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An Endearing, Funny, Sweet, Healing, Uplifting, Beautiful Story with a Bunch of Lovable Characters
I love this show so much for the positive, warm-hearted, funny, quirky vibe it gives every episode. Yet it's not an empty calorie show at all. It manages to balance hilarious comedy with touching, deep moments and inspirational life lessons. This show will make you laugh and cry - sometimes at the same time. Though there are sad, heartbreaking moments, this show always seems to exude a sense of optimism underneath it all. In this stressful world with so much violence and inhumanity; it's nice to be able to have this oasis of a show to turn to where you can watch lovable, quirky, well written and acted characters who warm your heart and tickle your funny bone every week. I am never bored by this show, and the hour always goes by so fast for me. I've re-watched each episode too many times already and still love it.This is a love story between two emotionally stunted 30-year-olds with the emotional maturity of 17-year-olds who help each to grow and mature into their chronological age of 30. The plot and the heart of this story is the emotional growth that each of the main characters has to go through to become who they were meant to be if not for the traumatic accident that essentially froze them emotionally in time. The life lessons from how to treat others who are struggling to how to overcome your fears, tragedies, and regrets to find the courage to live and love again are beautifully written and acted. I love that this story doesn't show this journey in a maudlin, boring fashion but does it with so much humor and heart.
Though there may seem like a few parts where things are not moving as fast as we the audience would like or then moving too fast because this show was scheduled to be 40 episodes, but SBS inexplicably cut it to 32 at the last minute out of nowhere despite it being the number one rated weekday prime time show and a hit internationally all through its run. Please trust that the writer and actors will make your journey with them worth it if you stick with this heartwarming and beautiful show to the end. Just enjoy the funny heartwarming moments for what they are. I gave this show a 10 not because it's perfect, SBS abruptly cutting the successful show caused some loose ends that would have been tied up if they had the time they were originally promised, but because it's the closest to the most perfect show I have ever watched in terms of all the elements I mention above and below. It's the only show were I have no major complaints about anything and I enjoy watching every character and every episode, even in re-watch. Plus the ending is one of the best and most satisfying endings I have ever seen. There are so few heartwarming, interesting shows where after you watch it, it restores your faith in humanity instead of making you question it.
The OTP's relationships take time to build, but once it "crescendo," their chemistry is in full bloom amazing mode. This will become one of the most beautiful love stories you'll ever see and I'm not just talking about the leads, but the entire cast. Both Shin Hye Sun and Yang Se Jong have amazing comic as well as emotional timing on top of being first rate, award-winning actors. They both have the ability to make the audience feel what their characters feel and elicit great empathy for their characters. Both can make you clutch your stomach in laughter and your heart in tears, and their love story will make you feel like butterflies live in your chest. They're such great actors that they can have an amazing love story with a broom much less with each other. The rest of the cast is also amazing; there isn't one weak link in this cast. Even the dog is a better actor than half of the human actors out there.
Very rarely can I say with certainty that you'll love a show because so rarely is there a magical coming together of great writing, acting, plot, comedic timing, directing, lovable main to supporting characters, location (even their house is full of character), and music in one show. Even if you like nothing else, the dog is worth the watch alone. I've never seen a show where I love each episode and don't forward through any part. The only disappointment I feel is when it ends. Of course we are all human and all will have different opinions on everything, but I think the majority of the people who give this show a try will find that they don't just like it, but will love it and it will become one of their favorite shows of all time or at the very least of 2018. It's one of the best feel good shows I've ever seen. You'll want to tell everyone you know about it and watch this show again and again.
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This isn’t your ordinary healing drama, it is a piece of sweet candy with a slice of life filling, wrapped in a layer of melodrama, wrapped in a comedy. The balance is perfect, and when you savor it, you feel the taste of life, where joy, elation, sorrow, bitterness, numbness and relief become one and shape who you are. And through experiencing those emotions, that is how our characters Woo Seo Ri and Gong Woo Jin mature from a mental age of 17 to 30 together. I appreciate Seo Ri’s optimistic approach towards life, and I’m sure that if I had experienced the same thing as she did, I wouldn’t have been able to smile in the same way. She is truly a strong person who knows how to appreciate the beauty of life as it is.
The side characters were also memorable and beautiful. The dorky and caring Yoo Chan, who introduced us the life motto “Don’t think, pill (feel)!”, Jennifer, the mysterious butler who is a living encyclopedia, and Deok Gu/Fang, the dog who is worthy of winning the Dog Oscar of the year. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to get over them, and I genuinely wish I had friends or a family like them.
Despite how emotionally beautiful the relationship and growth of the characters were, there were still some parts which could be played out in a better way. Since this was originally meant to be a 40 (20) episode drama but got shortened into a 32 (16) episode drama near the end, the pacing was off in the latter half of the plot. All the dramatic things happened at the same time, and secrets were revealed all at once. Originally this was acceptable, but given that the first half of the story was very slow-paced and stretched out, the sudden speed-up became unnatural and destroyed the momentum of the story. Nearing the end, things that were once suspenseful felt like they no longer mattered to the audience. I once considered that maybe the pacing would’ve been better if it had been 40 (20) episodes, but I felt like there was not enough material to last for that long either.
All in all, this is the kind of drama that you will enjoy if you are looking for a heartwarming story about people growing up together, approaching devastation with optimism and learning to face traumas head on, and supporting one another. This is not the sort of drama where you will be kept at the edge of your seat. This drama is purely character-driven with a little bit of plot to drive their change. Nevertheless, I still enjoyed every minute of it and I never felt bored (mind that I’m a person who dropped What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim, Weightlighting Fairy Kim Bok Joo due to boredom).
The OST is highly worth mentioning, especially the classical music they put in each episode to match the themes. It really pulls on my heartstrings and enhances the emotions of the characters.
I would definitely recommend this drama to anyone who likes lighthearted, slice of life comedies and sincere genuine relationships. "Monster Rookie" Yang Se Jong and Shin Hye Sun truly brought their characters to life, seeing how different they are compared to their previous roles. A must watch!
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It’s like sunshine on my soul and rainbow skies with fluffy bunny clouds.
If a television show could be a child on a rainy day playing with a dollhouse and making up a story in their imaginative, marshmallow head while drinking hot chocolate and getting hugs from their puppy then this would be that show.
I could devote part of this review to its pacing problems, its thin plot, its treatment of its minor characters, and some of the questionable decisions the writers made in the name of a humour that was at times a little broad. But when you smile for 16 episodes straight and a chicken regularly wanders through, who cares?
The music is wonderful, the cinematography is at times spectacular and the writers have fun - loads of fun - recreating visual odes to films, especially horror films. Show is fun and show has heart and that's really all you need from a rom-com in the end.
Shin Hye-sun is delightful as Woo Seo-ri, the 17-year-old girl who comes out of a 13-year coma to find she's suddenly 30. Yang Se-jong is delightful as Gong Woo-jin, the man who hides his guilt over the accident with a misanthropic grumpiness. And Ahn Hyo-seop is delightful as Yoo Chan, Woo-jin's nephew who is 19 and just on the verge of adulthood. In fact, I'd love to think of another synonym for 'delightful' right now but that describes almost every character in this show - major or minor.
The main trio is rounded out by the robotic, classics-quoting housekeeper, Jennifer (Ye Ji-won) whose rote delivery and deadpan randomness is... delightful.
Every one of these characters is delightful but what I really love is the show’s underlying message about control and our ultimate lack thereof. It's not actually about trauma so much as the fact that growing up means reconciling your dreams with the reality of life and your own limitations. You can't control your physical limits any more than you can control whether a bus crashes.
As you grow older, doors in your life close. But if you have the patience to wait through the intermission, a window will open and the amazing second act can begin.
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The only reason why the plot moved at all was because of a series of situations where people kept missing each other, or simply didn't connect the dots. All the information, people and props were there, but the script annoyingly made the characters miss all of that due to either bad timing or not enough questions. It's so common and so overused in kdramas that I couldn't get into the story at all. I'm sorry, but if you let someone stay in your house for the night or longer, wouldn't you try to ask as many questions as possible? The story had great potential, but I feel like it treated fate in a very non realistic way. It was almost suggesting that a tragedy is not a real tragedy unless all the characters involved are a part of the tragic past. The show could have had a deeper message, but totally failed to deliver. Seo Ri's story was tragic enough and could stand on its own without all the extra details. I can't stand how shallow it all ended up being.
Essentially, I had a tough time getting into this drama. It got better with time, but the pacing wasn't all that great. I also didn't particularly care about the characters (excluding Seo Ri) until about the 1/3 of the drama. To me, that points to the fact that the writing wasn't great. The show had some really sweet moments, but the sweetness couldn't compensate for the lack of the actual plot development. The characters were lovable but a bit simplistic. Also, as much as I liked Jennifer, did her character really need to be that weird?
The best things about this show were the characters, the acting of the leads and the music. The music in this show is beautiful. The classical pieces were beautifully woven into the story. Overall, I liked Thirty but Seventeen because it wasn't too angsty and there weren't too many mean characters or meddling family members, but I expected it to be a bit better.
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The sheer amount of heart that saturates every moment of this show is what sets it apart from other dramas.
The latest entry in the newly minted "healing drama" genre (and arguably, the best yet), Thirty But Seventeen details the intertwined lives of Woo Seo Ri and Gong Woo Jin, allowing us to slowly unfold both their shared traumas and the bond that they build to overcome said traumas, together.
The story is driven by emotional and character progression beats, rather than plot points and adrenaline. The world that they've created around the story is a magical one, something like a modern day fairytale. Maybe a retelling of Sleeping Beauty?
The acting is wonderful. Shin Hye Sun is perfect as Seo Ri, giving the character equal parts vulnerability and innocent whimsy. And Yang Se Jong stole the show, honestly. Every time he cried, my heart just shattered. His portrayal of the traumatized Woo Jin made me say, "This man may not have been in a coma, but he's been trapped in stasis since the age of 17 too" long, long before the show drove that point home in the dialogue itself.
And the supporting cast were what really made the show shine. The little found family who all grow together and support each other, full to the brim with kindness and the best intentions... throw in a sweet little applehead chihuahua named Paeng, and we the audience really never stood a chance, did we? How do you NOT fall in love with them?
I've stopped including the music in most of the reviews that I write, because honestly most shows don't use their soundtracks to their full advantage. But in this case, the music was spot on... the classical songs that they chose to incorporate into the storyline directly fit perfectly, and the OST while having a limited number of tracks managed to include some really beautiful, heartfelt songs that worked gorgeously in the scenes that they chose.
Actually, now that I'm sort of on the subject, I really want to give a shoutout to whoever did the editing for this show in general. Multiple times, I couldn't help but notice just how stunning the editing was. Particularly in the scenes where Woo Jin or Seo Ri are having flashbacks... the way that the past and present seemed to melt together, combined with the sound editing choices... it was really incredible. I would rewatch this show solely for those scenes, to be honest.
Anyway, this review has gotten a little bit away from me, and I think I'm probably just rambling now. But suffice it to say, this drama is one of the few that I wholeheartedly and without any reservations love, and I hope that as many people as possible will watch and be touched by this story and these characters too.
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It stars Shin Hye Sun or Yang Se Jong and they really are a dream match. I find it funny that neither of them is actually 30, but I guess that makes sense since both characters are stuck in their pasts. Shin Hye Sun as Woo Seo Ri does an amazing job of handling all the emotions her character has to go through, and seeming inappropriately youthful without being too silly. I was also extremely impressed with Yang Se Jong as Gong Woo Jin who was both heartbreaking and heart melting in his role. They had a great chemistry which felt honest, and sweet, and I absolutely fell in love with them falling for each other.
The supporting cast is pretty much perfect. I loved Ahn Hyo Seop as the super cute jock Yoo Chan, and his bromantical and hilarious teammates. I really liked Woo Jin's coworkers, and how they dealt with his antics in a caring way. I was also extremely happy to see one of my favorite K-actresses Ye Ji Won as Jennifer, a kind of robotic Mary Poppins character who easily became one of my favorites in the cast. I may never be able to say "Jenni-fer" normally again! Even the dog was great!
I also have to mention how well all of the younger versions of the characters matched their older versions. They did not have to look like perfect matches to match their personalities perfectly. For once I wasn't annoyed by constant flashbacks, because every look back made sense and added to the depth of the story. I appreciated that.
Another unsung favorite in this drama is that house! I haven't fallen in love with a kdrama home like this since "Secret Garden".
So, does this drama really cover romance, comedy, drama, mystery, and music? Kinda, but not in a way that feels disconnected. I also love that all of the parts of the story seem well thought out and connected. Even what should seem improbable feels like it makes perfectly reasonable sense as more of the story is revealed.
Music is also a major part of this drama. Although the original songs were appropriate, they were not particularly memorable. I just liked the way love of music was shown throughout the story.
Would I watch this again? Definitely! Not only was it easy to binge through (32 episodes even felt short), but It'll be fun to rewatch it all knowing there will be new moments to catch now that I know the full story. I already caught something while rewatching the first episode that I definitely had no reason to notice the first time. A small trivial thing, but a huge part of the story, just like this drama's overall theme. I definitely want to applaud the writer for paying attention to those kinds of details.
There were a few minor parts of the story that felt a little rushed through as far as explanations, or became less important, but not in a way that affected the pace or telling of the story at all. I hear that it was originally much longer which is probably the reason. Still, I was more than satisfied with the end, which felt pretty perfect and solidified this dramas spot on my favorites list.
So if you're thinking about watching this drama for any reason, just heed the advice of Yoo Chan... "Don't think, feel!" or rather "Don't think, watch!" This drama definitely got me in the "Feels" and I loved every single episode of it!
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"And if german guys ask you 'DO YOU WANT A BEER?',sprinkle hot sauce on them! "
Aghh,so this is how a good kdrama felt like...MY FIRST perfect 10 THIS YEAR. After watching the first episode i already knew i was going to love the story and i deeply wished to not be disappointed after a couple of episodes (like many other dramas)
And i definitely wasn't. The characters are very deep and you slowly get to understand each one more as the story progresses. Each one of them have their own unique characteristics that i won't be able to forget. For example,Jennifer. She's now on my list of fav characters. There's not one character i didn't love,that's how amazing the cast was.
And the plot of this drama speaks out to you in many different levels. In both comical and serious tones,i laughed most of the time but man,the last episodes were hard to get through without crying. I even cried because it ended. It was an amazing ride that i won't forget.
Conclusion: It doesn't take long before you get hooked on to this show. It's my personal top drama of the year. 100% recommend
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Cette critique peut contenir des spoilers
'30 but 17' is a lovely drama about self-growth, love, friendship, overcoming hardships, family beyond blood. It talks about so many deep topics with such a pure and innocent approach that melts your heart every episode. The core and root of this drama are sad, a sorrowful story with so many sad parts, but the drama is so beautiful that I watched it with a smile on my face, I laughed out loud so many times, I cried, I felt related to the characters, I felt empowered. I don't have enough words to express how much I loved this drama. Every little thing about this was amazing, every character, the story, the acting, chemistry, music. Everything was simply perfect. Woo Seo Ri is absolutely one of my favorite female characters. She was strong without trying too hard, she was determined, optimistic, happy. What I loved the most about her character is that she had such a sad life, she lost 13 years of her life, the most important time for most people, she lost her friends, lost contact with her family. She was abandoned in this world and yet she maintained her cheerful and hard-working attitude. The scene where she's seen in the playground sheltering herself from the rain hit so many spots, it was so sad. She went through so much but she didn't let any of her hardships take away what she believed in, who she was. I loved that she didn't have to be a tough character to be strong, and that shows that women don't need to be tough or 'femme fatale' to be considered strong, we can be feminine, girly, innocent, cheerful, and still be strong. I also loved the way she grew as a person as well, a 17-year-old was forced to be 30 and act like an adult, but with the help of her boyfriend, family and friends she was able to grow so much to the point that she even changed her dream, because she was not a young girl who loved to play the violin anymore, but she was an adult who now had different, yet highly meaningful things in her life.
Gong Woo Jin automatically became one of my favorite all-time male characters because of how much he grew as a person, as a man in all of his ways. He was a man who lived his life blaming himself for the death of a girl he didn't even know, until one day he meets someone that opens all the doors for him to find happiness again. He overcomes all of his complexes before knowing who Seo Ri was, which shows that he didn't just grow because of the girl in the past (the one he thought it was, at least), but because he opened the door for who seemed to be a new person in his life. He let himself be happy, and eventually even found forgiveness to himself after clearing up the misunderstanding. The moment when I sobbed with this drama was when he confessed his feelings to Seo Ri after he said he would leave, when he told her that he was sorry for loving her after taking her life away. "I am the one who stole 13 years of your life, but I can't live without you," I loved this scene just so much. Also, when he first told her that he would never leave, that they should be honest to each other and never hide anything, tell things just like they are. The growth he experienced was unmatched. I just wish relationships in real life were this beautiful.
The romance was just so lovely! Gong Woo Jin and Woo Seo Ri loved each other like crazy, they relied on each other every time, they trusted each other with their lives. When Woo Jin first opened up to her at the beach was so beautiful because he was slowly letting her in his life and that was the beginning of his forgiveness. I had to repeat some parts of the romance because of how beautiful it was, the way they interacted with each other, when he held her hand, the way they looked at each other... Sometimes I wonder how can actors and actresses not fall in love for each other when playing such lovely roles. These two ar totally one of my favorite couples as well.
I loved every side character of this story. Yoo Chan was the purest boy ever and I loved his realization of his feelings, how caring he was, the way he struggled to accept that he loved someone so much older, and the way he decided to put an end to those feelings as well. He was so mature and didn't whine nor complain to his uncle because he knew his feelings were just a crush from a teenager. I liked that he was eager to grow faster just to be with Seo Ri, but then he knew that he didn't have to rush things in his life and just live the best way for him to his age. I loved this boy so much. And his friends were just as lovely, I loved their friendship and how they were always there for each other.
I would say Jennifer was my favorite character but everyone in this drama is so perfect and I loved the leads so much that I can't really say I love any side character more than them, but Jennifer was such a beautiful character! Her story was so sad but she still took such good care about all the boys and Seo Ri, she truly loved them all as if they were her own children. When Woo Jin told her that he also once thought he didn't deserve to have good things in his life but that he was wrong and that she also deserved to find those beautiful things, I teared up some bits. I love that this drama shows how depression can affect different people in different ways, but ultimately all of us can overcome those things in our own ways. When Seo Ri hugged her and told her that it was okay not to be okay today, that moment was so emotional. I love that the writers gave Jennifer importance and closure to her sadness even though she did not affect the plot, so I was so happy to see her saying that she would now find beautiful things that she deserves, and then she came back looking completely different and happier; it was so refreshing.
I liked the fact that this drama didn't need a villain to be good or keep you interested in the story. It was about overcoming your hardships, growing as a person and loving the people around you. I thought Director Rim Kim would be a possessive bitch at some points when she was first introduced, that she would fall for Woo Jin and usual kdrama stuff, then I thought she would do bad things to Seo Ri and block her from growing, just other usual kdrama stuff. But I was actually relieved to find that she was simply an insecure woman who despite having it all didn't enjoy the things she had due to the pressure of her family, and finding Seo Ri made her appreciate things better and grow as well. She wasn't a main character but she still had such good character development.
I also thought Kim Hyun Tae would start some drama and try to take Seo Ri away from Woo Jin and the family, that she would go with him and bring unnecessary drama, but I was so glad again to see how Seo Ri put her family first, how she said she was okay where she was now. Also, loved the confidence with which Woo Jin talked to him and reassured Hyun Tae that Seo Ri was okay, that he was glad Seo Ri had someone who took care of her all these years and that it was okay now; when he said that you're calm when you're not anxious about your feelings! Boy, I love you just too much. The character development of every character in this drama is just so beautiful.
Some bonus parts of this drama that were maybe not that important to others but I noticed and loved (again) is that when Seo Ri was at the airport, she saved Chan without knowing who he was and it's never given importance because it was about Seo Ri and Woo Jin, but then Chan saves Min Kyu, Seo Ri's cousin and I just like that this was such an unimportant small detail that warmed my heart.
This drama was just so perfect to me. There were some little details that I didn't like and which were actually poorly done, like some continuation errors in certain scenes, the editing several times cut the emotions because they kept throwing some unrelated scenes that cut the moments, or the fact that an entire episode could've been cut off if they didn't put so many flashbacks all the time! But these are just some production errors that don't bother me enough to remove the 10/10 that this drama is for me. It's definitely my favorite feel good drama so far and I can't express how much I loved it enough.
I also loved some quotes from Jennifer and one from Woo Jin that I wrote down to include in this review, so I'll leave them below and simply recommend you this drama so much!
"Even if you want to hold onto it or you want it to pass quickly, time is the only thing that will eventually go by. Even the painful times that make people think that it'd be okay to just die now pass eventually. There will come a day when even the painful memories that seemed like they'd never be erased will pass. But if you ignore the time even before this day comes, the important moments will simply be washed away. Even if you regret it, it'd be too late for them." - Jennifer
"Time not only does fly by, but at the same time it's something you can never get back. Anyone's capable of feeling sad about what's already gone. But whether you make that sadness into something regretful or a wonderful memory is entirely up to you." - Jennifer
"Some things just get better as time goes by, but that's not the case when it comes to resolving uncomfortable feelings you have for another person. People mostly fall apart because they don't say enough; they stop themselves from saying the one thing that matters. It's better to put things back to normal before things get worse because of that one thing you didn't say." - Jennifer
"They say, 'When one door to happiness closes, another door to happiness opens up for you.' But many of us are only focused on the closed door and don't even realize that another door has opened up. Perhaps, the other door to happiness might not be something grand or special. Perhaps, the small and trivial things that look insignificant are the other doors to happiness. The small roof window in my room had always been closed since I didn't know it could be opened. She taught me how to open it and then it became another door to happiness. If you don't flop down in front of a closed door, if you take a look at the other door to happiness before it's too late, if you muster up the courage and walk towards it, then perhaps you might be able to find the happiness that you didn't even realize existed." - Gong Woo Jin
Cet avis était-il utile?
Cet avis était-il utile?
I enjoyed the youth period and I think there is potential for a drama there (yes, I know it’s not the topic here but I would have preferred if the drama stayed in school with love triangles and violin rivalries).
When watching a drama, I like to be able to feel emotions, be it angst, laughter, sadness, twisting of the stomach but here? I kept watching hoping the show would give me something, anything to get my pulse to quicken; but no, we’re in LaLaLand and everything is cute-ish and that’s not my style of drama.
I’m not saying this drama is bad, I’m just saying it didn’t work for me.
I was gonna rate this drama a 4 but then again, because of Chan and the Dog I’ll raise it to 5.5.
I wish I would have stopped watching after episode 6 (11-12 if you will).
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I'm in love with this drama - everything about it has been done well.
I stumbled across this on Netflix and it's only available for another few days so thought I'd give it a go. Now I'm desperately chugging it and feel compelled to express how good it is. 8 episodes in and reached that perfect point when the leads are beginning to fall for each other without quite realising it.Apart from support actors Lee Do Hyun and Jo Hyun Shik (playing Chan's friends), I haven't come across any of the cast before, but I like every single one. The two male leads are lovely (ugggh - Yang Se Jong's beautiful face..) and I'm adding Dr. Romantic to my neverending watchlist seeing as they're both in it.
I often get aggravated by female leads which makes me feel crap and judgmental - but Shin Hye Sun is a sweetheart. Despite her character basically being a 17-yr-old stuck in a 30-yr-old's body, Seo Rii somehow avoids being dopey and simpering.
I also like Ye Ji Won who plays Jennifer.
There are some lovely aerial shots of the house that capture characters in different spaces. It's looks like a stage set which ties into the story too. I'm enjoying it so much I'm tempted to quit while I'm on the cusp of it all possibly going downhill.
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