lianavine

Not Just Another Chaebol

Are you shocked? I'm a bit shocked at how high I've rated this drama!

I put off watching this drama for so long because I was expecting just another rich guy/poor girl dynamic with the classic sub plots and a bit of a thriller element (why do they so often add a thriller element to a romcom?). But I was genuinely happily surprised with this show.

It's been a while since I've been able to watch a show from start to finish without really skipping through parts that dragged on. You might be wondering, what is so special about this show compared to others in the same genre?

It's honestly the writing. Not only did they do a fantastic job in writing the plot but also they wrote the most attractive man in kdrama history, in my opinion.

One of the biggest critiques I've had recently with dramas is that they keep trying to be something they're not or add elements for dramatic effect that just don't make sense or aren't thought out properly. I didn't feel like this drama had that at all. I love that the writers focused on one plot and built on that over the 16 episodes and didn't add anything that they couldn't tie off at the end. The writers went back to the roots and I love them for it.

Now on to Gu Won. I need this kind of a man as the lead in more shows. He may have been cold at the start but it's not a surprise when he started to soften. We see the soft side of him already in the 'prologue' when he hires Mr. No and stands up to the toxic management. I saw another review that said that Won's feelings came out of nowhere for Sa-Rang but I strongly disagree. He was obviously traumatised from people smiling around him in his darkest times and so hated to see people smiling but you actually see the moment when he starts to appreciate a smile with Sa-Rang. And the love this man has for her, as a viewer, gives you butterflies. He is the peak male archetype. When they share their first kiss after he cooks her dinner, you can actually see how hard he's breathing and the NEED in this man's eyes. I just think overall, this man was perfect in every way. And the way he responded when he was about to propose but then she said she wanted to quit and go find her dream. WOW. Just WOW. What a man.

I will be watching every drama with this man in it going forward.

If you want a drama with twists and turns and all that crazy stuff, this is not for you. But if you're like me and can appreciate a well written man and a genuine plot that stays true to itself, please give this a go.

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Struggling to Find the Point

So I went into this not really knowing what to expect. My main reason for watching was Jun Ho because holy he's gorgeous and I was so hooked from the first episode. The premise and the story felt very remeniscent of The Smile Has Left Your Eyes and I even at points thought the ML looked very similar. Overall the romance was cute and the story was interesting but I just felt like the actual point was lost.

There were some really emotional parts and I liked the characters all around but some side characters felt a little pointless? The sister story didn't make much sense to me why it was there, the writer best friend and her hater also didn't really add much to the story and don't get me started on the useless love triangle.

I feel like my reviews always focus on the negatives because most of the time that is what I notice the most after I finish the show but let me list some positives first.

The acting was great and the leads did an amazing job at playing their roles. The story was sweet and sad and I love that combo. I love a good time jump ending where you can see how everyone is moving forward after the story has ended. I also loved the grandma and her side story, although the ending was sad. I probably could list more if I thought about it because I did at the end of the day give it a high rating but let me just highlight some negatives as well so you know whether this will be for you.

I just feel like the story was kind of pointless? We spent a lot of time at the construction site but this seemed like it was more just a way for them to be able to trigger MLs trauma flashbacks. Also, the FL forgetting the time she spent under the rubble was kind of strange to me and then her remembering it again seemed so sudden as well. I already mentioned the love triangle but let me again jsut say that this seemed like it had no other point except to trigger the miscommunication and some jealousy from the ML. It was so unneccasary, we could have literally just had the second ML be a good CEO that's handsome without him needing to be interested in the FL. This would still be a good way to bring in the jealousy without feeling like the love triangle was forced. Then there was the "breakups". I already don't like this in a show and it happened TWICE. Like seriously, the first time I would have understood but it just doesn't do much for me. Then near the end it seemed like it was kind of rushed.

I loved the Smile Has Left Your Eyes and I was hoping this was going to leave me with the same feelings when it was all done but it kind of didn't move me as much as it was trying to.

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Strong Start but got weaker

I really liked the start of this show. The story of Mokha and Kiho as kids really got me so invested in their success after escaping such a terrible situation. I can't pinpoint when this show starting falling off... Maybe it was the way they revealed the whole name change thing (because if he had really been looking for her for 15 YEARS, how did he manage to treat her so coldly at the start. If we, as the audience, were let in that he was Kiho from the beginning and we saw him struggling to not tell her it would have been a bit more believable), maybe it was how they went about the side story of the dad looking for them, maybe it was how the dad unalived himself... I just feel like there were so many things that I was waiting on that ended up being anticlimactic when it came around. It wasn't bad but I feel like they could have given us one solid good ending and everything else that was lacking wouldn't have seemed as disappointing.

That being said, I still think the story was intriguing and the characters were lovable. The beginning of the show really does pull you into the story and it's still worth it to finish it if you've already started.

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This was so close to being a 9.5

To make this review more fun: drink every time I say disappoint. LOL

I honestly was going to give this show a high rating up until episode 16. I'm just so disappointed in the ending. I loooveed the concept of him being able to go back in time and change the future. So for him to jump back into his first life at the end was the worst.

I don't even know how to properly express how disappointed I am from how the writers decided to end the show. Everything was coming to a close and he was right at the precipice of taking over Soonyang and officially becoming chairman. Only for him to wake up in a hospital after being shot in the head and none of it was real. This is not a plot twist that is going to grab your viewers or please your audience. This was just disappointing overall.

What I did like was that he ended up building up Miracle Investment again when he wakes up and trying to go back to living the life he was before. But yeah.... I would recommend watching this up until when he calls his gf to meet up and hops in the car. (make up your own ending because I promise you if you keep watching, you'll feel the same amount of disappointment that I'm feeling now.)

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Slow burn, more like no burn.

From my title, you might be thinking that the leads had no chemistry. And let me just quickly clarify that the leads had some of the best chemistry I've seen in a drama in a while. The gentle and sudden contact from a hand on her shoulder, or grabbing her sleeve to lead her through the dark, they showed this kind of tension throughout the show. But the thing with tension is it needs a good release to really make the tension worth while.

Actually, this can be said about the whole show. So much tension for little release. The build up to what happened between KIW and KJS to make KJS so depressed was deep and kept me on my toes. I needed to know what had led them there but when I found out, I was kind of disappointed.

Also, I've said this about previous shows but I dislike when a show is trying to sell me a profound love story only to have no intimacy. Sure they had a little peck in a car finally in EP 10 but with the amount of build up that just wasn't enough. Like it doesn't have to be anything crazy but I am sure they could have replaced one of the hugs with something more.

The other thing that was disappointing to me is rude HSW was towards KIW after she found out about what happened. She kept saying how she's uncomfortable with talking about HIS WIFE because she had this high and mighty approach where she believed it was up to her to decide whether he was worthy. She had known her for a couple weeks before she passed and then talked to a device which isn't ACTUALLY her but had her personality. He was married to her for 9 years and like her for 10 years before that. And he was distraught over her death but still she just thinks she can play judge and condemn him for a childish mistake he made. This really irked me and is when the show plummeted from a 10/10 to an 8/10.

I do think the show captured emotion really well and what it is like to miss someone you love. This was done so beautifully that it makes it even more upsetting that the last few episodes went in the direction it did. I still would recommend this to someone but only if they were looking for something a little depressing and they had already watched my other recommendations.

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Worst Case of Second-Lead Syndrome

I did really enjoy this show overall and it was a good filler show when I didn't know what to start. I will say though, Tae-Gwon would have been a wayyyy better suitor for Eun-Bi. Yi-An was in love with Eun-Byeol for 10 years and has all these memories with her so it doesn't feel as satisfying that he switched teams after Eun-Byeol came back. On the otherhand, Tae-Gwon and Eun-Byeol were not even friends at any point and Eun-Bi was the first to understand him and he was finally able to be himself around someone, not just the person they expected him to be. Eun-Bi was also able to open up to him first and she met him first so it just doesn't feel right that she ends up with Yi-An??? Like, I thought it was weird when Eun-Byeol was still 'dead' because he would see Eun-Byeol whenever he looked at Eun-Bi but it was so much worse when she came back because they literally were "more than friends" for like 10 years?? I don't know... I liked the rest of the show but that aspect really bothered me.

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Enjoyable but could use more OOMPH

This show was pleasant from start to finish with enough drama that it keeps you watching and enough plot to keep you entertained. That said, I think it was missing a hook. I didn't get caught up in it and when I would stop watching after a few episodes, I wouldn't really think of it until I sat down to continue watching it. (unlike some other shows that would play in my head when I wasn't watching and I would itch to know what comes next).

I have to say though, JaeHyun did an exceptional job for his first drama. I am so proud of him as an NCTzen and hope to see him play in many more roles with his talent in acting.

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Realistically a 6.5/10, but enjoyability is 8.5/10

Honestly, this is going to be a very short review but I just needed a place to vent. Fighter was played SO INCREDIBLY WELL. I liked Tutor's acting too but Fighter was definitely the highlight for me.

The show itself was very choppy and sometimes a mess but everytime it got back to a scene with Fighter and Tutor, I was sucked back in. They had amazing chemistry and when Tutor broke up with Fighter, I could genuinely feel the desperation and heart-wrenching emotions that Fighter was going through. It definitely left a hole in my heart that luckily was filled in Ep 13.

So for their story line and Fighter's acting it's a solid 8.5-9/10. But overall, because I can't just ignore the rest of the show, it's brought down to a 6.5/10. If you're not bothered to sit through most of it, I'd suggest just watching scenes with Tutor, Fighter, Saifah and Zon.

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Honestly Blown Away

I'm not really into BL dramas because so many of them aren't made very well or are rushed. You never get to connect to a character and many of the side stories don't add flavour to the show, it just adds some time to make the show longer. (Personal opinion)

However, that being said, this was one of my favourite shows and I really have to commend the writer, director and cast. They all did such a good job of telling this story and got me emotionally invested. It was well paced and they put effort into telling the story of representing the difficulties of coming out in Korea as well as genuinely representing LGBTQ+ love as a real love story.

The only reason why I haven't been a fan of BL is because they put 10% of the effort into BLs as they do on straight love dramas. My point being, I already want to rewatch this and relive the happy, sad and heart-fluttering moments. This is an absolute gem and I hope more shows like this, representing LGBTQ+ love correctly, will come out in the future.

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I never realised how fast a show can plummet until I watched this....

MAJOR SPOILERS:

This show had such potential and I was honestly going to give it a 8.5 AT LEAST, from the first few episodes. BUT, I think there should be a cap on how many plot twists a show should have. Like the first few plot twists I was like "oh noooo, what happened" but by the end of it I was just baffled at how ridiculous it got. The show should have either had the stalker storyline OR the terminally ill storyline. The show should have either gone with turning it into a sad drama and killing of the ML OR had him go through his illness with her until he was in remission. WHY DID HE FAKE HIS DEATH?!? To put someone through 5 YEARS of grief, ESPECIALLY someone who has literally lost so many people in her life is just wrong... and then to come back and just giggle while she's crying as if her whole world didn't just flip upside down because the person she loved so dearly and thought to be dead turned out to be alive? IF HE DIDN'T WANT HER TO KNOW HE WAS ILL, WHY DID HE GO BACK TO THE COFFEE SHOP JUST CUZ SHE SENT HIM A MESSAGE ON INSTA???? ESPECIALLY IF HE WAS GOING TO FAKE HIS DEATH ANYWAYS WHICH IS SO MUCH MORE CRUEL. The writers absolutely MURDERED this show in such a small span. As you can tell I'm pissed.

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Concept is great. Execution not so much

I started watching this show just to kill some time but after the first episode I was roped in. The concept was actually very interesting and I liked the idea of them developing "egos" and becoming aware of being in a comic. However, after the 6th episode I started becoming very sceptical. The actual comic was kind of ridiculous, the character development was non-existent and even though Dan-Oh was supposed to be this "cute" girl, I was actually just getting annoyed at her mannerisms as they seem so unrelatable. But still I kept watching because I wanted to know more about the black hole, Ha-ru and why he can change the stage, if they were going to find the writer etc and none of those things ever got explained. The actual interesting parts of the story that gave it depth were rushed while the scenes that had romance in it were slow. Honestly, the character that I got most invested in was Beak-kyung since they actually put in effort to show why he was so mean to Dan-oh and he started opening up and becoming more himself whereas everyone else just seemed so shallow. Also another thing that annoyed me was, why did Ju-da pick Nam-ju over Do-hwa? Like Nam-ju was literally the most boring character in the entire story and why get our hopes up that she was going to pick Do-hwa by rejecting Nam-ju a few times, when you're just gonna make her pick Nam-ju anyways? The ending as well was so unsatisfying, even if you disregard all of the plot holes.

The best thing about this show was the acting (especially of the male characters) and the music. If you're looking for a filler drama because you don't know what to watch then yes, I would recommend this over a lot of other mediocre dramas but that's only because the concept is still very interesting.

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This could have been great

Let me just start of by saying that I absolutely love dramas about self-healing and growth but this one seemed to just miss the mark a bit. The acting was amazing and the premise had so much potential but it lacked that punch to the gut.

I feel like the ML's character was a bit contradicting. He shows up looking like a thug and he supposedly stole a bunch of money from his gang but then as the show progresses, you don't really get to know how he stole the money or what kind of work he did. All of the flashbacks just focus on him trying to avoid a life of crime. They dressed him in those ugly patterned shirts for the first few episodes and gave him a standoffish personality but it doesn't match what the writers are trying to show us later. Redemption arcs are supposed to start from a bad person learning to be good but in this story, they try and sell us a good person with bad luck finding happiness. This is not a bad thing but it wasn't consistent with how they began the drama.

The FL also has some plot holes. We meet her brother once and then never again. The other characters talk about how FL lead had a rough life but then they don't elaborate on it....

All in all - it was an enjoyable drama but if anyone asked for a recommendation for a redemption drama, this would probably not be my first, second, or third rec. I'm the type of person who can take note of a show's flaws and still enjoy it but if you struggle to look past these things, this one might not be for you.

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Painful and Beautiful

This drama absolutely killed me from the moment it started. The cinematography mixed with the music and plot, really gets in your feels. I know there are many people who didn't enjoy this show or just thought of it as average but for me, it left a gaping hole in my heart. I think what this drama does so painfully well, is present love in a modern and emotional way. It's not about the rich-guy-poor-girl dinamic that so many dramas tend to follow, it's about two people who have had painful pasts and don't know how to love others and to be loved anymore. Yu Na-Bi seems so defeated by life all the time but the unique relationship she forms with Park Jae-Eon makes her feel and hope again. She doesn't want the 'good guy' because she's experience that the 'good guy' could just as easily end up as the bad guy. Jae-Eon is himself from the beginning and doesn't promise to only commit to her but then cheat on her. He may seem like the bad guy but at least she knows what to expect. They need each other equally to grow, even if it is in their own f***ed up way.

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SATISFYING ALL THE WAY THROUGH

I'm usually quite harsh on these types of shows where there is revenge but this show really captures a person's breaking point so well. HYJ had been thrown away by everyone she thought cared about her and when she wakes up a year in the past, she doesn't waste a second and immediately chooses to turn her back on everyone that betrayed her. Her attitude from that point on is just perfect! She doesn't back down and although she still struggles with the anxiety of being around her abusive family, she ultimately chooses herself at every turn.

I actually really liked Seo Jung Wooks character portayal. Of course he was a horrible person but his aura and even just the way he speaks reminds me of a classic Disney villain (specifically Shan Yu from Mulan). I think what sets him apart as a character is he's not a psychopath like Lee Jung Hye, he just never learned how to love anything or anyone including himself.

I kind of wish that the sister, Han Yoo Ra, ended up in a ditch somewhere tbh. God she was insufferable. Also no one found out that she's not actually biologically related to her dad. I do like that she ended up having to go back to that simp of a man, Se Hyeok. He deserves her simply for loving her so much he didn't care about hurting Yi Joo in the process.

All in all, I think this drama did a fantastic job of presenting a satisfying revenge plot. 10/10

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In Response To Negative Comments...

I've been seeing a lot of negative comments about this show saying that it's americanized etc. so I wanted to write a review in response to this.

I disagree that this kdrama is trying to be more Americanized. I genuinely like that they tried to make something more suited for adult viewers with the dark themes, intricate plot, and some nudity. It's refreshing to see such an amazing cast take on a much more daring role and it really shows how talented they are.

I will say that the plot was a bit confusing at points. The jumps between present day, the past, and the future were done well for the most part but there were times where I wasn't sure where we were. Another negative is that I hate when shows split the main couple up after they've been through a lot because they need to "heal". I personally think it's a bad choice and unnecessary.

I will also say that the show could have used a bit more depth on the relationships between the characters, there was limited dialogue when the leads were on screen together and instead we just see them trauma dumping all the time. Maybe if the show had been slightly longer to accommodate some more character building, I would have liked this aspect more. Or even if they just got rid of the friend's plot line - this felt so unnecessary... like okay she doesn't want to just be a mom, she wants to work blah blah blah but like where did this story actually go? What was the point? They either needed to develop this WAYYYY more or take it out IMO. I wanted to see his ex-wife's downfall, I wanted to see the leads accepting this new love, I wanted to see more healing in the characters... What I really mean to say by all this is that I think this show could have been a solid 10/10 if they had a more solid focus on the emotional/psychological themes rather than throwing in some of the other side plots.

Onto the positives - I really like the relationship between the leads. Their chemistry was amazing and I felt compelled by their stories. It was heartbreaking at times too when you see how unsure the leads are about what love is meant to feel like and how they should be treated by their loved ones. I like to crochet whilst I watch kdramas and this was a show where I would just constantly stop and just watch because I was so hooked on what was happening. I know my paragraph on the negatives is so much longer but that's just because there were a few key positives that really make this entire show so worth watching.

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