My Sassy Girl (2017)

My Sassy Girl is the remake of the super popular, early 2000's movie of the same name. In this version, though, the story doesn't take place in modern times, but in the Joseon period. I found it a thoroughly enjoyable drama for the most part. It's a light romantic- comedy sageuk with a dose of political intrigue mixed in. In all honesty, though, there was really nothing much that set it apart from countless other dramas of the same genre. It's pretty standard fare, but I really liked it nontheless. The cinematography is beautiful. The use of color and lighting make it stand out, as well as the costumes. Truly, out of all Joseon era sageuks, this one has the best visuals and costuming that I have seen.

As I mentioned above, the story itself isn't original and it actually doesn't follow the original My Sassy Girl that closely. In the first couple of episodes, you can recognize a couple of scenes and situations, and the main character's friends have a similar profession/hobby, but that's about it. There are also quite a few modern Korean culture and society refrences used, which had me chuckling. All in all I do recommend this drama, despite it being so similar to others. It's still a fun watch.

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I was very, very excited for this drama ever since it was announced because it is Joo Won's first sageuk. And when I watched the first episode, I just knew that it would definitely not reach my personal expectations.

Overall this one is a lightweight sageuk residing in the comedy genre with a slice of sketchy corruption. That pretty much describes it all.

Tastes usually differ, especially with rom-coms and it always depends on what the viewers expect of it. Since this one also belongs to that genre, the drama delivered that part well enough if you want to enjoy something lighthearted (even though I myself didn't feel that much emotion between the leads because it felt rushed to me).

My complains about the story are that the corruption plot staggered alot in the middle and the story didn't seem to move forward at all - while the finale seemed very rushed again. The villains were shallow and only loosely defined. And I really wish that they had given the (current) queen more depth - I don't mean some excursion into the past that justifies her actions but more sides to her character in the present. She was so lopsided. I would have liked to see if she indeed genuinely cared for the prince, for example.

Other than that I enjoyed the side characters quite alot. They were essential for the comedy part and did a really good job. I also loved the costumes, the colors and the music in this. And they even had some really pretty and artistic scenes, especially in the beginning.

Despite my own divided impression on this, I would still recommend it to people who look for a lighthearted romance with a side plot that doesn't put them into much agony. If you still can't decide whether to watch it or not then try to imagine putting historical costumes on modern day people and throw them onto a sageuk stage. You have fancy cafés, a manicure salon and all the values people nowadays cherish.

(btw, I can't compare this to its original since I haven't seen that one)

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I like a lot the overall idea of the story; two characters who don't get along but find love later on. However, the princess drove me insane for the first half of the story. I felt her character was overly brash, unpleasant and rude. The entire first episode I was becoming extremely annoyed by her behavior towards the guy that it ruined most of the series for me. I don't mind strong women in historical dramas, I think they bring something new and I enjoy watching their interactions, but this princess I wouldn't say was strong but close-minded and unwilling to listen. The lead male I wouldn't even describe as being cold, he seemed pretty sweet for the most part; arrogant at times but not cold.

I was very excited for this drama when I saw the trailers for it but after starting the drama I was just disappointed. I ended up skipping through the first 5 episodes because the princesses attitude was pissing me off so much that I couldn't enjoy the story.

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Aside from the first episode, in which the princess was too rude and I thought I could never stand her, the begining was great. But then for me it kind of lost its magic as it focused more on the conspiracy part. I mean, I love conspiracies, palace politics, political intrigue, etc., but this drama have failed in that department because it was written in a very silly way. I don't even know why I thought it could be any different from other dramas if its kind. I love the leads, they are freaking adorable but (most) supporting characters lack depth. The story isn't very much elaborated and the writing is lazy and childish. I love historical dramas but I usually keep my distance from this particular type of historicals - the ones who are made for people new to this genre or people who don't actually like historicals - and this drama just reminded me to continue to do so in the future.

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My sassy girl started weak, had some good parts in the middle, but
eventually, it just got more boring. The plot was interesting at first,
even though the first few episodes tried to mimic the original movie
way too much to the point that they looked ridiculous. The whole
disposed queen, though, and the princess's secret were okay, adding
some thrill to the plot that else was tiring to watch. The couple were
more comical than had chemistry. It's a same because the actress was
seriously good in please come back mister... Not that this performance
was bad, but it didn't have anything special. In addition, the script
didn't help the actors much. The funny parts were few, even though the
whole drama tried to keep a light mood. In the end, I can't say that I
didn't fast forward some parts that were just boring, or that it didn't
take me more than it should to finish it because I kept postponing
watching it. so, 3 out of 10.

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Under-rated fusion sageuk - great balance of comedy, drama and intrigue

Indeed a worthwhile watch, and I enjoyed the cheeky contemporary details that the writers slipped into this sageuk drama. Elements like a manicure bar, cafe, taxi stand, and the male lead's knowledge of mixed drinks were not what I expected, but they certainly established the show as a fun and interesting one. I have not seen the other versions so my review is solely based on this drama.

For a lighthearted rom-com, the story was well-written and even better executed, switching between serious and hilarity, between dark themes and fluffy romance. Yes, cringe-inducing K-drama tropes were deployed, and the villains were somewhat predictable and not fully developed. Still, I never found myself wanting to fast forward.

The story flowed nicely, and the introduction of the characters and sub-plot lines felt organic. Comedic moments were on point, and there were often curveballs. Scenes that felt like the romance was about to kick off were often disrupted by unexpected unromantic developments. These twists kept me watching non-stop, and I was elated when the OTP finally got together! Even though 16 episodes felt just right, I did wish for only one more just to see a grand finale wedding.

Being a fusion sageuk, I liked how progressive the women were portrayed. Good or bad, these women were not afraid to go after what they wanted. I mean, Princess Hye Myung was the boss! Always questioning traditions and rules, and choosing to study medicine over getting married to her beloved Gyun Woo first. We also have Da Yeon going against her father's wishes and instead openly asking him to help her get Gyun Woo, and even her servant, Mal-Geum unabashedly chased after Gyun Woo's friend.

That said, I did like how it was Gyun Woo who made the first move with Hye Myung. Sounds contradictory, I know, but I still relish the romance of traditional courtship, and Gyun Woo scored major points when he asked the Qing prince to back off. Also, his confession to Hye Myung was so heart-felt and endearing.

My favorite thing about this show was the chemistry between Joo Won and Oh Yeon Seo. They played off each other so well, and they looked good together. Both actors were excellent and have proven their acting range. They emoted so effectively, especially Joo Won, who displayed grief and anguish so well just with his eyes.

The supporting cast deserved a shout-out as well, not only the actors but also the characters they played. Lee Jung Shin as Lieutenant Kang won me over - I was kind of hoping that he was the SML, and others who worked for me included: Prince Wonja (Choi Ro Woon) and Choon Poong (Shim Hyung Tak).

The music was another plus point. The OST was well selected, and I loved the usage of Pachebel's piece, Canon in D, and the adaptations of it.

Last but not least I have to mention the dimples! Not only did our OTP have the most adorable dimples, so did the little prince, the scheming queen, the villain, Gyun Woo's friend, and other characters. Everywhere I looked, it was dimples galore!

Overall, I recommend this show for its amazing OTP, cute romance, and satisfying ending.

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Fun to Watch

If you like a fun historical series with enough drama, intrigue to keep you interested without overwhelming you with political issues, this is the one for you. The comedy was fun without the bings and bongs, which I dislike. The story started a little slow, and I wasn’t sure if it would have a serious side, but I continued watching and was pleasantly surprised. The romance was real and sometimes raw. It developed slowly, and even though you could see it coming, it was moving to watch. The action scenes were well played and sometimes brutal, making them more realistic. The character interaction was great. The second you begin to dislike some of the characters, you know the story is well written.

Oh Yeon Seo was amazing in her role as Princess Hye Myung. She has so many acting skills, and this series showed them all. Drama, comedy, and romance always seem to be at her fingertips. She is truly something to watch.

The music brought it all together. Even though some of it was in English, I would like to have seen the words in the subtitles. Speaking of subtitles, they were great. They are so important to a viewer who doesn’t speak the language.

I enjoyed this experience, and I recommend it if you want to watch something that is fun and light. I’m all about romance, and this one didn’t disappoint.

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Such a good drama--it was the best (although some liberties were taken as it is partially a comedy and parody of a "real" situation). The first half was hilarious and I loved it.  It got more serious and dramatic the last half. This drama has everything I would want in a great story with excellent actors. (All of the actors were good but Joo Won and Oh Yeon Seo were absolutely perfect!) Great storyline, directing, acting, and my interest level was sustained throughout the entire drama. I will definitely watch this again and recommend it to my friends and family.   It's a must-watch--don't miss it. I rated it almost 9.5 out of 10!
(I would like to make an off-comment.  I wish this drama had a different name--at least change it to "My Sassy Princess" instead of "My Sassy Girl".  It often seems to me that Drama titles are very misleading and don't pique the audience's attention the way they could. They should at least hit the main points--Historical, sassy/opinionated, dramatic, etc.)  

PS I really meant this to be a comment, not a review, but since there are no reviews yet, I'll just leave it the way it is.. Enjoy! (Also, I thought they did a really good job on the music--I loved the main theme!)

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A-sassy-nation

It ended up being a parade of tired clichés and an absolute rollercoaster of inconsistency. You have to abandon the most basic display of homosapien intellect capabilities before going into this drama. The leads were useless which made the baddies invincible and the only thing that was able to stop them was the production reaching its end. The leads' relationship was as if someone threw them together and said, "Okay, now act like you're in love!". It was one of the most unnatural displays of affection and progression which, subsequently, killed their romance, in this supposed "rom-com". How many times did the male lead roll to both sides and sighed while being doubtful of his feelings like a child being teased for liking girls?

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I finished this drama not realizing it was the final episode. Period dramas are my favorite but this one seemed to be a see saw. It wanted to be a period drama and wanted to be 21st century at the same time. In the end it failed miserably on both ends. The actors did their best but you can only say the lines handed to you and act according to the script. I actually feel for them because the potential for a great drama was there but you are distracted by its endless attempts to have this epic storyline that just not worthy of telling or anyone believing. Attempts to have twists, turns and misunderstandings were missteps from my viewpoint [please don't take offense by my interpretation]. The lead actors are two of my favorites --- I just wish the director, writer and producers did a better job.

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