BeachPrincess

Indignant rant starting now:

What is up with these dumb girls who blindly keep forcing themselves on guys? What is up with these dumb boys who like these girls?

I'm clearly choosing the wrong dramas. I nearly made it through this one by taking it in small chunks, but in the end, I just couldn't take the FL any longer. My notes from watching this are filled with seething fulminations about my aggravation with her character. Jumping ginger-snaps, I can't stand that girl! She "likes" this boy, but she is so insensitive to his feelings. She is constantly selfish- just doing what she wants to do without respecting, asking, or caring about his feelings or preferences (including, but not limited to, when he's actively against something). She acts like she's a gift from heaven but is a self-centered brat.

Examples:
She is good at just the one subject in school, but somehow she feels entitled to throw it in the ML face in spite of the fact that he is obviously feeling bad about his shortcomings.
She demands that the ML buy her expensive food and bring it to her, taking advantage of her fake injury, all the while thinking she's so cute.
She is so patronizing, "rewarding" him with a girly stuffed animal and later a chocolate or something.
And so deuced conceited! "Why aren't you looking at me?" "I won't charge you." "Aren't I pretty?" "You must keep the good things for yourself," implying herself.

WHAT AN INFERNAL SELF ABSORBED VEXATIOUS OFFSPRING!!! And speaking for him? "If you don't answer...[I'll just decide your words for you]." People who aren't continuously drooling words don't need someone to speak for them; that is condescending and superior. Maybe the individuals who are endlessly yapping need to shut up. Isn't it nice when cicadas take a breather?

*****
Let's put that being aside. I considered the other characters to be well-acted for the most part. I thought the ML did a good job of portraying a quiet, low-key person without being "meh." The 2ML was appropriately annoying yet likeable. The 3ML was a nice addition to the group. The 2FL was...tolerable. That about sums things up.

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Isn't it amazing how no one in this drama has peripheral vision?

Cinderella is my favorite fairy tale- not for the poor girl/rich man theme, but for the good yet invisible person being seen and loved theme. I think I'm pretty tolerant of less-than-stellar adaptations of the story; but after 14 episodes of this production, I just couldn't take it any longer.

I wasn't bothered by the FL at first. In fact, I remember realizing that here was a FL that was actually likeable. But ever since they went on vacation she became insufferable. I can't stand it when people push themselves onto other people. Have some dignity girl! Take a hint. If he likes you, let him tell you- don't push him into it for heaven's sake! Good grief, who do you think you are? Always these dumb self-inflated girls. And she just keeps getting more annoying by the minute. Her fake pouting to manipulate the guy. Oooh I can't stand it! I remember that I started watching this a couple of years ago and dropped it somewhere around the vacation time. I guess I know why now.

More random rantings about FL:

What is wrong with this girl? First time in a car? Ugh.
When what's his face was smashing the car, the kid said that Ji Woon was crazy about cars. So why is he driving the boring Ford or whatever it is? He had a NICE car for about 5 minutes, and that's it. Which reminds me of the motorcycle deal from the first episode. What was the point of that? Because we haven't seen the motorcycle running since.
Hyun Min tells her she's so rude when she comes in and demands he eat with her before turning off his tv mid-game. She seriously is! What a self-centered brat! And what happened to the "missions?" What's the point of her being there now. She's just a freeloader.

And another thing. A DRUNK KISS IS NOT ROMANTIC!!!

"What's wrong with me?" << You dress like a child. You act like a child. Work on that.

In episode 14, she ditches the ML in a manner that was particularly sensitive to him. (I don't remember whether or not she would have known about his mom/dad situation, but I feel like it's been brought up previously.) THEN she shows up randomly and instead of giving some love, she calls his character into question, tells him his feelings don't matter, and pretty much demands that he voluntarily share a vital organ with the person who has been destroying his life and family since before he was born!!!!! Oh, and the texts are supposed to have some kind of magical value that makes everything okay??? Also, why does ANYONE care if chairman kicks the bucket? She tells JiWoon that he is the last chance the guy has, and I'm thinking: whoo-hoo, we're done here.



I started watching this again for the ML because High End Crush had me laughing out loud and grinning from start to finish. He didn't have the same material to work with here I guess. What kept me going until 14 were the trio of cousins. I think think they played well off of each other, and did a good job with what they were given. Secretary Lee was a standout character as well. The FL's chirpy friend was amusing in small doses. But once JiWoon is given the results of the compatibility testing my outrage finally tipped me over the edge. Another title punted to the "Dropped" list.

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The babies on the bus go, "Waah, waah, waah."

Great balls of fire!! What a useless show! Since I discovered it was leaving Netflix at the end of the month, I decided that it could be my next watch. Unless I come across something unacceptable, I generally hold out hope for a handful of episodes before I stop watching something. This program maintained a plateau so it became my "filler" drama before gradually beginning its decline. Upon reflection, I have decided that my reasoning for finishing was similar to going down a sub-par slide and deciding to complete the ride rather than jump off 2 feet from the bottom.


** The following text is a protracted oration which may be marked by intemperate, virulent, or harshly censorious language. Reader discretion is advised. **


This drama was clearly written as propoganda for the anti-marriage lobby. The writers should used the, "Don't marry, date!" name and came up with a more realistic app title. After unwisely deleting 16 hours of my life for this show, I still do not understand what the "previous generation" is supposed to have done to the institution of marriage that has caused it to be portrayed here as a death sentence for love.

The FL here is the most dismal one I can recall ever having the misfortune to watch. Some general terms that can be used to describe her persona include: dreary, gloomy, depressing, tedious, insipid, lifeless, boring, colorless, depressing, dull, uninteresting, bland, etc. Eeyore did a great impersonation of her in that one show...

In regards to her behavior, I found that she matched quite well with quite a few general characteristics of a baby/toddler:
* self-absorbed
* demand attention
* require their needs to be met first
* sketchy understanding of proprietary rights
* not constrained by logic
* lack of understanding or disregard of other's feelings
* alter other's routines
* fluctuating behavior
* cry when they don't get their way

Further viewing revealed her to be whiny, creepy, petulent, selfish, mentally unstable, and even psychopathic.


Below, I have provided some translations of events in the final episode. (At this point I should admit that I didn't completely finish the series; I left with 20-30 minutes remaining.)

ML moved: "What, he's not waiting at the door to smother me with kisses? He's making his own life choices? He didn't realize he needed to provide a GPS location for my convenience if I decided I wanted to waltz back in and corrupt his life again? No comprendo."

The cake: so presumptuous! "I ditched you a few months ago. Now I've decided that I'll grace you with my presence again. Obviously you will want to get back together. Today works for me."

The creepy stalker-esque scene after her enlightening phone call: "Oh look, an unconscious person. This appears to be a good opportunity to take some liberties. First, I'll steal his comfort plushie; he should be snuggling me instead. Next I'll climb into his bed; that's totally legal. Now I'll start touching him. Because that's what I'm in the mood for, so naturally he should accomodate me. These actions are all behaviors that the general public actively participate in (with no push-back from the non-consensual participant), so I'm good to go here." "Ah, I percieve that he thinks he is dreaming. I can tell from his words that he has been suffering on my account for quite awhile. Instead of putting an end to his misery, I'll see how long I can stretch it out. I may have even caused some PTSD! Bonus round!"

Appearing in his space when he walks out the next morning: "Hello, I'm the pyschopath who invaded your day-to-day life, got you emotionally invested, then left for more interesting activities. Now I've decided to move back in." "Surprise!" "It seems that you have awakened. That's great, now you can feed me."

When ML is not instantly filled with light and laughter at her reemergence: "It was a Tuesday, so I left you. Now it's a Saturday, so I'm back. Why are you having a problem with this?"
Followed by: "Oh look, you got angry, just like I wanted. Yay." < What all fit-for-interacting-with-the-public individuals say.

FL wakes up, ML still sleeping: "Hmm, it looks like you are sleeping. That won't work for me. Let me fix that." [ML: "I'm tired. I was asleep and would prefer to stay that way at this time. Incidentally, I haven't gotten a life-preserving amount of sleep lately."] "I'm awake, so you should be awake. Also I'm hungry. Feed me."

en fin

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Unfaithfulness is the antithesis to romance.

I wasted nearly an hour with this movie. There was a beginning segment, and then after what seemed to be quite awhile, a time jump. During the first "act" I kept waiting for...something. Some explanation, some missing piece of information that would make sense of things. Then there was the time jump- which was underwhelming and felt detached somehow, but I kept thinking that at least now the story would arrive. Unfortunately I was wrong. Netflix has some explaining to do, labeling it as romance and a romantic comedy. In what way can this be labeled romance?? Unfaithfulness is this antithesis to romance!!

Oh, and this is yet another glorification of a disgusting individual. What is up with Kdramas and repulsive females??? [I'm looking at you club president Jan-Di.]

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This drama is incomplete.

The most important thing to know about this drama:
They never finished it. Midway through season 2 I had a feeling that there was going to need to be a season 3, but I checked MDL and it says 1 season with 24 episodes. So I carried on to S2E12 thinking this was going to be a garbage ending. I kept stopping to check the time remaining, thinking how much they were going to smush into the last 10, 8, 6 minutes...and then that was it. This was not just a dumb ending- it was clearly meant to be the cliffhanger between seasons, they just didn't make the last season. I cannot understand why iQIYI would offer a drama that was unfinished, but I think it is tasteless of them to do so.

The other things I have to say about this drama:
I started this as a filler between more...intense...dramas, and it definitly fit that category. The story was mediocre, and came with a sci-fi twist that I wasn't expecting. Most of the acting was generic, but there were two standouts- Liu Dong Qin and Wang Man Yu. Wang Man Yu's character is the ONLY girl-pretending-to-be-boy character I have seen that has had a grain of realism. Ithought she played her part masterfully (except for that one weird backstage scene). Liu Dong Qin really impressed me with his range, moving from arrogant to sweet to playful to serious and all that's in between. His emotional scenes felt very sincere, and pulled me in to a story I was otherwise just coasting with. I will definitly be looking up both of these actors. The only other actor that drew my attention was Zhou Yan Chen- and that was because the whole time I couldn't get over how much he reminded me of SHINee's Key.
For a story centered on dance, it was pretty polarized for me. Once again, Liu Dong Qin drew my attention, this time with his dance. He either has a gift, or has dedicated a lot of time to master his craft. I thought his dancing in the tunnel scene was very skilled(?) but also very natural. And the dance-off between his character and Yan Chen's was insane! Zhou Yan Chen also danced very well. But the rest provided some of my least favorite dancing to date. The trainees and the diva just looked like they were showing off their bodies, and the FL just looked awkward.

To sum up, I was surprised by this series offering more than I expected and disappointed to not have closure. I cannot recommend it to anyone because of the fatal flaw of fragmentation, which is a disservice to the effort put in by the two standout actors.

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I caught a partial preview of this drama on Netflix and got sucked through 5 or 6 episodes in one night. But there was only a two sentence description, it reminded me of Meteor Garden, and I had a bad feeling. After looking through the comments, I saw that I was right. I decided that since it would probably hit me similar to MG I would hold off for awhile. I wasn't completely giving it up- just hoping that not being blindsided by certain events would help lesson the angst.
After extensive google-ing, I started watching it again. This may be the only time I've read the complete synonpsis on something I've planned to watch. I hate spoilers. But I remembered really liking the first episodes, and could not deal with a heart ripper again. So I spoiled.
I rewatched the beginning episodes, then completely skipped from *SPOILER* sending him into the operation to the 6 year fast forward. I knew her leaving him would destroy me. Even knowing the whole storyline, I had to fast forward other parts prior to the operation.
After the 6 year jump, I was not a happy camper. I never liked the 2fl (obviously because she's the 2fl- the definition of that role is a villian) and it was maddening that she "loves" him but lives a web of lies every day. And after browsing pages of reviews, it appears I am in the stark minority with that opinion. I can't count how many times people have commented that they think she should be the one with the ML. No comprendo. *END SPOILER*

The following is an excerpt from the comments I wrote as I watched. I think they do a pretty good job of my feelings during the second half. *MORE SPOILERS*

"...what the duece is going on with the ML? If he is so in love with his fiance, what the flipping hamburgers is he doing with the FL? Why does he tell her she looks beautiful? Why does he care if she's his friend? Why is he even thinking about her? Hello, fiance?? Why does he tell her that she's got two men fighting over her (one being himself) and then not long after, tell her how much he loves his fiance?
And what the duece is up with his smiles? He seems to know that his previous client is guilty, but straight up says he doesn't care, even after the victim describes her damage in detail. Not long after, he is proudly stating that he only cares about the money. Not people. So again, why does he care if she is his friend? The way the story SHOULD go, is that he HAS been missing a part of himself. That he is NOT in love with the homewrecker. That he can't sleep, can't feel at peace. Then when he encounters her, he would be drawn to her without realizing why. Then the watching and the smiling and the friendship deal would make complete sense.
However, I cannot find anyone who has the same issues with this situation. The rare scores under 9 are just complaining about the fl. The only thing I have to complain about there is her posture. How in the modern world...? And the home wrecker!!! Why does everyone favor her?? She's a HOME WRECKER. She is the destroyer of true love. She is a selfish brat who only cares about herself. Ahhhh!!!!
Also, we all know that my life motto is "love conquers all", so the fact that he hasn't had a piece of himself missing for the last six years makes me want to throw things.

"What the duece is happening now? He keeps getting these flashbacks. The flashbacks they're showing us clearly feature fl's face. She's standing right in front of him as the flashbacks happen. He just gets a weird look on his face, then you can almost see the mental shrug and he gives a goofy smile and moves on with his life. HE SAW THEM KISSING AND HE HAS NO REACTION!!!
I think he needs another brain surgery.
And for crying in the bucket, what in Einstein's name is he doing helping her put the blades on and off, and doing the date skating thing when HE HAS A FIANCE???!?"

To sum up, I liked it enough to see it through. The good parts were good enough that I'm not ruling out a rewatch. (edited, of course) But I don't think I would recommend it to anyone.

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A good read.

I think the title of this drama kept me from watching for a while, but eventually I dove in. Overall, it was a solid watch. I don't think I'll intentionally watch it again, but I think I could enjoy it if it came up in the future.

This was my first drama with Lee Jong Suk, and that confident smile of his was so appealing. However, the highlight of this drama was the ensemble cast. I think everyone was was well-chosen and played their roles wonderfully. The new-hire fake couple: the way he told off her mom was great (until the crying started); the CEO: somehow likeable in spite of all his quirks; the divorcees: their (over)reactions were amusing; the Ice Queen: she's got a talent for shutting people down and her club reveal was pretty funny; Eun Ho: treats the CEO with love and care, but also...realism? He also was fantastic during the emotional scenes. Episode 9 hurt my heart. And the FL was...vanilla I guess.

I don't remember anything about the music, which means it wasn't inspiring but also not annoying. I noticed some great wardrobe choices for the ML and 2ML; FL not so much. And by not so much, I mean maybe one in every five managed to look presentable.

A few comments from specific episodes:

ep5
Smoking? Really? I was shocked to see that happening. How long has the surgeon general been educating us?

ep6
ML: "You have me. You keep saying you have nowhere to go. Stop saying that. I'm your home. You can always come to me."
FL: "Girls don't like lines like that."
Me: "What is wrong with you?? This girl loves lines like that!"

ep7
The 2ML's reactions to the triple bomb drop were fantastic. The ML's glee during the retelling was better. That whole scene should be required watching in film courses.

...and then we come to this
Idiot. Why did you let him stay in your car? And then why didn't you drive him to NK? Or at least drop him off at the wrong house? Or the police station? And now you're just bringing him in? I'm just hypothesizing, but this may be a reason you still haven't gotten your girl after all these years. Oh I see- you're going to HELP him get together with your girl. How about you go pull something from the garbage and swap it out with the plushie before you hand-deliver the key to your future heartache?

ep8
I knew he knew she liked him. Scumbag. Don't act like that and get her hopes up when you have no intention of fulfilling her dreams. Don't smile at her like that. Don't tease her. Don't spend time alone with her. Don't sit on her desk having time together that she will find significant when it means nothing to you.

That face- grape jelly! How can she breathe when he's got that casual smile on his face while he puts the necklace on her? He should not be allowed to give anyone but his wife that look. Aiyah! Also, why do I keep seeing people share earbuds? That is so gross. And a random observation: The dog's name is Geum-be, and there's is a gumby looking thing holding folders on her desk.

ep9
Okay, on the one hand, that was a beautiful and sincere acknowledgement of her feelings. But on the other hand, how is she supposed to get over a guy like that? If he had been rude or cavalier, at least she would have been able to get mad and get over.
Also, I think he's going to regret the necklace and roses. Too soon. Let her process. Give her more of those "personal space invader" things like the necklace fastening to think about.

ep11
In line with the literary theme of this drama, there have been some very apropos uses of prose scattered throughout. For example, the words being dictated for the typed translation here. In addition, I have been noticing that there are some beautiful words that fly by during the first part of the credits. Just now one of them was something about it being okay for the other to take longer to discover their feelings- the first's love would just grow deeper. And by far the most beautiful moments in this drama were, "The moon is beautiful." and "The snow is beautiful."

ep12 or 13
I LOVE the seatbelt move. Every. Single. Time.

I liked how Eun-ho makes the other guy provide the lodging, then also moves in for the night to keep Miss Cucumber safe.

Yes, I also grab my sneakers when I'm heading to a fancy restaurant.

And finally, Crazy girl usurping smitten boy from his place? Priceless.

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Wasted time.

Somehow I missed the "bittersweet" tag. Luckily I wasn't too invested. There were a few cute moments between the two leads, but otherwise I just kept waiting for the story to start before realizing it was over. There was nothing compelling about any of the characters- no depth, no connection. The FL's face was pretty much set in a perpetual emotionless void. The scenes were not well connected, and a few random unexplained events didn't help the situation. The crying scenes were not the worst I've seen, so I suppose that is the the young actors' credit. Overall it was underwhelming and a wasted 90 minutes.

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Great acting but lamentable screenwriting.

This started out with an interesting storyline and humorous characters. Generally speaking, I thought the entire ensemble were remarkably well-cast, and had great chemistry with each other. The two main leads were new faces for me. I really enjoyed the range of Ok Taec Yeon's acting- from serious, to intense, to ridiculous. Since my introduction to Asian dramas, I have discovered that what really draws me to someone is their eyes, and Ok Taec Yeon joins the ranks of those "whose eyes can tell stories without words." While I have found the majority of Asian-drama actresses to elicit a level of dislike relatable to a three-decker sauerkraut and toadstool sandwich (with arsenic sauce), Kim Hye Yoon was a refreshing exception. She was full of positive energy, and even when the writing started going downhill, my disgust for her character did not affect my appreciation for her acting. Lee Jae Kyoon's acting was so well done that I was able to feel empathy towards his character in spite of his character.

Overall, I was quite liking this show until the end of episode 13. Without going into detail, may I just say: THEN WHAT THE DUECE IS SHE KISSING HIM FOR??!?!! Aaaaaaand... it never redeemed itself from there. Grrrr.... this one really let me down. It's great to have a raison d'être, but not at the expense of "love conquers all." Strong competition for dumbest ending ever. Be my life partner???? WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?!!??!?!!!

Disclaimer: the music received a neutral 5 out of 10 because I can't recall a single note. I'm sure it was lovely.

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Watch this if you're a fan of cheating

I could tell early on that I wasn't going to be happy with this drama, but for some reason I decided to keep watching. That was a mistake. As far as I can see, the entire premise is that it's okay to cheat. Earlier on in the show, the ML talks about not believing in love and making matches with the intention of the couple always staying together. Then he decides that it's okay for him to step in and ruin a marriage that he is under contract to arrange. In addition to being a jerk and a shady businessman, he is dishonest with both people in the original relationship. And the FL is despicable as well. It is difficult to tell, but based on what I understood from their references, she and the 2ML might actually be...half married? But she cheats on him multiple times and doesn't say anything until he outs her. I realize she tried to tell him the previous time they met, but I don't care. The cheating was already in full swing by then. She was also just annoying and unappealing.
The storyline for the 2ML just broke my heart. I can't stand these scenarios where the good person does nothing wrong, but ends up getting their life and happiness destroyed. I can't say anything more here, I just get upset. I did like the brotherhood between the Flower Crew trio. The youngest one was especially endearing. The other one has horrible taste in women. That's about all I have to say. Watch this if you're a fan of cheating; otherwise find something better to spend your time on.

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I started watching this on a whim since the trailer was interesting. I'm okay with one of the leads starting out in a different relationship and then finding the other lead. I'm not a fan of one of the leads falling for the other lead while IN a different relationship. And I am 100% against cheating- it is not justifiable, it is not romantic, it is not okay. In the past I have always dropped the show when I realize that's what the plot is. This time I held on a little longer because the ML's acting was so compelling.
Other problems:
-the FL was entirely unlikable. She was pouty, she was cranky for no reason, she was selfish. She reminded me of the FL from She Would Never Know, whom I couldn't stand. She said she hated lies, but her entire screen time was one big smush of lies. She was wishy-washy with her boyfriend, while telling the ML she wasn't interested in getting involved but stringing him along the entire time. Which brings me to...
-what the duece did the ML see in her? Can someone please explain what her allure was? Never mind, I don't actually care.
-there were two songs that took turns filling up the airspace like a Groundhog Day of folksy elevator music.

The ML did a great job of pulling me in to his character. The little boy was really cute. That's about all I've got.

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