Pinocchio (2014)

A good drama, albeit a bit overhyped

This is a well crafted, well written and above all, rightfully applauded drama for all the right reasons. Most of the characters are layered, have intriguing personalities and goals and are acted well, to boot. The flow of the story is mostly consistent, with a few weird choices which were pulled off adequately. Like others said, the synopsis for this drama definitely makes it out a rather boring slice-of-life show, when it`s so much more. Despite this, it didn`t wow me as it did other users on here. My issue with this drama lies in my own taste however, which have eventually led me to not be as invested in the whole presentation, nor connect with the characters. First off, I have to critique the title a bit from the get-go. While interesting and eye-catching, In-ha`s Pinocchio Syndrome definitely has the least to do with the story, despite being the selling point of the show. I wish they showed a lot more of In-ha and Dal-po when they were growing up, as that would let us see their relationship and connect with them in that period a little more. It would surely add weight to Dal-po`s emotions and torment of ending it for good with her. Although semi-romantic, I hesitate to categorize this drama under romance as well, as it definitely takes a big backseat over the reporting aspect of the story.

Another issue I had was with the second villain of the story. Bum-jo`s mom is an...interesting choice for a villain. While In-ha`s mom had a whole story arc where I genuinely felt for her(it also helped that she was acted by one of the best actresses of the Korean drama world) and was obviously thought out meticulously, I feel like the Chairwoman was an alternative rather than a planned out villain. She felt rather cartoonish at times and I just didn`t feel anything when she finally did confess in that final scene. I would say this drama was at its best when exploring relationships between In-ha and her mother and Dal-po and his brother. Everything afterwards honestly felt like filler. And I have to reiterate, the characters were written really well. The situations they were put in however...eh, give or take. At times I felt like they couldn`t find a way to correctly develop someone like In-ha, for example so they put her and Dal-po in these rather stereotypical situations where I could already predict why they would break up, how and that`s purely my fault. While I didn`t fall head over heels for this drama, I admit it`s technically very, very good, it just needs to strike the chord with the right person. With me, it was half right.

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Draggy and sometimes outright ridiculous

It had a strong start, I loved the characters and the initial story, I was able to ignore some silly things... up until around episode 10 when it just got too much. The fast paced plot that went from their childhood to teen years and then adulthood suddenly stopped when they became eternal journalist trainees.

The plot relied on coincidences and weird notions(why the hell would every student but one be able to afford 1,000 dollars backpacks, why would someone be fired over 60 cents, the fact that in-ha is not creeped out by the stalker that is supposed to be the second lead, the main leads' romance moving quickly for them to suddenly separate because of god knows what)

The characters always ended up bumping into each other conveniently for the plot, in one episode there were always three or four really unrealistic coincidences.

All the main plot points were already resolved by like episode 8 (the male lead's identity, his adoptive father's disease, the brothers meeting, the brother's revenge and imprisonment, the romance). I felt no reason to keep watching

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Daebak I'm like about to cry right now, i cant believe its done. This was one of the one in a million good dramas where the director had an open mind and great sense of directing. Dal po/ lee jong suk my love never fails to impress me with his acting. Ive watched all his shows except high kick coz its like 120 episodes. PSH i dint like her for the longest time coz of her childish acting but the last few dramas have proven good for her and this is the first one that i saw her potential and she was a serious actor. The story is well written and acted and the chemistry of these two is great too, LJS always knows how to portray chemistry and feelings in all his shows and hes not afraid of kissing properly unlike minho in heirs. The whole cast was outstanding. Harabuji was just hilarious and the mother was just as cold as ice. The camera team love triangle was just funny. i cant believe it waited til last episode to show the couple.. the camera woman was actually cute.
The evil people were evil good too and yoon yoo rae was annoying at first but it just fit her character to be obnoxious, it had several eye candys. LSH, seo bum jo, cap hwang. I need an extended scene btwn cap and yoo rae, theres something cute going on. Wanjon great show MUST SEE

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I have been going through the works of Lee Jong Suk and I had previously thought that nothing could top W for me but this might just have done it. I will attempt to remain as spoiler free as possible in my review.

The plot is really interesting and keeps you on the tips of your toes. While the focus on the Pinocchio syndrome and the importance of truth is a large part of the plot, the title of this show does not do justice to the true driving point of this plot. Brilliantly mentioned offhand at the start of the show, the six degrees of Kevin Bacon and the idea that you may not be so far removed from a stranger as you thought is what provides a beautiful tension in this show and will keep you on the edge of your seat.

The acting is fantastic and really lets you get to know what these characters are thinking and feeling. Lee Jong Suk is once again playing the role of man whose family died under unexplained circumstances who is searching for answers (such a specific type cast) but this doesn't mean that he doesn't bring anything new to the character. On the contrary, I found myself most drawn to his character in this show over his others, partially because he felt the most human to me. The main female lead is as equally well done and shows that it is possible to be a strong and brave character while still having vulnerabilities. All the supporting cast was fantastic and were never treated as fodder. Each character was well developed. The main villains of the show were astounding. Kudos for providing villains that still maintained human traits and flaws.

My one complaint is that I didn't particularly find any of the OST that exciting. Compared to W or I Hear Your Voice which I had just watched (I told you, I'm going through all his shows) none of the songs got stuck in my head the same way. So, that is a little disappointing. But, its not enough to majorly detract from the show. And, I plan on rewatching it many times. :)

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Nice Surprise

Pinocchio was definitely a nice surprise, and if I hadn't found the last few episodes a tad underwhelming, could have scored a 9.5 or even perhaps a 10 as a final rating. The story was easy to follow, made sense, and had the right amount of characters to keep the interest going. The chemistry between the two main leads was definitely there, and while I did lose the connection with Pinocchio when it came to the final few episodes, I still have to admit that the two main leads here are one of my favourite on-screen couples I've witnessed to date. I also really liked the OST and acting and chemistry of nearly all the other cast members.

Pinocchio was definitely a nice surprise and I am sad now that I have finished it. There were a few cast members that I were unfamiliar with before watching this, and now since watching Pinocchio, I am interested in watching their other work. I recommend this drama to anyone and everyone.

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Pinocchio was the first kdrama that I've ever watched and made me realize that I've been missing out all my life.
I have to admit that at first I had to get used to things a little bit but from the moment it happened I did nothing but enjoy the show. The characters were amazing and interesting. Some of them are still very high on my list of characters that i like the most. The characters were given some pretty nice development which I'm very greatful for. The story was amazing as well. Although It didn't explain everything that I'd have wanted to know but aside from that I can't really complain.
Not long after I finished it, I made a friend watch it with me. It was her first korean drama too so thanks to Pinocchio, both me and my friend became huge kdrama fans. I'd sincerely recommend this drama to anyone who finds the summary even a little bit interesting.

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Pinocchio is an excellent drama from start to finish! I'm beginning to regret waiting so long to finish this drama. I had originally began this kdrama when it first aired. I loved it so much, but could not bear the to watch Dal Po/Ha Myung be disloyal to his brother, Jae Myung, and so I stopped. If I hadn't stopped watching, I would have realized that Pinocchio stays consistently good in all aspects. It did not falter once. And the fact that I waited almost a year to pick back up this drama again can attest to the fact that it's memorable and has a resounding effect on one's emotions.

Starting off, Pinocchio had such a fantastic story. I honestly don't know how it's possible to not marathon this drama. Even when I picked back up on this drama (I started at ep 11 yesterday), I marathoned those eps in one night. Just completed it now. This is a story about a boy's family who was destroyed due to news' reporters untrue reporting, turning the country against them. That same boy (Dal Po/Ha Myung) grows up despising reporters, but decides to become one because of In Ha. In Ha grew up wanting to become a reporter just like her mother (who abandoned her). Together, they learn how to become excellent reporters while dealing with their feelings for one another. There's much more to it, but you have to watch to find out. I also think this drama is so original with the "Pinocchio syndrome" which is when you hiccup whenever you lie. In Ha has it so it makes her the blunt type of character I love.

Every single actor did an amazing job at bringing these character to life. My favorite character was In Ha, it's very rare for me to come across a female character who never annoys me (not once) and who I genuinely root for 100% of the time. I respect In Ha so much, she never disappointed me once. She's the type of character whose values I admire, and that's probably the reason I'm so drawn to her. I feel like she made the right choice in every situation, and I can't help but to love her. Park Shin Hye did an excellent job portraying her. Now Dal Po/Ha Myung, played by Lee Jong Suk, was absolutely fantastic! Such a smart and intuitive character he is. I went through all the emotions with him.

Besides the excellent cast and acting, this drama has excellent excellent excellent writing. I really and truly mean it. If you want to hear the best character monologues, watch this drama. I get shivers just thinking about it. The truth these characters spit is chilling, and man oh man will you be rooting for them when they do so. The music is also very good.

As much as I loved Pinocchio, I don't think I'd rewatch it. It's not like it would be a chore, but I just tend to not rewatch kdramas in general because their too long. But if I feel reminiscent, I don't think I'd mind rewatching it. As I said before, this is an excellent drama. It never drags or gets boring. The love story is sweet, but it's not even that which makes me enjoy this drama so much. It's the characters' growth as reporters, what it means to be one, how to get to the bottom of a story. Oh, how I love it so much. If there's anything I'm not too fond of in this drama, it's the way it tries to make us sympathize with In Ha's mother. I'm okay with it, and it by no means ruins the story, but I wouldn't have minded if they didn't make her sympathetic. Anyways, I really really really loved this drama, it's a good one, and I highly recommend it. There aren't a lot of kdramas that mean something to me, but this one has made the list. Pinocchio is definitely worth the watch, and I guarantee you won't walk away empty-hearted.

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20 episodes was a little too long. Maybe it wouldn't have dragged so much if they'd made it the usual 16 episodes. Also, I don't find revenge plots to be very entertaining, so that could have been an important factor as to why I was bored at times while watching this.

I liked the main couple. They're both great actors and had good chemistry. A lot of the supporting characters were quite fun, too. Huge cast in this one.

The OST, which tends to be a huge part of dramas, was completely unmemorable. So, if the same song playing each and every episode is something you find annoying, this is the drama for you! I don't even know if this show has a specific OST (though I assume it does).

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I was curious for Pinocchio because of Lee Jong Suk :D And I saw Park Shin Hye a long time ago so I started to this drama :) It was a pleasant experience but it's in the "once-watch-category" on my list. The first 8 episodes and the last 2 were fast and exciting. The middle episodes were slow and too sad for me...I think Jong Suk's character added this melancholy. Dal Po's brain was agitated. But he could give his cute himself too :) He and Shin Hye are a fairly congruous couple.
I laughed a lot of at the YGN's riporter who worn headband :DD And I liked Yoon Yoo Rae in the end. It's not a bad drama, I offer for everybody. Riporters' life in South-Korea is very interesting. Oh...and the music enjoyable for my soul. :)

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I kinda knew that I would be making a review of this drama around episode 10, because it was just one of those shows that I couldn’t stop talking about. I liked it that much and I was sure it would keep up the good work and I was right.

The things that I like the most about the dramas that Park Hye Ryun writer is how easy and fun they are to watch and how great I feel when I watch them. They are all a feel-good shows for me. They all manage to be both funny, entertaining and dramatic and emotional at the same time and there is a great balance between all of these things in this drama, as well as in Dream High or I Heart Your Voice.

I was just so pleased with this drama, it is well written and for me it hit all the rights spots, since I got emotional and I smiled etc. so I was very much in love with it. It is also very easy to watch and I tend to not get bored over her dramas or at least those who I have seen.

The story isn’t necessarily not that new but I feel like I haven’t seen that many dramas like Pinocchio and Park Hye Ryun does tell a good character story well in my opinion. The story is very well paces and I didn’t feel like it ever dragged along ether and I liked how she wrote it. It was like she had a plan and she didn’t just write something in for no reason and I like that. I also liked how the new reporter theme was used in this drama.

The character have always been quite good in those Park Hye Ryun dramas that I have seen and for the most part they are quite well rounded in this drama as well. I especially like how she writes female characters and they get to do more than just be the love interest or the mean bitch.

The secondary characters could have been a bit more developed in my opinion and I felt like she has done a better job with the second female lead in the past, which was a shame. Yoon Yoo Rae could have been a much more interesting character but she was just the cute comic relief to me. The second male lead Seo Bum Jo got so much more to do in this drama, as well as In Ha’s mom.

Maybe it helps the plot to go along smoothly and swiftly that the main character can’t lie and she has to tell the truth and can’t hide her feelings or anything. I did have my concerns around the middle of the series that it was going too fast and there wasn’t enough story left to tell, but I was gladly proved wrong on that.

I also liked the main couple a lot and it could have ended up being super creepy since they were raised as niece and uncle but it totally wasn’t creepy at all and very well done and felt realistic.

This is one of the better dramas that I have seen Park Shin Hye act in and I think this drama has helped some people realize that she doesn’t totally suck and maybe they will stop hating on her now because of Heirs or for other things. I liked PSH and I find it very comfortable watching her act and I am a fan so I am super happy that she got a role that I like.

In my humble opinion Pinocchio is one of the better dramas that came out in 2014 (most of the drama aired last year) and it was, like I said before, a very nice and sort of feel-good watch that I enjoyed a lot and therefore I have not many bad things to say about it. I am a huge fan of Park Hye Ryun now and I liked how she crafts her stories. They are meaningful and entertaining, both light and dramatic and I liked very twist and turn along the way.

Overall I liked this drama more than I liked I Hear Your Voice but not as much as Dream High. But like I did with Dream High I felt so nice and comfortable watching this drama, but I was maybe just a bit more emotionally invested in Dream High. I will miss watching Pinocchio every week and I can’t wait for Park Hye Ryun’s next drama.

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