Getting to know BTS
This documentary was full of information about the things that BTS have gone through and continue to go through. I'm glad they made this, it's a chance for those new to BTS to know more about them. When watching it, it's hard to relate to their discussions about their struggles, but I can't even imagine the feelings that they must have, wondering if they can keep up the momentum, or if they even want to.The only thing missing, was more about their friendship and camaraderie together. Also, more about how they lived at the beginning and how much they practiced. They are an amazingly talented group, but, for me, what draws me to them even more than their performances is how they are together. After living together and practicing together for years, their bond is tremendously strong.
They acknowledge that it's time for the next phase in their lives as they prepare to enter the military. That being said, I so appreciate the fact that they all stated numerous times that they hope BTS stays together for a long time.
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Maybe I'm jaded?
For me, this was one of the worst shows ever. One of those dramas that at the end I'm mad at, because I'll never get the time I wasted back. Perhaps I might have felt differently if I had watched it when it was first released, and I was new to K-dramas. However, after having seen dramas done very well, this was hard for me to watch. I have to cut it a little slack because it is old - the production value was seriously lacking, and I think there have been developments in film value, etc.I thought this drama was extremely slow and drawn out. The overused "misunderstanding" trope went on entirely too long. Romance was lacking, seriously. And can someone please slap whoever was in charge of the costuming? The worst.
I'll give my usual disclaimer, since I appear to seriously be in the minority. These opinions are just mine and you might enjoy it, but you will really have to get past the fact that it hasn't aged well.
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Just my opinion...
I know I'm going to get heat, but I REALLY disliked this drama. Kim Min Jae - I've loved him in everything I've seen him in, but what the heck? What was it for me, lack of chemistry? Bad writing? I don't know, but the secondary storyline certainly was more interesting than the ML and FL.Add to that, in historical garb all the men look alike, and all the women look alike. I spent an inordinate amount of time trying to figure out what was going on. I will be the first to admit that historical dramas are not my "go to" but I have watched a couple that I've really liked.
This drama had entirely too many episodes, apparently to fit in all the unnecessary ancillary storylines that they felt the need to inject into it.
In closing, even though I didn't like it, I'd say give it a try. Maybe I was in a bad mood while watching it, maybe all that satin was giving me some kind of trauma, maybe the beads on the hats made me think of abacus, which made me think of math, which sent me off the deep end. Remember, it's just my personal opinion.
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Just why!?!?!
To me (and it's just my opinion), this was trying to be some kind of deep art film, full of symbolism, hoping that there would be in-depth discussions about the characters and their lives. I don't want to talk about these characters, and if I can manage, I don't want to ever think about these characters again.There is slice-of-life, and then there's time-I'll-never-get-back. This fell firmly in the latter. I could have been rearranging my sock drawer, or having a root canal and it would have been time better spent. It was soooo slow! Everyone appeared to be depressed, and they were trying really hard to ensure that I felt the same way.
Positives? Portugal. Lovely, lovely place. Seo Kang Joon - I love him, but even he wasn't reward enough for me to spend my time on this. I did love the geeky younger version of him.
I have to say that I never was able to relate to or feel for the FL. I didn't think she was a very nice person, and boy, she loved to live in her misery. When I FINALLY got to the end of this drama, I was so glad it was over. I liked the secondary couples, but the misery and depression of the years wasted by the leads overshadowed any enjoyment I might have had in the show.
SPOILERS!!
Then, (now I'm on a rant) they met, dated, broke up, dated, multiple times over a 12-year period. She married someone else, and he was engaged to someone else, and after ALL THAT no one ends up with anyone! I never saw why he liked her in the first place, and was their attraction just physical? Because they had absolutely nothing in common, they were constantly disagreeing, constantly breaking up, constantly yearning for the other. At some point in time, some serious counseling would have come in handy. And the way the drama ends, I felt like they were in a continuous spiral and would keep up the same make up/break up routine. So tiring!
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I can appreciate the hard work put in by the contestants
What I liked:1) Performances
2) Letters to the contestants from parents
3) The politeness and supportiveness of the contestants
4) The audience and their support of the contestants
What I didn't like:
1) Editing was REALLY bad. Repeated takes to see reactions of judges and other contestants so content is interrupted/missed. Also, things were shown out of order. They would be getting ready to show a performance, then they would throw in a competition they did outside during the day.
2) Camera work - every time they showed the entire group it was blurry
3) The purpose of the multiple star master hosts?
4) Extremely confusing voting.
5) Not putting the contestant's names, just using their current ranking number. There were so many of them that looked alike, I would have liked to have names go with the faces.
6) The elimination process. It took a whole episode for each elimination. It took forever for them to name the contestants that were going to continue on. It didn't build suspense; it was just irritating. Then to show three candidates at one time, when only one was continuing on in the competition.
7) For the second elimination, putting everyone on a team, having them do the work and eliminating half of them. The groups then had to reconfigure their groups and their dances, then got called out by the judges for not being prepared.
8) When the winners were thanking their agencies, that surprised me, which sent me to do some research. All of these guys have been trainees for up to three years!
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This is what a reality show should be
Other than the very poorly-handled elimination of a group in Episode 10 (I think, and it was absolutely terrible. Public shaming at its worst), I loved this show. I'll be honest, the things that these guys that want to be idols have to go through is amazing, and it speaks to their passion, talent, and belief in themselves. There are so many idol groups out there, I can't even begin to keep them straight, and it's got to be so hard for them to progress if they are working for a smaller company.Judges: Awesome. I loved that they were constructive with their criticism and effusive with their praise. Also, they had judges that actually work in the business and know what they are talking about.
Music: For me, there were only a couple of memorable songs, but I loved what each team did with even the most difficult or mediocre song.
Behind-the-scenes: Sometimes I like this more than the actual performances. I like seeing the members interacting with one another and trying to learn the choreography or music.
Voting: The voting by the fans and the "benefits" that the teams received in the early rounds was very confusing. I'm math phobic, but it seemed very complicated to me. I did appreciate that the public was the deciding factor in the final winner, rather than the professionals.
The groups: Judging a two-person team against a team with nine members seems like comparing apples and oranges, but they did the best with what they had, I think. I have such admiration for each and every contestant that went on this show. They worked like crazy to get where they are. Every single team was so talented, and each team had different strengths, which was enjoyable to watch. I appreciated when each team got a song that was out of their comfort zone. Every time, without fail, they stepped up and made the song their own. When one of the judges said he wanted to know how to get one of the songs that day, that shows how good these guys are. I would have liked to have more background on how the groups formed, but I guess the couldn't do too much of that until the final six, when they told the teams' real names (and is it just a language barrier for me, but I thought the real group names were terrible!)
One of the groups was told by their CEO if they won they would get the prize money and he'd match it, and move them into a better dorm. Unfortunately they didn't win, but I hope the CEO does something for them, they did a great job.
I can't even imagine how stressful this whole process was for each contestant, all the new songs/dances to learn, injuries, plus the fear of being eliminated every week...I would have had a heart attack if it was me. I cried a lot watching this show, I was touched by their stories, I hurt for them when they got eliminated, and I was so happy for the winners. Plus, I always cry when I see others cry, and it happened a lot in this show.
It would be great if they could do a follow-up with the winning team (even the top six and their Korean tour), showing us how their lives change and I'd love to be able to watch them continue on this journey.
Being from the US, one thing I appreciated most about this show was the support that all the guys gave, not only to their own team members, but the other teams as well. They were always very positive about their performances, and respectful of one another. You don't see that in the US. Here, it's all about watching how people can stab each other in the back to get ahead. It's very refreshing to see respect in this day and age.
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Was I watching a different show than everyone else?!
Very cute couple, and I really liked how he warmed up to her pretty quickly. Both actors are just beautiful, and they were a good pair.However, lots of overacting by characters other than the ML, FL and his secretary (who I loved). I don't know if it's because I'm watching it on YouTube, the sound goes in and out, there's dialog and then silence. The sound wasn't well-modulated at all. Very abrupt ending. Okay, possibly making way for a season 2, but season two was more like an alternate story, rather than a continuation of this one.
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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 showWas this review helpful to you?
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.Was this review helpful to you?
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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