a community, and adorable couple
I think the writer wanted to play on certain audience misconceptions - real life judgment in a scripted environment. That made some people uncomfortable, some militant, and nulled some fans preconceived notions. Just because someone has played a gay person, or is a gay person in real life. Has mannerisms, or a job you believe are stereotypical, neither of which denotes character (or real life) sexual preference. But, just like the characters in this drama that misunderstood the male lead's orientation. All characters you are watching and their mannerisms are scripted, and not the actor that plays that part. That being said."You Are My Make Up Artist" is a romantic comedy series, with a main couple you could watch make cute faces at each other for an entire episode and it would be enough. But, even with that going for it, there are story issues. With a rocky beginning, and a writer that wanted to hit their audience over the head with teaching moments - known as misunderstandings. They had reasons; Highlighting the treatment of the LGBTQ community in Thailand. Drawing attention to the treatment of the vulnerable as second class citizens. While, emphasizing truth and forgiveness between individuals. And, if you can accept that, and a really adorable couple. With, an ending other dramas only dream of. I can recommend it.
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This review may contain spoilers
Honestly started off loving this show. Story was great, even if it had to rely on amnesia. However, as the show progressed I kept getting more and more frustrated with the villains. It seems like after a certain point the writers stopped caring about how to make things progress and decided (spoilers ahead) to repeat stupid tropes to ensure the story could drag out. For instance, every time Cha Min Ho has someone he doesn't like he just calls his buddy driving a GIANT RED TRUCK to run them over. And this happens several times- I don't understand why they couldn't think of some other way to carry out an assassination. Surely the most conspicuous truck in Korea running someone over on a busy highway couldn't have been the best plan. Also, the antagonists just throw money at everything and the problem disappears. Like they couldn't think of a way to deal with a problem and decided to make a phone call and tada, the show can move on to another arc. It feels like nothing is explained at all and viewers are just supposed to accept that Kim Souk (Min Ho's henchman) is a ghost who can walk through walls and is invisible to everyone else and can kill anyone at any place. What the hell, he might as well have just killed Park Jung Woo in the first episode and this series wouldn't have to exist.I like the concept, but the execution just felt terrible. The writing got so sloppy and relied too much on Kim Souk to progress the story while simultaneously he could have killed the main protagonist at any moment. If this one character did not exist, the whole story would have been so much better and more believable, such as if Min Ho had to carry out his own dirty work rather than just making a phone call and having a giant, red truck teleport in and kill someone and magically disappear again. I'm angry that this series was ruined by a single, minor side character but what can I do about it.
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A romantic drama that doesn't have the usual cliches of the genre. You know, the theatrics, the philandering spouses and what have you. Wanee & Junah deviates from this formula, and I think this is the film’s #1 strength.
There’s nothing imaginative or noteworthy about the plot, per se. You might even say the movie takes its time getting to the point, but it's nevertheless a worthwhile watch because it dares to breath fresh air into a genre that generally has its cliches on repeat (watch as much romantic drama as I do & you can pretty much guess, frame by frame, how the story's gonna play out).
I get really tired of all the negative, explosive drama you find in most Asian movies about love and relationships. If someone isn't cheating on their spouse, then they’re plotting their spouse’s death. It makes you wonder … aren't there any satisfied Asian couples just living & loving without all the contention?
Yes, there are. In Wanee & Junah.
It’s the love story of two young people who live together in peaceful countryside. Their union is unconventional given the fact that they’re not married, but their relationship is characterised by love and support. The conflict is external to the relationship rather than internal so they don’t bicker over foolishness. They don’t spite and backbite each other. In general they're just a happy couple who are devoted to each other.
When conflict is introduced to stir the pot, Wanee & Junah maintains its quiet introspection of the things that shape us into the people we are rather than veer into exaggerated melodrama. And while they grapple with this new challenge to their relationship, there’s never any deep antagonism between the characters. Just a deep understanding and acceptance of each other's limitations.
What I noticed in Wanee & Junah is what I notice in every relationship ... those of my friends & my own. Sometimes our partner has to deal with stuff you don’t know how to help them with. You have the deepest wish … but there’s nothing you can do. You just have to step back and let the person figure things out on their own.
This is what I loved about Wanee & Junah.
The relationship is mature, it feels real, the ending puts a smile on your face. The male lead is total eye candy. I’d recommend it.
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This is not for everyone. If you expect it will give you a feel good feeling like your typical romantic comedy you will be disappointed and I won't even be surprised if you ended up hating the movie cause of how brutal honest it is.
Check my Blog for other reviews & other JDramas stuffs. (｡◕‿‿◕｡)
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This review may contain spoilers
Incrideble Acting from all cast
Good Drama with incredible cast and acting , good story even bit heavy but its enjoyable , Main Cast Itagaki Rihito and Nakajima Yuto really can bring Live Action Version of Maki and Suzuki/Aoki live , big applause to them and staff crew who work hard to bring this drama like same on manga even with bit change but its still follow the manga version , really recomended to watch it , especially i love Ep 7 and 8 🙏💐Was this review helpful to you?
loved it!
wow! I'm in shock at all the bad reviews of this drama. it saddens me to see people not bother watching simply because others said not to. on that note, I will say that most reviews are personal opinions and should be taken that way. my personal opinion, I absolutely loved this series! I started with Sky in Your Heart which is the sequel where you see Daoneua's brother, Kuafah, get his story. That was hands down one of my favorite stories! Mek is drop dead gorgeous and an amazing actor! as far as this series goes, you can't go wrong with JoongDunk. yes, the story is one that we most likely all know. miscommunication. if you're an avid bl watcher like myself, you're bound to come across tropes. frankly, to expect high schoolers/college students to be experts at love is ridiculous. they're gonna be awkward and make mistakes. I 100/10 recommend this series and I 1000/10 recommend watching sky in your heart immediately after!Was this review helpful to you?
Top Drama
I just finished watching the Goblin Special (lots of behind the scenes moments and bloopers) it reminded me how much I loved this drama so I felt compelled to write a review.This drama was outstanding for me. It was directed by the talented Lee Eung Bok and it has a level of plot complexity that really appealed. I was hooked right from the start the music and cinematography brought the standard to a high level. In the early episodes the laugh out loud moments were wonderful and the ML's especially good at the deadpan, fast delivery and comic timing.
Special mention: Goblin has the most perfect OST ever!
The script writing is excellent apart from the humour there are also some esoteric ideas that are handled well.
I felt the pace of the episodes was steady, not too rushed and allowed me to care about what was happening. I felt for the characters and cried buckets over the painful parts.
Gong Yoo makes this drama outstanding (yes I am biased towards every role he has ever played) Kim Shin endures so much and does it with dignity (and a great wardrobe) he has lived over 900 years and never been in love so some of his reactions to the FL are quite clumsy and youthful. He has been focused on his plan without a thought for the 'goblin bride's involvement so initially comes across as very unfeeling.
Kim Go Eun is a brilliant actress and as Ji Eun Tak meets Kim Shin when she is a high school student studying to get into uni. She has led a very sad life with almost no support since aged 9 when her mother died. She is very believable playing this 19 year old who has been told repeatedly she is to become the goblin's bride so she latches onto him very strongly when they meet. Later she plays her own age of 29 and this transition is also well developed.
The Grim Reaper (Lee Dong Wook) builds a close friendship with Kim Shin and their antics as flatmates, together with Yoo Duk Hwa (Yook Sung Jae) add some of the cutest and lighter humorous elements and assist later when some of the darker history is revealed.
The rest of the cast are also stand-out for me.
I do think I will rewatch at a later time because there is so much to take in and I must make a special mention that the baddie Park Jung Hun is particularly scary.
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Main Cast (The Brothers)
Kim Geongang (played by Ahn Nae Sang: He's the eldest brother and quite frankly hates the fact that he was born as the eldest. From what I've learned and read about South Korea, there is a lot of pressure put upon sons who are the eldest to take care of the parents and live with them for all their life. At an early age he rebelled against his parents and eloped to escape the responsibilities of an elder son. His marriage ends up in a divorce however and he's forced to go back home to live with his parents and brothers. The first lot of episodes have him suffering with hemorrhoids which brings a lot of laugh out loud moments.
His relationship with Cheongnan starts off as harmless fun and flings until their eventual marriage (something he protested against furiously). Tension rises when he finds out about her son (he doesn't want kids) and it hurts him greatly. You will admire Geongang when he makes it his mission to be a good husband/father. Plus, you'll love the scenes between him and Cheongnan's criminal ex-boyfriend.
Kim Hyeonchal (played by Oh Dae Gyu): He's the middle brother and you could say that he suffers the "Middle Child Syndrome". Hyeonchal was pretty much forced to take on the role of the eldest. He suffers with a lot of stress as a businessman. Who wouldn't be when you have to run 3 businesses and loan sharks making your life miserable and constantly reminding you of the debts you have to pay back? Not only that, but then you come home to hear your mother complain about your wife (whom she treats like a slave) and treats you as the black sheep of the family.
Hyeonchal is someone that you probably won't like from the beginning but I can honestly say that you will end up respecting him as a husband, father, and man when he sticks up for his wife as he finally reaches his breaking point.
Kim Isang (played by Lee Jun Hyuk): He's the youngest brother. Isang passes the Korean Bar exam and instead of becoming a lawyer, as his mother hoped, he decides to follow in the footsteps of his father and becomes a police officer. He's the mediator of the family and does what he deems necessary to ease tension among his loved ones. Due to the fact that he passed the Bar exam, Isang is instantly made a Captain and is in charge of his own team which all bring a decent level of comedic bromance moments.
Isang falls head over heals in love with Eoyoung (who is 3 years his senior) and acts like a goof just to see her smile. During their relationship, the two suffer the usual issues of young couples... career choices, family disputes, differences of opinion and how the relationship should be structured. The two butt heads many times when it comes to the subject of children. Isang believes having a child is the true way of showing a couples love where as Eoyoung believes that you need to plan ahead of time and that having children is expensive. This issue becomes the main problem in their relationship during the last half of the drama and maybe you'll take ones side over the other. Maybe you'll see both sides.
The Wives
Eom Cheongnan (played by Do Ji Won): Cheognan is a single mother with a little boy (his father is a criminal that appears later on in the drama). She spent most of her childhood and teenage years in an orphanage. Cheognan is has no choice but to leave her sick son with her best friend and live in the city of Seoul to make enough money for them to live. Though Cheongnan tries to be positive and is a bit cooky, its more of disguise to hide how she truly feels about life.
She loves her son and would do anything for him. Cheongnan sees the opportunity to seize Geongang believing that she will live a better life with him and that her son will have a real father.
Cheognan does bring a lot of humor to the drama but you will also feel touched by her own struggles.
Do Umi (played by Kim Hee Jung): Umi is the wife of Hyeonchal and your heart will break for her many times over during the course of the drama. The amount of verbal and laborious abuse she suffers under the tyranny of her mother-in-law will upset you plenty. She is basically treated as a slave by her mother-in-law who makes it her mission to put down Umi any chance she gets. Life just gets more stressful for her when she has to cook, clean, and do everybody's laundry as well as take care of her two young sons. Her husband doesn't help her situation when he comes home and refuses to listen to any of her plights. Not only that, but then she ends up torturing herself with the idea that her best friend has love feelings for her husband.
I can honestly say that you will cheer for Umi when she finally rebels against her mother-in-law's tyranny and does her life how she sees fit. Sometimes I would even forget that the drama is about the three brothers and believe that its Umi's story to be told.
Ju Eoyoung (played by Oh Ji Eun): She's the eldest daughter of a single father and works as a jewelry designer. Eoyoung had to assume the role of both an elder sister and mother to her little sister due to her father being in prison for a time.
Her boyfriend, Wang Jaesu, of 5 years decides to dump her after becoming a public prosecutor (even though Eoyoung was the one supporting his ungrateful self). This is where Isang steps into her life. Her relationship with Isang begins rocky as she tries to get over Jaesu who plays with her mind and heart through sleezeball antics. Luckily this song and dance lasts only for the first 14 episodes to which we're able to see the next issue in the relationship between Isang and Eoyoung... their fathers. One a cop and the other a former gangster with a history of chasing each other back and forth until one has been framed and other ending up in prison. Overall, I'd say you will enjoy their relationship as it does have many cute, funny, and romantic moments. You'll also enjoy the subplot of the fathers and their history.
All of the supporting characters are fun to watch and will either touch you with their own stories, make you laugh, or downright annoy/anger you.
I love the music. The main theme is especially awesome.
What I loved about the drama... everything to be honest. All of the relationships, the story, and subplots.
What I disliked about the drama... the mother and you'll see why if you decide to watch this great drama.
See the drama and judge it for yourself. I loved it and was entertained from the beginning to the end. Hopefully you all will feel the same! Hope you all enjoyed this review and I apologize for the length.
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This review may contain spoilers
Oh. My. God. You guys, I would willingly give away my entire life savings just to have this crap-fest of a drama erased from my brain. As an avid drama watcher, there is a lot I am willing to put up with. Cliches? Sure. Love triangles? Sure. Noble idiocy? Sure. But this- this awful, awful drama from the depths of hell; this is where I draw the line.SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER!
Okay, so the Main Guy agrees (with a lot of pleading from the Main Girl's side) to enter a contract marriage with her to donate bone marrow, as she is sick with leukemia and he is her only match. After a while, they end up falling in love for real. Simple, right? But no. We soon discover that the Main Guy SWITCHED HOSPITAL RECORDS AND MANIPULATED THE MAIN GIRL INTO THINKING SHE HAD LITERAL CANCER IN ORDER TO FORCE HER INTO A MARRIAGE WITH HIM. Yes, you read that right. And when the Main Girl tries to move out of the house (as she should!) he SETS UP GUARDS outside the house to stop her from leaving. What?! Surprisingly. this is not even the craziest plot twist in the series. That is something too insane to even be written in words. But the title of this show is a big fat lie: this is not, in fact, Well Intended Love, since manipulating a young girl into thinking she is terminally ill is the exact opposite of good intentions, and much of this drama would have been avoidable if he had, oh I don't know, ASKED FOR HER NUMBER instead. The Main Guy also has a disturbing habit of using sex to get what he wants from the girl all the time, which didn't sit great with me. But on the good side, the acting was decent all around, and even the chemistry between all the actors was good.
Rewatch: For me? Hell no. But if you were potentially willing to suspend your sense of morality and common sense for a couple of hours, you might be able to rewatch it. I hope.
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Started strong. But didn't finish that way.
The first few episodes I really enjoyed, there was a lot of whimsy with the four cupids and how they went about their job. And I liked the storyline of a Cupid who falls in love with a mortal.But the serial killer murder mystery attached to it felt a little too serious and dark for how it started. I hadn't seen the FL in any main roles before, I found if she was doing something that required emotion, her eyes go dead, especially when she smiles. I don't know if she has Botox or filler or something but there is no expression happening on that part of her face
And her character made so many bad decisions that it was hard to watch, at one point when she gets beaten up and I didn't feel sorry for her. Every time someone tells her to stay safe and not go outside she continues to go outside. Until the point they want her to evacuate a car, and then she won't and almost dies again. I found that part of the storyline so frustrating.
Maybe because I disliked her character and the way that she portrayed it so much I didn't feel that there was much chemistry between the two of them. At one point he asked to spend the night and I went into it thinking it was platonic until the moment that it obviously wasn't. And even then it seemed odd to see them together.
The ML is easy to like, I think he was cast well. I would have enjoyed it more if they didn't have such a sinister murder storyline tied to it and would have kept it whimsical the way it started. Either that or start it a lot less whimsically and make it have more thriller vibes.
Also the little girls bedroom at the end, that sheep in the teepee is super creepy. And that might have been the strangest thing that has rhymed that I've ever written.
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We start with a strong premise, and the initial twenty minutes are particularly promising. A good chunk of the emotional foundation is established after that point. From here, the story primarily deals with the troubled lead character and his actions once fate brings before his high school bully as an adult. What I enjoyed most about this film how human Joon Seok was; he was no mastermind or powerfully connected avenging knight. His pain was real and easy to connect with. There are also real instances of suspense, though mostly near the end; most of the intensity comes from the disturbing nature of the content.
Unfortunately, the middle sections of The Punisher are somewhat meandering and reliant on coincidence; certain events rely on the character knowing just how an event will play out. All but the lead actors play bare shadows. Several actors and actresses come and go in the narrative, serving more expositional purpose than anything else. As such, it’s hard to get a real feel for their talents, or even the real importance of their characters.
Joo Sang Wook often portrays dapper authoritarians, a fact he has frequently lamented in the media. Perhaps some of that irritation will now subside, because his Joon Seok is a wholly different animal. Of hollow eye and haunted expression, this character has barely held it together since his hellish teenage years. He is anything but suave here, barely recognizable; of particular note must be the scene in which Joon Seok first sees his tormentor again as an adult. The pure fear and honest trauma is just flooring. Our other lead, Yang Dong Geun, portrays the utterly despicable Chang Sik. Unfortunately, The Punisher marks the first time I've seen this actor; the frightening portrayal will not be soon forgotten.
A quick honorable mention to Kim Kwon as the young Joon Seok: he single-handedly set the atmosphere for the entire film with a nervous laugh. His is a career to watch.
While watching the music is noticeable, in a good way. Heart-thumping tracks, others which will keep the viewer on the edge of their seats, tragic and wordless vocals. My favorite is the ballad covering the credits; after the effects of the film, the results were chilling. Otherwise, nothing to add to the old MP3 player.
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100% Crime/Investigation Thriller, Little to No Romance
If you're watching this for the romance, please note that this is the slowest of slow-burn romances, not just for the OTP, but for all the secondary pairings as well. There is very little skinship whatsoever, and where there is skinship, it's very demure and chaste.The romance, in this drama, is in stark contrast juxtaposed to the topic, that can be a trigger warning, of underage human trafficking for sexual purposes, the language sometimes used when dealing with any villain, and all the underlying topics that go with it.
The good point about this drama is the Crime Thriller aspect coupled with the fantasy imagery. It's an interesting story. However, it's gutted by the poor and choppy editing, and a script that finds the most outlandish ways to constantly let people "get-away" from law enforcement. Often in a scene, the characters will act completely moronic, and when that doesn't work, in the editing, you'll find you'll ask yourself frequently, "...she was just right there, how did she get over here? Teleport???..." especially, in the fact, that this isn't THAT kind of "fantasy" drama.
If you can set aside your desire for steamy romance, and having to have everything fit in a realistic manner, this drama is still a bit entertaining. Trying to figure out from all the "clues" given in the imagery can peak your interest enough to stick with watching it, just to know what was done, who did what to who, and what was the end result.
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Drama in which money speaks - and characters answer
Living in a capitalist society while simultaneously juggling work,relationships,family(life in general) will inevitably lead to people changing or showing their true colors.Sooner of later.But it`s the way we,as humans, decide to paint with those true colors that determines how the actual painting will turn out.And with "Super Rich",it`s a jumbled,chaotic,overblown,but FUN - mess.I like to start off my reviews by saying a word of thanks to directors,writers,actors and anyone else involved in this drama,as I know how stressful and tough it can be to complete a project like this.However,unlike my other reviews,I`ll start this one off by listing the negatives first,as this seems like a better option for what I have in mind.
The actual construction of the plot is,well nonexistent.And for those reading this,I`d recommend you not hope for some strong,emotionally investing story in that sense.This drama is very much about motive and theme of MONEY.Debts,embezzlement,living conditions,takeovers...they are all linked to money.We follow how characters` relationships are torn and put together again because of it.Another point I`d like to make is,this drama isn`t void of clichés that show up in most dramas(stabbing,plot contrivances and convenience for lead and side characters alike).It is not original in regards to the plot or scenes shown.DON`T expect that from this drama.I`d caution you for repetitive plot devices as well.This drama is quite literally,a one trick pony.What I mean by this,contrary to popular belief,is that it repeats one conflict with different characters over and over again.In fact,if you`re not enamored with these characters,you won`t find many things to like,except for slivers of genius thoughts from time to time.
Another thing is the romance.It`s um,so lackluster.I`d even say it`d been better if they made both leads be married from the start and then flashback to their past.No serious damage would`ve been made and it`d have the same effect.So,this drama is not a satisfying romance,if you`re looking for that.I saw some people hold that fact against this drama,but while watching it,I`ve learnt to not regard this drama as a romantic contender,but rather as a collection of layers tied by money,romance being just one of those layers.
It`s also not particularly aesthetically pleasing,nor thought provoking.So why do I like it,despite all of this flaws?Well,the characters are a joy to watch.And whats more,the main character Mamoru, has become one of my favorites this year,if not ever.These are the aspects of this drama I immensely liked.
First off,the length.Coming here from a slew of convoluted KDramas that have to stretch their conflicts because of 16 episodes they are confined to,watching "Super Rich" was refreshing.It doesn`t overstay it`s welcome with 11 episodes of 45 minutes,something Japanese dramas seem to understand far better than Korean ones,even if the latter is starting to catch wind of this tactic.Despite drama suffering from some dip in quality in the last three episodes,as a fluffy piece of entertainment,it succeeds in everything that the makers wanted to achieve,I reckon.
Second off,most of these characters latched onto my heartstrings and refused to let go.Mamoru,Yuu,Miyamura,Kitabeppu,Shoji etc. I remember all of them and their philosophies to life.And that`s a real compliment to the writers of this show,as most drama characters in my mind coagulate and disappear quickly,leaving not even their name in my brain.This is not the case here.I`d especially like to single out Hyoga Mamoru,the female lead of this drama,as a highlight.She is AMAZING.
You know how,when you`re playing games or watching a horror movie,you wish for a character who thinks and voices his/her/their thoughts that are in line with yours?You know,rational in the moment of conflict?Well,in dramas,that for me is Mamoru.She just seems to have such appropriate reactions(most of the time) to what is happening around her.Not dramatic,not slow,not jumbled,just...right.When a brewing love triangle rears its ugly head,she cuts it down in less than five minutes of viewing time.When she`s proposed marriage to in a rush,her underwhelming response is exactly the one I`d make.Bit by bit,Mamoru made me fall for her.And I completely understood why others did as well.She`s delightfully knowledgeable,reliable,silently strong and adorably clueless all at once.And that`s without me mentioning her unconventionally attractive appearance and it being a net positive to her as a lead.I always say this:Even if Japanese dramas go through a rough patch more often than any other country,you can at least be comforted in the fact that you`ll always be able to see relatable looking characters within their dramas.This is what most others struggle with,as beauty standards are rigorous and play a big role in whether one will be chosen for a drama or not.And that`s not how dramas should be made.Mamoru is a great proof of that.Without her,this drama would fall in 6s for me,but with her,it transforms and gains credibility.I always want to see more of Mamoru and leads like her.Make introverted,yet easygoing and smart leads popular,drama viewers.Because they have a lot to offer.
And thirdly,the set design,way of filming and OST used for this drama are great.These aspects are competent in their goal and evoke feelings of unity and sense.They`re the method to the madness.I just personally adore the way Japanese dramas are filmed.Because they don`t have the highest of budgets,many would consider it dated,but in my eyes,the fluidity of characters` movements,the lighting...All of these add to the realism they tend to excel in accidentally.
In conclusion,"Super Rich" is a drama whose ingredients are less than compatible with today`s standards of drama viewing,but they manage to create something heartwarming,fluffy and fun to watch.I`m looking forward to more dramas like this and this one is immediate proof that you don`t have to have luxurious sets,blingy wardrobe,amazing camera work-as long as it`s got soul.After all,there are more important things than money.
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This review may contain spoilers
This is not a formula drama. What I mean by that is that unlike traditional dramas where the story and characters rely on a set formula or trajectory to show them where to go, this drama does it a little differently. There are premises, possibilities, seeming drama conventions set up in the beginning, some of which end the way you expect and some of which do not end up where you think they will. The drama itself has been described as slice of life, and while I don’t know if I totally agree with that label as the drama contains a concise journey for each of the characters all of whom change in some way over the course of the story, the style of storytelling has a very slice-of-life feel to it, so I understand why people would think of it that way. The story has an easy, relaxed way about it, which is definitely one of it’s selling points.Personally, I came to like this drama a lot more than I initially expected, especially after seeing the first couple weeks of episodes. The female leads, with the exception of the single mother, start out…rather unlikable. They’re selfish and difficult and frustrating, and while I definitely empathized with them both and their struggles, I didn’t relate to them at all. But over the course of the drama, I started to appreciate both of these women better. Neither of them changed drastically by the end, although they did both go through a level of growth as people, but I came to understand them better. They’re both still unlikable in their own ways. They both still have personality flaws, but I came to like them because of that, not despite it. On the other hand, the single mother has somewhat of an opposite trajectory. She starts out seemingly sweet and thoughtful and somewhat meek before revealing a more layered view of herself that I can appreciate from a storytelling point of view, but that left me unsatisfied from a viewership standpoint. I don’t know that this ever made me dislike her as it was intriguing and enjoyable watching her reveal a strong, subtle confidence that lay underneath that surface level demureness, but at the same time, there was this feeling of selfishness in her character that I didn’t like very much.
I was particularly disappointed by how the writers chose to end the potential budding romance between the single mother and her co-worker. In a drama like this, I guess I should have expected as much to happen, but the sting certainly could have been lessened if they hadn’t left me feeling like he had been left with the short end of the stick. Her words to him at the end felt…harsh and unfair and left a bad taste in my mouth.
Overall though, I really enjoyed this drama. I’m nothing like these women, and I don’t know that I would ever be friends with women like them in real life, but I came to love all of them, despite and even Because of their flaws. They felt like real people with real personalities and real struggles and real hopes and goals and dreams. They felt human, and I appreciated being the chance to glimpse into their world for just a moment.
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This show is about 100 male trainees selected from 31 companies, who are competing for a spot in the debuting group. The debuting group is comprised of the top nine winners, and is decided through the final votes of the Citizen Producers. During the four months there, the trainees are given different evaluations. These evaluations involve a group battle, concept (singing, dancing, or rapping) evaluation, and mentor collaboration. The mentors assigned to this group of contestants are made up of people who have some sort of experience in the music industry. Whether it was a year or more of experience being on stage, the mentors were able to share their knowledge and experiences with the trainees.
Although the show is based off of another, it has its own uniqueness to it. It is not just the concept of the show that is important but the trainees and the mentors who made the show amazing. Throughout this journey, we can see that the trainees grew significantly, even those who seemed to be very good from the very beginning. Though many members of the show had left one by one, they still remained (and were remembered as) a big part of the show (Dong Yanlei, for an example), and the rest of the trainees respected them very much. What really made me love the show was watching the interactions between them. Many of them were kind and caring towards each other, not to mention the relationships they shared with the mentors were wonderful (I recommend watching the behind the scenes, Xin Fan, game times, and short footages of them in their dormitory because they were always funny and exciting, and it is where the audience gets to know the trainees more). At the end, the show welcomed those who were eliminated for a final performance on stage, during the season finale.
There is not much that I would change about the show, but I would have really liked it if the mentors had some sort of influence over the winners of the debuting group (not saying that I want to change anyone!). I love each and everyone who made it, I just wished it could have been made fairer for those who were not quite as popular. The selections were made solely based off of who the audience liked the most. There were many amazingly talented people who did not make it very far, not to mention were underrated and overlooked most of the time. Do not get me wrong, everyone who made it in the finale are hella talented, but the lack of mentor input made the show more predictable. Other than that, I am completely satisfied with the show and the nine trainees who made it! Plus many of my favorites (and bias) made it!
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