michelleoc

Thank you writers!

Chinese dramas aren't usually my "go to" because of their length. For me, most of the 20-40 episode dramas are mostly filler. This one was right up my alley! It was the perfect length, and the story didn't suffer from the brevity at all. I'm not normally a fan of noona romance, but this one was cute, and there were some good comedic moments associated with it.

So much to like:
Destiny trope - I'm a sucker for it, I'll be honest. What he said about waiting five years, that really got to me.
No triangles.
No evil SFL (I've noticed it's almost always SFL as opposed to SML)
No evil parents trying to split them up (loved her dad!)
The dubbing was toned town and not nearly as irritating as usual.
Strong FL - Lu Yan Qi as Rong Rong was so refreshing. I'd say she was assertive rather than aggressive. She was a powerful business woman but not a b*tch. She displayed a lot of vulnerability. Yan Qi is seriously beautiful, and she has the perfect lips for all the times she's asking him to kiss her.
Wonderful ML - loved Yang Ze as Cong Bei. Handsome and youthful, which played into the noona aspect of the drama. He had a lot of good micro-expressions that displayed how he was feeling. I do, however, wonder what he was going to do with his life. That wasn't really addressed.
No big misunderstandings. There were a couple of places where things went awry in their lives, but they talked about things and resolved them. I really liked how they believed in one another, when others were feeding them lies.
2ML - normally I'm not a big fan of facial hair on Asian men, it can often look so sparse, like they are trying too hard for a beard. I loved his beard and his long hair. SPOILER!!!! This is the first time I think I've ever felt sympathetic toward an antagonist. I actually loved this character (especially with Jing Jing) and was so sorry that they couldn't make that guy that was hanging around him the villain so the 2ML could get a happy ending. END OF SPOILER.
2FL - Guo Jiu Yu as Jing Jing - here is where most of the comedy relief came in. She was such a sweet character but was an accident waiting to happen whenever she was in the 2ML's sphere. The two of them were cute together.
No time skip at the end!

My biggest hope, upon watching this drama, is that C-drama writers will start to see that the shows can deliver the same feels, yet be tighter and more concise, without all the unnecessary filler.

I really enjoyed Destined to Meet You.

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I was a nervous wreck watching this!

I came for Gong Yoo, I'll be honest. I do have to say that this movie was very well done. I hated the ending, but, for me, if it's not a totally happy ending, I'm never satisfied. I do understand why it ended the way it did, and it was effective, but it was disappointing for me.

We got to see just enough of everyone's back story to develop opinions and/or feelings about each character. You have the heroes that step up in a pinch, as well as those that, in a life-threatening situation, become even more selfish, caring only about their own safety. You also get to see some people come to the realization about that is important in life, albeit too late.

The zombies were different than in other shows/movies I've seen about zombies. In the first place, these things were freaking fast! That dialed up the tension level considerably, then you'd see a zombie running along with his body all out of alignment, with his arm broken behind his head or something, and you just have to laugh - good way to release some of that pent up tension.

The special effects were very good. I'm not expert, but there weren't any times that something was completely fake looking (okay, zombies, I know, aren't real - but they COULD be!)

Music - to be honest, I don't remember hearing any music, just lots of grunting and screaming.

Rewatch value - I don't think I'd need to watch this again, it wouldn't have the same shock/fear factor. One time was enough, but it was a heck of a ride!

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Well worth your time!

Are you looking for a sweet romance that is well-written, there aren't random misunderstandings, and that you will find yourself smiling like a fool? If so, this is right up your alley. Full disclosure here, I'm all about the romance. The people getting to know one another, the build-up, being able to see why the couple likes each other, good kisses (no open-eye, fish kisses, thank you very much!). This show had all of this, plus the advantage of multiple couples, each of them cute in their own way, and each character was so likeable. Actually, now that I think about it, this show was full of extremely likeable characters, which is one of the reasons it was so much fun. There were even a couple of characters that were played a little over-the-top and I liked them as well. While watching this, I found myself thinking about how much fun I was having. Seriously.

The only downside for me, was the sudden turn into melodrama-land, with multiple melodrama storylines. That's what I scored down for, it really ruined the flow. I think the subject matter of a couple of the storylines was timely, and probably a good storyline to delve into more fully, but here it just felt like it was all thrown in to make up the obligatory 16 episodes. They would have been better served to cut it down to 12 and have it be a straight, well-written rom-com.

I really enjoyed each of the actors, but I need to call out the mains.
Lee Sung Kyung as Oh Han Byul - LOVE her! I've seen her in multiple things, and I've always enjoyed her. To be perfectly honest, I didn't realize it was her until I recognized her voice, she looks so different. She played the characters of Han Byul as likeable, driven, and really good at a thankless job. That had the potential to make her look like she was perfect, but really you just want to be friends with her.
Kim Young Dae as Gong Tae Sung. I thought he was wonderful in this. He's got a very expressive face which was perfect for so much of the comedy that was going on. There were many, many times that I went back and re-watched scenes because his expressions/mannerisms were so good. He had his moments where I worried that he was a complete jerk, but he quickly redeemed himself. I LOVE when a man has liked a woman for a long time, and this show really shone a spotlight on that. It also showed how he never grew out of his "dunk her braid in the inkwell because you like her" phase. The things he did to try and get her attention just cracked me up. His love and care for Han Byul was lovely to watch, and if a man said some of the things to me that he said to her, I would melt into a puddle in the middle of the floor. It was very romantic. For example, he asked all of her friends for information about her, shoe size, MTBI, favorite foods, etc. He compiled a book with all this information, but yet when he talked to her about it, he just told her everything he had noticed about her on his own - her work ethic, how she supports others, etc. And when he called her "My Han Byeol", wow! Watching him be jealous was so funny, but his softened demeanor around her (his actions, his voice, the way he cared for her) was what grabbed me by the heart and wouldn't let go.

I also liked the friendships in this show. His manager, Jeong Yeol (what was with the haircut?) was supportive, and oh so helpful in trying to get the two leads together. The sismances were fun, and I absolutely loved the bromance between Tae Sung and his love rival, the lawyer (they became latte friends).

Finally, Kim Young Dae in beige linen pants toward the end of the show - yikes! Don't judge me, just watch it and you'll see what I'm talking about!!

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This show was fighting to find its direction

I re-watched this show for two reasons. I hadn't written a review previously, and I was hoping that upon second glance it would improve for me. Sadly that did not happen. This drama, for me, struggled to find a genre home - is it a rom-com? A drama? Slapstick? A Mystery? Since it didn't know what it wanted to be, I was having a hard time enjoying it. I certainly didn't feel it was a waste of time, by any means, but my enjoyment fell into "middle of the road" territory.

What I liked:
1) The kisses. The two main characters know how a kiss should look! And the kiss in the shower...my oh my.
2) The male lead. I love the way he was portrayed and I could relate to his struggles and feel empathy for him. There was definite growth in him as the show progressed.
3) The Silent Monster employees - quirky and funny, they also grew throughout the show, though at times it did seem forced, like the writers realized they were in episode and the characters were supposed to be acting a certain way.
4) Sweetness. There were quite a few really sweet scenes - the times the employees spent with the orphans, the male lead going to the barber shop all the time, the male lead dropping off plants at her house, and the ending scene was cute as well.

What I didn't particularly like:
1) Male lead's sister - get into some counseling, that's all I'll say.
2) Music - 3 songs repeated over and over, telling us when to feel what emotion.
3) "This is why we can't be together" - this was repeated so many times, each time a part of the mystery was revealed. Just when I thought that the issue had been resolved, they'd say that and then another part of the mystery was revealed. The mystery overall kind of bothered me. I felt like the plot was full of red herrings, and it was frustrating because it put a roadblock to the romance.
4) The makeup - this REALLY bothered me in this show! The skin tones for the two main leads seemed to change quite often, and in one kissing scene in particular, their coloring was so different that's all I could focus on. The lipstick was pronounced and obvious for the female lead, and for the other females, they failed to use lipstick on their whole lips...they just didn't paint the top part of their lips. Were they trying to make their lips look smaller? It was so strange, because their lip outline was so obvious! The two fathers - their makeup made them look like corpses - very white, pasty, shiny and plastic looking.

I felt that it was an okay show to watch if you are interested in a workplace romance, but I've seen it done better.

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Bucolic small town life

What I loved:
1) When the writing was shining a light on the ensemble cast, it was right on point. It did a wonderful job of developing the characters, allowing us to get to know and care about them. There was so much heart and humor in letting us feel what it's like to live in a small town, with its quirky characters, warts and all. To live in a place where everyone is all up in your business, but they've also got your back, made me long to be a part of their lives.
2) Overall cinematography. In general, beautifully filmed. The colors of the buildings, the boats in the harbor, long shots of the small town in the distance, combined to pull you into the drama.
3) Couple chemistry. So, I'm now going to have to call Kim Seon Ho and Shin Min Ah the Dimple Duo!! Theirs was a sweet relationship of growth and development. The relationship made sense and they were so flipping cute together. Their smiles just lit up the screen.
4) Kim Seon Ho as Hong Doo Shik. What a wonderful character, beautifully portrayed by Kim. His happiness was almost palpable, as was his despair. The love he had for his friends and neighbors was a joy to watch.
5) Kim Young Ok as Kim Gam Ri. I want her to be my grandma! I've loved her in everything I've seen her in. She was so sweet, but she had twinkle in her eye that said she was up to something.
6) Non-triangle love triangle. I love when there is a potential triangle and the secondary person actually wants their love interest to be happy - that's love rather than obsession.

What I didn't love:
1) The character of Yoon Hye-Jin. Shin Min Ah did an excellent job, but I didn't care for this character much at all. I hated her at the beginning, so much that I debated whether I was going to be able to continue the show. Thankfully, I stuck it out and her hard edges softened somewhat. I understand the reasoning for the way she was, but there still needs to be something at least a little likeable about a main character or what's the point? Later on, when she softened up a bit, she was better, but then she started acting all aegyo and that worked my last nerve.
2) Some jarring camera angles. There were a few times when the camera angle completely took me out of the story. I think they were trying to be clever, but it was unsuccessful.
3) The idol storyline. It was done strictly to bring in more characters and then not much was done with it.

I ended up rating this show a little higher than I thought I would, based on the last couple of episodes. I felt that the last episodes really showed the heart of the show. The importance of family and friends, and the impact they have on us. On forgiveness, for others and for ourselves.

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Slow, lovely drama

This drama made me think of lazy days curled up with a good book, which was appropriate because it was based on people that make books. I tend to love the stories that have to do with books, because Korean filmmakers always do such a good job of displaying and showcasing books. They incorporate books into the set design in such a special way. The publishing company that the people worked with was beautiful and each of the characters brought something special to the table.
WRITING: I thought the writing was good. There was some lagging toward the end of the show, mainly because there wasn't big conflict throughout the whole show. We got to see a lot of insights into the characters' daily lives, which I can understand might bore some people, but I loved learning more about each of the characters and what made them the way they were. The book analogies and references woven throughout the story were wonderful, and I loved the way the writers were saying that each of us is like a book and we're waiting for that special person to come along and take the time to read us and learn about us. The passion of the employees of the publishing company was a treat to see, they loved what they were creating, and getting one of their books published was such a terrific achievement, it could almost be equated with having a child. I loved the photos/pictures at the end of each episode that had captions giving voice to Dani-i and Eun Ho's thoughts of each other.
ACTING: Lee Jong Suk (as Cha Eun Ho) was, as always excellent. His look and his voice were perfect for this role. He was a stalwart friend and had hidden feelings that he was afraid to voice. There were a lot of times in the drama that he was doing voice-over work, and he's got the absolute best voice for it. His character was calm and gentle. He cries beautifully. Lee Na Young (as Kang Dan-i) was good as well. I'd have to say it took me some time to warm up to her character, because she was a hot mess. Actually, all of the actors were very good and this felt more like an ensemble show because of the screen time that everyone got.
OST: Beautiful music interwoven throughout.
CINEMATOGRAPHY/COSTUMING: Beautifully filmed. I thought the scenes toward the end of the drama, when two of the main characters were standing by a lake, were especially well done. Both of them in well-fitting black clothes against the darkness of the water and the brown/fall tones of the trees surrounding the lake - very effective for the mood being created at the time. Lee Jong Suk knows how to wear clothes, that's for sure. The costume designers did a good job with wardrobe in this drama, except for the ridiculous pink, red, and gray camouflage trench coat that Jong Suk wore - it was very distracting.
CHEMISTRY: The main couple were cute together, but I'd say that the chemistry for them was more like old friends than anything else. They had a couple of good kisses and a sexual relationship was implied. I just loved the chemistry between all the actors when they were working together.
REWATCH: I must admit that I watched it three times before reviewing it, so I'd say YUP.
So, in my opinion, this is a good show to watch if you want low angst and a slow storyline. A story that will let you get to know the characters and to root for them. Now I want a job at a publishing company!

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Good chemistry

Jang Hyuk and Jang Nara had really good chemistry together. I loved how playful they were with each other. I felt that his acting was, unfortunately, over the top a lot of times, and that laugh, ugh! I also either wanted to go at his hair with a pair of clippers or loan him a barrette, his hair was ridiculous. My favorite scene with him was in ep 18 during the press conference. He was understated and you could really see his fear and hope and love shining through in his acting without all the antics. I did NOT like the drugging aspect of the show, and there was an awful long time for them to be apart, after the obligatory three-year separation. When he was pretending to be someone else and they were texting one another, that was very cleverly done, and gave us more opportunity to see them together. I also loved the storyline of him taking the female lead's mom as his mom. Very touching. Choi Jin Hyuk as the second male lead was excellent, and his deep voice...yum. The ending was very cute and you get to see a wedding and what happens in their lives after that, which I always like after spending all this time watching a show

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Seo Kang Joon was excellent

Seo Kang Joon did a good job of playing a dual role. The human was a real jerk and the robot was lovely. I tend to like to watch actors show their acting chops by either playing two disparate roles, or by changing completely from the beginning to the end of the drama. I just didn't find the storyline that entertaining and believable. I'm all for being willing to suspend disbelief, but I just couldn't believe that she would be satisfied with loving a robot. It seems awfully sad to me. This is one of those shows that I had such high hopes for, and was so disappointed.

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Short drama about the difference between the "haves" and the "have nots"

This drama is only two episodes, and the writers have managed to write a clear, concise story, without giving up character development. It's basically a story about the struggles of those that don't have much and wish for more, for those that have everything and take it for granted, and what happens when those lives converge.

Yun Joon Suk as Lee Min Sung is just a tall bunch of sweetness. His calm demeanor, his sweet smile, and the way he treated others - I could totally imagine being friends with him. I don't believe I've seen him in anything else, so now I'll have to be on the lookout!

Nam Ji Hyun as Oh Ah Young was a terrific performance. I've seen her in many things and I've always enjoyed her acting. There is something about the way that she talks that is just fascinating. The way her speech patterns are short, clipped, and staccato just draw and hold your attention. She felt a little too old for this part, but certainly not enough to diminish my enjoyment of the show.

They had a sweet chemistry in the brief times they were together. There was one hug, no kisses. And the photography in the forest was absolutely stunning.

So, if you don't want to invest too much time in a show, and need a break from all the angst, you would probably enjoy this.

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Fate - it's funny, yet bittersweet

So, after being disappointed in the last couple of shows I tried, I saw a clip for this on Facebook and figured I'd give it a try. This show definitely showed me that you can have a truly engaging drama without the episodes going on an on. This is only 10 episodes, each about 25 minutes long. So, it's kind of got that webtoon feel. Kim Eun Sook is the producer and she's got serious writing credits to her name - Goblin, Descendants of the Sun, Secret Garden, Mr. Sunshine, The Heirs, King: The Eternal Monarch. This show definitely has the Goblin feel to it, and I'm not complaining.

The story has been told before. A god of destiny has written the female lead's destiny, wanting to make it a masterpiece. Once he gets to know her, he realized that the destiny he envisioned for her was all wrong. Personal involvement for a god of destiny is a no-no, you get eliminated and go into the ether somewhere. I love how the writers slowly revealed her past history with said god of destiny. The longer I watched it, the more I felt "If you're meant to be, you'll end up meeting in one way or another" (great line, by the way). Their lives were intertwined, and it was so interesting for us as viewers to discover that, and when the female lead makes that discovery, it's an "aha" moment, yet heartbreaking at the same time.

In this show, the K-drama cliches really worked - fate, coffee (do Koreans really love their coffee as much as it is portrayed in dramas?), rain, umbrellas, first snow.

I felt that the acting was very good. Our clues to the passage of time seemed to be driven by the hairstyle of the lead. Curly hair, straight hair. The chemistry between the leads was very good, as was the bromance between the two main gods of destiny. The lead actor's attractiveness, for me, grew as the show developed. His development of emotions was very understated and real and were always held in check, often revealed by only a small smile.

I loved the soundtrack. A lot of it was very haunting and went perfectly with the scenes. I especially liked the song Time Machine by Jeong Sewoon - he has the perfect voice for the vibe they were going for.

Special effects. Amazing! The effects they used for eliminating a god were surreal and wispy. When they went into the penthouse/book room, those effects were so good, the changing colors, the darkness, the mystery.

I had to lower my rating one point because of the ending. It was a little to ambiguous for me. It went in line with the rest of the show, but it just wasn't satisfying for me. Was he just going to keep being eliminated over and over? And what happened to the rule of it only happening three times? In my head I've written my own ending and guess I'll have to be happy with that. This show has definite re-watch value for me, though. The writing was very clever and there was more humor than I expected.

I'm so glad I watched this show!!

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The show hasn't aged well

You're beautiful is from 2009. I might have thought it was okay if I'd watched at that time, but watching it in 2021 made me see that it didn't age well. The clothes, the hairstyles, the filming - they all left a lot to be desired.

The story was okay, but the execution was lacking. There was so much repetitiveness in this show, at times I wondered if I'd accidentally not forwarded to the next episode.

As for the acting - jang Geun Suk at Tae Kyung was one-dimensional. He just looked angry throughout the whole show. There was no growth in his character. I loved him in Love Rain, so I know he can act, but it wasn't happening in this show.

By far the worst part of this whole mess was Park Shin Hye as Mi Nam and Mi Nyeo. She was extremely irritating throughout. Her character was a mess. They had her do things that I'm thinking they were hoping would come across as cute, but they didn't. From the way she walked to the way she talked, everything irked me. Shin Hye overacted her way through this - either wide-eyed, downcast, or bawling her eyes out, everything was just too over the top. I've seen her in more recent works and she's pretty good, so she has improved over the years.

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Watch this now!

I LOVED THIS DRAMA!! I loved that it was short, without all the unnecessary filler that most K-dramas have. The storyline was so complete and well fleshed out that I didn't feel that there was anything missing (other than more episodes to watch the two of them together!)So romantic. The leads were WONDERFUL together!! Their chemistry was amazing. I smiled through most of the show.
The two main actors worked so well together, and both of their characters grew from knowing the other. It was sad for me to think about living his whole life never seeing her again, fathering tons of children for the monarchy, etc., but I guess there was no other way they could have resolved the time gap. I would have liked just a few more minutes of them together at the end, but there is literally nothing not to like about this drama. I think this is my new "palate cleansing" drama to watch after I've watched a drama that was unsatisfying. Watch it, you'll be glad you did!

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Get to the point!

This show was entirely too long! The first 10 episodes were a whole lot of nothing. I had a problem with the relationship of the main leads, and here's why: First, I loved him. He was like Mr. Darcy, not suffering fools, cold on the outside, but feeling really deep emotions. And when he started to smile? OMG, I waited for those smiles! That was the high point of this show. She was cute and did a good job on the part as written, but the character was too immature. She liked him for no apparent reason, stalked him and stared at him for the first 10 or so shows, had no opinions of her own, and was perfectly happy to just follow him and his life. She was too much of a doormat. I felt that her clothes, especially, were very distracting. Too oversized, so many layers and those stupid headphones around her neck. Though I didn't find the romance necessarily believable, it was sweet. The kisses? For his part - great! For her part? Open eyes, fish lips, not believable at all. And after stalking him through most of the show, he asks her to marry him and she rejects him? No way. And I didn't get the character of Wu Bai (DT) - I didn't get that at all. He was quiet through most of the show, staring a lot at others. I didn't know if there was supposed to be something deep and hidden in him, but I didn't feel it was necessary to the show. I did like the character of Mi Shaofei and the female lead's roommate, that was cute. So, overall, I'd have to say that most of the points I gave this rating were because of the male lead.

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