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Better with each episode
The strongest point of this drama is by far the acting of the lead actors, especially Lee Joon Gi. When he broke down and whenever it got emotional, he aced those scenes and they were the best of all. I would argue that those scenes are what made the drama as successful. Because although the plot had some individual twists, the idea itself is nothing new. This is why it started a bit bland and mid but got better with each episode. But sometimes it was a bit slow. I also think that the whole memory loss plot line of the last episode could've been cut out. I can kind of understand why it was there, but it dragged the drama for another episode, which it did not need. But I loved the last scene and it was what I was looking forward to. The music was also great, especially during intense scenes, I could really feel the character's emotions.Was this review helpful to you?
A fun, bad show
This show was a mess on so many levels, I would be talking forever just listing them. Inexperienced actors, low-budget, no chemistry between the "lead" couple and horrendous story writing would summarise it all pretty well.Although it was a weird ride and I was loosing brain cells during the process, I can't say that I wasn't entertained. The bad quality often made me laugh and although I know that it probably wasn't intended, it added more comedic value than the intended funny scenes.
It was a bad show, but a fun bad show.
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Very 2015
It's more comedy than the premise lets on. While it also embraces deep aspects of trauma beautifully, it took a while to get there. The first 7 episodes were a chore to watch and I'm just glad I stuck through that. The FL screamed a lot and her acting was generally really annoying. Except for some scenes, I was not a fan. The ML on the other hand did a great job of acting out multiple personalities and the emotional scenes were amazing!One part of the story that really bothered me, was the strong pseudo-incestrous touch between FL and her brother and also ML. It was really not necessary and made me cringe a lot at times.
I loved how in the end, everything came together and the plot twist of the show was great. I really did not see it coming.
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Objectively a 10
It's really nice to watch something so different and get a peak into the life and mind of people with autism. I can see all the research that has gone into this drama and the actress did a phenomenal job! I was awed at her mannerisms with her whole body - from the way her eyes avoided eye contact to the way she carried herself. Other than that, the drama addressed different problems in a very tactful manner: from prejudice against people with mental disorders to corruption in the legal system. All the while, I could not really hate any character. Every character had their own twist and I honestly love that there was no "big bad evil villainess" character, because I honestly get tired of that. The whale/dolphin animations were also really well made and it was fun to learn some off-topic whale facts.The only reason I did not give a full 10 is because although the drama itself is great, it is not completely my taste. But I would argue that objectively, it would be a 10.
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Dominant FL and Submissive ML
For an obviously low-budget drama, this one is actually quite nice if you like the trope of dominant FL and submissive ML. It's also a quick watch that still gets you invested. So if you have some time left and like the trope - go for it.Only the ending is a bit ambiguous and also where it lost me a little. But the rest is nice. Don't expect some sophisticated plot though, this show is short after all.
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Healthy break from other dramas
It was an incredibly good show for what it was supposed to represent. If you're looking for a detective drama and misunderstandings resolved quickly (and healthy in a mature way) - that's the show for you. The main couple had a healthy relationship with great communication, which honestly just highlighted to me how rare that is in dramas hahaAll four mains were capable 'til the end and what I really liked was that FL truly stayed smart and capable throughout. I expected FL to be the typical "smart" drama lead who starts strong but dumbs down along the way. But she actually stayed smart. ML was also very smart and capable and it was refreshing to see this kind of power couple. And I also want to applaud ML's actor here. This was his first drama was far as I can tell and he was amazing. If you told me, he was a seasoned actor at this point, I would've believed you without a doubt. Great versatility and it doesn't hurt that he's quite handsome too.
Now to my criticism. I felt that the character development was quite minimal. Yes, things happened and yes, FL opened up more. But overall, I didn't really see any fundamental changes. This is the reason why I'm very torn on this drama. The story is great and it's nicely written (you can tell that the writer was a dramafan who was sick of miscommunication and plot holes ;)) but it did feel lukewarm throughout. And I would say that's mostly due to the lack of character development. Also - and that's just a veery personal opinion - I didn't really warm up to FL. I enjoyed that she was very smart and capable (and reasonable) but she was too calm for me. There was no spice to her. The scenes in which she got emotional were my favourite ones of her because we finally saw her "break character". But they were so few that it couldn't really save her for me.
Nevertheless, it's a great, well-made and healthy drama. If you're looking for a calm break from other shows, this is it for you. Is it one of the top dramas ever made? No. But it's not trying to be.
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Hidden Gem
Now, I did not expect much from this show since it is a mini-series. However, it really surprised me and exceeded my expectations. Especially the plot was more tight than I expected it to be. No plot holes and understandable motivations.First things first: its main focus is revenge, not romance. And it's doing the revenge part extremely well. You root for FL and it's very satisfying that she doesn't lose her focus, is smart and certainly is a (wo)man on a mission. ML is mostly there to help her along and to find true love. It's really sweet and I liked them together. I wish though, that they would've fleshed it out a bit more. But since it's a mini-series, one shouldn't expect miracles. It's also low-budget but the compelling story definitely makes up for it.
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Amazing story with show stealing male lead!
This is a great drama! It gives you well-paced romance and doesn't start stalling unnecessarily. I even loved the side couple - something that is really rare for me. Also, this show managed to get me emotionally invested (also rare for me).The male lead was definitely the show stealer. His acting was amazing (doesn't hurt that he's also very handsome) and I loved every scene he was in.
However, the female lead always stuck out like a sore thumb for me. She definitely has talent, but she looked and acted too childlike for my taste. But I did like that the character was quite smart in the beginning (it was her novel after all). As a couple, I loved the trust between them and every scene of them together was amazing.
I'm just a bit disappointed by how one character's behaviour shifted unexpectedly near the end. It left a bit of a sour taste. But since the rest of the show is great, I wouldn't advice anyone to get deterred by it from watching.
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A Drama of Contrasts
I have many feelings about this drama, but I'll try to keep it simple. In short: it's a drama of many contrasts. The things it's doing well, it's doing really good. But the things it's doing bad, are really bad. It's low-budget and the plot is very weak: Is a true love's kiss really needed to get the pearl? What is the motivation of the villain? How does the pearl actually work? These are the main most blatant unanswered questions (trying not to get too deep into spoilers). One big pet peeve of mine was also here: explaining the story. Especially the villain kept explaining everything, which is just lazy writing. At least incorporate it better or just show it.However, the biggest blunder was the love story. There were no real nuances. She went from feeling meh about him to unconditional love. And her escape attempts and scheming were stretched over the limit. She was still scheming, even 2/3 through the drama. It was entertaining but it got really tiring.
All that being sad, it also had really strong points. The leads had good chemistry and especially the female lead was incredibly funny. I love these kinds of female leads. Also a main reason why I could bear to watch her constant planning. The beginning of the drama was incredibly strong, I wish they would've kept up the pace and didn't start stalling. The male lead was also cute and I actually liked him being hooded (although I'm aware that the hood was just a plot device to keep up the secret identity).
All in all, a very funny drama (I love those) but with plot holes. It's obvious that they wanted a werewolf story and tried to fit everything else around it.
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The Journey is What Makes It Good
I really enjoyed this show. I binge-watched it over just a few days. Especially the male lead had really funny moments and he was a joy to watch. I also loved the friendship between the characters. No unnecessary love triangles or frustrating misunderstandings. It also gave me Romance between Tiger and Rose vibes all the way (funny, since they have the same male lead) and I since I really liked that drama, that kept me hooked.That being said, I do have some criticism. In the beginning, the show dumps all the information on you (although cdramas like doing that) and I barely remembered any of it. I also think this introduction was rather unnecessary and confusing than helpful, since most of it will get addressed in the drama. A more well-integrated explanation (or better yet - showing) of the backstory would've been sufficient.
On the same note, the ending lost me a bit. Not that I don't like it, it is just confusing and I still think that it makes not much sense.
Completely aside from the plot, the acting was mostly fine (male lead being really good, second leads a little bland and stiff). What really bothered me was the female lead. Too babyish acting for my taste and quite annoying at times. It got better along the story, but it did bother me. I feel like this is just a general problem I have with most of Esther Yu's acting though (one of the main reasons why I still haven't finished Love Between Fairy and Devil). A shame really, because she can act serious and it's good.
All in all, a funny good drama. And I think for this drama, the journey is what makes it good.
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Taiwanese hit
Generally speaking, Taiwanese dramas are usually either a big hit or miss for me. And this one was a hit. Unfortunately, the drama's title does not serve it justice, as it suggests some very superficial and cheap comedy content. Although it does give a lot of comedic moments, it is blended well together with the mystery aspect. You never feel like it currently is too lighthearted or too heavy, since it finds the perfect timing for both. I loved the bromance between ML and the medical student. Perhaps I'm a bit biased, but I would've loved or at least encouraged some BL here :p But even "just" as friends, they give you a lot of cute and funny moments and they are a joy to watch.The only downside, but that's just a personal preference, I would've preferred some romance somewhere. But as I said, it also works well with only friendship and still is a really nice experience.
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Review for both seasons
First, I have to mention that I rated the first season 8/10 and the second 6.5/10. The first season has all the classic romcom aspects: love triangle, lots of comedy and romance. It's a quick watch and so much fun. The second season on the other hand was a bit more bland compared to that. They dived a bit more into the political aspect but still only on a quite superficial matter. There was no real conflict for the leads anymore and I think that's when I realised that they actually don't have a lot of chemistry and ML acting like a log all the time gets tiring. I loved the light-heartedness and the drama not taking itself too seriously, but the ending was complete nonsense if we're being honest.The biggest negative point: the sound management. Whoever was sound director for this drama needs to get fired. It was ridiculous how much the quality changed even within one scene and don't let me get started on sound effects.
What seriously saved and improved the whole drama was FL's acting. Zhao Lu Si is just such a fun comedy actress with such a catching laugh. If it weren't for her, I think the drama would've only been half as good.
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A drama like no other
It's a drama like no other. It's unique and it's fast paced. You certainly don't get bored and the story is extremely unpredictable. That is both its greatest strength and weakness. It really keeps you on your toes but since it's constantly fast-paced, it also tires you out. I needed several breaks - not because it's bad but because there was so much happening that I needed to recharge. Also heads up, because this drama will also require some brainpower for you to understand why and what is happening, so it's not something you should watch on the side. I saw many people being confused and dropping/disliking the drama because of that. Many perceived "plot holes" actually make sense when you pay enough attention. Not to say that there are no plot holes whatsoever, but it's not nearly as bad as some people claim.I'm extremely conflicted on the romance. It happened extremely fast (and I honestly didn't understand why he fell that hard) and these romantic moments seemed quite unfitting in certain moments. The ending also left me feeling conflicted.
But overall, it's so unique and different from any other drama that it's definitely worth a watch.
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Deserves a lot more recognition!
This is a great drama that I can't believe everyone is sleeping on! I love modern Korea royalty interpretations. The story - although it does have several clichés - is very original in the way it is put together. You constantly know where the story is going and it keeps you on you toes. I love that in dramas. The second I ask myself while watching a drama "Okay, where is all this going?" it's loosing me. But not here. The character development of ML was amazing. He was so unlikeable in the beginning but became my favourite character of the drama. Also FL being badass and being able to save herself was extremely satisfying to watch while not loosing her femininity.I do have some mild criticism concerning the acting of the foreigners (still don't get why they couldn't get better actors), the villain acted like such a clown in the beginning, the "cute" acting of FL was not good and the portrayal of North Korea did seem quite unrealistic at times. But I can excuse some of these points due to the drama being from 2012 - dramas just weren't as sophisticated back then.
But please don't let these points stop you from watching the drama - it's great and deserves a lot more recognition!
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Unique, funny and beautiful!
I love the originality of the idea! For this drama, it actually made sense why the world is not traditionally historical but fantasy historical because FL made it up to begin with. It was so fun to watch ML and FL fall in love with each other and the acting - especially of FL - was amazing! I needed this lighthearted and funny drama.But I can understand why some people might not like it. FL was childish quite a few times (especially in the beginning). But I loved her character development to become smarter and more serious. What bothers me a bit is that although it was really fun to watch, it was still a bit too long. But I think this is a general cdrama issue.
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