Justice is the right that one fights for, if one seeks fairness.
Reminds me of a quote by Voltaire that goes like, "It is better to risk saving a guilty person than to condemn an innocent one." Indeed, one innocent must not be convicted of guilt even so it acquits a thousand criminals; in simple words, Innocent until proven guilty". The entire story of "One Ordinary Day" revolves around this single moral and is a perfect example of how truth and justice always prevails over injustice.Trigger Warning: The drama involves violence, sex, nudity and blood.
Directed by the star PD Lee Myung Woo and written by seemingly rookie writer Kwon Soon Gyu, One Ordinary Day (어느 날: oneul nal) is a crime thriller or murder mystery story that revolves around Kim Hyun Soo (Kim Soo Hyun), a regular university guy who on an usual day of his life, becomes a murder suspect and find himself trapped in complicated situation. He, an ordinary guy who had led a simple and ordinary life had no idea what was gonna happen to him on another ordinary day.
We also have Shin Joong Han (Cha Seung Won) as a lawyer, who becomes Hyun Soo's attorney to get him justice. He got a bad reputation among the area of profession but is quick-witted and a brilliant investigator.
The acting department is full of all amazing actors; starting from Kim Soo Hyun and Cha Seung Won, the drama also has, Kim Shin Rok, Lee Sul, Kim Hong Pa, Kim Sung Gyu, Yoo Seung Mok, So Hee Jung, etc. in major characters.
I checked the writer has worked on only 4 scripts including this, that too with long gaps and previous 3 were all sageuk (historical). I know the drama is a remake from the BBC original show "Criminal Justice" but recreating it with Korean elements and making changes with relation to Korean laws would have not been as easy as it seems. The elements used to connect plots, underlaying Hyun Soo's subconscious is something that intrigued ne to be honest. Morever, the steady progression was gripping and several revelations made were at appropriate timing.
The plot development is a quick one, in fact the first episode itself indicates how the grip of the story didn't want to calm down. It felt like the writer didn't want to lay a foundation by thorough introduction of characters or the storyline; I'm just saying and not complaining at all, because nobody had the time given it's only 8 episodes. There are also few related side plots used. The screenwriting deserves good points.
The post-crime procedures portrayed in the drama are different as the writer has introduced realistic methods of police-level investigations with proper sequences. The realistic approach is also made for courtroom scenes and legal proceedings; obviously there are melo and thrilling elements as well. The dramatic investigative ways by Joong Han was also nice, loved how tenacious and witty he was when it came to figuring things out and drawing a picture of any scenario. There was also a soft side to him that only Hyun Soo could brought forward, it was visible.
The direction is amazing, no wonder Lee PD-nim is a pro. The screenplay is amazingly handled, along with the organization of scenes and overal screen-editing. The sound-editing also uo to par.
Both alcohol & drug abuse and it's consequences is a major element used in the drama. The common habit of attachment to strangers as well as the unusual urge of sexual activities among youth are also something emphasized in the drama by indirect means. Criminal psychology is an aspect that the writer has also tried to showcase through the main character. The life in prison (both during detainment and imprisonment), corruption, inmate behaviour and illegal activities taking place inside are also a part of the script.
Apart from the topnotch acting or performance from this superb actors, the impulsively gripping plot development and investigative methods used are the reasons, that make OOD is a superbly produced piece of work, despite the number of episodes it has. The credit should be given to the entire cast and crew for bringing forward such an amazing drama in just 8 hours (approx.); i wish it were a full-length 16 episode cable drama.
The ending.... I think the ending sequences could have a little better. I am not disappointed or something but I had high expectations from it given the way the story was progressing. Also, it felt a bit rushed but again that's a side effect of 10 eps or less Korean shows. I wish they would take one more episode, at least by taking out the extra 10 minutes from ep 3-6.
To sum up everything, the drama is not about what's wrong or what's right, nor does the show emphasizes on punishment or rewards, it particularly is a reflection of the judiciary, the way it works and it's impact on the society as well as the individuals.
Final Thoughts: One Ordinary Day with amazing actors and high production value, is definitely a fabulous drama to look forward, so go ahead with a second thought. I can't put it in the "must watch" category but for me, it was surely an enjoyable watch. It's a treat for everyone, despite their choice of genre or tatste in Kdramas.
P. S. I have tried my best to not write a lot about the story and characters as the drama has only 8 episodes and I was afraid I would end up spoiling. In case you come across anything that can serve as a spoiler, please let me know.
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1The first few episodes seemed to deliver on the promise. In my rush to judgement on MDL I even posted an early rating of 9.5, in part because I wanted other BL fans to know that this was worth a look.
The series started out by exclusively taking Tine's POV, allowing Sarawat to develop as a character who was at times funny, charming, prickly, seductive, and above all, unpredictable. It was mainly because of Sarawat's interactions with Tine that the first few episodes of '2gether' were so enjoyable.
Then, about halfway through, '2gether' took a wrong turn and never found its way back. Around this time in the series Sarawat and Tine finally became boyfriends, and along with that the two boys took the momentous step of moving in together -- sharing an apartment, a bedroom, and (of course) a bed.
Now, the definition of 'boyfriend' can vary from person to person and even across different cultures, but for most of modern civilization, when two people are romantically involved to the point of living together, certain assumptions apply. One of those is that the relationship has evolved to the point of physical intimacy.
Once Sarawat and Tine had advanced past the flirting stage and become a couple, this became '2gether's' biggest problem. From that point on, one detail after another clashed with the everyday experiences of everyday people. While cohabitating, the boys would share the bed, but they slept fully clothed and never cuddled. They would stand together romantically under a starry night sky and not put their arms around each other or hold hands. They would comfort each other with words but not with a warm embrace. And a kiss, even a quick peck on the lips? Not happening.
The bottom line was that despite being two college-age guys in a m/m relationship, Sarawat and Tine showed no signs of sexual attraction. In fact any physical contact between them came off as awkward and uncomfortable. Somehow, whether at the behest of GMMTV, the director, the actors, or some element unknown, the decision had been made that despite Sarawat and Tine's boyfriend status and shared living arrangement, there would be virtually no displays of affection on-screen.
It was a wacky decision, and it showed in the final product. Time and again, a scene between the two guys would work its way to a point where the mood was clearly set for a moment of physical affection (whether it be an arm around the waist, a held hand, a tender hug, or a kiss), and '2gether' would veer away at the last second, often resorting to a substitute gesture that was more suited to best buds or actual sibling brothers. The substitute most frequently used was a pat on the head from Sarawat to Tine (which with each occurrence looked more and more condescending), but sometimes they didn't bother with any substitute at all. A scene would just end.
This is simply not how real boyfriends interact, and I think it's safe to say that everyone knows it, even adamant supporters of the series who have defended it for its 'purity' (as though the purpose of '2gether' was to depict a divine love unblemished by anything as sordid as hand-holding.) When a work of fiction deviates from commonly perceived reality without first establishing a believable reason for doing so, viewers get confused. When it happens over and over without explanation, viewers get frustrated.
What bothered me personally was that I sensed an agenda at play. I grew disillusioned, and found I was now watching each episode mainly to see how they'd keep screwing with reality. Along the way I noticed that Sarawat wasn't so endearing anymore, and Tine had become a paranoid bundle of nerves who forgot how to smile. The joy I found in their relationship -- and in the series -- was in ashes. When the final episode approached and the script deployed the trusty "ex-girlfriend who's still in love" trope to stir up some drama, the result just lay there like the stupid and insulting tactic that it was. You can't revive a patient who's already dead in the ICU.
By this time I'd finished mourning the loss of what '2gether' had started out to be, moved past my anger and resentment, and settled into amusement. I looked back on how much I'd anticipated the series and laughed at how I'd been fooled. This was a production presumably written and directed by experienced professionals who are familiar with the BL genre. It was mind-boggling how they'd squandered the fantastic beginning and ended up with something so phony and awkward. For me the plot had gone completely off the rails, so whatever story the series was trying to tell didn't matter anymore. What I became most curious about each week was how they'd finally pull this mess into the station, and what kind of shape it would be in when they did it.
And the way they ended it, of course, was with the high-five between Sarawat and Tine that has already gained near-legend status. I must admit that this was where the series, which had already established itself as a mockery of BL, proved it could still surprise me. It was as though the production team had gotten together to brainstorm and find a way for '2gether' to deliver a final, unmistakable "F U" to fans of the BL genre -- a gesture guaranteed to become the ultimate meme.
In this I think they succeeded, but it makes me fearful over what GMMTV will do with their future BL productions.
ACTING
In general I think the actors did a fine job with the script and the direction they were given.
Win's work as Tine deserves a lot of praise since he had no prior acting experience, whereas almost all of the rest of the cast did. His first foray into a series was a tremendous success for him personally and promises great things for his future career.
Regarding Bright, it's hard to tell if Sarawat's detachment and wooden affect was a result of Bright's inability to act or the fault of the director. Given the way the entire second half of the series was botched by the director, it wouldn't be a stretch to blame him for Bright's performance, at least in part.
That said, I get the sense that Bright did not enjoy being in a BL series. He was smart to agree to it because it provided the perfect target audience to rocket him to fame. (His previous acting gigs didn't result in anything close to this fanbase.) From here I'll be surprised if we ever see him play any other role other than a heterosexual male. And honestly, that's fine with me.
MUSIC
Scrubb! Awesome band, great songs. You don't even have to understand Thai to feel what the lyrics are saying.
I suspect that Scrubb might have also written the song that plays over the end credits of each episode, sung by Bright. It has their vibe and Bright does a nice job with it.
I'm not a fan of the song sung by Bright that was released as the series ended, but this opinion is probably tarnished by my disappointment over everything else.
REWATCH VALUE
I will never rewatch this series. While the beginning episodes are wonderful, there'd be no way to enjoy them knowing what comes later. In fact I'd probably start to pick apart the good episodes too, looking for hints of the lameness to come.
THE 'PORN' DEFENSE
A lot of diehard fans of the series have defended it by saying that anyone who criticizes the lack of physical affection between the leads is looking for a series that depicts explicit sex.
All I can say is: if this is your best argument then you have already lost. Nobody in their right mind wants explicit sex or porn in a BL series. When you have to misrepresent an opponent's argument in order to counter it, you're only saying that you don't have an intelligent response to what they are actually saying. You are admitting defeat. You are admitting that '2gether' is a failure.
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This review may contain spoilers
Run!
I USUALLY DON'T REVIEW DRAMAS I DIDN'T LIKE BUT I THINK THE RATING 7.6 IS MISLEADING.[Edit: as of 05/12/2022 the rating is 6.9 still very high for such an abysmal drama]
This drama has no redeeming qualities.
I was excited when I learned that the two leads were cast in Misty's screenwriter's next. Misty was such a good drama with a geat story and acting.
Then the stills and title were good too and I won't lie ; the rated R got me all the more excited because I thought it would be a mature and more realistic than drama like Misty, Something In The Rain, The World of the Married...
But my expectations were smashed by the reality that was this messy drama.
In Misty, the female lead was a career woman who chose her career over everything. She was a complicated woman who hurt herself and her loved ones to achieve her goal.
In Now We Are Breaking Up, we were served with a goody two shoes who somehow won everyone over with her upright attitude and Song Hye Ko's acting or lack thereof didn't help understand or empathize with the character she embodies.
THE STORY
The story was poorly written. It's supposed to be about a great love story and the hardships the main leads will encounter and try to fight against.
Instead, it's about a 38-year old woman who has yet to move on from a 2-month relationship that happened 10 years ago. Said woman is traimatized from having been ghosted by a guy she met in a foreign country and dated for 2 months... I personnaly tought it was ridiculous.
The story actually begins with the heroine having a one night stand with the hero. They don't exchange names or number and spend the night together. It's supposed to be mysterious and hot but it's actually a dangerous behaviour imo
I had a hard time understanding Song Hye Ko's character. She was supposed to be a successful career woman in the fashion industry but she was too soft and forgave betrayal such as the leakage of some of her designs.
How can someone keep an untrustworthy person in their team ? That untrustworthy person was also someone who wasn't loyal and was ready to jump ship when things went south.
So how can a successful career minded person keep such a liability on their side ? How are we supposed to believe that ?
Then the drama opening with a ONS is supposed to show us how modern and independant FL is but then her friends implied it wasn't customary for her to see men.
So what is actually the state of her love life ? Did she have ONS during these 10 years? Was she so emotionally stunted that she forgot about men for those 10 years ? If so, what was so special about the ML fot her to have a ONS with him ? There was no build up to help her understand this.
And now this 38 year old independant woman lets her parents and the ML parent's interfere in their relationship? Had she been younger I could have enpathise but she being successful, independant (lived abroad alone and has her own flat), it's ridiculous and annoying that she'd let parents run such interferences because she's at an age were she's supposed to understand that even if her parents disapprove of her relationship, they most likely won't cut contact with her (especially since she always gives them money) and with soften after some years or/and if they have children.
When her mother yelled at the ML like a banshee, she didn't even try to intervene and we are supposed to think they are so in love and can't live without each other... but how can you let someone you love be disrespected in their own shop ?
The worse thing is that she left with her mother instead of staying to confort the hero.
The Male lead played by Jang Ki Yong is an empty vessel. One cannot understand what attracts him so much about the FL.
She's pretty but she's cold, unresponsive and too much hassle.
His only purpose is to give the FL props to resolve some of the issues she encounters while managing her brand. Otherwise he's uninteresting.
When he realized he took a fancy in his brother's ex, he keeps going even though the relationship is at an early stage and everything could have been stopped.
It seens unresonnable and illogical especially since we don't see what is the great connect between the two leads. Why are they throwing I Love You's around when they barely spent and spend time together.
The FL parents are something else alltogether. They are agaisnt the relationship when they both liked the ML ar first because FL dated his brother for only 2 month in a foreign country. Why is it a bad thing ? They are supposed to want their daughter's hapiness but are against the relationship for something that can be deemed as trivial because she was neither engaged nor married to his brother and no one would know they dated.
The mother was the worst imo because she threw tantrums about wanting a divorce when she was the one saying she didn't want to do anything to jeopardize her daughter's future marriage. But in SK, divorced parents are bad news and won't help... she doesn't even make sense and is seeking a divorce instead of trying to talk with her husband about the reason she wants out.
I also found her cringey for always wanting to hook up her daughter with the rich woman's son. She was really desperate for it.
But she was crass for saying what she said to the ML's face for things he can't help (his lineage and family condition) and acting as if her daughter was such a great price.
It seemd more like she was releasing her frustration on someone who would take it without doing anything.
The ML's mother is more easy to understand because she's someone who has yet to do her mourning but I didn't understand why she kept acting as if ML was like her real son when her interior showed that their relationship was anything but. They were no pics of the two/three of them together ; ML was sent away since his youth when his brother got to grow up in the family household.
I could understand her opposition to some degree but not her acting as if ML was her son and not some replacement.
The subplots with the best friends weren't any better.
The director was childish and incompetent. At 38yo it's not cute anymore but downright ridiculous.
I thought she could have been a good negative character instead of adding to the mix the ML's brother's crazy ex.
The ex-model who is dying from cancer is one of the most mature character of the drama.
My hung up is that her subplot included cheated and a terminal illness. Would'nt it have been better if her husband would have come clean sooner or if she'd died without knowing ? Because it's really bizarre how she's trying to set up her husband with her affair partner and saying that woman is a good person. A good person won't knowingly sleep with a married man with a child!
I feel there was so much to say in this section for the best friend to have closure but it all became messy and non sensical.
Finally, the brother's ML who everyone is regretting was a dishonet coward.
Why did he tell the heroine he was an only child ? Why did he date her when he was already engaged ? It was pure nonsense especially since these fact weren't exploited more in the drama.
THE ACTING
The main leads were really bad and the only thing they brought to the table was their looks. The ensemble cast did their job but they couldn't do much woth thr roles they were given.
THE MUSIC
It was the only decent thing in the drama though it wasn't groundbreaking.
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Complete Waste of Time
I hate to give such a terrible review to any Korean BL, but this one was terrible.100 minutes is plenty of time to tell a story - there are very few films that are longer than that. But it's a problem when you try to tell a 1,000 minute story in 100 minutes and so you film 100 of those 1,000 minutes, but apparently randomly selected.
It's perfectly OK to hint at backstory without fleshing it out, like the relationship between Yi Bin and Ki Jin - that was fine. It only takes a few seconds to set the stage & show us Yeong Woo's life - that was fine too. But what is the story that was being told? I have no idea, because it was entirely skipped and no context provided. Did Ki Jin break up with Yeong Wu? Ghost him? Give his job to Yi Bin? Flee the country for several years? Or did only a week or two pass? Yi Bin more or less says that everything we thought was happening didn't happen, so where was Ki Jin for the last few episodes, and why was he suddenly behaving like an old woman instead of a puckish young designer?
If Ki Jin broke up with Yeong Woo, that might have been a nice scene to see. If there was a big fashion show (which appeared to be the climax to which this was building), I can understand it not being shown due to cost, but we could at least have seen the aftermath. Likewise, in Nobleman Ryu's Wedding, we didn't need to see the actual wedding - people complained about that, but do you really expect them to produce a Joseon-era noble wedding? That would blow the annual budget of a small nation.
The production quality of this was very average, and perhaps below. There are lots of sound mistakes, and the acting is mediocre - the two mains are good enough to enjoy, but uninspiring. The best that can be said is that the kisses looked pretty good, not the usual rubber lip-touch.
My best guess is that they filmed a lot more but the acting or production quality was too poor to put in the final cut and they didn't have money or time for reshoots. Either that or the director's dog ate the script and they had to dig whatever scraps of it that they could out of its poop.
I would stay away from this one.
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High Kick! The Revenge of the Short Legged
42 people found this review helpful
Story- Yes there are an abundance of episodes but each one is not even a half hour long and they feel so short because the writers did a great job of giving each main character a story line of their own, which fills the time nicely. What I liked about the writing is not only are most eps truly funny but some eps deal with serious stuff so you also get to feel for the characters. Really though the writing was phenomenal cause it kept me watching all the eps without getting bored. In fact they could have continued after ep 123 and I would have kept watching cause I felt like they had so much more story to tell. As for the ending, while not bad like High Kick S2, I would of liked different outcomes for some of the characters.
Acting/Characters- Whats funny is that I came into this not knowing most of the actors, and even if I did know them, there’s no way I would want to watch a 123 ep sitcom just for them. However, after watching a couple eps I realized that the casting was perfect. Every actor whether main or supporting, made his or her characters stand out. I was rooting for everyone to find their success. The main featured family really did feel like they were a family as they had good chemistry. The only loveline that managed to turn into something (Ji Suk & Ha Sun) had really good chemistry and their relationship was just so cute/funny. My favorite character though happened to be Sung Yoon (Joon Sook’s best friend) because he was just so odd but really cute/sweet/innocent. And surprisingly a character that I was completely annoyed by in the beginning (Krystal) became one of my favorites by the end (really good character development for her). There were a couple of characters I just did not ever manage to like (Dr. Yoon Gye Sang, Bak Jin Hee, and Ji Won) their personalities were awful and i even had to start fast-forwarding through their scenes).
Music- Each episode had its own OST, that being said there were too many songs to remember but I remember liking a lot of the songs within various eps.
Rewatch- While the drama is entertaining enough to watch the entire series again, my favorite part of the drama is the second half so I’ll probably stick to watching those eps over and over whenever I feel like a good laugh.
Overall if your like me and had never seen a Korean sitcom, do try this one out because it’s a lot of fun and you get attached to the characters.
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1Diplomatic impunity.
Go East starts out as a fresh and interesting workplace comedy about Sifang Pavilion 四方馆, which was an institution that hosted guests and envoys from all four directions 四方/sìfāng during the Tang dynasty. Sifang Pavillion is essentially a Ministry of Foreign Affairs; they handle diplomatic issues from issuing visas, facilitating trade, solving diplomatic cases to negotiating treaties. Yuan Mo is loosely attached to Sifang Pavilion and helps oversea foreign visitors at the city gates, under the indulgent eye of Director Ye Deshui. He is a clever fellow with a predisposition for wine, snakes and bird brains but he lacks ambition and shirks responsibility. Alas, he spots a real strange bird, Ashu, at the gates and makes the mistake of his life by stopping her. She invades his personal space, poisons him, bullies him, frames him, helps herself to his hard earned money and turns his life upside down. This poor man is so alone and lonely that he sucks it all up as if he was deprived of attention his whole life. As it turns out, the Man in White, the deadly leader of the Faceless assassins are after her. To help her, Yuan Mo gets co-opted taking on a proper role at the Sifang Pavilion, where he proves himself by solving a few tricky diplomatic cases.Ashu as a character did not work for me from the get go. She debuts as an entitled bully who blames the hapless Yuan Mo for all her issues, makes unreasonable demands and causes no end of trouble for him. She doesn't bat an eye when her servants openly disrespect him and never apologizes or feels a smidgeon of remorse. She puts herself in harm's way repeatedly with her noble idiocy and half baked schemes, endangering everyone that has to rescue her. This is an ungrateful creature that tramples all over the male lead and is so lacking in intelligence and survival instincts that it is a miracle she didn't perish long ago. I never connected with any Zhou Yiran's roles and her portrayal of Ashu is callous and supercilious to the point that I didn't root for her. Her piteous and repetitive crying scenes made me yawn and roll my eyes. For sure, these scenes are exaggerated for comedic effect but her constant smug expression made her seem mean instead of endearing or comical. None of the female characters are written in a flattering way. Yuchi Hua is also a termagant and is a cliché gender bender character whose only contribution is as token muscle. But at least she softens up and she shows she genuinely respects and cares for Wang Kunwu. This is the latest in a disturbing trend of dramas where the female characters get a free pass for toxic behavior towards male characters who pretty much just roll over and play dead. When did it become so unfashionable to have balanced relationships where men and women just treat each other well?
The only thing that salvaged this drama for me is Tan Jianci's incredibly funny and moving performance as Yuan Mo. This is a refreshing role for him and his comedic timing and expressions are spot on. The character itself is not super well written either; he fell for Ashu too quickly and I remain baffled as to why; he lets her walk all over him and he is super intelligent but ultimately only applies himself for her. The gaping difference between Tan Jianci and Zhou Yiran is that he made me love his goofy, slightly wimpy, deeply wounded Yuan Mo flaws and all; a character who seemed to not quite dare to live until he had to find himself for an ungrateful wretch with the brain the size of a watermelon seed. (Why didn't I live thousands of years ago so he could have found me instead?) Even though they looked cute together, the chemistry between them seemed more friendly than passionate so as a couple, they didn't move me. All those wasted Tan Jianci kiss scenes! But I enjoyed the camaraderie between both couples and the broader Sifang Pavilion team and the hilarious rivalry between the East Court and the West Court. Ye Deshui was MVP for me; he delivered as many comedy gold moments as Yuan Mo did and I loved the hilariously pragmatic way in which he ran Sifang Pavilion and appeased domestic and foreign conflicts.
Plot-wise this drama starts out well as I was genuinely intrigued by the foreign relations premise of the story. The first two cases are interesting and tight and the satire made me invested in the team. After that, the romances starts to take center stage and the to-ing and fro-ing between couples I didn't really care for was not funny enough to keep me engaged. That is also when progressively larger holes in the plot emerges and it snowballs into an avalanche at the end. Along the way, the tone of the drama shifts from silly and hilarious to one where the writer kills off good characters with diplomatic impunity. There was only one good twist in the entire plot, which was who saved the Yanle princess. The identity of the princess was too obvious you couldn't have missed it. Likewise, they cast an actor with an unmistakably prominent feature as the mysterious Man in White. He was flagged early on as a suspect in the Red Lotus case and his identity was just given away during Ashilan's kidnapping. Both these reveals were too early, erasing any sense of suspense. I thought Ashu was as dumb as bricks until they get back to Yanle which is when I realized that in the land of the blind, the one eyed woman is queen. The final reveal of the Man in White's motive contradicts the entire plot because given his identity, he never needed any Yanle princess; in fact a cooperative fake one is much better than the real thing. The smart thing for him to do would have been to eliminate her from the start. This is also what Long Tuqi should have done but Yanle is the land of the dumb after all. Even though it ends in a satisfying way, it was a hollow victory because they won because they were out-dumbed by the antagonists. It is this drama's most unique feature; a race to the bottom where the protagonists and antagonists vie to under smart each other.
Overall, the first half of this drama can be enjoyed as a spoof kind of along the lines of the Austin Powers movies but lacking any underlying intelligence. It is worth watching just to see Tan Jianci do comedy and romance watchers who can ship the couple may enjoy it more than I did. I found it a very mediocre watch, one that feels like a 7.0 more often than not. But I am going to throw in a 0.5 for the fresh premise and Tan Jianci's phenomenal, funny and moving acting to call it 7.5/10.0 overall.
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This extra episode is a life saver for many Fangs of Fortune fans!
Although the drama ended on sad/open note, many fans felt that they needed more of a conclusion!So, in this episode, they showed us
💫 aftermath of the last few episodes of Fangs of Fortune.
💫how the journey of the team through out FOF left an impact on WX, ZYC and PSJ.
💫how everyone is coming to terms with the loses and affects of previous events.
💫 the contrast of human's view of the demons now in comparison to how they felt about them in the first episode.
💫how WX, ZYC and PSJ are applying the lessons learned from the FOF journey.
💫 the current endeavours of WX, ZYC and PSJ and what they plan to do in the future.
💫the glimmer of hope and relief whether the Most loved and missed Demon ZYZ can return to the ones who are missing him desperately. Clues are given as to how that will happen.
All in all I'm very grateful for this extra episode!!💕💖 it mended my heart by giving us bittersweet conclusion. FOF characters are so well played that fans start to love them dearly and get attached to their life and fate. So it was very important to give us (for those who needed it) more thorough ending!
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The story is actually very original, there is place for cuteness, drama, comedy, a great second female lead, and beautiful couple scenes. What's not to love ?
I gave a 9 in acting because I beleive the second male lead lacked nuance on his part, but the two leads are doing an amazing job.
Anyway it's a good drama, so go watch it ^^ lol !
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This review may contain spoilers
A good cdrama sequel to the taiwanese original drama
1/ STORY:It is based on the concept of time space overlapping where an apartment becomes the point of junction of events happening in 2021 and 2022 with a 4 months gap.
The ML from 2022 defends a female friend (SFL) who is divorcing her husband (SML). The case leads to 2022ML being sent to live in an apartment where he meets FL from 2021 from 10:06 to 10:52. The apartment is a point from where they can go to 2022 ML time space using the front door or to 2021 FL time space using the backdoor.
It appears that SFL is ML's friend and SML is FL's friend and their divorce in 2022 leads to tragedy. While 2022ML and 2021FL are bickering and discovering each other, they try to save their married friends from that tragedy. They ask the help of the 2021 version of the ML and they go thought different situations and cases in 2021 which modifies 2022.
2/WHAT I LIKED:
- The relationship between the 2022ML and 2021FL. It starts in a weird but funny way. They are forced to be roommates and to learn about each other. The romance which ensues is very cute and convincing with their fun and loving moments and their moments of doubts. They develop deep feelings for each other. Their Love for the other ultimately requires each of them to make a determining choice.
- The back and forth between 2021 and 2022. I thought the time travel was pretty well made and quite easy to follow. It kept a level of logic that made it admissible.
- The ending was really well made for me with an unexpected turn of event and a soothing time to wrap up everything.
3/WHAT I DID NOT LIKE:
- Usual break up which does not last long in term of story time but too long in term of episodes.
- Cases are a little bit cliché: cheating/divorce, bullying from corporation, gambling problems, sexual harassment...
- The usual lecturing about family, friendship, behaving right, forgiving...
- The ending is way too lenient for the bad guys. They get nothing serious despite their bad deeds.
4/CHARACTERS:
- Loved the leads: 2022ML, 2021 FL, 2021ML.. I thought the three characters and their relationships were well crafted. They are the best part of this drama. The lead actors were convincing too.
- SFL: Bland character who is the cause of everything.
- SML: Bro, just divorce her, have a good divorcee party and find yourself a new gf
- The mistress: Not so bright but funny.
- The brother: A liability
- The rival lawyer: Why so much hate?
4/ OST: The songs were ok. Contributed to the cute romantic tone.
5/ REWATCH VALUE:
Maybe I will rewatch it after some time.
6/OVERALL:
This looks like a remake of Meet me @10:06 but it is rather a sequel. If the original concept of time space overlapping and the early episodes have similar situations, the development of the plot and story is totally different. It is possible to say that the phenomenon happens with a different couple. The story is good and the lead characters are endearing. I will recommend it as it is one cdrama that I enjoyed watching since months. 8.5 /10.
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Also, it had kissing. I haven't really seen Japanese dramas having skin contact much, and that kinda annoys me. This drama didn't have that anime feel to it either, which I like sometimes, but I know alot of people who don't like Jdramas because of that comical way they talk and stuff. Oh yea, I liked the ending ;D
Overall, I would recommend this drama to all. It was nice to watch. Blah... now I want to find a similar drama!
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This review may contain spoilers
Enjoyable but leaves some important things hanging
I am giving this is a high rating simply because I enjoyed every minute of it more than I thought I would, since I do not usually enjoy Korean suspense/mystery dramas. It was all quite compelling to me from the very beginning. I thought it would be woke, given the title, and full of aggressive feminist propaganda, which I don't normally like in my dramas. (I don't like any sort of heavy political propaganda in stories I consume purely for entertainment), but surprisingly, it's not. The women characters are not perfect Mary Sues portraying women as the better gender and as strong, independent, and perfect. They are flawed and very real and quite relatable. I've never been a fan of Kim Go-Eun (didn't like her in Goblin, but that was probably because I didn't like the way that character was written), but I thought she did a stellar job here portraying the slightly naive, slightly ditzy Oh In-Joo. In-Joo's story is super relatable, especially for those of us who have had to struggle financially. Her choices and her reactions are perfectly understandable, given the circumstances. I thought this character was what carried the whole story for me -- she is a very good depiction of a perfectly real human, not an idealized "woman power" version.As for the story itself, the twists and turns, even though some a bit sketchy, especially in hindsight, were good enough to keep me glued to my seat and wanting more. Sadly, as with many Kdramas, the ending, although generally okay, felt a bit rushed. There are two particular story elements that I feel were not resolved satisfactorily and/or were problematic:
1. In Joo and Do-Il. This connection goes beyond a superficial attraction. They both help each other grow as the story progressed. In-Joo makes Do-Il care for someone again other than money and vengeance. Do-il helps In-joo navigate through the chaos that she had to go through and come out sane. I would have been okay with them remaining perfectly platonic all throughout the show, but the writers had to go beyond that. They obviously implied that there was something there, a mutual attraction. You can see it in the way Do-il looks at In Joo, the way he smiles when he sees her face, the decisions he made to keep her safe. Setting this connection and attraction up in this way makes the audience expect a resolution, but none were given in the end. They need not necessarily have ended up together, but they could have progressed to more than just a "see you around." I was expecting a progression to at least more closeness and openness about the way they feel. I understand In-joo might not be ready for a relationship after what she'd been through, and probably needs some self-reflection, but that could have been handled with a trusty old time jump, which might be cliche but, if done right, could have give us a more satisfactory ending for this particular story arc.
2. I find it strange that In-Hye and Hyo-Rin, two self-involved minors -- children, for all intents and purposes -- are allowed to roam the world with buttloads of cash and zero adult supervision. I am all for freedom and escaping oppressive situations, but teenagers, especially, need guidance. In-hye, despite her little diatribe at the end trying to justify her actions, is, for me, unforgivable. She is narcissistic, self-involved, and almost psychopathic in her lack of empathy for her loving sisters. Teenagers often go through this phase where they feel stifled by their family's love, but that is just a phase and part of growing up. The fact that she allowed her sisters to feel humiliated, rejected, hurt, just to fulfill her fantasies and desires is extremely self-indulgent, selfish, and cruel. Her lack of empathy is disturbing. Anyway, the teenage fantasy of escaping your family to explore the world is something everybody at some point has probably had, but there are ways to accomplish this while still being considerate. In-hye has no reason to escape her loving sisters. Her life situation is not ideal, but her sisters obviously love her. Instead of indulging in her selfish fantasy and escaping from her family, she should have learned to appreciate what she had and escaped her narcissistic worldview -- I'm going to get what I want and I don't care how you feel or what you think about it. Real progression for her would have been getting past her self-obsession and being there for at least In-Joo, who is left alone in the end. Hyo-rin's case is altogether different, but she still needs guidance, especially after everything that happened. I just find it incredibly irresponsible of the adults, including Do-il, to allow these kids to do what they want with no supervision whatsoever. Teenagers are notoriously liable to making wrong decisions that could affect the rest of their lives at this particularly volatile period of growth, so they do need someone mature to at least guide them. Are the writers campaigning for children to be able to do what they want and to turn away from their families?
There are other loose threads, but these two are the ones that made me unhappy with the ending. Overall, it was a fun ride and definitely worth watching despite the above-mentioned flaws.
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A good one-time watch.
For a remake/adaptation of a Japanese movie, the thriller component has been exhibited in a much better way. I've watched both the movies and this remake was definitely an upgrade. The actors acted well, but there was scope to juice out better scenes from them which could've looked way more intense.As a thriller movie it lacked the maniacal intensity a tad bit. Watching it the first time was a decent experience. It made for a nice watch while having dinner. But I don't think I'd rewatch it.
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This review may contain spoilers
This Is A Fever Dream
This drama is so unserious and UNHINGED! For real, who is driving this thing? My goodness these people on some crazy juice. No, but the unhinged scenes in this drama were clearly written by someone on some good arse mushrooms, expecting people with the combined IQ of a potato to enjoy it, cuz what in all things holy was this? Buuttt... I must be a potato cuz I found myself laughing like crazy, enjoying the hell out of this. I low-high-key loved how unhinged this drama was.Listen, this drama is a 5 at best. Yes its a bit silly, but if you take away all the unhinged horny stuff it's a decent drama. Speaking of unhinged, I don't even know how to explain some of the stuff that went on in this series to you without sounding like I'm making stuff up. I spent most of the show thinking I was having a fever dream. My mouth kept opening and closing cuz some of the things that happened... Susan?? You have to see it with your own eyeballs to understand/believe. I went through like four different emotions each episode: laughing, shocked, aww-ing, and most of all, confused.
No really, before I knew it, these were happening:
1: One of the characters was having sex with a cucumber, and then said cucumber got prepared as food and he had to eat it. WHAT?? HUH? WHY?
2: The main character was having sex with not one, but two pillows. It was a whole arse romantic night he had with them. He even romanced a pillow at one point to some sexy arse music, and slow motion strokes. I don't---I wasn't---BROTHER?? They could have waited until Sangmin came back to give us a scene with the pair, cuz…? Low-key though, if I could have such a good time by myself I’d totally marry myself, cuz I won’t need anyone else ^^.
3: The second couple brought out a measuring tape so they could measure and compare their junk to an elephant's trunk. I kid you not, it happened.
4: Dinneaw's mother was beating the hell out of Singmin's mother in a brawl. Like full on fighting. I laughed so hard I almost fell off the sofa.
5: The third couple were having sex with one toy in a position I think only yoga can explain, and their hotel teacher was enjoying the noise they made while having her own sexy time with a teddy bear. Who is driving this thing?? What even??
6: Sangmin flat-out poisoned his step-father and went back to eating his kimchi. FAM? What happened to that sweet boy we knew for 7 & a half episodes? I applaud him a bit for that though. Sweet revenge and justice.
7: One pair of the third couple was getting his junk stepped on repeatedly, cuz the other had a rash on his arse and didn't want sexy times. Sharon, don't ask me the colour of nothing, I don't know!
8: The second couple took off their clothes inside the house, then one of them walked outside in just his underwear, so he could walk back inside to cowboy music, so they could have western sex? Frankly, I don't know what was happening there. I know nothing.
And these were only a little of what happened in this show. The crazy horny stuff in this drama was...Susan you have to watch it yourself to understand what I'm talking about.
PLOT
I started this drama with zero expectation, but I was aww-ing throughout the first episode, cuz Sangmin is so cute trying to speak thai and Dinneaw is so adorable. I loved how this isn't like the other dramas with foreign characters where they each speak their own language and the other one automatically/magically understands them. This one is realistic, and Sangmin makes the whole thing so enduring. Finding out Singmin's real name is also Sing Min had me going awwww, cuz the way he says Sangmin ;((((( cuteness overload.
This drama started out that Dinneaw wanted to become a tour guide, and then I think the writer's had plans for Sangmin to perhaps have some sort of tumor, but then half way through they decided to go with the headaches and the mentos cure. If you rewatch the beginning episodes Sangmin had no scars on his back, and the production team didn't even care to cut those out or hide it, so clearly their main focus wasn't on plot, and it showed. They literally did not respect the viewers enough to even bother making the effect during the editing phase. But, they did have a plot, the execution of it was just so bad that many of you would probably lose a lot of brain cells and feel stupid watching it. Me, I shut off my brain and decided to go with the crazy, and it was a fun ride for me. Personally, I enjoyed every bit of it.
If you are planning on watching this, don't do it for the plot. Do it for the cute leads and how unhinged it is. If you go in expecting anything else, you'd feel stupid and end up questioning your sanity.
CHARACTERS:
At one point I was certain none of the characters on this show were normal. No really, they were all on some crazy juice, cuz what the hell Sharon? The stuff they did?? The cast were good, the script was rubbish so this isn't even on them. I can never be an actor, cuz I'd be embarrassed to show my face for Christmas if I had to do and say some of the things they did.
FIRST COUPLE: Dinneaw and Singman were almost normal. They went the classic we like each other but none of us are saying anything route. They were so sweet and fluffy and adorable. Well, that was until Dinneaw was having sex with pillows and Sangmin was committing murder with a smile.
Sangmin & Dinneaw had amazing chemistry. Petch and Sangmin did such good job with their characters. I really wished this was a serious script as well, such wasted talent on whatever the hell this was. I swear, I'd have cried if these two didn't have their deserved happy ending. Sangmin had the best innocent, clueless face ever, and the way he spoke made him so very adorable. Yes, most of their nonsense problems they went through could have been resolved if they just communicated, mostly Sangmin who had chances to say so many things and didn't. Did I want to slap him with my rubber chicken, nope, Sangmin is so baby and can do no wrong. Obviously, they were my fav couple.
SECOND COUPLE: Athit is in love with Tor, who is in love with his best friend, Dinneaw, who is in love with Sing Min. Yep, train-wreck, but they did figure it out in the end. When Dinneaw didn't return Tor's feeling they kept their friendship, and eventually, after Tor almost lost Athit, he came to his senses and accepted his love. They were also unhinged with all those on your knees stuff they did. I'm still not sure what that barn, cowboy scene was and the reason for it. They were good friends to Dinneaw and I'm glad they ended up together. They were almost normal if you look past all the stuff they did in the place they sell things that goes into people's mouth.
THIRD COUPLE: These two showed up in episode 3 and brought all the shock factor and the crazy juice. I have no idea about their backstory only that they like doing it in what appears to be impossible position with pegs and in public. I would never hire these two to work for me. That cucumber scene was disgusting, so was the scene when he put that thing on his face like cream. I don't even know how they work, one of them is so calm and normal, and the other only thinks about doing it every single second. Legit, they served no purpose to this story, they could have been replaced by a houseplant, and the story would have started and ended the same way. Crazy children.
FOURTH COUPLE: Two episodes until the drama is over they introduced another couple. Again, served no purpose whatsoever cuz they appeared like 4 times, in which we learned one of them liked the other, who likes egg on his food. And then there was a blanket scene and a kiss. What was the need for them? Another pair they could have replaced with a houseplant, cuz really, all they did was walked in and ask Sangmin to sign the forms for the operation, anyone at the office could have done it. I supposed they wanted fillers? Whatever it was, at least with their limited screen time they seemed like the normal couple out of the 4.
BOSS & PONY: That Boss who was in love with Dinneaw and turned into the devil to get him, sucked. I wanted him gone way before his assistant was sniffing his junk by the pool. Rich people really do feel so entitled, don't they? As for Pony, y'all can't even spell extra. And all the over the top antics she did, woman calm down. At least in the finale she shocked me and helped Dinneaw so she wasn't all loud and unhinged.
MRS ORN and HANA: Dinneaw's mother was amazing, she was there for him and for Sangmin. I love how she beat Sangmin's mother up when she slapped and insulted her son. Real Mother, unlike Sangmin's mother who wanted to kill him to collect his life insurance. That step-dad deserved what happened to him so much, heck Sangmin should have reached for the mother's cup too and make her a drink, missed opportunity if you ask me.
As for Hana, I liked her well enough until she made her best friend who have been abused to the point of needing surgery, who has also lost his memories by the way, leave with the mother who was abusing him. Like? May this type of friend never locate me. Then she was like, I haven't heard from him since he left. And you didn't even try to check up on him? Nah, she was so wrong for that one.
Anyway, this bl could have been good, it had good cast, a nice soundtrack, and an almost interesting plot. I just wish the writer wasn't high on mushroom and the director didn't say pass it over, cuz both of them might have been high to give us this. I'm still very sure this is a fever dream of sort, cuz I'm generally baffled by some of the things that happened. My rating is a 5 because this made me laugh in confusion from all the crazy stuffs. The extra star is purely for the main couple, I loved them.
One thing is for certain though, even with all the confusion and crazy, I enjoyed watching this drama. I was always ready to see what crazy, unbelievable thing they'd give me each episode. The drama didn't take itself serious, so I went in expecting some laughs, sweet moments between the main, and lots of unhinged stuff, which it delivered. So yeah, if you're looking for a new drama, I'll recommend this one, cuz at the very least, it's entertaining. I am seated and waiting for more from Petch and Sangmin, hopefully something sensible that matches their talents.
Anywho, thank you Sangmin Dinneaw team, and whoever gave you those mushrooms for making my Sundays a little bit less boring. I'm gonna miss the crazy.
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A BLAST TO THE PAST ⏰✨
***DISCLAIMER: This is just my opinion. We don’t have to agree and I’m not here to argue with anyone.***This drama explores the conflict many young individuals encounter: whether to seek happiness by following their passions or to conform to their parents' expectations. Eun Gyeol, the protagonist who is a CODA (Child Of Deaf Adults), grapples with prioritizing his interests against his family's needs until he receives a golden opportunity to alter his destiny by traveling back in time to when his parents were in high school. We accompany Eun Gyeol on this journey of self-discovery as he learns about friendship, family, music, and love. Furthermore, this drama raises the thought-provoking questions, “Would our lives improve if we could change the past? ” and “Do past mistakes or failures define your future? ”
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Likes:
The plot is excellent. It basically combines all of my favorite genres, romance, humor, mystery, parent-child relationships, friendship, high school life, adolescence. This drama keeps you entertained and hooked throughout, providing stories that touch your heart. I don't want to give away too much or spoil, but it is a fantastic drama. While watching this drama, I felt warm and nostalgic, and I wished I could travel back in time to experience how my parents lived in the 70s and 80s. This show made me cry so much lol… I cried maybe 6 times out of the 16 episodes.
We witness some of the pleasures, tensions, and uncertainties of adolescence as the drama progresses. It explores the demands from parents and society, as well as mental health concerns and anxiety among teenagers. Beautiful friendships, misunderstandings and familial bonds are also portrayed in the drama. Even if it's pointing out details, there are flaws in the series. Logical issues arise with time travel – the characters broke almost every rule known to man. Additionally, a lot of cliché tropes are used to put the characters in difficult situations.
The young actors outshone the older actors. I was thoroughly impressed by Ryeoun, Choi Hyun Wook, Shin Eun Soo and Seol In Ah. Shin Eun Soo's portrayal of a Cheong Ah is quite remarkable, my heart broke every time she got abused by that horrible principal and they locked her away attempting to dim her shine. Choi Hyun Wook is a master in encapsulating youth's energy and enthusiasm, he was a delight to watch and I couldn’t help but laugh / kick my feet giggling in most of his scenes. I started crying at the last moment when he was recording the song on the cassette and referred to Eun Gyeol as his son and thanked him. Ryeoun is a young actor with a lot of promise. It was amazing how much heart he brought to every single scenario. You couldn't help but adore him, support his character development. I was so impressed and I will definitely be watching his future projects. Seol In Ah was a lot of fun. The fact that she and her mother were portrayed by the same actor bothers me since they were so strikingly similar (basically twins). She tried her hardest, and her performance was good, but I believe she's a little too old to be portraying a 17-year-old. I also liked the chemistry between the actors and their pairings. Both couples demonstrated that there is hope and that there are people out there who will embrace you for who you truly are. As many have said before, YI CHAN IS THE STANDARD (AND EUN GYEOL LEARNED BY EXAMPLE)
Overall, they mastered their roles seamlessly and you couldn't help but be captivated by their on screen presence, they truly brought their characters to life. I loved the use of sign language – it is such a beautiful language to learn and I wish more people would use this drama as an example to see how inspiring it is when someone steps outside of your comfort zone and strengthens / improves their overall communication skills. You never know when the opportunity will arise and you will be able to help someone.
Dislikes:
I did not watch this drama from the beginning like everyone else, and I believe that is why I enjoyed it so much more. I was able to binge-watch episodes 1-14 all at once, and I honestly felt that this drama was something extraordinary, as other commenters had stated. Having said that, I became uninterested after waiting a week for the last episodes. I believe that episodes 15 and 16 could have been fleshed out and developed further. It appeared rushed, as if they were attempting to assemble the final parts of the puzzle and conclude everything on a high note. But imo that's typical of most kdramas so I won't hold it against them. The entirety as a whole was really interesting and held my attention. It's just that, I was curious about what happened to Yi Chan and Cheong Ah and how they eventually reconnected. I wanted to know what life was like for them, especially Yi Chan, who had lost his hearing but still had so many goals. It's clear that his aspirations came true, but I wish they'd shown me more of his backstory instead of only telling me.
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Quotes I Loved:
"Life didn’t have to be perfect for it to shine. It’s the little moments that make your life twinkle, and happiness is what you experience when those moments come together.”
“If you push the wall, it becomes a bridge. If you fall somewhere, there will be a hidden treasure.”
“You don’t have to try so hard to be impressive. Continuing to live is already a great feat.”
“I was always lonely. I felt lonely and isolated as if I were stuck on an island by myself and couldn’t join the world where my family was living. But you see, I now have a chance to live in the same world as you do. I want to seize this opportunity.”
“I’m done being the girl who is only loved when she is needed or useful. I don’t want to be anyone’s trophy, war booty, or accessory.”
“Music isn’t something you listen to just by ear. Music is something you can feel with your eyes, mind, and heart.”
“There’s no scale that can measure who’s hurting more, and there’s no one who can judge that. No one has the right to judge others’ pain, and we have no duty to have it acknowledged by others.”
“I can’t hear your voice but I see it. I can feel it. You shine the brightest when you’re doing music.”
“Looking back, I realized that this song wasn’t the only thing you helped me complete. When I wanted something, when I felt like I lacked something, when I was in despair, and even at my most radiant moments, you were always there with me.”
“You lied that you were my son. But you know what? For some reason, I felt as though you were like my father. Even though I have never experienced a father’s love, I got to experience something similar thanks to you.”
“The moment you give up, it’s game over.”
“Here’s a thing about life. It may not give you everything you want. But it does hide a small present for you from time to time. I hope you can endure the cruel hardship life throws your way. So you can receive the present life has tucked away.”
“Life is filled with all kinds of metaphors. Interpretation is solely up to the receiver. There are no right answers.”
“When your life can twinkle again on its own, I hope it twinkles as radiantly as possible.”
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Final Thoughts:
Would I recommend this drama? Well yes, after I watched it I immediately begged my friend to watch it and she was hooked as well. I think this drama is very comforting / healing especially during this time of year and I feel like everyone no matter what age people find some enjoyment in it whether that’s nostalgia or portrayal of friendship, love, family etc.
My advice is don't allow the drama's title or the ensemble of actors stop you from watching it. I guarantee you will be surprised. It took me some time to decide to press play, but it was an absolutely incredible experience!
The premise is that if we can identify our flaws and limits, we can rectify them and grow as people. The other recurring theme is that change is inevitable. We can try as we might to control and assume personal responsibility for our own fate but nothing in life is certain. It seems as though life has selected a predetermined path for us, and we are simply just along for the ride.
This drama reminds me of this quote that says “You can be the master of your fate and you can be the captain of your soul but you have to realize that life is coming from you and not at you – and that takes time.”
With all of that said I give this drama a 8.5/10
VIVA LA VIDA! || LONG LIVE LIFE! ₊˚⊹♡
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(Tysm for reading!)
❤️
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The Honest Verdict ;"Oh My”, This Was A Dire Drama ...
Have you ever found yourself watching a show, and generally wondering whether the screenwriter had a dartboard, was blindfolded and throwing randomly to see what random plot point to come up with next? Well, most drama watchers out there can probably agree that this perfectly describes ” Oh My Ladylord".
Before critiquing the drama , it is important to start on a high note.Against all odds of the female animosity trope, there was a surprisingly profound relationship between female lead Oh Joo In’s mother Yoon Jung Hwa ( Kim Ho Jung) and male lead Han Bi Soo’s mother Kang Hae Jin ( Lee Hwk Hyang). However, this is also where the series hits a major snag also. The main leads’ mothers were simply more interesting than either of our main leads.
It shouldn’t have been this way by default. Nana ( playing Oh Joo In) and Lee Min Ki ( costarring as Han Bi Soo)are both really good actors. ( Alongside Kang Min Hyuk playing second male lead Jung Yu Min.)Sadly, however, whilst the actors did put effort into their performances, they were fairly limited towards what they could actually do with Jo Jin Kook’s questionable script.
To start off this problem, it is important to talk about our female lead Oh Joo. Oh Joo wasn’t an inherently " terrible" character in the beginning. She had a strong, heartfelt relationship with her mother and seemed to defy the typical cliches of being the " spoilt and aloof actress" also. However, the show soon goes down hill when Oh Joo is introduced into her romantic pairing with Bi Soo. It isn’t necessarily the chemistry between the leads which was " bad", but, rather how she was reduced to the equivalent of storyline cannon fodder not even halfway into the show.
This moves us onto the next prominent issue. The dreaded creme de la creme of tropes; the love triangle. There’s nothing entirely wrong with love triangles per say in a drama, but, the problem with " Oh My Ladylord”’s love triangle happened to be that it was incredibly hard to root for any
chemistry in Jo Jin Jook’s trio of one-dimensional main leads.
To give Bi Soo some credulity , he wasn’t entirely a “terrible person at heart”. However, as this is a formulaic romantic drama where flaws have to be exaggerated for plot development, Bi Soo’s aloofness, jealousy and selfishness at times just became tiresome and repetitive .This is exemplified when around the halfway point of the drama, Bi Soo was so caught up in his attempts to make Oh Joo fall in love with him, that he did not make time even once during a pivotal revelation in this episode to visit his own dying mother. (Then, there is also the poorly-written fantasy element tied-in with Oh Joo, which did not add anything of relevance to Bi Soo’s characterisation.)
The final component of our love triangle is Jung Yu Min. The archetypical ” second male lead” who has ” been in love with Oh Joo for a long time”, Yu Min was just shallow and uninteresting . He had potential to be intriguing and well-written ,but (typical of cliches), Yu Min’s biggest problem occurred by his infatuation with Oh Joo. This is because Yu Min exists only as an obstacle in the story for Bi Soo’s affections . He had no sense of individuality with family, friends or his job outside of the romantic pairing. Even after Oh Joo confessed her ambiguous feelings whilst they were " dating" , it was predictable that Yu Min lashed out manipulatively at Bi Soo rather than just sitting down to talk with Bi Soo and Oh Joo like a decent human being .
Then there’s the biggest elephant in the room with the drama; the genre. Genre shifts can work well to a show’s advantage, and then there’s " Oh My Ladylord".
Admittedly the screenwriter does attempt to make amends by bringing the fantasy elements again into the storyline, however , this resorted in the overall genre shift being nothing more than a lazy plot Macguffin. ( In an attempt to make a poorly-written romance story interesting with little success. ) The ending was even worse, attempting to deliver a tearjerking solution to an otherwise horrible storyline , but , with little success.
So, is " Oh My Ladylord" actually worth watching? This is entirely dependent upon expectations. If you’re a fan of trope-filled, terribly outdated storylines with toxic relationships then " Oh My Ladylord" is right up your street. However, if you’re looking for a modern, well-written and dynamic romance tale with a supernatural twist, then look elsewhere because " Oh My Ladylord" certainly isn’t it.
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