"Even where the evil has been buried, flowers can still bloom" Writer Yoo Jung Hee
One thing I love about this drama is the pace. Up to episode 11, I was so shook all the things I predicted that will happen has already happened, and as I watched more episodes, I realised how they didn't seem to drag a single thing! And I feel like that's really different to other kdramas. After episode 11, all the emotions just began piling up together. The audience felt, nervous, thrilled, angry, shocked, sad and happy. I remember how many times I started to cry at this point and I don't even remember the last time I cred to a drama too!I also keep saying this numerous times but this drama is just phenomenal. It's so unique. So beautiful. A masterpiece. There is so much good content yet they structured everything so neatly! Just perfect! I love every single character, even the guy who played as the villain. I gotta say, they have the most admirable female lead ever - she shows professionalism, care, patience, love, compassion, embracement. And the male lead! Initially, he's so complicating to understand but over time, we realise how special and genuine of a person he is. He doesn't understand feelings but he can still feel them. Feelings play a big role in his character. Together, they make a beautiful and extraordinary couple.
Oh and it gets better.
The actors/actresses portrayed their character soooo well, it's crazy how talent everyone is. I always thought Lee Joon Gi (hyunso/heesung) was amazing but this drama just made me realize that all over again. Also, I never really noticed Moon Chae Won (jiwon) but here, she did exceptionally well. I could feel the motherliness in her.
The most beautiful yet unique love story I've ever encountered out of my 5 years watching kdrama . Even if you don't like romantic or crime stories, I bet you'll get touched by this one.
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Throwback to Classic K-Dramas
This was fun!It was very classic K-Drama. The cliché of a rich guy butting heads with and getting humbled by the person he'll fall head-over-heels for. All with slapstick humor, cheesy lines, and easy music included.
What was particularly good about this was the time they allowed for just general bonding. Before our MLs even get together we are already convinced that they get along and have gotten to see them interact and bond enough to make their feelings believable and have depth to them.
If you're looking for a good-time drama with some occasional intriguing bits, you'll enjoy this.
Side Note: I'm so glad these guys got a chance to be in another drama together and show off their chemistry with a better story.
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This review may contain spoilers
This show was so crazy I don’t even know where to start.The story was very bad, and not even in a fun way. Often it feels like the writer was using the characters as puppets to rant about how the feminists are evil and that working women are ugly and being a good waifu is the best thing a woman could ever do. What is particularly frustrating is that for about the first four-ish episodes it seems like the show is doing a satirical take on the stance of "all women should be housewives" and in my opinion, those are the best episodes, though that's not saying much considering what comes after. These episodes actually have funny jokes and the best character moments in the show and until the end of the episode, you can trick yourself into thinking that the show is going to get good and have something to say. The moment the show's writing falls from mediocre to just plain unredeemable can be pinpointed at the end of episode four: After a touching scene in which Jun ( Ryusei Yokohama) confronts Tae (Mano Erina) as to why she stays with her boyfriend Shunpei (Yasushi Fuchikami) even after he repeatedly cheats on her and makes her feel like she's not good enough for him, which ultimately leads him to the conclusion that everything Shunpei does to Tae all adds up to psychological abuse (it is) and the two of them have a very sincere and touching conversation. This is the shows high point, it all feels like it's been leading up to this point where we pull away the curtain and reveal that the problem is not women who want to work or be housewives but rather men who use the system they have created to their advantage while also policing and demeaning women for even thinking of doing the same. But then it all falls apart when you get to the end of the episode and Tae out of nowhere punches Jun and essentially say "fuck everything we were talking about, I'm going to be Shunpei's housewife no matter what" as if all the emotional build-up hadn't even mattered the entire time. After this punch to the gut, the show really starts to go for it with amazing lines such as "When humans start mixing the roles together things become very strange." (a line from Shunpei, who is not transphobic but is misogynistic - yes this is a plot point in the show and I nearly lost my mind) and "There are those ugly feminists who are unable to get married and just talk crap and are jealous. They will try to brainwash the housewives." (just like this show tries to brainwash you into thinking that that's a normal way of looking at the world - remember how I mentioned rants about the feminists). I don't think it's hard to see how the story isn't good.
The issues of this show mainly fall upon the writing - the show was edited as best as it could have been and the actors are doing such an amazing job with the garbage they were given. Mano Erina as Tae, a woman obsessed with becoming a housewife, can balance cuteness and slapstick very well and is such an amazing actress, it makes me mad that they made her do this. Ryusei Yokohama as Jun, Tae's "rented boyfriend," was extremely charismatic, balancing being insightful and a total dumbass very well, and had amazing chemistry with Mano Erina. Even Yasushi Fuchikami as Tae's shitty boyfriend was great and he too deserved a better project than this. All of the actors tried to add as much nuance to their characters as possible (especially Kyoko Hasegawa, thank you for your service queen), but there was nothing of substance to hold up their characters. I can see, from the first few episodes, what drew the actors in - at first glace the show can appear to be a satirical slapstick romance that seems like it's going to say a lot about gender dynamics and Japan's falling birth rate, and that, in theory, can be amazing career-making stuff, if not an easy paycheck. However, once you see the show for what it truly is, the acting too falls flat and all of the actors' hard work is cheapened by a bad script and story.
The music in the show flopped between "okay but ultimately forgettable" and "who the fuck choose this? Who thought this was a good idea?" People often underestimate the use of music in drama's (mainly cause dramas tend to be viewed as a form of "low art" but that's a completely different conversation for another time), often just adding whatever pop or easily acquired song to the soundtrack. But music sets the tone and can easily make or break a scene the same way editing or acting can. This show has a lot of flaws, from its clumsy dialogue, awkward editing, harmful message, and so on, but what encapsulates how disappointing and depressing this show is can be found in its soundtrack. From how many of the songs sound like they belong in a Marvel soundtrack with their blandness and unimportance, to how strange and off-putting some of the songs sound - a strangeness that is only intensified by how out of place they are within the scene. The soundtrack has a few okay tracks which are ultimately buried under the blandness and badness of the rest, just how the show has some good things that are just drowned out by the overall badness of it.
The show feels like it's teetering between complete sincerity and no effort whatsoever and ultimately fails. The whole show was just anti-feminist propaganda made by men who don’t understand the reason for the birth decline in Japan and think it's due to women wanting equality and being evil cause they criticize men or whatever, rather than it being due to men (to an extent). Like I stated previously, men controlling, policing, and demeaning women, creating a system that is set to fail women no matter what (these things still happen to this day - look at how women in Japan get pushed out of the workforce once they marry or are pregnant or the medical school scandal of last year) , these are things that cause women to think twice about settling down. Not the feminist "brainwashing" them or them naturally being "corrupt" or "evil," but just the simple fact that men treat them or are willing to view them as such. Women don't need men the way they used to, to rely on income or basic necessities, and can work for themselves and live for themselves (a thing that men have historically been able to do without question) and this for some reason frightens men.
This is all summarized in the character of Shunpei, who is never wrong in the eyes of the story. He is manipulative, often neglecting Tae and then trying to make it seem like he did nothing wrong even going as far as convincing her to lie about being his girlfriend when she runs into him while he's on dates with other women. He's a liar, telling Tae that all the women he's seeing are actually his relatives - this, by the way, is predicated on the fact that to him he's doing nothing wrong, yet he feels the need to lie to Tae which shows that on some level he knows what he's doing is wrong. He's just the worst of men. As I observed Shunpei all I could think was its men like you that cause the birth decline to plummet even more. Like the creators of the show created a man who perfectly encapsulated everything that causes women to refuse marriage or having kids. Men, I can assure you it is not the feminists causing the “deterioration of the home” or whatever you think they are causing. The annoying thing is that there could have been an interesting feminist look at the birth decline and being a housewife in current Japan, but apparently men can’t not hate women for long enough to write something nuanced. I can almost imagine the feminist version of this show exploring a woman wanting to be a housewife (despite what men apparently think, feminist aren't against women who want to be housewives being housewives) in modern Japan - it could have been good and nuanced, everything this show wanted to be so desperately. This show sucked, and not even in a fun way, 0/10, would not recommend
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This review may contain spoilers
Despite the odd title (I have no idea what "Dark Blue Kiss" is even supposed to mean, or how it relates to the story), DBK is one of my top two favorite BLs for 2019! (The other: He's Coming To Me.) Here's why:1) A very realistic view of what a young gay couple goes through. Not all shows have to be realistic for me -- I appreciate a good fantasy, as long as that's what it's intended to be. But if I'm being given a plot line that I'm supposed to take seriously, I want to believe it. DBK does this for me, unlike the large majority of BLs (which can still have good entertainment value).
2) Supportive parents and friends. Pete's dad, Kao's mom, and Rain were the heroes of this series.
3) The acting from the leads. Loved Tay (Pete) in this, and especially AJ (Non), who pretty much stole the show with his smarmy unlikeability. New (Kao) got a lot of flack from viewers for being too passive, but I thought he was just fine. As for the second couple, Podd (Sun) was a creditable actor (although I found his character a bit uninteresting) and Fluke (Mork) shows some great skills for a newbie.
4) The music. I loved the music for the opening credits! The OST sung by Fluke shows him to be a really talented singer, and another OST with Tay and New really shows off Tay's singing ability as well.
5) The story. From week to week, I found myself looking forward to what was coming next.
Highly recommended! (I only gave the "Rewatch Value" a lower rating because I rarely rewatch series.)
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1This review may contain spoilers
Some comparisons between the drama and the novel
At the time of writing this I have watched 28 out of 30 of the episodes of the drama. Some none spoilery thoughts :- I love the main leads. The acting is great and both are very good looking. (I am a big Jeremy fan)
- The drama within a drama about the love between Grand Tutor and the Princess is filmed so well, I would totally watch this if it was a real movie!
- The amnesia part went on for ages and I wish they spent more time on developing the love story between the leads once the anmesia resolves.
I ended up reading the novel because I felt the last episodes were rushed. Here are some differences that I found interesting.
Warning : Super spoilers of the drama and the book so don't read on unless you want to be spoiled!
The novel is 108 chapters and is the love story of Ting Zhou and Ming Wei, the Award Winning “King of Film” and the rookie actress. They act in 3 dramas/movies together which provide the background setting of the novel :
1) “Grand Chief Cabinet Minister” (iQiyi translation!), a tragic story of the Grand Tutor and the young Princess Ming Wah – Ting Zhou becomes so entrenched in his character that he goes into a psychosis where he believes he is the Grand Tutor and Ming Wei is the Princess, as in the drama. By chapter 42 we are out of the amnesia but in the drama this took up 2/3 of the episodes.
2) “Dragon King” – a sci fi story set in the future where Ming Wei is part of a space exploration team trying to "conquer" a new inhabitable planet and he is a Mythical creature that is some sort of Dragon Snake that inhabits and protects the sea on this planet. It’s described in detail just like the Grand Tutor Princess story and is actually quite engrossing (but also another tragic ending – under team command she “seduces” the Dragon King and betrays him and he is captured. He is angry and hurt but she thought it was better that he be captured than killed. She was trying to think of a way to free him but dies trying to protect him) Outside of the filming the romance is driven by him who is obviously developing feelings for her as Ting Zhou, but she is resistant because she doesn't want to confuse her feelings for the Grand Tutor with her developing feelings for Ting Zhou. There is a lot of push and pull in their relationship in this part but both the readers and the characters are clear that Ting Zhou is not Grand Tutor, and Ming Wei loves Grand Tutor but he has left, like an ex-boyfriend.
3) “White Snake” – based on a famous Chinese Legend (it’s been remade numerous times in real life). Ming Wei plays the White Snake that cultivated 1000 years to become human and falls in love with a human. In this version he dies and she thinks he reincarnates into another man so she marries him, only to find that in fact he reincarnated into the monk that was sent along to capture her. Ting Zhou plays both the human character and the monk in this movie. The movie is directed by Ting Zhou’s father. Outside of the filming Ting Zhou and Ming Wei are dating but in secret, they want to see each other (especially Ting Zhou who is head over heels) but to stay in character they stay apart. It's really steamy whenever they are together though!
After the amnesia ends in chapter 42, you essentially get 60+ chapters of Ting Zhou falling in love, wooing Ming Wei, and then being a crazy in love boyfriend! Once Ming Wei agrees to go out with him, he is like a sex crazed schoolboy and can’t stop kissing her. (He is 30 years old and never had a girlfriend before) I can’t even count how times they kissed, each time described in detail by the author. He is cold on the exterior throughout but with Ming Wei he is caring, thoughtful, madly in love and gets jealous of himself as the Grand Tutor.
Ming Qiao is quite different in the novel. She just graduated high school and goes to college to study Automobile Engineering, and is only a very small part in the novel. She is a cool, quiet girl with few words but loves her sister. She only interacted with Zhao Xiao a few times and it’s only hinted in the last chapter that he had shown some interest her and realises how pretty she is 3 years later at the Wedding. The drama elevated her into a whole second couple story line with Zhao Xiao that wasn’t in the novel.
Ming Wei’s biological father Xu Xiu took advantage of Ming Wei’s mother after she was drugged by some old rich CEO at a function where she was playing the Guzheng. She marries Ming Qiang, who is a motor mechanic but loved her and accepted that she was pregnant from the assault. Xu Xiu approached Ming Wei after his father commented that her smile was like Xu Xiu’s mother’s and Zhao Xiao gets DNA sample from her hair.
Zhao Xiao’s family is a lot better fleshed out in the book. The patriarch is actually Zhao Xiao’s grandfather. He has 2 sons, the first is Xu Xiu who has 2 sons, Zhao Xiao and his older brother. They all adore Ming Wei once they find out who she is but she keeps her distance from them all. Grandpa has a second son who is the father of Lin Lin and another brother who is the boyfriend of Wong Ying Ying. The brother’s character is merged with Ming Wei’s ex boyfriend in the drama. Therefore Lin Lin is Zhao Xiao’s cousin. She is a spoilt brat but only has a small role in the book. She comes back to pester Ting Zhou whilst he still has amnesia, and triggers Ming Wei to leave she is petrified that when he is no longer the Grand Tutor he would leave her. Lin Lin comes back later when Ming Wei and Ting Zhou are dating and tries to spill a drink on Ming Wei but the whole Xu family pretty much blocks her from interfering because they know they are dating in secret and the whole family loves Ming Wei. But she never calls Zhao Xiao her brother like in the drama.
In the novel we know the name of Ming Wei’s biological father by chapter 21. She only reluctantly acknowledges him because he gets into a near fatal accident on his way to visit her in hospital when she breaks her wrist filming another movie after White Snake.
Ting Zhou’s family always liked Ming Wei and was encouraging their son to pursue her. They never even interact with Lin Lin, so no scene where Ting Zhou’s mum gets pushed over by Ming Qiang. No Lin Lin slapping Ming Wei or Ming Qiao slapping Lin Lin.
Was there a proposal up to Episode 28? In the novel Ting Zhou was the presenter of the Best New Actress award at one of the big award nights, which Ming Wei won. After he presents her the award, he gets on one knee and says “I am changing career to become a Director. Miss Ming, I want to use the rest of my life to make a movie, will you be my female lead?” *swoon*
Finally, Ting Zhou never says whether he regains his memory as the Grand Tutor. In the wedding night scene just like in the drama he gets on his knees and says “your servant Mu Ting Zhou thank the Princess for marrying him” At that moment Ming Wei realises that Ting Zhou gets on one knee, but only the Grand Tutor gets on both knees, and concludes that he must remember, but still won’t call himself the Grand Tutor because he is still jealous of him/himself. End of novel.
So essentially the drama is based on the first 40 chapters and then is only very loosely based on the rest of the novel. Whoever adapted the drama must just have loved Grand Tutor a lot! I wonder what is in episode 29+30? Hope you found this interesting!
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This review may contain spoilers
Will it be the best drama of the year?
This series has a sophisticated atmospheric magic blended with real life traumas and believable characters. Every person in the drama is flawed, but relatable and likeable (except the ML’s sister, about who I'll rant below). As opposed to recent “Queen of Tears” where every character was also flawed, but none of them were likeable (perhaps the exception being the aunt).In “The Atypical Family” story as well as character development expands with an atmosphere – the colour tones, the music scores as well as sound design, and the easily flowing caesural pauses allowing the viewers to take in the vastness of the scene settings, the seriousness of the situations. One could almost compare this drama with the poetry. Actors and their characters are allowed pauses to think, not to say that they’re slow, on the contrary, it makes them and their choices more believable. The script and most chosen actors are spectacular in their roles….. except one minor detail.
The rant (at ep. 4):
To me it seems that in Korea there are no plus size actors. I’d bet anything it’s not the truth, but the industry is hellbent on trying to prove to the world that there’s either no obese people in Korea or no “fat” actors. Whenever the creators need to have a heavier character in the show, they just find the skinnies actress and put her in a costume. (To be fair it is impressive, what a film crew can do nowadays, and it does look somewhat realistic, however, it also gives “uncanny valley” vibes, because the actor trying to act is not actually fat.) Not to mention, the creators make that particular character as unpleasant visually and in personality as possible. Around the world there are plenty of big and heavy people, who are wonderful, who do not care for their weight, and even have a sense of fashion. But noooo, let’s vilify the fatness. I would not wish it but, I’d guess the plan for Bok Dong-Hee is to lose all the weight, so she could fly again. I would prefer, if she could accept herself as she is and still could regain flying, because that power should not depend on her actual weight, it is after all a Super.Power.
End of the rant.
All in all, I find the story refreshing and interesting, the clashing of one dysfunctional family with a fake united one, the deadpan comedy, the pain of trauma and not managing to let go of the past.
This drama for me might even be the best of the year.
Second rant (at ep. 10):
At ep. 10 Bok Dong-Hee becomes slim, just like that. Boom. We see each episode that she is becoming slimmer, but that amount... just took me out. I generally skip a lot of her scenes because her personality is too childish for me and grinds on my nerves about the whole "get back the cheating man" by losing weight. Ughhh. Bish, if he doesn't want you fat, he will not want you slim.
The only, ONLY redeeming point about the whole lost weight thing is that she still can not fly! Thank you! Because it's not the weight that was holding her down!!! It. Is. A. Super. Power!
End of the rant.
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After ep 14, it stopped making sense... and started making me uncomfortable.
After ep 14, it stopped making sense. The beginning half was funny and had a refreshing, lovable-without-being-cringe-y, clumsy, and amazingly BLUNT female lead, who was brave enough to do things that would only happen in a drama. It also had a no-nonsense, rational, and caring male lead, who reacted realistically! The female lead knew when she should cut her losses and own up to her schemes quickly. It was lovely to see certain conflicts resolved with such speed without repeat, but still have the male lead give her more opportunity to be around him the more he fell for her. They were a lovely combo that caused me to binge straight through to ep 14 (amazing tension) and made me anxiously wait for the next episodes. The ML wasn't your typical overbearing, unreasonable, cold ML...I loved his interactions with Ji Qiu. Around ep 14, I could even justify some of the ML's antics to provoke the FL, hoping that he would have a frank discussion with the FL in ep 15, but.... that never happened.I binged all the way from ep 15 to ep 24 with growing disappointment. After ep 15, a lot of the vehicles that drove the main romance were ignored, while a monster pile of other conflicts with new characters that were thrown in and resolved within minutes. There were a lot of unrealistic scenarios! While I'm glad for some quick conflict resolution, these new conflicts were unnecessary! The first half had plenty of other conflict that could be flushed out and resolved! While the two other pairings were cute and acceptable, how the drama went about creating one relationship (Si Qi's) and creating conflict in another (Ji Qiu's) was out of nowhere and hard to buy in. I would have loved to see more of a sisterhood between all of the ladies - sooo much potential there that the drama barely cracked the surface. FL's love rival had so much potential to be a supportive rival/sister and that was annoyingly destroyed. She barely had any screen time. I would loved to see the girls gang up on the ML for being a dork and putting the FL through (albeit brief) anguish. Qing Wu and Qi Nian's conflict should've been resolved earlier! That would have made Qing Wu's relationship more palatable, but also her commentary about her partner being legal to marry was so worrisome (smh!).
I love a fluffy cheesy romance and have seen my fair share, but in the latter half, moments got so trope-y (ML went into full overbearing CEO mode with some scenes) that my eyes rolled to the back of my head too many times to count (still squealed my fair share though for some scenes). First half, he was a solid balance of a hidden romantic, then went into full blown romantic, before going back into a repressed, controlling romantic for the last few episodes haha. He didn't ask her opinion for any major decisions involving the two of them, didn't express his feelings toward her properly, and admitted that he was a control freak. He wasn't before! He was a bit harsh to others, no-nonsense, warm to people close to him, and a workaholic before. He had this great storyline with his brother (Si Qi) that was resolved soooo beautifully, but then did a 180 with the female lead and said, "I'm going to be as controlling with you as I was with my brother even though that blew up in my face and I painfully and actively spent the last few years trying to make reparations (like wtf!). Female lead was basically a cheerful, straight-talking bunny, who somehow slinked into a submissive shadow in the latter half. When some of the "romantic" clips in the latter half were released, I actually couldn't watch them because they were that cringey/not romantic.
I was uncomfortable with some scenes with some side characters that skirted consent and harassment... but it's dramaland where these things are unfortunately normalized and utilized to brew conflict. I thought the drama had so much potential, so I'm left very disappointed. It started out being fresh and new and fell back to old C-drama antics and dramatics. The ending is pretty satisfying and cute though.
I loved the quality of the ML's acting until ep 14 (idk, his script was hard to deliver, so props to him) and loved the FL overall (she had plenty of cringe-y moments but was not annoying!) Xin xin (from Le Coup de Foudre <33) and Ji Qiu were played to perfection. I was impressed/moved by FL and Ji Qiu's crying scenes. Love the brothers' conflict and how it was resolved. Loved the grandpa. The FL's friends barely had screentime, but I liked their dynamic with her.
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Highly entertaining but also frustrating
Bossam: Steal the Fate managed to be one of those intensely polarizing dramas where many viewers laud the series as the greatest, most engaging thing ever to grace the small screen, while others condemn it as a terrible waste of time. This drama was able to achieve the highest viewership ratings (9.8%) of any drama in MBN history, and yet, if you read the reviews and comments on MDL, you will sense the opposite sentiment.As for me, I liked this well-written, intelligent and enlightening show that showed me another aspect of Korea's historical culture. Bossam was a custom in the Joseon period, in which a single man himself or through a hired hand kidnaps a widow by wrapping her up in a blanket at night and then makes her his wife. During those days, it was a way of getting remarried and an opportunity to get a new life for the widow who was obliged to live alone after her husband's death. Based on this custom, the drama unfolds the uncliched love story between the leading couple as they experience conflicts between social classes and families and survive being in the center of political struggles and turmoil.
Why highly entertaining?
From the get-go with the opening scene illustrations, I found this drama to be quite unique. It is a historical drama accompanied by non-traditional touches like the selection of eclectic songs and background music. The music producers deserved credit for being prolific and delivering quality tracks. The OST or BGM that underscored each scene was truly fitting and had elevated it to the next level for me.
Furthermore, the cinematography and directing were also a big part of the show's appeal, as one can tell that a lot of thought was put into each scene to evoke the necessary emotion and feeling. Every episode was nicely shot and expressed. Even details like how the hanbok skirt formed in a perfect circle surrounding a sinking woman was impactful. The settings and landscapes were lovely, like works of art. Visually, it was a treat to watch this show. The costumes and makeup also stood out for me because the show did not go for an idol drama feel with overdone makeup or glaringly obvious colors. The actors looked normal, good-looking nonetheless but refreshingly ordinary.
Acting-wise, I am impressed. I have heard of Jung Il Woo's ability but this is my first drama of his and I am blown away. He clearly has the experience and acting chops to pull off a complex character like Ba Woo, born from nobility but grew up a street rat. Shown initially as a rogue who was obviously a little damaged, it was also quickly apparent that our male lead, the heroic outlaw, was a good and generous person at heart. Jung Il Woo's micro-expressions were on point, and there was an underwater scene where he executed the scene perfectly by just his expression alone. His visuals are not my usual preference, but in this show, in that persona, Il Woo just exuded manly sexiness.
Shin Hyun Soo's character, Lee Dae Yeop, got a lot of hate for being the clingy second male lead who could not move on. However, I had a soft spot for Dae Yeop, especially after finding out his back story and romance with the Princess as well as his background. His actions may have seemed rash and selfish at first, but he never wavered from his desire to protect and ensure the happiness of the only one he loved. I had high hopes for his character development, and he did not fail me up to the finale. My heart ached for him a lot, and Shin Hyun Soo was brilliant in portraying this lost soul. With his eyes alone, Hyun Soo showed the hopelessness and defeat that Dae Yeop must have felt, trapped with no way out between his family, duty, love, and his own desires.
Kwon Yu Ri, however, is the show's biggest hidden gem. Her acting as Soo Kyung/Princess Hwa In, a demure, well-bred but humble Princess who was also passionate, brave, and intelligent, left a firm impression. Knowing that she is a Girls' Generation member, I was not prepared for her wonderful performance. In a way, this drama was also about how the Princess chose her own happiness by freeing herself from the societal rules and obligations, and Kwon Yu Ri portrayed this character's growth well. I appreciate the female empowerment theme featured in this show, like when Ba Woo constantly praised and respected Soo Kyung's intelligence and strength.
With the addition of seasoned actors like Shin Dong Mi, Song Sun Mi, Seo Beom Shik, Yoon Joo Man, Kim Tae Woo, Lee Jae Yong, and Lee Joon Hyuk, you have a cast that was able to deliver the story effectively. The child actor, Ko Dong Ha, who played Cha Dol, has potential as well.
I love that the characters were shades of gray. We had the antagonists who felt justified in their actions, people on both sides helping each other for justice and principles, and there were the protagonists who made bad decisions, said and did things they did not mean in the heat of the moment. The show scored points with dynamic characters who struggled with their actions, who were not always clear if they were doing the right thing or what the right thing even was.
To me, the show's strongest point is the way it executed the plot. I liked how the drama encouraged and engaged the viewers' imagination. It was my imagination that filled in and enriched what the show's visuals or soundtrack both concealed and alluded to at the same time. At least, I prefer to think that what was left out was not a mere lack but instead a conscious artistic act of intentional omission and suggestion. Coupled with somewhat predictable plot twists but, when revealed, were simply shocking in terms of magnitude and nature, the result was a story that kept me engaged from start to finish, with each episode leaving me eager for the next one.
Why frustrating?
Even though I appreciated the moments of omission and suggestion, the conspicuous use of them for the romance between Ba Woo and Soo Kyung left me wanting for more. The chemistry between those two was palpable, and I wanted to see more than hugs. Ideally, I would have preferred more tantalizing or passionate scenes, but if not those, then at least some other obvious display of affections that provide the anticipation and build-up that one usually seeks in a show with a romance tag. That said, I did find the scenes between the leads incredibly romantic, especially with the setting, music, and dialogue. There was a dignified and pure way about how their love for each other was shown, and I did believe that they truly loved each other. I also like the phrase they used for each other "saranghae yeon-mohada (연모하다)" which means to love and long for someone. Seeing them together left a good feeling and I was satisfied with how they ended.
With the romance underplayed during the second half, the show somewhat got derailed by the heavier focus on the palace and court politics. The villain, Lee Yi Cheom, constantly got on my nerves with his audacity and arrogance, but really, this was a good thing because it showed how terrific the writing was. I was glued to the screen, on the edge of my seat, wondering what was going to happen to the OTP and the other good guys. Had I not wanted more romance and pleasant "slice of life" episodes featuring the main couple, I would have appreciated the political shenanigans even more.
Overall
I would rewatch this drama since there were many nuances and subtlety that I may have missed the first time. I also enjoyed the story and characters enough to watch them another time, although I am unsure if I want to feel Dae Yeop's pain again.
I do recommend that you try this drama out and see for yourself. Thematically for me, Bossam: Steal the Fate is a show that encapsulates life in many aspects and topics. It touches upon self-identity and personal growth, love (romantic and familial), respect and loyalty (to self, family, country, and principles), politics, societal obligations and problems, the balance of power and inequality, friendship, and more.
Side note:
For posterity, I have enclosed the link to the soundtrack list: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bossam:_Steal_the_Fate#Original_soundtrack
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This review may contain spoilers
refreshing and incredible.. until the later half
overall, this show was really really good. it was mostly light hearted with lots of mature dialogue, deep characters, beautiful cinematography, and more. for the first half, i was convinced this drama would be in my top three along with vincenzo and healer. up until episode 10, I think id give this show a 10/10. somewhere along the second half it seemed to have lost its spark, but none of the issues im going to discuss are reason enough to not watch this show. overall i recommend it.
as an overview, i love thinking about how much progression we saw over the course of 16 episodes. especially within the FL whom I feel was the main vessel of change, i can see a huge difference in her from the first to the last episode. same goes for the other characters, all of them had some kind of realization or moment at least once in the show, and i really appreciated how different people at different stages of life were all given a moment to have feelings and talk about their trauma, because thats real. There also arent any typical vicious drama villains: the second male lead is accepting, the teacher is actually just quietly in love with hwajeong, everyone feels real and not at all like a typical drama caricature. usually dramas forget everyone that isnt the main character, but not this one. i also really liked the vibe of the show itself, it promises and delivers a mature healing drama full of family and friendships and community and all that good stuff. The themes of second chances, the importance of emotional support, this was also so nice to see on screen. the writing was stellar, until the later episodes ( especially ep 15). The characters are all interesting, the cinematography is great, and even the ost is good, its an almost perfect drama if i ignore the later episodes.
im going to discuss stuff i didnt like because when a show is this good, the issues tend to stick out more than usual. Some of these things are very nitpicky, so dont take them as a reflection on the show as a whole.
full review below. SPOILERS
even though this drama covered many important topics such as the hardships women face (with the crazy pervert and the childbirth) and even included a lesbian (!!!), i felt that the way they addressed many of these topics was a little skewed and delivered the wrong message. as for childbirth, i was pleasantly surprised that they were depicting it on screen as well as reinforcing how hard it really is to be a woman. but it was ruined by FL saying how romantic it was when the husband promised to be by the wifes side even though the entire episode talked about how he was a horrible husband that didnt even change his kids diapers and didnt realize that childbirth was difficult. like what ?? and as for the teacher, she just comes and goes throughout the show and i wish she was on screen and talked about herself more (instead of showing up to give yeongguk a motivating speech about apologizing to hwajeong), since lgbtq are not often seen in kdramas. and then i enjoyed how they depicted change with the FL and trauma with ML, but the way his was only delved into in the last episode really sucked since i think that shouldve been a main focus along with FLs personality shift.
It feels like all of the issues I have with this show come down to an unbalance, or a right message gets skewed the wrong way, you’ll see what I mean.
as for the FL, i generally enjoyed her growth. i loved how obvious it was, how realistic it seemed. it was gradual, but there were also specific moments where you can SEE her changes. like in episode 10 where she walks in the rain even though its something she hates, just because she recalls ML saying that she should let herself just exist. i love how open she becomes, with the way she confesses her feelings so openly in ep 10 with no hesitation. when she first came to gongjin she was so artificial, pretending to listen to everyone, smiling and nodding absentmindedly. it was a complete 180 to see her be as genuine and open as she became.
For the ML, his personality was always captivating, and he was an interesting character. here is where my first issue with the show comes in: they shouldve given chief hong more flaws. he doesnt seem to have any besides his trauma, which isnt really a “character flaw”, unlike FL that is judgmental, stubborn, unwilling to change sometimes, etc etc. especially in comparison to the FL, hong is TOO perfect. Plus you’d think someone with that much trauma would seemingly have more issues: maybe trust wise or be cold and angry, but he wasnt any of those things. Up until episode 10 (which I thought were 10 perfect episodes) FL grows as a person thanks to hong which is fantastic character growth and fantastic set up for their relationship, but hong doesn’t change at all. And why would he? He’s kind, helpful, can do everything. They should’ve given him a basic flaw like being stubborn or something so he could change thanks to hyejin as well. But he was the one always calling out her flaws and mistakes while he remained the same, and although he was often justified I was sometimes annoyed at how he wouldn’t mind his own business and tried to change her when it wasnt his place.
The reason I keep saying "up until episode 10" is because after that I feel like the show lost its spark. character wise, the shift between pre-relationship FL and relationship FL was so jarring. She felt like an entirely different person. And yes people are cuter with the person they like of whatever, but they should’ve incorporated some of this into her pre-personality so it wouldn’t come off as so strange when she suddenly started acting this way. I also felt like some of her character development was wiped off after episode 10. in fact, i occasionally felt that the FL was even more unreasonable and unlikeable than in the beginning. In episode 11, she hurt ML physically and emotionally, such as when she asked him to take care of the Second Male Lead, when she has unreasonable requests, when she takes him to see the sunrise at 4 am, when she makes him wear school uniforms to take pictures. especially when she drags him around the mall and he’s clearly saying no to doing things and she pressures him when he constantly says no. And to keep their relationship a secret hyejin hurts dusik throughout the entirety of ep 11. physical violence is never okay, especially not for comedic purposes. the fact that it was done multiple times made me less and less excited to finish that episode. and the fact that her go to reaction when she was surprised was to hurt him really made me dislike her, despite all of the progress that they made on her personality. this also really pushes the narrative that shes full of flaws and he isnt because hes forgiving and understanding.
Back to the ML, he was the one that carried this Big Secret Trauma for a majority of the show which like I said earlier was made out to be his only flaw. we didnt even know what it was until nearly the last two episodes, which I have a few issues with.
i dont appreciate how they approached his trauma as a flaw, because it isnt. everyone has trauma and issues, and not everyone reacts to it the same way. hyejin was hurt by her ex bfs words that caused her to be more materialistic, but she never shares that with ML. yet she expects him to share everything with her? she had a line where she said "im okay with showing you all of me, so why cant you do that for me?" which, just because hes seen you drunk and met your stepmom does not mean he needs to reveal more than hes comfortable with. she pushes him constantly to open up about his trauma (that was much more severe than her ex saying she dresses ugly) and i thought this whole situation and episode were so unreasonable. i understand that she expected more from him and their relationship, she was thinking of their future and he wasnt yet. i empathize, im sure its hard when your S/O isnt where you are and youre feeling anxious about where your relationship is going. but they had only been dating for what, a few weeks at that point? that combined with how much pressure she was putting on someone that was clearly hurting made it hard for me to feel for her.
plus, when SHE decided they need a break, she kept rubbing it in his face saying “we are on break- BUt why arent you saying anything to me? im giving you time- BUT why wont you tell me your secrets?!? we’re on break-BUT-here i am at your house even though i suggested the break!” and then she ends the break when she feels like it- even though initially it was supposed to be FOR him to heal. this was why, despite me being understanding of how hurt she was about ML not being open about his past, i just couldnt be on her side. This was one of the moments where again, I felt that her character development was setback.
the way this led to people blaming hong when he was trying to deal with TRAUMA was just so ?? disgusting to me. no one knows what hes dealing with, but they keep pushing him. It is never anyones place to push someone to speak about their trauma or disclose aspects of their personal life if they are not ready to do so.
And hwajeong tells FL that she should give it time, which had a nice sentiment, but then she told FL to be MLs rock. Again, taking a lovely scene with a good script and turning it into something that isnt necessarily a great message. If someone isn’t in the same place emotionally where you are then you dont need to wait for them. this is another reason i couldnt entirely be on FLs side, if hong isnt where she is and he doesnt want the future she wants, she cant just force him into it. even though i loved them as a couple, they shouldve just had them break up then instead of depicting their relationship how they did. you should never push someone when they arent ready, and you dont need to wait by that person either. if you want a future, and your partner just isnt sure, then you dont need to be with them. The result of this situation was as I mentioned, FL constantly pushing ML and reminding him that she is giving him the HONOR of her patience, while he struggles to deal with his internal conflicts. The way this whole episode was handled was a big no from me.
as for ML’s actual trauma, they dragged it on for SO long. and im not saying it wasnt worth the wait, but I was underwhelmed. Maybe the trauma they gave him would’ve panned out better had they disclosed it earlier and had him work on himself for the remaining episodes, but they chose to build suspense and shove it on us at the very end. Which, okay fine, but this didnt work for me. Despite the big suspense, he wasnt a murderer or anything, he blamed himself for a situation that was unfortunate but not at all his fault. Some people hypothesized that he was in a car accident with his wife and child which i think wouldve been better to fulfill the suspense than what actually happened, which was that he was there for the death of his best friend and dohas father became paralyzed (which had NOTHING to do with hong and was entirely the fault of the father who made a reckless decision). but the show treated him like a murderer which is pointless for several reasons. for one, when doha calls him a murderer, no one in gongjin actually thinks he is one so theres no outer conflict. we are never under the impression that he is either because he has proven over and over again that he is kind and good natured, so its more annoying than anything else that the show treats him this way. that leads into two, we are watching this pan out as an audience. we KNOW none of it is his fault, so watching this poor guy blame himself since childhood for his parents and grandfathers death, and then those related to the adult deaths blame him for those, it just sucked. its just not great to watch someone get beaten down over and over again, especially since this is a made up "healing" story and the writers can do whatever they want with it, and they chose to leave the actual healing for the very last minute. in real life, yeah there are probably people like hong. but this is a drama and watching his internal conflict pan out just doesnt make sense when its entirely in his mind and he didnt actually DO anything wrong. so its just annoying and unsatisfactory when for 15 episodes youve been like WHAT is this trauma and that answer is: another accidental death that has nothing to do with hong and everything to do with everyone else. i guess in a sense its realistic that he might get blamed by those that are hurting, but i just felt like i was watching this perfect guy who has lived a shitty life get blamed over and over again, and even now when he is supposed to be forgiving himself, the wife of his friend refused to apologize and doha tells him he shouldve taken better care of his father. what poor writing, there should be a balance between the tragedy and how much shit this poor guy gets and the healing (not to mention gamri dying in the same episode??). how many times do we need to see him apologize for things out of his control and get hurt? i think his healing shouldve been a main focus, maybe cutting into the time of all of the unnecessary misunderstandings and filler moments or even into FLs personality change. because although her arc was important, we watched her change throughout the entire show and he only got the last episode.
All of this happens in the second half of the show, which like I said lost its spark. The scenes felt a little more childish, with more misunderstandings to brace us for the couples upcoming conflict, and more happy go lucky filler to brace us for the reveal of the Big Trauma. the trauma itself wasnt handled well either. honestly, i kind of lost interest and had a hard time sitting through the episodes, while before id open netflix the second the episode was up and watch it immediately. i still really appreciated the show, but it didnt give me the same feelings as before.
Also in the second half, we see less of the other characters and focus more on the main relationship. I thought this was a big mistake because initially the magic of the show was the family feel and the environment, but that dwindles away to give focus to how the main relationship develops and has misunderstandings. the other characters only seem to come in to give motivational speeches or to make minor commentary (like in ep 15 when hongs trauma is revealed and they sit there for two seconds and take turns saying they are worried about him) or to help add to the drama (like in ep 14 when doha punches hong, everyone in gongjin is there to add to the dramatic feel). I wish we focused more on everyones individual lives ad relationship at that point, instead of making way for silly misunderstandings or filler or the Big Trauma. like the scene with yijoon and his parents getting back together was so heartfelt, and i think we shouldve gotten more of that with each character.Like I said, a solution to this wouldve been disclosing the trauma earlier and gradually working on it, which wouldve given more time for hong to actually get over it (because I can’t believe that in the span of an episode his years long trauma disappears) and the other characters could’ve had more screen time.
i think the shows flaws come down to one thing: an unbalance. an unbalance within flaws, an unbalance with the pacing, an unbalance with the characters personality. There was even an unbalance of storytelling and mood: the whole drama was mature but then we have the childhood connection, really? That didnt even add anything to the story so why was it even in there? plus the way everyone was connected?? PD is related to the wife of hongs best friend and PDs editor is the son of he guy who worked at hongs company and PD went to school with hyejin and they all meet up in this one small town i mean ?? really ?? It felt unfitting for a show that was otherwise serious and realistic. And where was miseon, FLs best friend, for half of the show? In some episodes she just wasnt home, or she just isnt mentioned. She only starts showing up for relationship issues in the later half of the show. I loved their friendship, so I wouldve loved to see more of them. I also wouldve loved to see more interactions between the gongjin citizens and hyejin after her personality shift. these are just little things that could’ve been changed to greatly improve the show.
Of course I dont expect perfection, but some of these flaws were so avoidable. Just taking away the line about hyejin romanticizing the poor relationship between the market owner and the hardware owner or just leaving the line from hwajeong at “ wait for him to open up” instead of saying be his rock, all of this wouldve fixed what I think of as a flaw. Overall, I do think this show was really really good. But because I had such high expectations for it, how some of the scenes were handled really set it back.
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THE RATINGS ARE WAY TOO LOW
Motel California is a beautifully crafted drama that delves into the complexities of first love and the emotional distance that can come between two people who are meant to be together. The story revolves around two characters who reunite after a long time apart, only to find that unresolved feelings and misunderstandings create a barrier between them. While the initial episodes are filled with angst and longing, it's essential to take the time to appreciate the gradual development of their relationship.The frustration that arises from their inability to communicate is relatable, and the dual perspectives provided by both leads allow viewers to empathize with their struggles. Unlike typical dramas where one character pines away while the other moves on, both leads in Motel California are deeply invested in each other, which adds a layer of depth to their story. The slow burn of their relationship is both heart-wrenching and rewarding, making it a captivating watch for those who appreciate emotional storytelling.
The female lead in Motel California has sparked a lot of discussions, with many labeling her as a red flag. However, it's essential to recognize that her complicated feelings and reluctance to fully engage in her relationship stem from a deeply rooted backstory. Her experiences of feeling hated and abandoned, coupled with a strained relationship with her father, shape her character in a way that makes her relatable and real. It’s not uncommon for someone to protect themselves emotionally, especially when they’ve faced such turmoil.
What I appreciate about her character is the depth and complexity she brings to the story. She's not just a simple love interest; she embodies the struggles many face when trying to reconcile their past with their present. Her journey reflects the reality of being human—feeling vulnerable while also striving to be strong. The internal conflict she experiences, especially as she sacrifices her first love for her own emotional safety, showcases her strength and vulnerability.
While it’s easy to get frustrated with her actions, it's crucial to understand her motivations. She’s a character who evolves throughout the series, and her development is a testament to the writers' ability to create a nuanced portrayal of a young woman grappling with her identity and choices. This complexity makes her journey all the more compelling, and it’s refreshing to see a character that feels so authentically human...she is a character who embodies the complexity of being human—making mistakes, feeling regret, and attempting to mend those errors while sometimes needing to take a step back. This frustration is a reflection of real life, especially when she stands in contrast to the flawless male lead, who is calm, collected, and unwaveringly loyal. While she may appear villainous to some, her struggles add depth to their relationship, which is both thrilling and heartwarming, infused with a palpable angst.
The chemistry between Na Inwoo and Lee Se Young is palpable, and their performances convey a range of emotions from longing to love. Their eyes tell a story that is both heart-fluttering and deeply emotional, capturing the essence of their characters' journey from fear to a warm embrace. This drama is beautifully crafted, with a cinematic quality that feels like a movie experience. The soothing OSTs enhance the magical chemistry shared by the leads.
While the pacing may be slow at times, it is undeniably addictive as the story unfolds. It may not resonate with everyone, but it’s worth giving it a chance—don’t just rely on ratings. The acting is exceptional, and the overall experience is one that leaves a lasting impression....
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This review may contain spoilers
Strong start, lackluster finish
* Editing this because I focused SO much on the negative so I would just like to add that I love Lu Shiyi. He is a very passionate and loyal person. He was dedicated to sports but that didn't stop him from improving his studies and he never lost sight of his dream of becoming a doctor. He went out of his way to comfort, love, and protect his friends and family. He wasn't afraid to apologize when he hurt someone and he never stopped giving his all. I just wish the writers didn't throw the Lu Shiyi we loved out the window in the last few episodes and replace him with an overly jealous and obsessive jerk*The show started off pretty strong. With interesting characters and funny moments that led to beautiful friendships forming it was building up to be one of the best school love/friendship stories I have watched. The only qualms I had in the beginning were that they rushed the high-school portion and sending BaoBao off was way too random + I almost thought they were going to make it the cliche "cold, rude boy bullies the girl and she falls for it" but they didn’t. Shiyi teased Xiaoju and they bickered a lot after getting off in the wrong foot BUT Shiyi quickly changed his ways and they became great friends. They both stuck their necks out for each other and grew close. Once they became friends and before Shiyi even realized his feelings he still went above and beyond for Xiaoju.
Everything seemed great and despite the looming love triangle and every day struggles the group's friendship was the one strong standing thing. However for some reason the writers decided to scrap that and ruin practically every character.
The thing I liked the most about Shiyi was that even after he found out how he felt about Xiaoju, he didn’t want to force his feelings on her or lose her and decided that he would be happy if she was happy and wished she wouldn't get hurt in her own one-sided love. He was always there for her and did whatever he could to make her happy. Even after he found out that Xiaoju liked Cheng Lang, he was upset but he didn’t take it out on her and instead helped keep her secret and do his best to comfort her and protect her heart. He tried to muster up the courage to confess quite a few times but Xiaoju was always wrapped up in her feelings for Cheng Lang so he pushed it off to comfort her instead. Unfortunately the writers through all of this out the window by introducing Chang Le or whatever the class monitor's name was. They made Shiyi turn super jealous and obsessive. Then after he confessed his feelings he kept practically harassing her, tricking her, and using tricks to make her pretend to date him (the entire fake dating thing was ridiculous, if they were gonna use that extremely overused trope they at least could have done it right). Suddenly all he cared about was chasing her around. On top of that out of nowhere he returned to his high school self and started insulting Xiaoju nealry everu time he interacted with her because of his jealousy.
As for Xiaoju, she was a good headstrong character. She worked hard in her studies and was a loyal friend. However the writers ruined her character after Shiyi's confession. Suddenly the Xiaoju we knew who was kind and got upset at Shiyi for always being mean turned downright nasty to Shiyi. She called him crazy for confessing and just kept hurting his feelings despite explicitly saying that she was turning him down so he wouldn't get hurt. I get being confused about her feelings but she would fully disregard his feelings in general. At first she said it was because she didn't like him like that but then she switched up and just insisted that it isnt right and that they should ONLY be friends. She kept switching up one moment she would be rude to Shiyi but then realize she was too mean and would apologize and give in and basically confess her feelings but then when he would say she likes him and they are together she would shove him away and run off. She did this a MILLION times until one day she decides she is confused and MIGHT like him. Literally everyone in the world could tell she actually liked him now EXCEPT HER. It takes her bag being stolen and Cheng Lang pointing out to her (for the 100th time) that she likes Shiyi and then she FINALLY admits it and confesses her love for Shiyi...TO CHENG LANG
Cheng Lang who was kind and very down to earth just grew boring and I felt almost zero chemistry between him and Lin You. He became a side character and I couldn't care less about his love story with Lin You until they had such a ridiculous ending. Personally Lin You had the personality of a piece of paper and they ruined her character even more by her breaking Cheng Lang's heart not once but THREE TIMES. Cheng Lang was clearly very interested in her and they stayed up late together and he did lots of chivalrous things for her but not once did she mention she had a boyfriend until he confessed. Then her bf dumps her and Cheng Lang helps her heal and before he can confess SHE makes the first step towards him. She then becomes the jokingly clingy gf telling him not to flirt with other girls. They date and are in love for almost 3 yrs then the writers decide to bring her bf back and have him beg to get back together. Then they reveal that oops! It was a misunderstanding and he got in an accident and lost everything and thats why he dumped her. But still she cries and says she loves Cheng Lang. But then its revealed that her mom forced him to lie and break up with her for no reason and then that leads to a whole mess of her defending her ex in front of Cheng Lang and then eventually choosing him and going to study abroad. The writers then decide its a great choice to make Cheng Lang become successful but still make him heartbroken and long for Lin You and then end it with him seeing her back in China and excited to talk to her only to see her with her boyfriend that ISN'T the man she left him for. Thus rubbing it in his face that not only did she leave you and run back into her ex's arms, she dumped that guy too and STILL didn't come back to you.
As for TaoTao and Huang Jun the writers ruined their cute relationship. They randomly through in Menglu who purposely tried to break them up. Huang Jun faltered and lied to Tao Tao even after she gave him another chance. Then when she fully breaks it off he goes on to date Menglu only to still fawn over TaoTao and complain about Menglu not understanding (which serves her right because how is she gonna break them up and then complain because he still cares about her and act like he wouldn't cheat on her). 2 years pass since their breakup and only then after seeing TaoTao happy Huang Jun decides to become possessive & pathetic and never leaves Tao Tao alone despite now being with Menglu. He even begins ignoring her calls without breaking up her. He harasses TaoTao until the end until finally he sings a last song for her and she agrees that one day they can be friends and that she doesnt want to be enemies even though she still hates what he did. He cries, and holds onto her hand and she takes it away and he wishes her happiness. I'm glad Tao Tao got a happy ending and I'm glad Huang Jun suffered and BaoBao came back but everything was too random and thrown together. Why did Tao Tao keep their relationship a secret from Xiaoju for YEARS. We were led to believe she was just chatting with a stranger and thats why she was so secretive. Then years later she announces her marriage. I started suspecting it was BaoBao but it seemed so far fetched and laughable. BaoBao appears and apparently Shiyi knew this entire time. Nothing is explained on what he has been doing or how he and TaoTao got together. A random party is thrown and they get married.
The entire last 2 episodes were ridiculously rushed and made no sense. It was clear that Shiyi's "girlfriend" was going to be Xiaoju and that he was just playing a dumb trick on her. When she finally does realized she goes to the beach to wait for him and we are led to believe he is going to do the confession he planned for his "girlfriend" but nope he gets a work emergency and Xiaoju doesn't believe him. She then ignores him at the party and they both act childish to each other all the way up until the ceremony (but not before a drunk kiss initiated by wasted Xiaoju followed by a hinted possible hookup). Then once the ceremony ends and Xiaoju catches the bouquet, Shiyi confesses (IN THE MIDDLE OF TAOTAO AND BAO BAO'S WEDDING) and Xiaoju ask about his gf and he says she is the only one 🙄 then he PROPOSES and they kiss and boom The End.
Yep thats it. We get a random time skip and zero explanation of why Shiyi never contacted her but suddenly everything is okay and they are ready to marry each other. We also get zero explanation on TaoTao and BaoBao's relationship and Cheng Lang and Lin You's relationship is resolved with Cheng Lang never stopping loving her and having to see her on the street with ANOTHER guy.
36 episodes ended randomly and rushed as if the writers just threw darts at a wheel and went with it. 36 episodes and we never get to see Shiyi and Xiaoju as an actual couple and the only kisses we get are all within the span of the last 10 mins of the show. So many things built only to be thrown away completely. I wished the show would have stayed focus on the groups friendship but by the end the bond didnt feel as strong.
I would say give it a watch if you are bored but 36 episodes is A LOT and no amount of skipping would make it more bearable. Super bummed it turned out this way.
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The comedy here is also golden. I tried to find a gif or a screenshot to show you all, but it’s so hard because the comedy is so *situational*. What that means is the jokes build on the knowledge you have from watching a previous scene, episode, etc. That’s smart comedy. There’s also cheap comedy – tongue in cheek poking fun at romcom tropes (that they also fully uitlize), quips, puns, slapstick, etc. I’m pretty sure I had laughed every single episode for 12 eps so far – and as a big loyal fan of comedy TV (of all kinds, from Western to Asian styles), I know how hard it is to sustain laugh even as plots develop and get more complex, with some dose of drama thrown in.
Speaking of plot, there is one, and it’s good! Often with “silly idol romcom”, the plot is on life support, which is usually the rom part. Here, there is an actual plot, and there are a few key high stakes that we are invested in, because we already care about our lovely characters. All of them are working towards their goals (most of them life and death!), in multiple steps, and the steps are met as we move through episodes. Nothing is stretched out for too long, no misunderstanding dragged on for dramatic purposes. Things that make sense to get resolved, do. Will I watch a drama with no plot just to see the romance? Yes (e.g. Her Private Life…) But when there is a plot, it makes it that much more exciting! How will our smart characters get out of their predicaments? How will get attain their goals, while still being together (some of their goals conflict, and also with their romance), since they gotta be together!
In any case, as you can see, I love romcoms, and I love them even more when they are smart, well executed, and have that magical “it” factor created by a synergy of actors, directing, and script. Though, let’s be clear, this is on the lower budget side, and it is an idol drama. It doesn’t try to be any grand historical drama, nor does it slack off and forget that a story, no matter how cheap, needs sense (we all been there, haven’t we?) I just love it when a drama makes clear promises, and delivers on them, with fireworks. I have a lot of chip on my shoulders on how romcoms, and just comedies in general, tend to be looked down upon because it’s “simple” or “silly”. “Simple” is not “simplistic”, and “silly” is not stupid. A well-done story is a well-done story, and that’s that.
And that is what Romance of Tiger and Rose is – a well-done story
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A short yet wild ride of a spinoff
When the spinoff was announced, I was quite eager to watch it. I am glad they didn't make it into a long 16 ep drag of a drama with boring storylines added to it but kept it short , funny and chaotic.Both leads had good chemistry in the parent story and even though their romance part properly started near the end of the drama it still managed to leave an impression. LSY , PJW and HJH are the perfect trio casting for this one and each did well with their roles.
You don't even need to watch the parent story to watch and enjoy this one.
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This review may contain spoilers
He’s Her, but Not Really
The early episodes have a nice touch of magical realism that keeps viewers curious. It makes you want to keep watching just to understand why Kim Ji Eun turns into Kim Ji Hoon. Is there a specific pattern, a cycle, or maybe something related to their ancestors' background? And what about the matching tattoos between Kim Ji Eun and Kim Hye Ra? Are they supposed to mean something or affect the story in a bigger way?Personally, I really dislike Park Yoon Jae’s inability to stand by Kim Ji Eun when she’s at her lowest point. It’s like, “Hey, she’s your girl, so why are you still looking at Kang Min Joo?” We can’t blame Kang Min Joo too much since she’s a key part of the conflict alongside Yoon Jae’s parents, but Yoon Jae gets so caught up in being a guy who sees another woman that he almost completely ignores Kim Ji Eun’s struggles and her attempts to escape her misery.
I don’t really mind the awkward bromance scenes. They mostly show up when the show tries to be funny. But they feel very different from the romantic moments between Park Yoon Jae and Kim Ji Eun, which are sweet and more emotionally grounded. I get that the drama tries to limit physical contact to avoid making Yoon Jae’s relationships with Ji Eun and Ji Hoon feel too far apart.
Still, what frustrated me the most was how Kim Ji Eun and Kim Ji Hoon never actually felt like the same person. The show kept pushing that idea and sure, I tried to buy it, but come on, nothing about Kim Ji Hoon screams Kim Ji Eun. Not their emotions, not their vibe, not even the tiniest habit, It's like he just pose and act in feminine gesture, that's all. And seriously, if Kim Ji Eun magically turns into a guy, am I really supposed to believe she’d suddenly be into women? Yeah, right. They could have at least thrown in some shared quirks like how they laugh or how they cry just something to remind us that, hey, it’s still the same person underneath all that confusion.
In the end, the show just pats us on the back with a happy ending, pretending all the confusing questions never existed. Brilliant storytelling, right?
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