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I should say I absolutely hate draggy dramas and out of the 5 dramas that I was watching at the sametime, this drama was the only one I didn't drop.
TBH, aside from the actors, I was kinda excited for the story because I found out King Jungjong (yeo woojin) was the same king in Jewel in the palace portrayed by Im Ho. The story is basically explaining the background of what happened in the first jewel in the palace episodes, minus the parts about the queen.
Story:
You'll find yourself getting excited every couple minutes and feeling the pain and happiness (even though it never lasts for long) with the characters. The plot is wrapped around the reality and the main couple's love story VERY WELL. They're so cute yet stubborn and immature at times. I absolutely loved the main 3 leads' characters and how they develop.
Even though supposedly the king's character is one of the "villains" of the story, along with many other viewers i found myself in love with him. His character is shown in great depth and that's probably thanks to the superb acting of Lee Dong Gun. But I found the king's character becoming quite dramatic and slightly dislikable towards the end, which probably makes sense because the real King Yeonsangun was far worse. But even that didn't stop me from rooting for him.
The politics are really interesting as well and will keep you hooked along with the revenge and the cute love story.
Acting:
The cast were perfect. The adult and the child actors are absolutely gorgeous and their resemblance is crazy. Even their facial expressions are similar.
OH MY GOD. one word. Lee Donggun. He was soooo amazing. You could probably understand his whole life story and how hurt he is by his eyes and the way he talks. I absolutely loved every single moment he came on the screen.
Park minyoung was pretty amazing too and I should say her acting was way better than in sungkyunkwan scandal. somehow I noticed her facial expressions and reactions improving throughout the story as well!! I loved how playful and sensitive she could be at the same time even though that's very typical of all kdrama heroines.
I should say my favourite person was Yeon Woo Jin and he NEEDS to do more sageuk dramas. His charisma and the sadness and anger in his eyes kept me hooked and I'm pretty sure I never skipped a single scene he was in. He looked absolutely hot! Even better than in arang and the magistrate!!
Music: OST overall is quite emotional and cute but my favourite is the one sang by junggio and I still listen to it all the time. I really liked the song chaekyung always whistled to when she was younger, still can't find the song on the web though...
I should say the hanboks were slightly disappointing. For my the outfits are the best parts of period dramas but I just felt like the scenes would be more pleasant if Chaekyung's outfits were more colourful.
But overall, this drama is my favourite sageuk drama of the year. I feel like lately all dramas are more westernised and i still kinds prefer those 2005-2012 melodrama shows with great plots and unexpected twists. This drama took me back to those days and it was a good mix of a melodrama and a cute story. I definitely suggest everyone to watch it and I have no idea why it didn't have high ratings... :(
If given the chance I'd probably watch it maybe in a few months or even a year because I'll need some time to recover from it, but I'll miss yeo woojin and lee donggun in hanbok too much to not rewatch the show
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This review may contain spoilers
A Mini that does not disappoint!
I went into this with zero expectations and I was not disappointed.I'm not going to recap the show because the synopsis is pretty accurate. I want to start off with Leo Yang. From his looks, to his voice, to his effortlessly cool idgaf attitude, this man is TAILOR MADE for these types of roles. Not only is he a fantastic actor, he kills the action scenes, and I'm pretty sure he could have chemistry with a rock. He has major bedroom eyes and he's just so nice to watch. Even tho A Sen seems cocky and rather dubious, his true nature is very loving and protective. At one point in the show, Ling Yi is injured and unconscious in the hospital. A Sen has a devastating breakdown. Leo does an excellent job at portraying the desperation A Sen is feeling as he's begging her to wake up. It was a beautiful scene.
Ling Yi is an interesting FL. She's very socially awkward and timid. At least, she appears timid. She's actually extremely strong and determined. She doesn't let herself be intimidated by the dangerous people around her who are a constant threat to her safety. She's not your typical naive girl who needs to be saved. Does A Sen save her? Yes lol. But Ling Yi would throw herself in harms way just as quickly for him, and she does just that several times. Ling Yi is a girl who had to grow up very quickly and that's definitely why she meshes so well with A Sen. Obviously, their lives and experiences are very different. A Sen has spent a decade of his life going to great pains to maintain his identity within the group which means that for a decade, his life has been on the line 24/7. Ling Yi lost the only family she had after an already traumatic childhood and has been alone ever since. They both had very hard lives for different reasons but that's what made them work so well together.
Being that this is a 10 minute per episode mini, there are going to be plot holes and illogical turns of events. If you're an an avid mini watcher like I am then you'll know that this is just the norm. In this case, none of the inconsistencies hindered the plot imo. A Sen magically showing up to save Ling Yi just became funny to me at some point, in a good way. Our leads got together fairly quickly. Their kisses were a delight to watch and there are plenty! There is (kind of?) a 2ML, he's Ling Yi's ex. She has no desire to be with him and is completely devoted to A Sen. And our 2ML is respectful of their relationship (mostly because he's scared of A Sen). He never tries to interfere. So, if you hate love triangle's as much as I do, you're safe from that in this show. Another dreaded enemy of mine, noble idiocy, is not present here. A Sen tried it. He really did. But Ling Yi knew him too well by this point and figured out his plan and was not about to let him put his life at risk by himself.
With angsty mini's, you never know until the final episode if you're going to end up happy of heartbroken. Here, I was left very happy and satisfied.
So, with all that being said...... Go! Watch it! Right now! :)
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If you are new to chinese produce shows, let me explain to you first the gist of things. If you're not, skip this paragraph LOL. So basically, these shows invite around a 100 trainees from different companies and make them compete to debut into the final lineup. The final lineup usually ranges from 7 spots to 11 spots depending on the show. For Chuang 2020, they narrowed it down to only seven debut spots. At the very start of the show, each of the trainees first have to go through a evaluation by the show judges. (in this case were Victoria, Tao, Luhan, and Mao Buyi.) Then they go through a theme song evaluation, where each trainee is given the same amount to time to learn the lyrics and dance to that certain theme song. As the show progresses, the trainees split into many different groups to perform on evaluation stages with an audience. These stages allow the trainees to showcase their capability as an idol and the audience get to vote for their favorite picks. HOWEVER audience vote does not determine final rankings. The final rankings are actually determined by online fan voting, and the audience vote only give bonus votes in addition to that online fan voting. After each evaluation stage, trainees get eliminated based on their vote rankings. Eventually, trainees are narrowed down to top 15 and there is a show finale where those 15 trainees give a final performance to a live audience. The final debut lineup is also announced in the show finale.
Okay time to give the actual review on my thoughts on Chuang 2020 by listing the pros and cons:
Pros:
1. Production quality was very high.
Tencent is LOADED. The trainees in Chuang 2020 literally lived like princesses. The entire living complex was a castle design, and the trainees took buses to the practice rooms?? Living that dream. Their stages were very well decorated too, everything just looked expensive. Tencent really put a lot a money into the show and trainees.
2. Power vocals everywhere.
Chuang 2020 has sooo many power vocal trainees. The amount of good singers in the show were insane, props to Tencent for finding them.
3. Episodes were long, so there was a lot of content.
This could be a pro or con depending on the viewer, but each Chuang 2020 episode was around 6 hours long. Tencent gave a lottt of content. It was pretty nice watching the many different trainee interactions, but it did occasionally get draggy.
Cons:
1. The environment was extremely toxic.
I understand that it was a competition to make it into the debut lineup but these girls WERE NOT messing around. It got to the point where you could sense the tension as a VIEWER. I do have to admit that the judges played a part in creating that tension, but even so, I did not sign up to watch a bunch of girls be passive aggressive with each other??
2. Screentime was 100% biased.
I've never seen such bad screentime on a chinese produce show. It got so bad that the CENTER for the theme song had almost zero shots in the last few episodes. Instead, there were a couple of select trainees who got an excessive amount of screentime, making the Chuang 2020 look like [blank] and friends. :/
3. Performances did not stand out.
This is slightly biased since its my own opinion, but none of the performances stuck with me. I'm not saying the trainees weren't talented, they were more than a few power vocals and dancers. I'm not sure what was missing because the quality of the production was perfectly fine; there was just something about the performances themselves. And don't get me started on the last stages with the male celebrities, it was so awkward to watch because (almost) all the guys literally just stood there and looked cute. I know its a Produce Camp tradition but I still can't help but cringe when I watch them.
Now, I'm not discouraging ANYONE from watching the show. Please go ahead, there are so many talented trainees. I tried to be as unbiased as possible when writing this review, and hope future viewers will find it helpful!
I do recommend everyone try watching the first episode before deciding whether you like the show or not. As for exo-ls, there is a Luhan, Tao, and Kris interaction if you're interested ;)
ps. this is my first review, hope i wrote it well enough !!
Thank you for reading and hope you have an amazing day ♡
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Performances by the actors is very good esp Im siwan and sol kyung gu
These two lived their roles and raised the bar for this movie
Will definitely recommend this to all those who watch movies of this genre!!
Thumbs up ????
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Its hard to write a review without giving away too much. To anyone who is debating on watching this movie. Just watch it. Its worth every minute.
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I don’t watch family dramas because they’re not my cup of tea but this year I came to watch two family dramas at the same time; this one and ‘I Summon You Gold!’ because of a long story that I won’t trouble your ears (or more specifically your eyes) with.
So what is this about? It’s one of those lengthy Kdramas produced in a non-stop way every year. It has all the elements that a family drama should have such as familial struggles, birth secrets and old respectable figures. There are also light romantic stories that owned about half the drama.
If I had to state the facts, I would say that this drama’s screenwriters weren’t good enough to make the drama interesting until the very last end. It’s a given that Korean family dramas drag and contain many filler episodes but despite that fact, the drama was deliciously entertaining until the 39 or the 40th episode when the writers tried to get smart by adding some twists to the storyline, but guess what? It was an epic failure because… hello!! Family dramas don’t need stupid twists to be good; it needs a complete control of the run time by using the family theme. Furthermore, the screenwriters conducted a mess by cutting off characters without a previous notice or a proper explanation. They also threw meaningless hints and rushed things out at the end; okay, I won’t make them bear all the blame for the last part since it’s not their fault that the drama was cut short to 48 episodes instead of 50 but still, they could’ve made a proper ending considering the fact that this is a long drama.
The cast was reasonably fitting and well chosen. There were some really good actors in here but I can’t say the same about characters since some of them felt all over the place at times. However, the characters’ development was remarkably magnificent.
Now, if I have to state my subject point of view, I would say that this drama was enjoyable overall even with its shortcomings. And that’s coming from a person who doesn’t (as never) watch long family dramas.
In conclusion, I won’t advice anyone to watch this or not because that’s up to you to decide. Just keep in mind that this is a long family drama with notable screenwriting issues that needs a strong commitment and a long breath to finish, but it also has a nice set of cast and it can be somewhat pleasant to watch.
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Should You Watch This Drama? Yes and Here's Why!
First off can I just say I absolutely loveeee the theme song and intro!! I love the cast; it was well put together. As I just randomly browsed through KissAsian, the cover catched my eye. I also found a new k-pop idol to get attached to, Daniel Kang who plays a main character, Wi Seung Hyun. I personally loved his character from the first episode. And the fact that his face card is a solid 1000000 is amazingg. You know what's funny, I was actually watching A Piece of Your Mind before I stopped and started watching Rookie Cops. Chae Soo Bin plays the main role in both dramas. Her character in Rookie Cops is one of a strong, hardheaded person that will stand without wavering when she is giving her opinion about something. From the four episodes watched I can tell that her character will only develop even more, and I can't wait to see! The side characters are everything and very funny! I highly recommend watching this drama even though it's ongoing! I'm sure it's not a drama with disappointment ahead. I'm really looking forward to February 9 for episode 5 & 6!! EEKK! Be sure to watch!!:)xo,
nicki.
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Why is the Chinese drama Only For Love the most sensual romance journey of the year?
I don’t know what everyone else is watching, but it is not Only for Love, considering their scoring. Dylan Wang and Bai Lu are giving masterpiece performances in this intelligently written cat and mouse game of love.He works 24/7 growing his business, and has become quite successful, as he distances himself from the old money of his father. She is a financial and business reporter, only after the true story of his financial wisdom. The way she hooks him is a masterclass of what women do best.
Out of nowhere during her interview with him for her magazine, she begins to flirt with him. He is totally caught off guard, but recovers very quickly. The last thing he needs is to be diverted mentally from his business, away from his quest to make money. He is super intelligent, with great business acumen. He sees it coming and he knows how to avoid this flirtatious trap. What is working in her favor is that she is really knocked off her feet by him, but in the front of her mind, he is just a romance challenge to conquer. She is equally as intelligent, graduating from University with a double degree. It is just a game, she tells herself.
Only for Love is so sensual. The viewer anticipates each move of the other in this game of avoidance and entrapment, and the teasing games between the two is what draws you right in like foreplay.
Only For Love needs set-up time to allow this drama to smolder. Please don’t be impatient with this cat and mouse game.
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the romantic love story of Pikachu and a great swimming athlete.
I really enjoy the story of this drama, the story of this drama is not heavy but interesting to follow, a beautiful and loyal love story between the two main players is an important ingredient in this drama besides the appearance of the male lead who is very handsome and charming as a swimmer athlete really becomes my reasons and points for finishing this drama, even though he is a newcomer but his performance can be compared to actors who have developed in the acting world for several years. I was quite surprised by his good performance.of course for those who like sports dramas, don't miss this one.
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This review may contain spoilers
A stress-free story with the theme of sincerity.
Whether it's romance, family, or career; the series shows us that if do things with sincerity, it will not go unnoticed. Not everyone will be moved by it, but there will always be people who will see and feel it. The story is simple, nothing ambitious or unique. However, the chemistry, the heartfelt moments, and honest interactions between characters made this series very memorable for me.-------------------------------------------
● SHORT REVIEW
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[ --LIKES-- ]
✔ Very likable leads and a mature relationship. Loved the chemistry. A very capable female character and a very green-flag and sincere male lead.
✔ Good communications between the lead. Very drama-free relationship
✔ Lots of cute moments
[ --DISLIKES-- ]
✖ While I loved Ro Woon with Pyung Hwa, his inclusion in the Sibling Six or whatever they called themselves felt rushed. Would've loved to see more development and him building relationship with the others.
✖ The resolution for both Pyung Hwa's and Da Eul's felt too easy given the time we spent seeing their struggle.
✖ Sa Rang's exile to the tourist hotel seemed pointless to me since she was easily brought back to King The Land. Just felt like a nice vacation to me.
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● IN-DEPTH REVIEW
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[ --STORY/PLOT-- ]
The story around the workplace politic and the power struggle between the brother and sister wasn't something I was super interested in. I can't even say that it was the journey of their love that kept me interested as they got together relatively quick. What truly captivated me about the series were the characters themselves and the sincere interactions between them, whether it be cute, funny, heart fluttering, or just pure honesty.
Gu Won is our main male lead. Initially, he was just some chaebol who hated pretentious smiles and could not care less about his family's hotel business. However, he became more interested in the hotel when he meets Sa Rang, whom he falls for. What I absolutely loved about his pursuit of her is was his sincerity and willingness to learn how to be in a relationship. He got to know her bestest friends and her grandma, and they all had advice for him. The core advice was honesty and clarity. Showing how we feel with actions is great, but saying how we feel and what we're thinking helps avoid drama and miscommunication. It's also very romantic to me. Consent is also very sexy. Loved that he asked permission before kissing her during their date. Also, Gu Won's dad was a very likable parent for me. He never really forced his son (mostly since he knew he couldn't) and there were lots of nice father-son moments where he was understanding. The only thing I disliked was when he sent Sa Rang to the tourist hotel. I don't even know what the point was since Won easily just brought her back.
Sa Rang is our beautiful female lead. She is a very capable and hard working girl. She doesn't needs much saving for the most part and was able to take care of herself. The employees of King The Land did not like her at first but her sincere attitude won them over eventually. Sa Rang's growth in this series has less to do with her character development, but more a realization on what she truly wanted to do as her dream career. I wished we had spent more time earlier in the series to build up to the idea of Sa Rang wanting to start her own hotel. Maybe they did sprinkle the idea that she was not happy doing what she was doing subtly and I missed it, but it felt sudden to me. I'm happy though that she found what she wanted to do at the end. I also absolutely loved Sa Rang's grandma. Most memorable for me with her was where she was helping Won set up a savings account, it really touched me.
They pair was great at talking to each other. There was a lot of honesty between the characters and I'm thinking that's what I like so much. Even the interaction between the villain and her brother was for the most part very honest. And the characterizations of the characters were honest in that we knew who to root for and who not to.
[ --ACTING/CAST-- ]
I can't lie, 2PM was the first KPOP ground that I really got to know so the members hold a special place in my heart, even if they aren't my favorite group. With that said, I think this the first series with Junho that I was interested in seeing. I might go watch some of his previous stuff later but they're not super high priority. Watching King The Land, however, did leave a good impression on me with his acting. And I loved his chemistry with Im Yoon Ah. She's so pretty. I need to dive deeper in Girls' Generations. I think everyone did a group job, I felt the feels when I needed to feel them. Special shoutout to Kim Sun Young who play Won's sister. Great antagonist!
[ --MUSIC/OST-- ]
"Yellow Light" from Gaho and "Confess To You" from Kim Ye Yim both stood out to me as my favorites, but all the OST were great! Need to relisten to some of them and see which ones I need for my playlists, but they're all great songs. Not much else to say in that regard.
[ --REWATCH VALUE-- ]
I can't say I will watch this in its entirety but there were so many cute, romantic, and funny scenes that I adored. So I wouldn't watch it again for the plot, but I would rewatch clips just to feel the butterflies.
[ --FINAL THOUGHTS-- ]
So my overall impressions was that this was a very light, fluffy cute series where I didn't need to stress about the villain, overthink anything, or even get overly frustrated by anyone. Very stress-free watch for me. It was funny and it was romantic. Checks both the boxes for a romcom for me. Also, lots of scenic scenes. Loved Thailand. Loved the forest vibe of the tourist hotel. Loved the cityscape shots. Yeah, this was an easy watch and very enjoyable watch. I've watch so much kdramas so one would think it would be boring and stale for me, but it wasn't. This series has a lot of charm due the characters and I definitely recommend watching it at least once.
-------------------------------------------
● NOTE
-------------------------------------------
I'll always conclude my review by saying that ratings and reviews is not really a indicator of whether you may enjoy something. We all have different criteria and standards. Don't let a bad rating, review, or comment discourage you from watching something. My advice will always be to give something a chance if the premise interests you, and only use the ratings/reviews to determine priority if you have a list, or if you're deciding if you want to continue it due to time limitations.
♥ Thanks for reading my review! Feel free to comment or hit me up if you want to discuss anything ♥
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m I want to say born to be Alive drama is really. really so good drama
"Born to Be Alive" is not just another drama; it is a profound journey of resilience, love, and the human spirit. From the very first episode to Episode 28, the series has consistently delivered a high-quality cinematic experience that keeps the audience emotionally invested.The Brilliance of Yang Zi's Performance
Once again, Yang Zi proves why she is one of the most respected actresses of her generation. Her portrayal is nuanced and deeply moving. In the early episodes, we see her character’s vulnerability and struggles, but as the story progresses toward Episode 28, her growth is remarkable. Yang Zi has this unique ability to convey complex emotions through just her eyes. Whether it is a moment of silent grief or a burst of joyful hope, she makes the audience feel every heartbeat of her character. Her dedication to the role is evident in every frame, making the character feel like a real person we want to protect and root for.
Compelling Storytelling and Pacing
The plot of "Born to Be Alive" is meticulously crafted. It doesn’t rely on cheap tropes; instead, it builds tension and emotional depth naturally. The transition from the introductory episodes to the climax of the current arc in Episode 28 has been seamless. Each episode serves a purpose, peeling back layers of the characters’ pasts and their motivations. The themes of overcoming adversity and finding light in the darkest of times are explored with great sensitivity. It is a story that resonates with anyone who has ever faced challenges in life.
High Production Value
The cinematography and art direction deserve immense praise. Each scene is beautifully shot, with a color palette that perfectly complements the mood of the story. The soundtrack is also hauntingly beautiful, elevating the emotional stakes of the drama. The attention to detail in the costumes and set designs shows the high production value that went into making this series a visual treat.
Addressing the Unfair Criticism
It is disheartening to see targeted 1-star reviews and malicious comments aimed at bringing down such a high-quality production. True viewers who have followed the journey from Episode 1 to Episode 28 can attest to the excellence of this drama. The negative "review bombing" does not reflect the reality of the show's brilliance. "Born to Be Alive" stands as a testament to the hard work of the entire cast and crew.
Conclusion
As we reach Episode 28, the drama has only gotten stronger. It is a powerful, inspiring, and beautifully acted series that deserves all the accolades it receives. If you are looking for a story that touches your heart and showcases world-class acting, this is it. Don't let the noise of the detractors distract you from this masterpiece. Highly recommended! 10/10.
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After watching this movie I was very disappointed. The story line was very weak and felt rushed. By the end of the movie it felt like I had missed most of the story.This would have been great as a drama because the story would have had more time to develop.
If you haven't seen the jdrama version or read the manga you might enjoy this. The story is really unique and interesting and this version was cute and funny. Even though I won't rewatch this movie I defiantly think it at least worth giving it a try.
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This review may contain spoilers
"Watered down" BL, which is disappointing...
While the manwha was about four boys, this was "heterofied" for unknown reasons. They changed a lot and cut a lot which did not do the manwha justice. Because there are not four boys anymore they also changed the dynamic between the characters drastically.While I get the teenager angst to confess, this was sometimes frustrating to watch.
Please, for god's sake just say it and be over it. But no, it dragged on for 9 episodes.
The rest of the show was not bad, the actors good and the cinematography top notch. But overall they invested too much into the hetero pairing imho. After the confessions, we did not even get a kiss 😭. So this is a bitter pill to swallow and kills the BL imho.
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KP shippers still trying to keep a good series down.
Its disturbing when there is a mafia series the KP shippers rush to the comment/review sections to attack the ratings of what they view as “competition“ to their beloved KP. I enjoyed this series and you will be missing out if you don’t give it a watch. It’s refreshing to see some of the production companies moving away from the toxicity that have been taking over the BLs recently. Many fan are upset with the size of Perth’s role in NLMG. Why? When he finished his last BL he said he would not be returning to BLs at all. Well that didn’t really work out for him and now he is back, fans should be happy it’s more than a cameo, he definitely couldn’t carry the series alone. I’m actually surprised GMMTV gave him a role at all after his vocal exit tbh. Take the negative reviews with a grain of salt. A series shouldn’t just be rated to send a message to the production company that some fans are not happy over how large an actors part is or how much skinship or negative behavior is shown. No worries, Love Syndrome is on the way for all those toxicity loversWas this review helpful to you?
18 Again , A Surprisingly Heartwarming Drama...
For those who don’t know, “18 Again” regurgitates the same fundamental premise of the American movie“ 17 again” (2009’). Yet rather than having Matthew Perry in a rugged business suit moping around for most of the opening of the movie, we are instead introduced to Yoon Sang Hyun ( Secret Garden, I Can Hear Your Voice) playing our very different protagonist, Hong Dae- Young.
In a slightly similar manner to his American character counterpart, Dae- Young isn’t living a happy life- his job as a practical handyman brings in only enough for him to survive, he is in the process of a divorce with his former teen sweetheart, Jung Da-jung ( Kim Ha Neul) and to make matters worse, he has totally lost touch with trying to connect with his two children Hong Shi-ah ( Roh Jeong Eui) and Hong Shi-woo( Ryeoun) since they have entered their teen years . A surprising miracle , however, allows Dae- Young to return back to his 18 year-old self ( Lee Do Hyun) as he attempts to relive his glory days back at high-school.
On the other hand, whilst comical misunderstandings from generation gaps to Dae Young’s best friend, Go Deok-jin ( Kim Kang Hyun) having to pose as his father are undeniably taken from the movie for comical effect ,
where the drama divulges in plot from the original movie is by adding a more bittersweet and crisp level of characterisation and backstory to our characters for viewers .
Whilst Sang- Hyun felt a strange and respectfully mismatched choice as the older counterpart of Lee Do Hyun, it soon became apparent how both actors were able to perfectly mimic the other in a fairly complicated manner. Do Hyun had to juggle between portraying his version of Dae-Young and Dae-Young’s new alias, Go Woo- Young in a mature lighting , whereas evidently Sang-Hyun had to channel the elements of being a high schooler again when the camera reverts Do Hyun back to his “ true-self”.
Respectfully this is also thanks to fairly good characterisation as well- rather than merely writing off Do Hyun as a love struck clown like in the movie ready to win back his wife . The reasons behind Do Hyun’s estranged relationship with Da- Jung and his children are far more complicated as a consequence of his biggest challenge in the drama , being to overcome his personal struggle by attaining an altruistic perspective for others, rather than allowing his past problems to consume his sense of identity .
In addition to this one of the most surprising examples of characterisation in the show had to be with Shi-ah ( Roh Jeong Eui), the teenage daughter of Do Hyun. Although Shi- ah appears in the first few episodes of the drama as a stereotypical teen through milking her father for cash , obsessed with her looks and a rebel at school , Shi-ah’s reasons for doing so are actually a lot more complicated than they first appear. Perhaps my only slightly annoyance with Shi-ah’s character portrayal was the desire to pair her off with the cliche of the dreaded stereotype of the “ goody two shoes” childhood friend ( Choi Bo Min) as well as disturbingly the bully of her brother ( Hwang In Yeop). It wasn’t that Shi- ah shouldn’t have had a romantic pairing in the show, however, it took away a lot of focus away from Shi-ah’s own story and familial relationships as an individual more than anything else.
On one note of appraisal, however, In Yeop’s character, Goo Ja- sung wasn’t written off like his American counterpart as merely just the “ superficial bully” of the story. Similar to a lot of real-life scenarios, Ja- Sung is a product of his own unhappy environment and thus only begins to learn from his mistakes as a consequence of others like Shi- ah and Dae- Young showing empathy towards him. This is perfectly shown is a tragicomic scene in one later episode of the series where after a certain incident, Dae- Young is able to bond with Ja-Sung (despite his initial anger over bullying his son ) over a similar incident also happening to him . Whilst a fairly sad and heartwarming scene, a great misunderstanding by Ja- Sung over Deok-Jin ( pretending to be Dae-Young’s father) leads him to comically claiming that Deok- Jin doesn’t “ seem the type” to do so.
This naturally moves us onto Ha- Neul as Da- Jung. Initially Ha- Neul’s portrayal as Da- Jung came off a bit too headstrong in the first several scenes of her character introduction, however, as the drama progresses Ha- neul peels back another layer to her character as rather than just a comical plot device through her portrayal of Da- Jung as an individual. Da- Jung’s past with Do Hyun from teen lovers to on the brink of a divorce offers Da- Jung new opportunities as a working news reporter and rekindled connections with her children, yet it also faces her with conflicting over rekindling the past by holding onto memories of Do Hyun as well as her friendship with Choo Ae- Rin ( Lee Mi do) or a new interest in baseball player Ye Ji- hoon ( Wi Ha Joon). Initially whilst Da-Jung’s character was fairly strong, a problem which clearly manifests near the ending of the show is the anticlimactic finale- it isn’t necessarily that the actual ending itself needed to be changed, however, the quality of logic by the end of the show or climaxes seemed to fizzle into nothingness at the end of episode 16.
Obviously not entirely touching new ground with the concept, 18 Again was rough around the edges in parts due to anticlimactic storylines, cliches and again an indulgence of product placement later on in the show ( without rhyme or reason in some cases). On the other hand, there’s no denying that overall 18 Again was one of the few decent dramas overall of 2020 with good acting , casting as well as fairly good characterisation amongst a bittersweet storyline . Although not flawless, 18 Again is a perfect drama to watch if you want something which will touch your heart.
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