Pinocchio (2014)

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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my favourite moments:

1)when choi dalpo says it is a christmas present pew pew

2)when choi dalpo kabedons in ha

3)when choi dalpo kisses in ha for the first time

4)In ha and choi dalpo cooking together at his brothers house

5)Choi dalpo and in ha taking a photo with ahn chan soo's cute baby

6)nitpicker bringing his father to throw snakes on editor hwang

7)editor hwang carrying yoon yurae on his back whenever shes drunk

8)inha's high fives to seo bumjo

9)song cha ok changing herself for her daughter

10)grandfather accepting inha and dalpo's marriage

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Pinocchio gave a very fresh look at the inside view of being a reporter, as unlike many of the others who have reviewed this k-drama, I have yet to actually watch I Can Hear Your Voice for comparison. I noticed the constant theme of the episode names being references to different fairy tales, which was quite a fun touch for consistency that was too fun for me to dismiss.

STORY:
The overall story was very gripping and captivating, and kept me on my toes as I went along the series. It had a very kdrama-esque feel to it, which always usually prompts the audience to move on to the next episode. It had many twists, turns and reveals and occasionally the absurdity of how sharp every character's memory is almost got to me (but that sharp memory is exactly what keeps the story in its correct flow, anyway). While the main plot of the story did keep me extremely interested in the show, the main romance can only be briefly described as blandly sweet and barely did much to genuinely move me in any way. Towards the end of the drama, I started to root more for a certain couple than I did for In Ha and Ha Myung, and they didn't even get a proper ending (which may or may not have left me in emotional distress, but I can look past it).

To describe the romance between them — In Ha and Ha Myung — although it is very soft, sincere and sweet, it's not the usual kind that garners a reaction from the audience and therefore did not for me (not completely, anyway). I could look past them most of the time, really, and was very "meh" at the ending they were given, too. The conclusion that was given in the drama seemed a bit lacking for me in some characters, but that's usually irrelevant to the overall flow and is something I can look over. I really wanted to know how That Certain Couple turned out, and also know the current state of In Ha and her mother's relationship, too, and got neither.

Otherwise, the storyline had many intellectual points about human morals and occasionally made me reflect on a few things while watching. It has also made me realize the hardships reporters can go through to reach that lifelong status they yearn for in life.

ACTING/CAST:
All characters were lovable, even the bad ones. The whole cast was very good at their job and gave a — once more — kdrama-esque perspective to the story. Lee Jong Suk, as an infamous actor at this point, gave an outstanding job with his acting, and so did the actor for his older brother. The comedic relief, Nosy Jang, was a likable character as well, along with our cutie Yoon Yu Rae and Chan Soo with his family. I even started developing a little crush on Cap Hwang!
All actors gave their dialogues and characters justice and depth to them in their own way. In Ha is definitely a heroine I don't see everyday, and respected her decisions throughout the way as a Pinocchio and as a reporter. I found her a little badass, too!

MUSIC:
Didn't really stand out to me, but I can certainly remember that one song since it's fresh in my memory. But it probably won't be as stuck in my head as do the songs in other dramas; but the music itself gave a very refreshing outlook to the story.

REWATCH VALUE:
As I don't really every fully rewatch any Asian dramas besides looking at specific scenes on YouTube, Pinocchio doesn't really change my ongoing streak despite the impact it has left on me. Perhaps I'll just rewatch scenes of that aforementioned "certain couple". Who knows.
In general, however, mystery shows can come off as boring to me after you know how all mysteries will be solved anyways, so rewatch value is rather low for me.

OVERALL:
Served justice as a crime/mystery drama, not completely as a romance kdrama. It proved itself to be captivating, partially philosophical and rather insightful. It didn't really provide anything new for me as a Korean drama, but it certainly provides a heavily enjoyable watch for everyone.

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One of the most emotional and satisfying shows I've had the privilege to watch. <3

Pinocchio is one of those dramas that the more I think about the more I love.

On first watch the story delves into the backstories of the main leads and at first I didn't understand why they were introducing it so early on until I reached the end of the episode and things started to click. The relationships and themes this show has are so poetically beautiful. All characters have an intricate relationship with each other and their goals are palpable from day one. You want them to succeed, you are rooting for them, you feel frustration when they make mistakes and cheer them on when they learn from them.

There is no entirely good and entirely bad character. You see everyone grow into their best and worst selves, then you see them climb back out of a hole and it's just so real and wonderful. Add a domino style plot, that starts out with a seemingly meaningless fire accident that took away lives and ruined some more. Then it escalates to magnanimous proportions and now the characters have to somehow deal with the consequences and fix this mess.

Characters will think twice about their choices, some will regret what they did, some will not.

Things come full circle. This drama is beautifully planned and well-thoughout. One of the most emotional and satisfying shows I've had the privilege to watch. <3

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The power of words in media & wrestling with the gray areas

“The pen is mightier than the sword,” or in our day: The news media can literally wield the power of life and death in the information they share. After a terrible accident, a family is ripped apart because of poor fact-checking by the media. Mother is dead, father is who-knows-where, and the youngest son missing-presumed-dead, leaving the eldest son alone in the world.

The youngest son is rescued and adopted by an adorable found family whose daughter has Pinocchio syndrome—she cannot lie without hiccuping, which means that she must be honest, sometimes brutally so. Her dream? To grow up and become a journalist like her mother…who was responsible for destroying the boy’s family.

This drama follows these two children into young adulthood. She pursues her dream of becoming the first reported who cannot lie (cos of the Pinocchio syndrome); he decides to also become a reporter, solely for the purpose of exposing those who destroyed his family and getting revenge on them all. BUT WAIT! Is it that simple? What really destroyed his family? Was it poor fact-checking? Deliberate editorial choices for sensation and views? Or something far more sinister and high-reaching into the rich elite class?

The two reporters-in-training, along with their co-trainees and the veteran reporters around them, follow this thread while exploring what it means to be a true reporter through exhausting weeks and ethical dilemmas. And when the critical moment comes, which will be more important: revenge and personal resolution? Or justice and answers for the greater good? Either way, you get to look at the same male lead as in “W,” so it will be worth it! #leejongsuksupremacy

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I liked how this drama is a melodrama and not a romcom. It has a great storyline. About how reporters not just "report" news but sometimes, they manipulate it, according to their needs or someone's needs, like a higher up or a sponsor or a shareholder for their company perhaps. It shows the dark side of media. Like not everything you see or hear is real or true. Fair enough. As for my reason to watch this drama is the actor "Lee Jong Suk", I did not really see him in this drama. What I mean is, he played the role well. Like he was really the reporter that he played in the role. He disappeared into the show and just became the plain and simple character he plays. He is that good. As for the female lead, Park Shin Hye, its my first time watching her really, because I gave up watching her on the drama "The Heirs" because of the shallow story line. So in this drama, I really appreciated her acting and her physical beauty. She and Lee Jong Suk had chemistry, as they all said. But their love story was not really the focus here. Its more of the great story line about "Reporting and the News" thingy. The love story here was just kinda the side dish, not the main dish. Its refreshing for me. Anyway, if I recommend this drama, yes of course. Its one of the best dramas out there. It is on the serious side but nicely paced. But if you are looking for a romance and feel good romcom, this is not for you. I can recommend other dramas.

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I honestly was hesitant to watch this because the plot summary sounded so boring to me. It's about reporting the news, with a tragic background. Just reading that line makes me yawn. A lot of people have been telling me to watch this since 2016, and while Lee Jong Suk is my favorite kdrama actor, and Park Shin Hye is one of my favorite kdrama actresses, I still didn't watch it. I finally did though, and all I can say is that I regret not watching this sooner. This is a work of art!

(Trying to do something different from the usual reviews, so I'm changing the format of my reviews this way)

Positives (Pros; Strengths of the series; Things that I liked)
- Unique Plot: While sounding really boring when you read the plot summary, the plot is actually really good. It transitioned from a kid, who grew wanting to get revenge from the reporter(s) who destroyed his family, to actually loving what he does for a living (which ironically, is reporting).

- Genre Mixes: I had a hard time classifying the genre of this drama because it was so dynamic; There was obvious romance, a ton of witty comical scenes, there was some hints of slice of life, a dash of melodrama, and a whole lot of revenge-scheming. While each on their own wasn't fantastic, when mixed together, they turned out to be really really really well.

- Park Shin Hye: The whole cast was really good. Even the supporting characters were delivering their best. But with one look at the show, you can already see who stood out. It's Park Shin Hye. Personally, I feel like this is my favorite role of PSH (I've watched a ton of her dramas, what I hate most is her role in the Heirs); she showed a lot of her funny-quirky side, made me feel flustered when she's gazing at LJS, and made me cry when she was delivering those melodramatic monologues (while hiccuping of course). I wish Park Shin Hye lands more good scripts like this. Doctors was really bland, The Heirs was really stupid. For her acting prowess at her age, I feel like she deserves a whole lot more good scripts like Lee Jong Suk. Speaking of Lee Jong Suk, he was also phenomenal in this drama (but then again, when has he failed to deliver for us?). His acting was superb, but by Lee Jong Suk standards, I've seen better roles from him (Kang Chul from W, Jae Chan from While You Were Sleeping).

- Character development (Choi In Ah, Ki Ha Myung, Seo Bum Jo): All 3 main characters showed some serious character development throughout the series. Choi In Ah, from being nervous, easily-rattled pinnochio to being a reporter who brings out the best of what pinocchio can offer in situations, especially when judgement is involved. Ki Ha Myung, from being a vengeful, reporter-hating, plot-scheming guy to being a fair reporter who checks every detail. and Seo Bum Jo, from being an overprotective, privileged mama's boy who's obsessed with a girl to being an understanding, more competent person as a whole.



Negatives (Cons; Weaknesses; Things that could've been done different)
- Overuse of Plot Twists: There were so many plot twists that some of them already looked predictable. From episode 1 alone, I already knew In Ha's mother was a reporter. That's a good twist (i'm just really good at sensing these stuff). Then there comes the Ki Jae Myung, coming out of nowhere to start killing people. Ok kinda weird, but what's weirder is that he actually changed IMMEDIATELY once he talked it out with his brother. Wait what? This is the funniest and most absurd plot twist in the series................... (see below)

- Character development of Song Cha Ok: The character started out really well for me. From episode 1, I felt irritated and angry at her lines in the series. Signs of what a good villain in a show is. From episode 1, it was clear that she was the villain of this story and should've been the villain 'till the very end but for some really odd reason, they made her to be an anti-hero (episodes 15-17) then a good character from episode (18-20). They just placed the blame on Seo Bum Jo's mom; they suddenly drew a connection from the past that will make Song Cha Ok not really bad, because there's someone badder than she is, and that character wasn't properly given screen time until episode 14. I felt like they tried to make it different from the norm; making a villain become morally good towards the end or at least an anti-hero, but I really think they could've done it without bringing up another antagonist to the story (and for heaven's sake, without connecting it to the past. Koreans love connecting things to the past as if things that are happening are always connected; happening due to destiny or some shit).


Verdict
Worth the watch. If you want to see the beauty, and perfection of this show, watch episodes 1-12. The series started of blazing hot, like a big burning warehouse but as the series grew on (13 onwards), all we can see were smoke from what was once a really monstrous fire, and reporters were just doing their best to try to make a story out of it

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