This review may contain spoilers
Finding and chasing your dreams
Spoilers (slight) at the end -This was a take-off of The Devil Wears Prada. However, here we get some of the back story as to why the Devil Boss is the ways she is. It totally humanized her, and I found that her story arc was my favorite of the whole show.
The romance was somewhat cute, but I found myself with SLS. I think it was because the FL kept referring to the ML as a puppy, and he just seemed somewhat immature to me. They were a cute couple, but I didn't see much chemistry.
As for the FL, I think I could have warmed to her more if they hadn't made her so bumbling. Constant rookie mistakes that would have gotten her fired, talking back to bosses (which also would have gotten her fired), and the clumsiness were all a bit much.
The potential rival for the ML's affections was a nice change of pace. The usual formula wasn't used here, which I appreciated.
NOW FOR THE RANTING SPOILERS:
This really irritated me. So, the guy kisses her on the forehead, and she is already planning their wedding?! I notice that they tend to do this a lot in Japanese dramas. She can't even ask him to define their relationship. It's called communication, people. But the thing that irked me more than that, this is a woman that had no goals to speak of, finally gets a "dream" and breaks up with him when he is leaving Tokyo to go into the family business! This, to me, made everything we went through a waste of time. I was also bothered how she "saw" him everywhere. It was her choice to break up. Why does it have to be one or the other - a career OR a relationship? Could they have tried to make it work.? Having had a career that was the major focus of my life, at the expense of my relationship - I've discovered that you can't bank on a career.
Another thing that REALLY irritated me, and this happens ALL THE TIME in Asian shows - the time jump. The guy decides that he really wants to pursue photography (this didn't make sense to me because he was already a professional photographer) so we went to Cambodia for three years and didn't contact her ONCE!?!?!?! Granted, phones didn't play a central part in this drama as much as they do in others, but with technology what it is, there is no reason to fall off the grid for years at a time.
Overall, I found this to be a cute and easy show to watch. The romance was lacking chemistry, but I found the Devil Boss storyline to be fresh and well-written.
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Lots of wasted time
I'm not normally a fan of historicals. I feel like there is one script that they use for every historical, just changing the names and the actors - someone in the family trying to kill the monarch, evil people in power (especially high-ranking officials), scraggly beards and moustaches, beautiful costumes, ridiculous hats, sword fighting, kidnapping, bloodshed, mistaken identity, ginormous cast with multiple storylines. This drama kept popping up in my face, so I figured I'd give it a try. If you are die-hard fan of historicals, you'll probably like this. There is no doubt that it was well done, but there was so much filler that the fast forward button and I became very close.There were many positive things about this drama for me:
The cast, especially -
Rowoon as Jung Ji Woon - do I even need to explain why? I find him to be very charismatic and his acting is understated. I can feel his emotions, and he tends to have very good chemistry with his leading ladies.
Park Eun Bin as Yeon Seon/Lee Hwi/Dam Yi - for me, she was the standout of this drama. I do not like the gender bender genre, because every single one that I have seen has a woman that is so beautiful that there is no way that anyone that can see at all would confuse her with a man. Her features are always soft, and they have her perfectly made up. Park Eun Bin was terrific in this role! First, her stature and her face are such that you could conceivably believe that she was a man. Don't get me wrong, she is absolutely gorgeous, but she was made up so that her face was all hard angles, strong jawline, no puffy cheeks. Add to that, she did a great job of keeping her voice deep, and she had that cold, aloof demeanor down pat. Her movements were very masculine when she was playing the man, as well.
Nam Yoon Su as Lee Hyun - I loved his characterization of unswerving loyalty in the face of having to deny his feelings.
Go Gyu Pil as Hong Bok Dong - He brought a little comedy/lightness to an otherwise heavy show. When I saw the child actor playing this part, I just knew Go Gyu Pil would be playing the adult!
Excellent chemistry between the lead actors. Honestly, if I were to re-watch this, it would be to fast forward through all the intrigues just to watch their love story.
Bottom line - I think that if historical dramas are what you gravitate to, you will probably really like this one.
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For me, it was forgettable
The story line was interesting, but I didn't feel the leads did a very good job when they exchanged souls. So, trying to keep track of who what saying what to who was aggravating. Toward the beginning of the show, when he was already attracted to her, the looks he would give her...sigh! But later they didn't really seem to have that much chemistry. Plus, they fought ALL THE TIME. Hated the evil mother (I know, that was the point, but she continued to have her way, even at the end, hated that). I had watched this on DramaFever and couldn't even remember it, so I watched it again to review it. I now know why I couldn't remember it. Not that impressive. Loved the architecture, even though this was filmed long before WWWSK, it will always be the WWWSK house!Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
This is one of those shows that I have watched multiple times. She is just precious. Tiny in stature, but don't mess with her! The chemistry between the two mains was wonderful, and I loved that he seemed to be attracted to her before she was attracted to him. He treats her with such care and respect, I just LOVED their relationship. They were so sweet together, and it was wonderful watching him try to deal with his feelings for her.Her crying, however. They need to work with her to teach her how to correctly emote when she is crying. I could not take her seriously, and I wanted to laugh during one of the more dramatic scenes of the show. It was not a character flaw, I've seen her in other shows and that's the way she cries.
That said, I did NOT like the side story with the "gangsters" that were in the hospital, and her mom was a nightmare! I felt that the gangster stuff put it over the top into slapstick territory and the ending did, as well.
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Cute but forgettable
The synopsis sounded good, and it was starring Yokohama Ryusei, so why not? In general, it was sweet, I liked that there weren't a ton of episodes, and there was no angst. The main couple was very cute, but I found it hard to feel a connection with them. Friends, more than friends, roommates, it seemed to change at the drop of a hat. I didn't really feel their chemistry.Maybe because I'm, "of a certain age", but her constantly being on her phone really bugged me. Living life through your phone screen, while the world passes you by, I don't think there is anything sadder than that. I did, however, like how they treated the juxtaposition of the two main characters - her constantly being on her phone, him not even carrying a phone with him.
I struggled with the triangle as well. It was hinted at early on, but actually entered the picture pretty late in the show. The whole thing made me feel like she couldn't make up her mind.
I liked the housemates concept, learning to live with different personalities, and ultimately becoming a family of sorts.
It's a good, short watch if you just want fluff.
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Very sweet
This was a cute storyline and there was very low angst, which I always appreciate. I watched it all in one day, and the time just seemed to fly by. Sweet happy ending, especially at the newsstand.I really appreciated Simon Chen in his role of pretending to be identical twin brothers. I enjoyed watching his demeanor change from very cold to open and friendly. The only downside is it doesn't look like he's currently in anything else I can watch him in! His assistant trying to help him fix his smile so it looked more natural was cute.
The main couple, for the most part, had good chemistry and I found myself smiling a lot.
The acting of some of the ancillary characters was not so great, but luckily most of the time was spent on the main couple. The one thing that I absolutely did not like was all of her drinking, especially after making such a big deal out of the fact that she can't drink. I mean, who goes to try to apologize and get an interview when they are drunk, anyway?!?! And her drunk crying was really irritating and there was entirely too much of it.
Another thing that I really liked was the fact that this was short, especially compared with most other Chinese shows. There wasn't a lot of time-wasting filler, which made the experience enjoyable.
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Acting can make or break a show for me
STORY: I enjoyed the Korean version more, mainly because this version was entirely too long and drawn out. There was so much that could have been left out entirely, without losing any of the storyline. I'll admit, I'm a sucker for the destiny, we knew each other years ago storyline. However, here the male lead was pretty unlikeable, so I couldn't fathom how either woman could fall in love with him. I didn't feel that the male lead's character was as mean as in the Korean version, but that's mainly due to acting...ACTING/CAST: I enjoyed Dilraba Dilmurat as Li Hui Zhen (though she was considered ugly because of frizzy hair and freckles? Although the freckles were so poorly done, but that's another issue). I didn't think she was as over-the-top as the actress in the Korean version, which I appreciated. Peter Sheng as Bai Hao Yu - his acting was terrible in this. I don't think I've ever seen him in anything else, but here he was wooden with no expressions. There are so many actors that can play the cold hero well, by use of expressiveness of eyes. He, unfortunately, appears to not have this capability. Vin Zhang as Lin Yimu was AMAZING. First, I think his part was really well-written, so there is that. He and Dilraba had amazing chemistry, which was lacking between Sheng and Dilraba. Li Xi Rui as Xia Yiao - she had a few scenes (which seemed to involve movement, so maybe acting and moving are too much) where all you could see was her acting. However, for the most part she did a pretty decent job. The rest of the cast was okay. I did like the progression of the friendships between all the workers in the office.
CHEMISTRY: Great chemistry between Dilraba and Vin Zhang. Between Dilraba and Sheng, not so much. I enjoyed the scene where they were eating together in the car, but I never really felt that they were in love.
This is actually a show that you could watch the first few episodes and then skip to the last 10 episodes and not miss out on anything.
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Is our destiny fixed?
This show addresses the question of whether our destinies are fixed, and the concept of parallel universes. I found this interesting, especially since I just recently finished Blue Birthday, which addressed time travel. Nothing like sticking with the same genre, it helps things to flow more easily. If you know something that is destined to happen in your future, do you try to finesse it or change it? And, if you can change it, was it really your destiny? I also liked how the concept of healing from past wounds was brought into the story.Beautifully filmed in light and dark and shades of brown.
I did find the story very confusing because of the women that were in it. Was it one person, two people, what? That is totally on me, however. I thought it was the perfect length, and I'll go to Season 2 soon.
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I think the writers were wrong with this one!
The storyline was okay. I liked the idea of the two main characters having known each other for years. The acting was good for the most part (some of the comedic relief stuff was a little over the top). It was going along quite well until, WHAT THE HECK!?!?! Warning, rant coming...Most of the episodes demonstrated how Yoon Tae Oh and Han Song Yi had been friends for years, and that she never thought of him as more than that. He had first love syndrome but then moved on to someone else. Multiple episodes served to show the developing relationship between Song Yi and Seo Do Hyun, including discussions about heart fluttering, confessions of affection, first kisses. They had beautiful chemistry together and his character was warm, caring, sweet, and genuinely a nice guy. Then all of a sudden, he's out of the picture and Song Yi and Tae Oh get together!?!?! In the first place, Tae Oh was not the most likeable of characters. He was selfish, immature, entitled. And let's be honest, you've known each other for 20 years, if you were going to have a relationship, you would have done it in that time. It also left a bad taste in my mouth because it made her seem too fickle. She really liked Do Hyun, then she didn't all of a sudden?
This show actually made me mad for having wasted my time.
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Some surprisingly swoony lines from teen ML
The first couple of episodes didn't impress me, mostly because they were rushed (it is a web series) and I didn't particularly care for the FL. Understandably, she had a chip on her shoulder, but honestly, she'd had 18 years to get used to her destiny and do you really want to go your whole life hating everyone and have everyone hating you? But then, the show really started to grow on me. This is an enjoyable show to binge watch, as the episodes are short and there are only 12 episodes. This drama demonstrated that the living are often scarier than the dead; and that if you open yourself up a little to people, your burdens might be halved because you have someone to share them with. Everything was wrapped up nicely, though because of the short duration, there were questions that were left unanswered (mostly missing back stories), but I wasn't bothered by that. Honestly, even though they've confirmed a season 2, I don't really see the need for it, other than to see more of the actors' work.Kim Sae Ron as Ga Doo Shim was very good in this role. She was able to convey the bitterness of her lot in life, yet with that vulnerability that, perhaps this time things will be different. This was a very physical role and she did a good job with that as well.
Nam Da Reum as Na Woo Soo. I've loved him in things he's been in so far. I think he did an okay job as the male lead here, mainly because it was short. I'm not saying that he's not ready for a lead in a longer drama, just that this was a good starting point for him.
Yoo Sun Ho as student ghost Hyun Soo. He brought a lot of life to the story, especially considering that he was a dead guy! He had a lot of humorous scenes, and when he played it straight, I really felt for him. I would have loved to have actually seen a scene with him resolving issues with his mother.
Bae Hae Seon as Hyo Shim (Doo Shim's mother) - she did an excellent job. She has a very lovely and calm demeanor, and she didn't play her character as over-the-top and cartoonish, as I was afraid she would. I would have loved to have seen more scenes of her and Doo Shim resolving some of their issues.
Writing - there were the typical high school drama issues: terrible parents, the pressure to be the top of your class (I thought the premise for the deaths was excellent - it was coming from a different angle), school bullies, the other girl that likes the ML and is mean and conniving. Every time I watch a high school drama, I think that there is no way I'd want to go to school in Korea! However, there were a few surprisingly swoony lines from the ML that I was VERY impressed with. Not only with the lines themselves, but with the way Nam Da Reum delivered them.
Music - to be perfectly honest, I don't remember the music. It wasn't out of place, but I wasn't impressed enough to notice any of it.
Rewatch value - I've got too many other things on my list.
Bottom line - if you've got a few hours, don't want anything long and drawn out, and would like to see something a little supernatural, give it a try!
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This review may contain spoilers
Immature writing and characters
What I liked:1) It was only eight episodes.
2) It did improve for me somewhat at episode six.
3) Choi Tae Joon. I watched another show where he was the lead, and he doesn't really have the presence to carry a lead role. At least in this, there were so few episodes, that his ability wasn't noticeably lacking.
4) I loved their date, them spending time together and getting to know one another.
What I didn't like:
1) The language. I am totally not a fan of cursing.
2) The cat's voice was totally wrong.
3) The girl in ML's photograph was shown multiple times, with a flashback to explain how they met, but then a BRIEF explanation of what happened to her (if you blinked you would miss it). The ML looked exactly the same in the 7-year-old flashback as he did in the present. When the psychotic girl showed up, I thought it was her in the photograph, but she was a completely different character!
4) The psychotic girl. They should have changed her hair and makeup, so she looked more "normal". She didn't even have to say or do anything, she just LOOKED crazy. Plus, her behavior and what she did was actually illegal - he should have had her arrested.
5) Too much drinking.
6) Weakness of the ML in dealing/not dealing with psychotic girl.
7) Editing issues. ML leaves his own home when the crazy girl won't leave, but in the next scene he's at home, and the crazy girl isn't seen again for quite a while.
8) The fantasy scenes in the elevator were just clunky to watch.
9) Repeat of the same song over and over.
10) So, the ML is supposedly totally enamored of his cat, yet he lets some random woman that he doesn't know take care of it?
11) Generally, the overall campiness bothered me. It felt like the parents, the cat, the lightning was all just played for laughs, so it felt very slapstick. That's fine, but then it would try to move into a more serious tone, and it overall just didn't work.
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Wonderful!
I loved this series. The main man (healer) was slightly odd - definitely not a people person. I loved his fascination with her. JCW was able to convey so much with just his eyes! They were very cute together. This was a wonderful romance. I’ll admit I had a difficult time with the flashbacks until I watched it again. It was hard to keep straight who was who. The woman that played his handler was amazing! Happy ending, and the voice overs where they were talking about their likes and dislikes was wonderful.Was this review helpful to you?
A more lighthearted look at historical drama
This seemed to me like watching people play dress up in historical costume, but it was actually in current time. For me, that wasn't a bad thing. I typically don't care for historical dramas because they are SO full of angst, often have tragic endings, all the government people look alike and are ALWAYS evil, there is often unrealistic flying around acrobatics going on. That's why this show for me was a breath of fresh air. Sure, the government people still all looked alike and there was a lot of evil to go around, but I was able to get past that because of the lightheartedness that was evident throughout.Interesting premise for a story and I loved the strength of the women characters. There were quite a few times that got me grinning, especially from the eunuch. Oh, the trials of trying to keep up with a prince!
The two leads were very good. I loved him in True Beauty, and he showed a more playful side to himself here. His expressions were so sweet, and his smiles and mannerisms as he journeyed into first love were a joy to watch. I appreciated that they took the time to show us the development of their relationship, and I could understand why they fell in love with each other.
As usual, giant time skip, rushed ending, but in this case, I was able to get past that because I enjoyed the three quarters of the episodes so much.
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Short and touching story about healing
Sometimes I appreciate a show that is short, as I tend to find a lot of wasted time in the longer dramas. I enjoyed this show, for what it was.STORY: I really enjoyed the storyline. For anyone that has suffered loss and/or trauma, this spoke to both of those things. Lingering feelings of guilt for choices we've made, or even events out of our control, can affect our lives and present physical and emotional scars in multiple ways. I appreciated the friendship that developed between the leads, a relationship built on needs that each of them had. Often, we don't realize how someone is helping us while we are going through something, it's only once we get to the other side that we can appreciate their words, their listening ears, their sympathy and their understanding. By her saying that she was here, and listening to him, he was able to finally grieve. She needed something to live for, and he brought some joy into her life. I struggled with the second couple, as there seemed to be a large age difference. Normally that doesn't bother me, but this time I couldn't relate to them. Why was there the hoobae that liked him (she looked too much like the FL to begin with) when it seemed to be something to just fill up about 10 minutes. Plus, the twist was a complete waste of time.
ACTING: The acting was pretty good. It was a simple script that didn't require a huge demand in the acting department, so I think everyone did fine. The standout for me was Na In Woo - whether smiling or crying, I felt his emotions.
MUSIC: I enjoyed the songs.
REWATCH VALUE: Not for me, there's too much other stuff to get through, and there really wasn't enough romance, which is what I tend to rewatch.
ENDING: Why, oh why, do Asian dramas have to rush their endings so much?!?! It was cute, but too rushed.
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