No Chemistry…Tropey…Ultra Immature Female Lead
An immature female lead is not unusual in Asian dramas, but the character of Nanase Sakura is worse than most. In the story she is supposed to be 22 years old, but acts about 12. Even though she has spent five years training as a nurse, all that seems to really matter to her is that she wins over her doctor crush. He is distant throughout the drama, except for the last episode or so and is constantly insulting or ignoring her, calling her dimwit and boulder. Anyone with any amount of self-respect would have backed off long before she does. What she sees in him and what he sees her is a complete mystery; their chemistry is an absolute zero. I’ve enjoyed other J-dramas I’ve seen, but this one was a real disappointment. The only thing that made it watchable were the medical cases which were pretty interesting.If you are under the age of 15, you might find this entertaining; otherwise I would give it a hard pass
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Challenging, Well-Written Script, Well Cast and Superbly Acted
For me, this drama was the legal equivalent of Hospital Playlist (my favorite K drama). Jung Kyung Ho, who is good in everything he does, is at the top of his game as the brash, ambitious judge who reinvents himself after a fall from grace. His fellow actors were also beautifully cast, enjoyed them all. I loved that there was no forced romance shoehorned into the plot. The pacing was also good, no filler montages and endless backtracking.The emphasis here is on social issues, not necessarily unique to Korea, but certainly affected by its history and culture. I loved having to think a little for a change. Characters crossed and double crossed, surprise revelations abound, bonds of friendship developed, loyalties are tested. Secrets are revealed right to the end.
If you like to be entertained, but still be left with something to think about after all is said and done, you may enjoy this as much as I did. I’m hoping for a second season; the door was left open to the possibility.
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An unexpected gem
I found out about this series after watching a video on least popular K dramas this year. For some reason, this drama did not have very high ratings in Korea, even though there are popular actors in it. Whatever the reason, maybe something more popular opposite it, it still sounded interesting. So I took the chance and glad I did. It is a romcom with a twist, not following the typical storyline.What I liked: the storyline was unique. Instead of the usual, meet cute, breaking up over trivia and reuniting, this followed the aftermath of a soul crushing breakup. The writing was a cut above a typical drama, realistic, at times heartbreaking, and other times amusing. I enjoyed the leads, both did a good job. The ending was positive, but not all tied up with a bow. We saw the growth of the various characters and the possibility for more growth. The pacing was also quite good; it didn’t drag out with unnecessary fillers.
What I didn’t like: I think there was at least one too many side stories. A workplace romance was just wrong, the chemistry wasn’t there, and it felt inappropriate. There was an extraordinary amount of drunkenness in this drama, more than usual, and was often used as a catalyst for people to overcome communication problems. Drinking appears often in K dramas, but this one seemed to go overboard. It’s one of the reasons I couldn’t give it a full 10.
My favorite type of entertainment is something that can distract you, and in the case of a romcom, make you feel good, but at the same time give you something to think about. This drama filled the bill for me.
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