6
A blatantly weak life/family drama
This drama was a one big exhibition of petty fights with a lot of noise and little to no substance. These arguments and fights were the main driving element of the drama and it's important for it to be supported by a good dialogue. Unfortunately, nothing profound came out of any of them. Most of them were "fixed" by clearing misunderstandings from the past. It didn't feel it provided a real development and growth for these characters. Especially for repeated offenders. None of the characters/relationships were appealing. There was no place for romance but they insisted on shoving it in for the last 1/3 to pair everyone. They should've kept it about the family only. I didn't like how they ended most episodes with a scene that wasn't resumed until 15 minutes of the next episode.I was expecting a proper "life" drama grounded to reality but shoving too many tropes ruined it (miscarriage, misunderstandings, amnesia, birth secret, illness, cheating, friends to lovers, hidden past, ex-spouse comes back ..etc). This is a melodrama in disguise!! There was one particular really stupid misunderstanding that lasted over 30 years. The writers weren't even trying! However, the worst part of the drama has to be all the scenes of Eun Hee talking about her love life with Chan Hyuk, these were mind numbing. This drama doesn't have much to offer other than some pretty visuals.
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Not quite there...
I'm kinda disappointed, maybe I expected too much judging by who's behind it. It started off heading in one direction then ended up in a different direction. They took away the focus from the relationship/affair and brought the company issues in its place. The relationship already lacked depth and development but neglecting it in the later episodes harmed the drama even more. Speaking of which, I didn't like how they laid out the story with the any of the characters outside the 2 main ones. There was also no real tension or consequences to the affair. The husband failed to play any meaningful role in the story. The main leads brought a good performance but the same can't be said about the rest. Although, whenever there was a moment that required the leads to act "feeling guilty" it came across as artificial, they could have done better with these scenes. Which brings me to my last point that is the production, it was kinda a hit or miss, sometimes it was wonderful while other times was totally distasteful and experimental. Some transitions were off, as if some scenes were cut short and abruptly. At least the music bits were good. It's still a decent drama but not a one that I would recommend from this genre.Was this review helpful to you?
Underwhelming!
The revenge didn't quench my thirst. While the first episode brilliantly set up the story and introduced compelling characters, the subsequent episodes veered off course and fell short of expectations. The drama started to show its cracks as early as the first third. It was no longer as engaging as its start. It continued heading in a downward spiral shortly after midway point where it started to get stupid and pointless. Stupid isn't good. At that point, any interesting elements it had were gone and it deviated from its original promise. For a drama themed around adults relationships you would expect a better and more profound dialogue but, unfortunately, it always favored the more melodramatic and senseless route. Even then, it wasn't spicy enough to keep me stimulated. One more thing, the last episode was bad. I'm not sure why they had to slap the +18 rating on it when the explicit scenes were tame and scarce anyway. Kim Hee Ae is an underrated actress and I'm glad she's getting more recognition but I've see better from her than this one. Overall, it's an okay drama that ended up being disappointing.Was this review helpful to you?
Good
A fun little drama. Having an entire drama themed around postpartum is something we almost never see in drama. The postpartum club kept things alive while sticking to the theme, rather than spending postpartum at home. It also helps that it was only 8 episodes, otherwise, it would have gotten stale easily. The comedy was decent and kept it light. They actually used real babies which is a must for such a theme. Uhm Ji Won was a great casting choice as the lead mother. I wanted the main couple to have more attention since the drama did a good job starting with them. The other mothers' stories were fine but could've been better.Was this review helpful to you?
Watch seasone 2!
Regarding season 1:I found it to be very flawed from all angles and it only served as a learning experience for those who carried on with the second season. Its portrayal of a cult lacked a compelling thematic foundation, opting instead to draw inspiration from cheap rip-off D-grade movies themed around cults. Where cults are extremely over-dramatized to the point of crossing the supernatural territory. The cult apparently possessed super powers of hypnosis with only a few words spoken, even towards people who weren't perceptible to religious and spiritual beliefs. Everything surrounded the cult came off as cartoonish even within the context of a 'drama'. The narrative itself struggled to carry its own weight, particularly as it primarily focused on the perspectives of the outsiders. It always felt as if it was building up towards something bigger but it never got there. For a 16-episodes run, it needed a proper world building and foundation for the cult. Establishing a distinct "character" for the cult would have provided a stronger identity. Back to the outsiders, having the drama led by teenage characters was another weak aspect of it. Bland and cardboard characters. The mystery element was a crucial part of the drama yet it was lacking and under-delivering. The first season would have fared better as a standalone one-off movie rather than a drama. It doesn't make any sense why the drama was rated this high, according to MDL standards, especially when season 2 effectively addressed most of the issues with the cult and delivered an overall better package!
Regarding Season 2:
It managed to deliver a much more compelling package than season 1. The most important part is that it handled the cult theme properly. The characters and the cast were a lot more appealing than season 1. Having a more adult leading characters rather than teenager was a plus. Uhm Tae Goo was a perfect casting choice for his character. The story had a better and more natural progression than season 1. However, it got sloppier the closer it got to the ending. Speaking of the ending, it was a bit underwhelming and not as grandiose as I hoped it would be. Second season should have been a stand alone drama unrelated to the first one, not even in the name. If you don't feel like watching two seasons then you can ignore the first one and just watch the second.
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At least it wasn't as bad as Eun Hui
Whenever you see TV Novel in the title of a drama here, make sure to not have the slightest expectations, it's really helpful. One particular feature of these "TV Novels" dramas is having single digit IQ characters and this drama was no exception to the rule. At the end of the day, it's done purposely because it's easier to digest and provoke. The cast was barely average, however, it's hard to stomach when almost every single character was selfish and trashy without proper character building and motivation. The love square seems to be identical to most of the other TV Novel ones, two good vs two baddies. Speaking of which, the two main lead were such a bad pair with no chemistry. Lee Min Woo looks older than his real age and this only made the age gap much worse.Was this review helpful to you?
Passable....
This family drama revolves around three brothers, each with their own distinct characteristics and struggles. The eldest brother faces challenges in life and always reach a dead end, the middle brother is obsessed with money, and the youngest brother relentlessly pursues the love of a girl throughout the drama's 70 episodes. Unfortunately, the relationships portrayed in the drama were plagued by extreme seething toxicity, which undermines their overall appeal. The drama lacked a clear overarching goal and instead focuses on a series of smaller, successive problems. Which resulted in underdeveloped storylines for most of the couples in the drama. Out of the three main couples, the youngest one had the most nonsensical relationship. While the banter between him and Eo Young may have moments of endearment, it can also be seriously annoying at times. The depiction of the three brothers' relationship was a mixed bag. While there were instances where their brotherhood shined and offered glimpses of potential, it ultimately fell short of delivering a truly compelling dynamic. Overall, the drama had an appealing set up but it didn't fully utilize that.Was this review helpful to you?
This was "something"...
This drama was very strange and unconventional, in a bad way. To state the obvious, everything about this drama was low quality but that doesn't excuse the inept talents behind it. Especially the director whom has no experience or whatsoever. Weird edits/cuts, messed up pacing, incoherent storytelling, flawed production, failing cast. All of that was amplified by 10 folds in the 2nd half, most notably with the cast. The cast was somewhat ordinary at first but the infection spread down from the director to them and they became obedient to the director's wishes. They began having strange dialogue insertions, extremely over dramatic and cartoonish moments, and cringe-worthy and misplaced gestures/body language. The infection spread even further to the writing department and the whole production was infected at that point. The writing was nothing but bad, it's a poorly written story no matter how you look at it, its execution was even poorer. Even the characters weren't safe, for some reason, they made all females selfish, needy and entitled and made all males pathetic and stupid. This drama serves as a good example for what's considered objectively bad.Was this review helpful to you?
Okay
This drama falls into the realm of being passable, but not much more than that. While the first two episodes succeeded in establishing an intriguing backstory, subsequent episodes failed to maintain a consistently engaging narrative. A clearer direction was lacking, as the drama attempted to blend various genres, resulting in a somewhat disjointed experience.The cast was a mix of half-decent performers and others who fell into the realm of generic and unremarkable. Characters such as Noo Ri and Soon Jung, for example, could easily be replaced with anyone from any team investigation drama and it wouldn't matter. Furthermore, in terms of team dynamics, there was a noticeable absence of a genuine connection. With the exception of the two main guys, the remaining members felt more like background extras in a team project.Was this review helpful to you?
There are better melos out there...
Cheap melodrama, its narrative shortcomings are somewhat forgivable due to the inept writer's apparent limitations in using other means to occupy its duration. However, the same can't be said for its conclusion, which regrettably left the viewers with a palpable sense of disappointment. The only thing you'll be getting is a stinging sour aftertaste.Was this review helpful to you?
Started good but...
It started off great, the likable characters were likable and the unlikable ones were unlikable. However, that didn't last very long before the drama started showing its cracks. Once we got a few scenes in the bread company I knew where things were going and what to expect. The usual cyclical corporate hell, love to hate them. The story wasn't eventful enough to fill its runtime, more often than not the writer ran into a corner and had to throw something random to stir the pot. An example of that is the end of ep69, completely random and unprompted. This also resulted into some strange pacing issues. All of the four leads got into a relationship and reached the "I love you" stage illogically fast despite them having a very recent ex-partner. Meanwhile, the next stage took a millennial to get to. How does the writer expect us to care about the couples if they don't let their relationship develop initially? The pacing issues continue when the main conflict of the drama concluded almost halfway through!Some characters were so damn worthless and redundant, such as Chae Won's friend (Bang Sook) who served no purpose other than being a feedback loop (literally) and then she was never seen again in the second half! Speaking of characters, Jin Woo's father had the worst plotline. During which, the drama hit rock bottom and the female antagonist was almost never seen. Therefore, there wasn't much tension after that and things got really stale. The lack of tension also resulted into a weak climax, or kinda no climax? I would rather watch Gyung Joo being a trashy menace and a headache over the cringy father. Most people would stick around just for the main couple Chae Won & Jin Woo being cute.
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Great sitcom
It's a great sitcom! Its strongest aspect is being consistent despite having a very long run which is hard to do especially with comedy. There are four groups in the cast: the ladies, the lads, the grandmas and the 2 older men, all of which were on a rotation giving each their turn to slowly build their character. However, the main stars were the three ladies, each one of them had a unique character that kept the sitcom lively and fresh. I think this is my favorite role I've seen from Ye Ji Won & Oh Yoon Ah & Kim Ji Young, and I've seen almost all of their other projects. One particular thing that stood out to me was how unbelievable massive the wardrobe was! Almost every character changes the outfit multiple times every episode for 232 episodes! Even the hairstyles were changing every 20-30 episodes. Despite being a sitcom there's also a story for the main characters that is very slowly and subtly progressing until the end. I really really appreciate that there was no younger/teen/kids cast involved, because including any would almost always lead to uncreative, uninteresting and cringy jokes. This sitcom gets a big plus from me just for that. However, it's not perfect, there are a handful of nitpicks here and there but I had a great time and I will be missing this chaotic trio.Was this review helpful to you?
okay
One of the most vanilla mystery/law/thrillers, it plays it very safe throughout. It tries to be as friendly to the viewers as possible. Not necessarily a bad thing but sometimes it can come across as too ordinary especially the 2nd half. Speaking of ordinary, the characters, none of them had the special spark or the x factor. They needed more "character" in them.Was this review helpful to you?
.
Kim Jung Hyun plays a character with limited time who also had to drop out of the drama earlier than planned for health reasons which leaves this weird gap in the last 1/4 without the lead actor. This also led to a problematic ending and send-off of the character which was suppose to be the climax of series! Almost unwatchable after that. There were a lot of other problems but this one seems to be the most prominent one.Was this review helpful to you?
Kinda weak
It would have been much better if it was just a movie. Even though it's shorter, they still stretched it significantly. Aside from the initially set up, things didn't really start to move until episode 7.Was this review helpful to you?
