5
1
This review may contain spoilers
Great acting, story and sharp dialogues lifted this above the rest
This show has been a sleeper for me for some time. "Not another rom-com", methinks. I then saw some very positive reviews and took my chance.
How glad I am. It is truly amazing! The acting is great, but the writing is the real star. It is both tropey and original at the same time. There are so much content in this show that some of the subplots could have powered a standard 16 episode drama. All the stories move along in their own space and intersect when required with no problem.
This is an ensemble show from start to finish. You start with 4, 5 main characters and then more are introduced over time. They are not just throw away characters either. They are fleshed out with their own back stories, goals and motivations.
Pacing is spot on. When one plot takes a breather, the next one arrives right on cue and maintains the momentum. You just don't know when it will be funny or sad but you will never be bored.
The first episode is probably hardest to watch because so much happened but also explained so much of the show's dynamic relationships. At the end of that hour, you would have been shocked, laughed, cried, or in need of a hug. You are all in or you might as well cut your loses.
As this show is about the k-drama world, it can get very meta and almost fourth wall breaking. There are so many references to other popular drama series and in-jokes. It is like doing a pop quiz to test your drama knowledge. ;)
While the standard is uniformly high for all the eps, the last one is a gem. It really took the whole idea to town. In one scene the director and writer sat down to a script review and talked about how their show should end and what should happen to the characters. They are speculating on what their viewers want to see. Are they talking about us?!
Kudos to the writer-nim for keeping the storyline real. There are no magical happy ending(s) but there are positive developments. Some might led to a happy ending but we can't be sure.
Each key characters are highlighted so we have a sense of closure. It might not be the tropey happy endings we crave, but it is more realistic.
One final thought, as a non-Korean speaker, I have to pay close attention to the dialogues. A lot are elevated verbal jostling at full speed. I am running to catch up. This is NOT a dinner time drama, by any means. You have been warned. Peace.
P.S. Don't miss the episode about farting and in-jokes about PPL.
How glad I am. It is truly amazing! The acting is great, but the writing is the real star. It is both tropey and original at the same time. There are so much content in this show that some of the subplots could have powered a standard 16 episode drama. All the stories move along in their own space and intersect when required with no problem.
This is an ensemble show from start to finish. You start with 4, 5 main characters and then more are introduced over time. They are not just throw away characters either. They are fleshed out with their own back stories, goals and motivations.
Pacing is spot on. When one plot takes a breather, the next one arrives right on cue and maintains the momentum. You just don't know when it will be funny or sad but you will never be bored.
The first episode is probably hardest to watch because so much happened but also explained so much of the show's dynamic relationships. At the end of that hour, you would have been shocked, laughed, cried, or in need of a hug. You are all in or you might as well cut your loses.
As this show is about the k-drama world, it can get very meta and almost fourth wall breaking. There are so many references to other popular drama series and in-jokes. It is like doing a pop quiz to test your drama knowledge. ;)
While the standard is uniformly high for all the eps, the last one is a gem. It really took the whole idea to town. In one scene the director and writer sat down to a script review and talked about how their show should end and what should happen to the characters. They are speculating on what their viewers want to see. Are they talking about us?!
Kudos to the writer-nim for keeping the storyline real. There are no magical happy ending(s) but there are positive developments. Some might led to a happy ending but we can't be sure.
Each key characters are highlighted so we have a sense of closure. It might not be the tropey happy endings we crave, but it is more realistic.
One final thought, as a non-Korean speaker, I have to pay close attention to the dialogues. A lot are elevated verbal jostling at full speed. I am running to catch up. This is NOT a dinner time drama, by any means. You have been warned. Peace.
P.S. Don't miss the episode about farting and in-jokes about PPL.
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