This review may contain spoilers
Decent but not that decent and worth to try!
I think there are already tons of stories about con artists, but what really makes this drama stand out is how the writer adds layers to explain why Sarah became a con artist, while also maintaining a great pace across all 8 episodes. Every episode ends with an intriguing cliffhanger that keeps you constantly guessing. I absolutely loved Shin Haesun as Sarah she really embodies the character without ever making it feel like she’s acting. She’s effortlessly charming. Her chemistry with everyone is fantastic too, whether it’s with Junhyuk or the senior actors connected to Sarah.
From a technical standpoint, I think the drama is very well done, especially in how they use smooth transitions between scenes to strengthen the storytelling. I really like how the director takes advantage of that.
That said, one thing that slightly bothered me is the drama’s timeline, which seems to be around 2018–2023 (cmiiw). I feel like the story would be much more believable if it were set in a time when internet access wasn’t so easy. Because honestly: 1) sure, some rich people might be naive, but with the huge revenue from Budoir, wouldn’t someone question whether the brand is actually legit? And the boutique accepting that much money in CASH wouldn’t the employees be suspicious about where all that money came from? (Even though in the early episode, a staff member did run off to check whether Sarah’s cash was real.)
Kang Jihwon’s role is important in my opinion, but I don’t think the casting was quite right. Kim Jaewon isn’t exactly bad, but while watching, I felt an imbalance between him and Haesun, which made it hard for me to fully enjoy Sarah and Jihwon’s dynamic. Compared to Sarah’s interactions with Yeonjin, Choi Chaeu, or even Hong Seongsin, their relationship just didn’t land the same way. I feel like if Kang Jihwon had been played by someone like Song Geonhee, Nam Yoonsu, or Jung Gunjoo, the character would’ve felt more convincing and better matched alongside Shin Haesun.
From a technical standpoint, I think the drama is very well done, especially in how they use smooth transitions between scenes to strengthen the storytelling. I really like how the director takes advantage of that.
That said, one thing that slightly bothered me is the drama’s timeline, which seems to be around 2018–2023 (cmiiw). I feel like the story would be much more believable if it were set in a time when internet access wasn’t so easy. Because honestly: 1) sure, some rich people might be naive, but with the huge revenue from Budoir, wouldn’t someone question whether the brand is actually legit? And the boutique accepting that much money in CASH wouldn’t the employees be suspicious about where all that money came from? (Even though in the early episode, a staff member did run off to check whether Sarah’s cash was real.)
Kang Jihwon’s role is important in my opinion, but I don’t think the casting was quite right. Kim Jaewon isn’t exactly bad, but while watching, I felt an imbalance between him and Haesun, which made it hard for me to fully enjoy Sarah and Jihwon’s dynamic. Compared to Sarah’s interactions with Yeonjin, Choi Chaeu, or even Hong Seongsin, their relationship just didn’t land the same way. I feel like if Kang Jihwon had been played by someone like Song Geonhee, Nam Yoonsu, or Jung Gunjoo, the character would’ve felt more convincing and better matched alongside Shin Haesun.
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