anything before and they all managed to capture my attention.
This is more of a family drama than anything else. That was both a good and bad thing. Good- because it makes you think a lot and helps you understand human emotions better, bad- because it took too much of time which could have been devoted to romance. I really wish there had been more of romance because the characters were so madly engrossing. Ah, well. Apart from that the antagonists in this drama are my utter favorites. Never have I ever enjoyed hating bad guys in a drama so much before. It was off the wall crazy and idiotic.
The soundtrack isn't the most impressive I've ever heard but it was oddly addicting. I think the last half of the drama fit the songs better. The angst was amazing and matched well with the background music.
Now let's get to the bad part- too much crying, too much of repetitiveness, too mellow and moments which make you pull out your hair. This drama was unnecessarily long. I would say it had a pretty heavy plot but it could have easily been 8 episodes less. Not saying that the last few episodes were bad but the middle ones were too dragging. It started out amazing but after episode 10, things started going downhill. It picked up after a good amount of episodes. I wish Han Hyo Joo had to cry less. I've never seen a female character cry so much before nor have I see a more miserable life of one either. LOL.
A special mention goes to the kid who played the autistic brother. His scenes were done so nicely! BTW the jealousy scenes of this drama are so memorable!!!! I think Lee Seung Gi is at his best in this drama when it came to romantic moments or scenes. His character was an A-grade arrogant jerk in the first half and developed very well in the later half. He was so good by the end that I could hardly remember him being bad at all. The second male lead in this drama was boring according to me. I didn't feel like I could root for him. The female lead was very strong and admirable in spite of her crying. The second female lead played by Moon Chae Won was super annoying. I don't know if it's just the actress or her roles itself- she somehow ends up annoying me all the time.
Anyway, I really enjoyed watching this drama because it was a full blown experience. It had its great and awful moments but it was worth my time. However, I will never rewatch it again except maybe the few romantic scenes.
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I think it had the potential to be one of the best Korean dramas if not the best one. Alas, inconsistencies killed so many other dramas before and this one isn't an exception either. A killer cast and three-dimensional characters should have done done wonders to this drama but the writing simply left it somewhere in between. I am giving it an overall 8 solely for the incredible actors and the catchy OST.
The drama started off really well, then got lost somewhere in between around episodes 8-10 and then from then on it became something else entirely. I think the second half and first half are like separate dramas squeezed into one. Things happened too repetitively or too suddenly. Every thing in this drama was redundant and boring later on- the romance, the independence struggle and even the humor. Still, I think it was a good drama and is definitely an underrated one.
The thing I loved most about it was how the second leads were so great that they simply overshadowed the main couple. Soo Hyun & Song Joo are magnificently deep and likable. They never got boring and also had the best plot and scenes. I can't believe it, but I'll have to say they were the ones who kept this drama alive. Sure, Han Ji Min and Kang Ji Hwan are good actors but when even good actors get boring roles to play, some one else has to save the drama.
Its ending was weird and rushed. It was a bittersweet one and one couple gets to stay happy while the other gets their share of tragedy
(which I hate). I think this drama served okay as a one-time watch. I will probably never watch it again. Overall a good one but not a great one.
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This drama is silly and full of nonsense. But it's breezy and very light to watch. It's one of those dramas that you can watch without thinking much and enjoy it. I laughed hard at something every other episode. The first few episodes were absolutely hilarious. I think this drama did a fantastic job of not boring me till the last 4-5 episodes (parts of which you can easily skip). But I found the story and its characters very colourful. Members of both the family and even its secondary characters are all likable. I wasn't annoyed by a single person in it! The main guy- Zhi Shu is a genius with more brains than actual emotions. But we realize as the story goes on that he isn't that bad anyway. I have to say I liked him better than Xiang Qin's character. I tried my hardest to not criticize her actions and thoughts and that was the only way I could end up liking this drama.
As for the cast- I have become a fan of Joe Cheng and Jiro Wang. I was familiar with Ariel Lin but here she is the true star of the show. She made all the cutesy expressions and pouts in the world and still shined. She was way too cute and managed to win me over in the first episode itself. This drama has loads of cuteness in it. And the main leads have amazing chemistry. I was sort of disappointed with lots of times because whenever they were together, I found myself wanting for them to kiss. The last 2 episodes more or less made up for this part. Oh and should I mention one scene which stood out among the rest? This show has one of the best confession-in-the-rain scenes I have ever seen! I can't believe how well it was shot and with great dialogues. And the wait that builds up in the viewer till then makes it all worth it.
And I want to address this particular issue on people complaining that Zhi Shu was too "cold". I say no- he wasn't cold. The way he acted was to show the contrast between his and Xiang Qin's personalities. Where she is impulsive, he is smart and carefully thinks before acting. But I loved how he keeps smiling to himself whenever Xiang Qin's stalking him or trying to please him. I probably only didn't like his need to be constantly chased. There were times he didn't take enough pity on her but then I understand why he didn't. That's all I can say without spoiling it. Anyway, both characters are too flawed and yet likable.
This drama was a thorough entertainer. It doesn't have melodrama which is probably one of the strongest points. It's more of a family cum romance genre. And I loved the ending even if it was a bit silly. It left me wanting for more so I'd definitely watch the second season. Its rewatch value is decent. I think it's a drama that can be seen again just to remember the good parts.
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You do not need to be a fan of the main actors to decide to watch this drama. Believe me when I say this- they are incredibly talented and will impress you no matter what. This drama has a good plot and that's interesting because it is a mixture of mystery, fantasy and romance.
The biggest strength of the drama lies in the compelling romance and characters you would want to root for. Lee Jun Ki is an absolute sweetheart as the Magistrate in this drama and he made me fall hard for him. Shin Min Ah is a stunning beauty with talent to go with it. She is bubbly and lively in her role as Arang. There was no way in which I couldn't root for these two together.
Then there's an unusual second male lead in the drama too. The main antagonist in this one made me laugh at times because she wasn't a very good actress. That brings me to the Gods who were very entertaining to watch as well.
This drama has one of the best OSTs ever and will keep you listening forever to it. Of course, it suffers from a few flaws and repetitive moments but it will not irritate you. It isn't very fast paced nor is it slow- its got just the right pace to keep one hooked. I didn't like the ending, but I rarely ever expect good endings from Kdramas. Trust my word when I say it will be worth the time!
I recommend this drama highly to watch and also to rewatch.
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It is basically a love triangle between a self-absorbed guy, his schizophrenic friend and a free-spirited girl. I loved the whole idea of it, and unique characterizations. I think I loved Midori the best. Watanabe has to be one of the dullest protagonists I have encountered in a long time. I would gladly call him an indecisive jerk who likes screwing around with the feelings of both girls. I take it that he and Naoko are bound by their mutual feelings of loss, and liked that aspect of their relationship very much. I can't help but say this movie is surprisingly likable and one of the best made by the Japanese (out of the ones I have seen).
With its outstanding camera work this could have easily been a masterpiece. There are scenes which outright take your breath away. I also liked how the relationship between Watanabe and Naoko is shown in every season, providing us with a distraction from their (sometimes boring) relationship in the form of beautiful scenery and settings. It also has very good background score.
Only after I was done watching the movie, its good points crawled into my mind. It was a great story with a good cast and a slow screenplay. There were times I was bored and annoyed while watching this movie, but I reckon the novel must be loads better. I am definitely going to read it.
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I have to say that's all this drama is about. There's no real story or plot in it apart from their own realization of their feelings. It's only about the two awesome people- Chen You Qing & Li Da Ren's journey till the end. While it may be slow and boring for some, I'd say people in their 20's or 30's can actually relate to a lot in this drama. It has a lot of quotable dialogues and the thoughts of the characters were quite realistic and meaningful. The narrated thoughts of the "mature woman" was such a wonderful concept to appeal to the older viewers. I also have to mention the telephone calls between You Qing & Da Ren. They were perfect and the best parts of the entire drama.
This happens to be the simplest drama that I know of. Things didn't happen in the drama just to make it interesting. The writer seemed to know his characters very well. I especially loved You Qing- she was selfish and at the same time someone you could root for. She was an almost anti-heroine compared to other drama heroines in existence. Li Da Ren was almost perfect to the point he seemed to make this drama seem more like a fairytale. Ironically, he was the most unrealistic thing about this realistic drama. Or so I think. :D
Anyway, I love Ariel Lin and I'm glad she nailed her role. She really put on a spectacular performance, be it acting at times arrogant or being emotional. She was able to convey it all. I think Berlin Chen suited his role but I wish he was able to bring a little more expressions since most of them seemed repetitive. Among the supporting cast I liked Henry in spite of him being the bad guy.
The music of the drama was pretty good too. The only place it is lacking is the inconsistent direction after episode 8 and for being longer than it was necessary. I felt myself very tired during the last few episodes and as much as I was loving it, I couldn't wait for it to end already.
However I am going to remember this drama for a long time. I will watch it again in its entirety once again someday. Maybe. This is very highly recommend.
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I finished it just now so my thoughts and opinions are fresh. I am giving it a 9 even though the last two episodes bored me. I expected a little bit more. Still, because everything ended the way it should have I am quite happy. Mostly I am biased for this drama because I adore Yamapi and Keiko equally and them being together on the show was all that I could ask for. They looked amazing together and their chemistry was very good. Plus, they had the best kissing scenes I have seen in any Jdrama till now.
It has a good story, and even though some parts of it are cliche I liked how they ended things. They weren't afraid of risking a different ending. I have often encountered such stories of cheating and affairs, and they always end the same way. I am happy to see something different here. Almost all the situations and their reactions were realistic. That's probably why this drama stood out.
Apart from that, the sports and music plots are both great in it. I liked a lot of characters and also hated the ones that deserved to be hated. The romance front was flawless in this show. Plus, the friendship between the main characters was also depicted very well. The cast all gave incredible performances- especially Keiko. Yamapi oozed hotness and he had a shirtless scene every other episode. I am so glad I discovered this drama because it had all the elements that I typically love.
So, if you're fond of music, basketball or even romance- this is the drama to be watched. It is not the one to miss out on. I will surely rewatch the parts of my favourite couple.
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STORY + CHARACTERS:
There was no story. It's just about a ditzy, vain actress who falls for an icy doctor. Yes, the leads were cute but I never got invested in them. It felt like watching a compilation of scenes where I felt like I missed the initial build up. Because there was NONE. They fell in love out of nowhere and I wanted to smack the main girl because she annoyed me to no end. Her dumbness wasn't cute after a few episodes. There was no growth in her nor the male lead's character, What didn't help was the annoying sister of the male lead. She was infuriating to no end. There is a secondary couple in the drama as well who got the majority screentime, a below average story and no chemistry. I didn't like anyone.
ACTING:
Here is where I feel bad. The actors did the best they could. Ryan Ding and Zhang Yu Xi are decent and watchable. It wasn't their fault that the script was lacking, there were no challenging scenes nor that there was no character growth. Entire drama seemed like a teenage girl's fantasy being adapted on screen. I liked Jiawei and the male lead's friend. They were both quite good at their roles.
MUSIC:
Didn't notice any. Meh.
OVERALL:
I like turning off my brain and watching cheesy romance films/dramas. However this one tread on boring and disappointing category for me. I felt like it was an insult to my intelligence had I kept on watching this story that started nowhere and ended no where. It should've been a middle-school drama instead of unrealistically portraying all adults as ditzy and shallow. I wish I could have liked this because it was a waste of the main leads' potential. I don't recommend this drama unless you have nothing to watch.
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