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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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Li Hong Yi Made this Drama. <3
I just finished watching the last episode. This show has been sitting in my watchlist for ages (months) and I just never got around to it because I kept hearing mixed things. A lot of negative things: like how the female lead is annoying, the budget is low, the male is is toxic, etc. Just so many things. And there's a bit of truth to all of it.So let me explain why I continued until the end.
First, I'm going to start with the less than stellar things.
Yes, the budget is low and it shows. The makeup was also pretty bad for a good portion of the time. Example: The second male lead...every time he was on screen, I stared at his unblended wig line rather than his face. The script...honestly, the majority of it was boring except for the instances between the male and female lead. It was repetitive. The show could have been accomplished in half the amount of episodes. The female lead's character was indeed sort of irritating. Lots of back and forth between the two male leads. Out of the entire cast, I only liked three of them. And the story itself was very, very simple.
Basically, there were a ton of little things.
Now for the parts that kept me going.
1.) While the female lead character was far from my favorite (doesn't even rank), that's all the fault of the script. Actress Rosy Zhao played her part beautifully. My only problem was the horrendous script she'd been dealt.
2.) The other character I liked aside from the leads was the best friend of the secondary male lead. Qin Liu Feng. Actually, that doesn't do him justice. Despite being the best friend of the rival love interest, there were times that it seemed like he was the only one who truly put the female's best interest first. He never judged her or any of them really. And when the second male lead was acting possessed or heartless, he stepped in to give perspective. And most notably, in the end, after all went down, he was the one who told the female lead what had happened and bid her farewell into the arms of the main male lead. He was the most supportive one throughout the whole drama, I think.
3.) To be honest, I didn't like the second male lead for almost all of the show. He was too rigid and set in his beliefs. He would have never put the female lead first. Only the morality of the hypocritical righteous sect placed first in his heart. He didn't even really know how to show affection. He was kind of sad, to be honest. He was the product of his upbringing. But in the end, he let her go. He finally realized that if she stayed with him, he would one day sacrifice her for the good of his people and their beliefs. Only the main male lead, who was deemed the bad guy and hated by everyone, would truly put her first in all things and love her the way she deserved.
4.) That leads me to the so called bad guy. He was the one thing that kept me interested in this drama. Shangguan Qiu Yue, played by Li Hong Yi. I saw where a lot of people called him toxic. Here are my thoughts. This show never portrayed him to be a good guy. He was raised in an ice cave, beaten and trained to hate in order to get revenge for his mother. Someone like this, who saw enemies everywhere, would never show love in a healthy manner. But he evolved and grew. Initially, he used her. The female lead was just another pawn. She became less so as he fell in love. Was his love toxic though? I don't think so. He was a villain. He showed up in her room, kidnapped her frequently, kissed her all the time, tricked her, etc. Yes, those things aren't technically socially okay. But it's what bad guys do. He also saved her all the time, even when the second male lead whom she thought she loved would have sacrificed her for the greater good, which happened quite a few times. The "bad guy" always put her first. He just communicated in the way he'd been raised to communicate: violently and by using tricks. Another thing, he also listened to her and did what she requested, so essentially she called the shots in a roundabout way. So no, I didn't have a problem with his character. Not everyone can be cookie-cutter perfect.
Still on Li Hong Yi...
He was beautiful throughout and he kept giving her this expression that was just to die for. It made my heart beat. LOL. It's probably one of the most seductive expressions I've seen in c-dramaland and that's my theory for why it was so popular. <3 People just wanted to look at his bad boy sexy face.
Truthfully, he was the best part of this show. ^_^
Overall, this drama was far from perfect, but I enjoyed it well enough. Probably won't rewatch it though.
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This review may contain spoilers
As the title speaks for itself, I watched and was charmed by this drama three times before finally arriving at my final score, and that is a perfect 10. I first skim watched it because I was so surprised by the very strong mixed reaction to this drama (on MDL or the streaming website) and skipped to most of the lead actors' scenes to gauge whether their acting makes this drama redeemable. The answer is an absolute yes. The second time I watched this I still skipped a lot of scenes just to pay more attention to the main storyline itself, and to see whether I belong to the group of people who find the writing ridiculous OR realistic and charming. The third time I watched this is when I finally immersed myself fully into the side characters that I found really elevated this drama, and teach us many lessons about life. Believe me, if you come to this drama with a more matured mindset, you will really love this drama.I feel many of the reviews that condemn the writing of this drama do not understand the complex nature of life and relationships itself or simply refuse to come to terms with the intention of this story. This drama started off as a rom-com but progressed more towards a melo, and though many people were irritated by this, this is exactly the charm of this drama and I believe only how the writers have intended it to be. Joon Young and Young Jae are two characters who are quite literally the polar opposite, but that's what makes it tick in a young couple: the excitement of dating with a different personality. But as their relationship deepens, problems start to arise because of their conflicting nature, and so it's becoming more important for them to understand what it means to find and love their own identities first before loving another person. The story unfolds this progression and slice-of-life very nicely in my opinion. I can guarantee your acceptance of the writing of this drama will highly depend on how tolerant you are of the decisions made by the lead actors at three stages of their relationships (20 y/o, 27 y/o and finally 32 y/o).
Spoiler: There's a scene after her 27th birthday where Young Jae's best friend cooked her spicy stir-fried octopus, and it made her remember Joon Young. There was only three of them there, her brother included. Yet she went to the bathroom to cry, instead of letting out her tears in front of the two people who obviously care for her. This scene speaks a lot about her real personality and mirrors how she deals with her own relationships. At this point, you have two choices as to how you view Young Jae for the rest of the drama (and which greatly affect your level of enjoyment as story unfolds): 1) see her heartbreak as self-imposed out of selfishness or 2) see her heartbreak as really a result of being timid and afraid of showing her vulnerabilities.
As for the acting, I am absolutely in love of how well Seo Kang Joon portrays the three different faces in this drama: an awkward nerd, a competent police officer and a meticulous chef so well (I love how he chose to become more of a chef than a restaurateur). His quirky expressions say a lot, and he's really amazing! Lee Som also provided enough nuances to her character as the strong and opinionated career lady, especially in the latter part when her role turned more mellow. Other supporting casts add interesting dynamics to their relationship as well, except the Doctor who I disliked for being such an opportunistic jerk.
I really love the slow BGMs that play in the sad scenes especially in episode 15 when Young Jae and Joon Young were crying on each other's faces. Your true feeling is something you have no control over and one you can't possibly run away from, so I was so touched when it's expressed so beautifully by the skilled actors. He's self-aware enough not to embrace her in a hug but still couldn't stop himself from showing how much his heart was aching for her. If he had hugged her, it'd be lust but since he didn't, it was obviously true love. Damn, talk about really poignant acting!
Rewatch value is very high especially depending on how much you love Seo Kang Joon. I believe this is one of his best dramas to-date that really showcases his wide range as an actor just in one single sitting. Those who say you're better off skipping this and just watch Are You Human Too instead, I disagree. There's a reason why he took up this role (I absolutely love his choices so far), and I feel this one on my bones. Young Jae is incredibly lucky because Joon Young's love for her is incredibly powerful and unwavering even after all those years. Trust me, it's a treat to watch and re-watch his astounding portrayal of true love that took questionable turns, but is far from being cheesy.
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This review may contain spoilers
A short healing episode...
MDL put a page for the special episode here... so I watched that nearly a month ago... What I noticed, it was a rushed production, because they had a lot of Sasaengs following them and they nearly did not film this at all. This is a nice healing episode which heals both of them.It seems they had problems getting a free location, so they had tourists looking at them while filming, but I'm happy enough, that they at least finished this short episode. So at least it feels more real with people gawking at them, because oh my god, two men are kissing on the beach! 🤣
This is a nice finale, so if you have watched the series, you should not skip it.
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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
LOVED EVERYTHING BUT THE ENDING
Ok this was literally my favorite kdrama. Like ever. While watching it I really loved the action, romance, comedy, and drama all in one show. I’m writing this review one day after watching the last episode (JUST SO I COULD CALM DOWN) and i am so annoyed. Don’t get me wrong I loved every episode till the last. But for anyone who has watched game of thrones, the ending gave me similar vibes to what they did to Daenerys at the end. And I know that’s this isn’t the end technically because there’s a part two coming out in December so maybe I’ll update this after watching that, but I literally felt like they hyped up both Mudeok and Buyeon and Naksu (all played by the same actress) SO MUCH. Like a Buyeon and Naksu especially were so powerful. And there are so many times when they power shows even though Mudeok can’t necessarily use them on command. But I just can’t believe you’re telling me that I watched 20 episodes of every character and their mom hyping up Buyeon/Naksu’s powers all for literally the sound of bells to be her ending. I feel like the actress Jung Somin’s character (who played Mudeok in part one but is replaced by Go Yoon-Jung in part two) couldve done so much more if the writers let her character have a better downfall. Like I get that it was necessary for her to get her body back or whatever but we watched literally 20 whole episodes with her (and loved all those episodes) but you’re telling me that I now have to watch her get replaced because of some freak sorcery that literally seemed so insignificant???? Like some of these spells and fights are made so big but literally the main character who’s gone through so much at this point basically goes bat shit crazy because of a simple powder. Ugh that just seems like a cop out if anything. I’m praying they have a better ending in part 2 because besides the ending, I loved every other aspect of the show.Was this review helpful to you?
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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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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This review may contain spoilers
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
Better title "Why Me?" As in, "why am I stuck watching this show?"
This show started out great! I was at the end of episode two, at which time I had just a couple of issues, and I texted a friend and said that this was the type of show that I could lose sleep over just to binge watch. Unfortunately, that feeling didn't last much longer. I spent a lot of time angry with the writers as I watched this, and I never felt like they redeemed themselves.I'll start with my positives:
Acting - all of the acting was good, but especially Soo Hyun Jin as Oh Soo Jae. Oh, my goodness, I hated her at the beginning. I did wonder why that, in order for a woman to be strong and successful, they have to be a complete B***ch, but the brief times of humanity were understated and suited her personality completely. The writers did a good job here, in giving us back story following some of her worst moments that would clarify what actually happened. Heo Joon Ho as Choi Tae Gook was amazing. He was the embodiment of evil. I don't like watching this type of character, especially since he doesn't even pretend to be a good guy, but he just drew me in. Then there is Bae In Hyuk as Choi Yoon Sang - he fascinates me. I've seen him in numerous things, and there's something about that little lisp he has... and, finally, Han Joo Hyun as Choi Jae Yi - what a precious little girl!
Found families - between Gong Chan and his hyungs, and the law school students working together, I enjoyed these relationships. I just wish they were developed better/further.
Now for the negatives: SPOILERS!)
1) For me the biggest elephant in the room - why the heck did they use two different actors for the male lead?!?! The younger version of Gong Chan looked older than the Hwang In Youp version! They didn't resemble each other in any way. I kept waiting, throughout the show, for the writers to give us an explanation, but that never happened. It actually seemed like one actor dropped out and Hwang In Youp stepped in at the last minute. I know that's not the case, but that's what it looked like to me. When Oh Soo Jae says to herself, "Why didn't I recognize him?"
2) Romance - They would have been better off leaving the romance out of this show, for many reasons. First, the age disparity - perhaps not so much in chronological age, but in emotional age. He was like a puppy chasing after her, and he seemed more like a high school student than a college student. Plus, the fact that she was a lawyer settled in her career already. And he liked her because she believed in him? That's it? The fact that he kept telling her she was "cool" cemented his immaturity. We had a few brief scenes with them together as a couple. The rest of the time he was either saving her, trying to save her, or holding her while she cried. This was definitely not a give and take relationship. I didn't ship them at all as a couple, to be honest. He called her "Professor" throughout the entire show. At some point in time, if you are truly in a relationship, you use first names!
I loved watching Hwang In Youp, but his character was not well-written.
3) Plethora of bad guys/evil characters. Probably a ratio of more than 2:1. There were so many names to keep straight (especially all the people in the same families), from the past and in the present. Each seemed more evil than the last. The number of things that these people got away with was astounding - multiple people get away with murder (literally), yet they want to draw attention to themselves by bringing her before a disciplinary committee?! And for all the evil done, minimal consequences.
4) Unnecessarily complicated storylines. It seemed like every few minutes they introduced a new character to confuse us. I lost count of the number of storylines that I was trying to keep track of.
5) The direction they took Bae In Hyuk's character Choi Yoon Sang - this one was hard for me to swallow. He likes her, he specifically mentions that he has finally found, in Gong Chan, someone that he can be friends with, yet he threatens pouts and blindsides these characters!? With so many bad guys, I would have much preferred he remain a constant in the ever-changing lives of the two main leads.
6) Too much drinking. Is no one able to solve problems without binge drinking?
7) Vulgar language. I don't know if these were actually the words or just due to the translators, but I don't find bad language necessary.
8) "Stupid heroine" moments. Your office has been broken into, yet you go on in. The guy that attacked you in said office runs out, but rather than leave you go to the roof?!?! What was that about!? Someone calls you to meet him at a deserted place late at night and you go by yourself. Apparently, she's never watched any type of horror film - the stupid characters are usually the first to die.
9) Wow, the labs were doing a booming business in this show. The number of paternity tests and DNA tests that were being run were ridiculous. And finding out that Choi Jae Yi was actually her daughter? I saw it coming from a mile away, and it really made me mad. It just seemed like something else to throw into this mess of a story.
Which brings me to -
10) The truck of doom. I can't even begin to tell you how much I hated this. It was just mean and could have been avoided completely if the stupid paternity storyline hadn't been introduced in the first place.
So, upon reflection, for me, the writing was where the problems were. I'd say, if you have a high tolerance for things that are implausible, watch this show for the excellent acting.
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