Reviews

Since no one else has written a review for this drama, I might as well, since I think it was excellent and deserves some recognition.
The overall feel of the story was something like a family tragedy drama, with elements of a John Grisham novel thrown in. We have the the heartless wealthy foe, and the "small man" - in this case a teenage boy - going up against them with a young lawyer from a tiny firm (with their office above a pachinko parlor, no less) as his only help.
Takizawa Hideaki did very well in portraying a grieving son desperate to find out the truth about his mother's death, and Matsuyuki Yasuko was quite impressive - and I must say, very cool - as his confident, driven, but also very kind lawyer. Additional performances were, for the most part, very good.
Music choices were well made, and the use of Elton John's "Goodbye, Yellow Brick Road" as the theme song was a nice touch. It suited the mood of the drama well.
Handling of story was excellent. From the moment the suspicions of malpractice arose, to the final courtroom conclusion, I was dying to find out exactly what had happened to Nao's mother in the hospital. The friendship between Nao and Kirino the lawyer was a delight to watch, and the romance between Nao and Ami, the hospital owner's daughter, had a lovely bittersweet quality to it.
This is a drama with many elements: family, friendship, tragedy, mystery, romance, and it all blends together beautifully. I warmly recommend it.

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best romcom

might have been the best romcom series i have watched in my life. genuinely love it so much .. i am so attached to this show. i love how they stayed true to the webtoon . great balance of everything, they didnt show too much or to less of the side characters, it was just enough to make the drama more fun and likeable. would it be a stretch if i say this show is perfect? well... i dont care ! it was perfect to me ! the cells were so entertaining to watch though there may be times i got frustrated with them but all characters have their flaws right hehe @_@ i am totally going to rewatch the show every chance i get because it is just so !! good !!

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Holy smokes, Gen Y is good! Because they have several seasons planned for this drama, they have the time to actually develop all the relationships. And they do it so well!

Mark & Kit are pretty much in the can, the resident Happy Couple(TM)! So I wonder what the drama has in store for them in S2, what will be the wrench that proverbial monkey will throw in. Because they seem as ridiculously happy and content as two peas in a pod at the moment. Suspicious, if you ask me!

Then the whole Pha/Wayu/Thanu/Phai quadrangle! Gosh, it’s so well developed. Pha who seemed as the perfect guy at first now seems almost threatening, that creepy music that started playing whenever Wayu received one of his gifts in the finale was, well, creepy! And Thanu is just so, so sweet! And Phai, too! But it’s this quadrangle that’s at the centre of the supernatural plot of memories sharing and fated soulmates. And it’s so intriguing! I have never, ever, ever seen this plot done before, fate giving someone two soulmates and telling them to deal with it.

(It’s interesting, though, that with Wayu, Thanu shared memories of the past. With Phai memories of the future. Similar but not the same.)

Then there’s Sandee who somehow, in some way fits into this quadrangle. Because Pon Thanapon and Bank Thanathip who play Phai and Sandee, respectively, played a couple in two dramas before already and even the ad at the end of the finale featured them together so... I would say Phai and Sandee are headed in the way of becoming a couple in the future, too? Probably? Maybe? The fact that Sandee kept asking Phai if Phai believed in destiny would suggests so. But... is Sandee actually a good guy or not? Because, boy, did he do some really shady stuff in this drama. While looking incredibly, amazingly, stunningly hot! (Sue me :P)

And Thong and Pok. Holy smokes! The naughty, naughty scene with them was one of the hottest things I’ve ever seen, hands down. The way Thong got off on Pok being so rough with him. Goodness gracious, he loved it. You know, for two newcomers, these actors were just stunning there. At first, their interaction in the drama seemed stilted but as we saw more of them, their chemistry got so much better and when that sex scene happened? Christ on a cracker! I can’t wait to see where S2 will take them.

Also Jack and Koh, the mystery of Padbok and Thanu etc. and so on, of course!

This drama is so, so good! The first half focused mainly on Mark and Kit and only laid very rough foundations for the “kids” that joined the university later on. But when they did, I actually knew them already so I was honestly interested in every single one of those pairings! That was such a smart writing. I loved it.

So yeah, this drama has humor but also real intrigue and you never know what direction it will take next. Amazing. It makes me want to go back to the very beginning and watch it all anew now that I know more or less what’s going on and learn more about the characters that I paid little attention to before. From me? Both thumbs up!

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ソロモンの偽証

Solomon no Gisho is about a story that a Christmas morning, Fujino Ryoko finds her classmate Kashiwagi Takuya’s dead body at their snow covered school. The police and the school conclude that Kashiwagi Takuya died by suicide. At that time, an anonymous letter is delivered to Fujino Ryoko. The letter states that Kashiwagi Takuya was murdered by a group of students including Ooide Shunji. The media and SNS begin to question whether Kashiwagi Takuya really died by suicide or was he murdered. The school principal tries to take control of the narrative, but this leads to a more chaotic situation.
This drama started off being light and then it became very dark. But if you like mystery dramas I really recommend you to watch :)

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Bromance, conspiracies and action.

I was pretty shocked reading the reviews before starting the drama, since they make it look extremely bad.
It isn't.

Ofc the plot is nothing world changing. Two boys "hating" each other, very evil adults, a big conspiracy and many flashbacks. Is this bad? No. It might be not really innovative, but in my eyes the whole story is carried out well and excitingly.

Apart from that, I was really surprised about the implementation of martial arts and fighting scenes, damn, even blood and actual injuries. It's honestly said not a typical high-school teens romance drama, it mostly tells about friendship and family (ofc there's still romance), about competition and fighting for the good.

The characters were extremely interesting, I'm always a fan of these arrogant, sassy dudes who go through a personal growth and start changing their attitude over time. This change of attitude was perfectly implemented in the Bromance, which is, REALLY STRONG AND AMAZING in this drama. Actually the drama itself seems to ship the guys with each other more than with the girls. Not that I mind. Talking about girls, with this drama I finally found sth, where the girls aren't the typical victims who have to be protected, but strong, independent, smart young women. All roles are very well acted out, despite the actors being so young. And not only the main cast, but also the support roles are great and interesting. Another huge plus is that the cast is super international, even featuring people from non-asian countries.

OH and guys. The music. It's really great. While watching the drama, there was no day when I didn't catch myself humming the songs. They'll forever be in my favorite songs list tho.

To summarize it: If you want a strong, heartwarming bromance (Yes I cried 3 times), a not really lovey-dovey but more action focused drama, with good actors and a satisfying ending, watch it. Just do it.

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A sweet little rom-com that got me thinking. . .

As soon as you mention teacher/student romance, the topic is automatically labelled taboo or controversial by many. It is understandable as a teacher is in an unique position of power to groom a young student for nefarious purposes and possibly subject them to abuse. That would be both illegal and morally corrupt and should be condemned. However, what happens if there is another side to this coin?

This Show starts in just such an awkward scenario where the young and beautiful new homeroom teacher is confronted by a confession from a model student. She naturally rejected him and admonished him to not do it again.

For a good portion of its entire short run (8 x 20 mins episodes) we watch the ML does everything in his power to show the FL that he is serious and sincere about his feelings towards her. It is awkward at time but his energy is infectious. He is helped along the way by his friends (both male and female) and even the FL’s big brother when he realised that he is actually serious and trustworthy. Just about everyone involved is behind his quest. There is no obvious antagonist. The moral and societal barriers are his biggest hurdles.

It has its cliché moments and swoon-y ones as well, but the show is never manipulative or sexualised. The romance is surprisingly pure and sweet. A peck on the cheek is about as far as skinship goes. In that sense, the script never crosses the line unless you consider anything to do with teacher/student romance is automatically out of bound. In that case, this show is not for you.

It is not until towards the end that we find out why the ML is so hellbent on pursuing the FL. I’m not going to give the plot away but let’s just say that it is not your typical teenage crush. The reasoning actually makes sense and justifies his action.

There is certainly more depth to this show than the single-minded exploits of a young man in love. A lot has to do with abandonment, commitment and a need to belong. Tropey topics, indeed, but it is used effectively here.

I’m not going to make this out to be some kind of masterpiece theatre. It is short and made with a small budget. There are no big-name actors, and the mostly young cast did their best with limited experience and abilities. Nevertheless, it is entertaining and I enjoyed it. The ML’s and his friends’ antics are both over the top and heartfelt. You know he is being naughty, but you also want to cheer him on like everyone else. You do have some reservation whether the whole story will end well or turn sour given the controversial topic.

I’m glad to report that the ending is sweet and satisfying. There is no hint of serious romance but there is meaningful banters and teasing. You know that they are playing by the rules for now but are also marking time until he comes of age, finish school and then it will be on for young and old. I won’t mind a sequel that covers the next phase of their lives.

Lastly, I have to give credit to the scenes depicting the inter-thoughts of the FL. They are amusing and insightful. Uniquely Japanese and quite charming.

I have no problem rewatching it as a weekend binge. There is no point in comparing it to a big budget, serious drama. It is just a bit of lightweight fluffy fun and viewed from that angle, it is good enough for me and hence my score. Peace out.

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Wow...to think that this drama is already over makes me sad. This was one drama that I looked forward to every weekend to watch - it's an excellent drama! Lee Yeon Jae, she lived her life doing the same thing everyday, working, getting paid and not living happily. When she's told she has cancer she suddenly changes and takes on a new meaning to life. She starts living her life and doing what she wants. I loved this drama because it makes you think of how precious life is, and maybe sometimes you just need a wake-up call to start living your life.



The acting was terrific! Every emotion was felt, every heart aching, heart breaking moment. And then the happy moments were filled with so much joy. I've never seen the actors in any other dramas, but they were all great! Kim Sun Ah as Yeon Jae, Lee Dong Wook as Ji Wook, and Uhm Ki Joon as the main characters were all wonderful! Their characters were ones that you could easily relate to and love. The other actors were great, too!



The only character that I didn't really care for, and still didn't even at the end - was Sae Kyung. You'll see why when you watch the drama.



The music is another wonderful thing about this drama. Kim Junsu's "You Are So Beautiful" and MBLAQ "You & I" are 2 of my favorite songs! And the other songs they played throughout the drama were great as well!



Will I rewatch this drama? Probably sometime down the road. I really enjoyed it!



Overall - I think this is a must watch of 2O11! Life is precious, and this drama really makes you wonder what you would do if you were given such news - would you choose to live as Yeon Jae did? I highly recommend this drama, although be warned there are parts that make you want to cry, or start crying. The ending...without giving spoilers - is something that makes this drama even more perfect. So watch it!!



Also, I agree with everyone that made comments on her wardrobe - she always had the best clothes!

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DNG is the weirdest movie you will ever see!

The story starts off as just another teen comedy but turns into something just completely insane towards the end. I seriously felt like I was on drugs watching this (You'll see what I mean). This movie has teen troubles, a transvestite business Unnie, a Cyclops student, transgendered student, a prostitute student turned dancing video sensation, a man principle turned lady dragon, and plenty of laughs. You will be saying WTF am I watching throughout the entire movie but that's what makes this movie fun to watch.

The cast is mostly unknowns but they managed to make thier roles believable.

Really loved the use of color.

I'd recommend this movie because its funny and out of the ordinary.

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Love on the clock, but don’t expect overtime! Short and sweet! !!

My Damn Business is a mini-series that blends light-hearted humour with a sweet office romance. Despite its short runtime of around 10 minutes per episode, the series does a good job of developing its two leads, Han Yu Jin and Yoon Su An and crafting an engaging story that kept me hooked every week.

The chemistry between the leads is the highlight of the series for me. From the first episode, it was evident. Han Yu Jin is confident, assertive and just a bit dominant while Su An is reserved, shy and cautious. Their contrasting personalities created a fun and sort of affectionate push-and-pull dynamics.
The romance here is not in grand gestures but in small, meaningful moments, in those quiet glances, subtle touches and tender conversations over drinks.

However, I wish the episodes were a little longer. It would have allowed for more depth to the characters and the workplace setting and also made the pacing a lot smoother. Also, waiting for a single episode per week made the story feel a bit disjointed.

The cinematography and production were good that it felt much larger and more polished than you'd expect from a short format.
Also that ending shot was beautiful! <3

Overall, this mini-series was a guilty pleasure with a satisfying romantic comedy that delivered even though it has pacing issues considering its short run time. Hoping to see more dramas with longer runtime.
Recommended if you are looking for a light, sweet and feel-good romance. There is nothing groundbreaking or deep here but few cliche tropes that are done well.

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Birth of a Beauty might be aptly renamed "The Tale of Two Dramas," because the second half of this show could not be more different from the first half. And no, that's not particularly good.


STORY
While it started out as a fun rom-com with a campy mystery B-plot, it eventually bought into that campy B-plot completely, abandoning the rom-com aspects that were so strong in the beginning and trying (and mostly failing) to sell itself as a serious thriller drama.

While comparisons can be made to The Count of Monte Cristo, the show itself was more Jekyll and Hyde than anything. This irritating misdirection and mishandling of characters was punctuated by possibly the worst and most unnecessary Noble Idiocy I have yet come across in all of drama. While it's not as insulting as something like Angel Eyes, Birth of a Beauty is still guilty of turning its lead female into a bonehead in order to drum up cheap conflict without having to write something original.

That being said, the premise of the show itself is still not without merit. If you enjoyed The Count of Monte Cristo, you'll enjoy aspects of this as well. A normal, everyday woman is mistreated and, eventually, murdered by those she trusts. Except she survives, transforms herself, and returns to exact retribution on those who did her wrong. However, don't expect it to be as satisfying as Monte Cristo; while that classic slowly seeds his revenge over time and then reveals it mostly in the climax, Birth of a Beauty belabors the revenge plot early on and offers very little satisfying resolution over the course of time. By the time some of the villains have actually tasted justice, I barely noticed, since it was often handled with little dramatic impact and usually the effects of it were only temporary, seeing the villains shortly back to their misdeeds with almost no consequence. Expect to see lots of mustache-twirling here from the innumerable villains and, especially in the back half, multiple minutes per episode of people just looking dramatically at each other after nothing of consequence was said.

You're probably thinking "This sounds worse than a 7/10", but the reason it scored that high is because the romance plot was far superior to the revenge plot. While that, too, was mishandled (badly) in the back half, it was still good enough to keep my wife and I interested throughout. Most viewers will have little trouble buying into the romance here, as JSW and HYS have some SERIOUS chemistry with each other. Not only that, but despite how poorly written the back half is, the resolution and payoff is actually pretty good. While I would have preferred at least an entire episode dedicated to falling action and character send-offs, what you get is good enough.
If, however, you're someone who simply cannot tolerate main characters behaving stupidly, Han Ye Seul's character here will almost certainly have you dropping this before you reach Episode 15.


ACTING/CAST
I never thought I'd see the day where I give a Joo Sang Wook drama less than 8 in this category, but here we are. Not MUCH less than 8, of course, but still. Han Ye Seul is charming and fun, but from what I could see, comedy is her strength. She wasn't bad at all with the dramatic stuff, but I wouldn't say she was good either. Her face seems custom built to smile (literally, perhaps?), and when she is smiling, you could almost really believe that men would follow her around Korea like sheep with a shepherd. However, in her one melo scene, her face contorted so unnaturally that it took both me and my wife right out of the moment. Would definitely love to see more of her in a strictly comedic role. While the aforementioned JSW was, of course, great, even he started dripping into "dry" territory in the back half here. Not his fault; he really just didn't have much to work with in the script. That being said, he is at his comedic BEST in the front half. Many many hilarious moments, the absolute best being when he dresses up as a mariachi with a big fake handlebar mustache and sings (you just have to see it for yourself).

All of this, of course, leads me to our second leads. Wang Ji Hye was probably the second best actor in the show, talent-wise. She handled the subtleties of her character with ease. Again, though, she wasn't given a wide variety of things to do. On the other hand, this is the second drama with Jung Gyu Woon I've seen, and I don't think I've seen his facial expression change once in either drama. He's better here than in Oh My Venus, but only because his character is comically evil. Even with such an extreme character to play, don't expect much from him here.

As for the Supporting Cast, exactly two actors are worth mentioning:
Han Jin Hee plays a stern, loud buffoon for 19 and a half episodes. In his final scene, he is given a touching moment with one of the main characters and he ABSOLUTELY KILLS IT. His character is one of the more interesting and dynamic throughout the plot, despite having very little of consequence to do.
Kang Kyung Hun has the most honest acting moment in the whole show, a throwaway moment barely given time to shine and yet it drew a teardrop or two from both me and my wife.


MUSIC
Weird that I gave this highest marks, but really Wife and I were singing and humming so many different songs from this one. While the incidental music is forgettable, the vocal themes are consistently strong and memorable, especially the opening credits theme, "She" by SHINee. Very catchy.


REWATCH VALUE
The first half is immensely rewatchable, honestly. So many cute and fun moments. High-energy, lots of comedy, lots of intrigue. And the very first episode, particularly, is superbly shot and edited. But that back half of this drama.... ouch. It was hard to get through it once, so I can't imagine trying to watch it again. I remember laughing out loud once because there was one particular reaction shot that I think had to be over 60 seconds long. I'm not exaggerating. The camera just stayed on JSW for forever while he looked serious. I imagined JSW in his head thinking "Uh.... is someone gonna say 'cut'.... sometime?" And that right there is par for the course for the second half of Birth of a Beauty. Lots of reaction shots, lots of people staring at each other, lots of villains twirling their mustaches. Not a lot worth seeing beyond a few decent plot points and, of course, the resolution, which really does manage to satisfy and is worth watching a few times.


All in all, if you're in the mood for a good rom-com, exhaust your other options first. If you're in the mood for a thriller, look elsewhere. If you're in the mood for Joo Sang Wook and you've seen his other dramas, dive right in to this one! Despite my serious complaints, there is still an odd charm to the show; an intangible factor that can still hook a viewer. My wife complained about a lot of it, but at the end said "You know, I still liked this." I can't say I disagree. You may have the same reaction, so don't be afraid to give it a shot.

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Tropey with a great start, A VERY LONG DRAGGY MIDDLE, and a satisfying ending

Finally it's ended. Now that I've finished episode 16. Well.
I think it ended on a rather high note but I just can't forgive the draggy pace and the fact that this drama turned overly dramatic from episode 5 onwards.

The romance wasn't there and the leads had not 0 chemistry but -1000... And it's the second drama in a row with Kim Ji Eun where she literally has a good buddy vibe with her partner but SUCKS on the romance aspect (the kisses were terrible but fortunately there weren't a lot). The revelation of Deok Su being a girl came also too late for some character(s) I won't mention to save the show.

This drama's biggest crime in my opinion is that it never embraced fully what it promised in its teasers: fun, friendship and some inn shenanigans. We got that for 4 episodes and after that the revenge plot took over and the fun left the room and never came back. It started to get draggy for no reasons, and honestly I think it would have been better if they had condensed episode 5 to 12 in 4 episodes turning in a 12 episodes series.

By episode 8, the only reason I kept on watching was because I had passed the middle mark and I hate to drop shows when I've invested already that much time. But honestly it was a struggle. I kept hoping the frienship and fun would be back desperatly but it only made a small appearance at the end of the last episode with a weird post-credit scene on top.

The highlight were Kim Eui Sung who is just terrific in every single role I've seen him in but he plays the vilains so so well. I hated him as Lord Cheon but my GOD he was GOOD especially his descent into madness, that was terrific acting, thank you sir!

AND Jung Gun Joo as Cheon Jun Hwa . As much as I didn't like the trajectory his character took, he was just wonderful through all his phases, as the good friend, the jealous psychopath and the atoning son. For me, his character stole the show and I'm just SAD that there's still no news of him getting a proper lead role in a major drama. He definitely deserves it... and the fact that he's drop dead gorgeous doesn't hurt either ( yeah I appreciate ART when I see it)

The other actors did their jobs but honestly pretty forgettable in my book apart from these two, though Han Jae Suk playing the King did have some memorable moments.

Suggested rating: 6 based on the criterions given

Personal rating: 7 ==> Classic average good, nothing refreshing or new but overall well done BUT HORRENDOUS pace that sucked my energy dry and made the watch tedious for most of its run.

In spite of how tropey it was, the drama had its moments, but it's a one watch. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone... BUt if you're planning on watching it anyway... I'd say watch it if you're REALLY busy and you need to be disciplined in real life. Say, you're currently studying for your upcoming exams, or you are about to pass some special qualifications for your job. It's distracting enough but not to the point of making anyone obsessed so you'll be able to stop watching without any problem.

Also. I found the ending EXTREMELY SATISFYING, no loose ends (except for the stupid marvel-like ending - to quote another MDL member), and I got to say, at least they delivered on that, which is why I didn't go below 7.

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I have watched this, because I can be considered a fan of EunJi and this looked like it would offer light hearted comedic relief. I guess the show did not disappoint too much in that regard. The acting ensemble was truly outstanding, some of Korea's best actors appear in this drama & their performances were up to standard. EunJi plays the exact same character as in R97, I don't mind typecasting in this case, since the show was built around this specific persona. The OST is okay, although it's not memorable at all.
I liked the main couple, their slow, but steady development in this genre is perfectly fine. I wouldn't say that they've had off the charts chemistry though. I hate triangles in general, but here it was bad in the sense that it served no purpose, generated no meaningful tension, felt like a writing quota type thing, you know how there is always a gay guy in american sitcoms as of late.
There are some obvious problems with how the characters & how character development are portrayed in this drama. It's always annoying, when a show isn't preproduced & the writers make major changes midway, because of feedback, or because there is outside pressure from sponsors. The way how they changed SooAh's character, or almost everyone's character in the White Tigers group mid way makes no sense whatsoever. I was applauding SooBin's performance in this "villainous bitch" role, but unfortunately she went from a villain to a troubled girl with a sad background & from that to a kind angel in the finale, this made very little sense to me, It could not have been any more unrealistic.
South Korean society has some rules & behaviors that are really backward and I dislike it, when these things surface in dramas. In SassyGG the primary obstacle for the main couple comes from the impending marriage of their parents. "Oh no, what will I do, if you become my dongsaeng" Other dramas have exhausted this trope to death too.. Not cool!

Now the main reason why this drama is bad is because the story is just terrible. It's normal for romcoms to have meaningless underlying storylines, or that the story is not in focus, but there is gotta be a limit right? I'm perfectly fine with the school slice of life genre, but the things that happen at this school are just plain bad writing, perhaps it's not as bad as in the recently aired drama "My Strange Hero", but it suffers from many similar problems, namely outlandish teachers, kids breaking under the pressure doing outlandish things, ajumma armies demanding justice and my favourite: kids fighting the school's corrupt leadership/principal. Abusive parents doing abusive things cannot even count as abnormal in this drama...

I do not regret watching this, EunJi kept me entertained all the way to the end, but I will not watch this again for certain.

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Worst female lead

The fl makes terrible decisions from start to finish which causes every one to have to fix her mistakes. Very little character development and it’s annoying how she never really trust the prince even after all they went through. She’s naive in the worst way and let’s herself fall for every plot against her when most of the time she could save herself by saying what she thought which makes it worst to watch. She makes the same scrunched eyebrow face/pout for every emotion and reaction. The story line was so repetitive and should’ve been max 24 eps. The female lead gets dreams that predict the future yet doesn’t even make use of it and let’s it get her into trouble.

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