Sunbae, Don't Put On That Lipstick (2021)

Only enjoyable if you feel a connect with any of the characters

Definitely not a romantic comedy as marketed, this show is more like a Romantic Office melodrama with interesting side storylines that capture different types of relationships. The first 3 episodes will not convince you to watch it, so give it time till episode 5. After that you’ll be more invested in what goes on.

The main couple‘s romance takes time to develop, but once they do it is endearing to see them develop together. The ML’s 2 sisters however have much more interesting storylines- I would look forward to seeing their scenes more than the main couple’s after a point. I also thought the SML and SFL did not get enough screen time and I wished we saw more of them to understand and empathise with them better.

It had its flaws, but the show managed to capture maturity in most relationships (particularly the side ones) and also managed to give all the side plots satisfactory endings. As for the main couple, I would have preferred a different or an open ending rather than the one given, but I’m definitely not unhappy with how the show wrapped.

If you don’t feel connected to any character until 5 episodes you might not enjoy the show as a whole. However if you wish to continue, give it time as it’s a slow ride which might take you by surprise.

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"Don't give up , don't become distant"

Overall this was a very good drama. It didn't have a complicated plot nor did it have villains. It had a very realistic ending, although it was a happy ending it showed that everyone's "happy ending" differs. I recommend watching it, it's a very light drama and every character has a good point about them but also bad ones, which makes the series more enjoyable.

One of my favorite things a character said was what Hyun Seung said during episode 16, "But now i know I cant always win in love, even when I've given it my all."

Some spoilers about the episodes!!!!!

I started this series expecting nothing, especially since most of the comments were about how creepy Hyun Seung was, but after watching it, I don't regret picking this series up. Yes at the beginning Huyn Seung was a bit creepy and stalkerish, but let's be honest how many of us haven't acted at least a bit stalkerish towards someone we had a crush on. The way he broke the news to her was very crude, but after understanding her character better, I don't think she would have believed him if he didn't physically show her what was happening. He has also had a big character development since in the span of 8 episodes he went from stalkerish to knowing where the boundaries are. It's really nice seeing Yoon Song Ah slowly starting to fall for him.

Lee Jae Shin is a total jerk despite his past. Yes, he was unfortunate but he decided his own path. His excuse was that t was a plea disguised as an order. but he had a choice. He could have said "no" and he could have lost everything he had but he would have gained his freedom. His excuse was that he had no choice but I beg to differ, even when you're given an order there is always a choice, and it's up to you to decide what you want, and sadly he chooses his poison, which led to him losing Song Ah. It is even more repulsive to think about the fact that he was in a sense playing with both women, and that he planned to hide it from Song Ah.

At first, it thought Lee Hyo Joo was going to be the typical bratty spoiled rich girl, who was going to do everything in her power to destroy Song Ah after she had the tiniest doubt about her relationship with Jae Shin, yet during episode 8 she started to intrigue me.

EP011/12- I completely take back what I said about Hyo Joo, she is not stable. I don't if she expected Jae Ahin to drop to his knees and love her after she basically forced him to marry her by threatening him with her life. On the other hand, our main couple seems to be going strong. I loved all the small sweet moments. Also loved how Song Ah's team members stood by her side and stood up for her when the rumors were going around. I can't wait for Hyun Sung to meet his soon-to-be brother-in-law. I want to see their reactions since from what I see Hyun Sung doesn't know his sister is dating lee Jae Woon and Jae Won doesn't know Hyun Sun is his girlfriend's brother.
I also like how the ending of almost every episode is a heart-stopper, that leaves you wanting more.

13/14- For me these two episodes were depressing. I hate how they went towards the typical break-up before the ending episodes and then getting back together on the last one. I don't blame her for picking her dream job over her relationship after all they were both on different emotional levels in the relationship. Hyun Sung is obviously more emotionally invested since he was pinning over her for such a long time. The last scene on episode 14 where they were both on opposite sides and when he saw her he walked away broke my heart. I think he finally had the time to love himself more and out himself in the first place. It's obvious that for the next two episodes it's going to be her trying to get back together with him and they will probably get back together on the last episode if we are lucky they will get back together soon and if we are unlucky it will be typical they get together again on the last 10mn and it ends with a hug or kiss. On the other hand, jaewon and jiseung are so adorable together. I am glad they found each other. I felt so bad for the other sister though.

15/ Ok this episode was not that bad. I like that Jaewoon and Ji seung are getting married. I can tell the second sister and her husband will have us guessing until the end. The second leads seem more mature. Lee Hyo Joo also seemed like she learned how to draw the line and not depend on wanting a man to love her, seems like they will be back together. The only thing I disliked was again the whole breakup. It doesn't seem smart to add a breakup 2-3 episodes before the final one, it seems the last episode will just be song ah trying to win Huyn Seung over. And I get this was based on a webtoon but seriously the whole breakup is an overused cliche.

16/ This episode was very nicely wrapped up. I would have wished to see Jaewoon and Ji Seung's wedding, also I'm glad jae won and Jae Shin kinda fixed their friendship. Jae Shin and Hyo Joo also had a very good ending. Apart from Jae woon and ji seung it was hinted during the last scene that Huyn Seung and song ah were going to get married, again I would have loved to see their wedding and the reaction of their co-workers to them getting back together. Song Ah mom also had a big character growth, at the beginning we saw how dependent she was but in this episode, we finally saw her being independent and enjoying time with her friends. The second sister broke my heart, but I'm glad her ex-husband finally started to accept himself.

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Slow Paced Romantic Drama, But Definitely Worth Watching

I really enjoyed this drama, and especially the Male Lead. It was sometime frustrating to watch how the Female Lead treated him. Maybe it’s just me and my attitude, but I would have told her to F*** off many times, and would have probably never seen her again. I definitely wouldn’t have given her a second chance after she left, and decided to just have a long distance relationship for five years, and it was OK with her. But, he really was deeply in love with her, and was willing to tolerate just about anything, never falling out of love with her. Their relationship had a great ending.

I especially liked the 3 other couples, and their side/love stories. Those rounded out the whole drama, and made it interesting. All of the relationships ended how they should have, to make the story complete. Sad for the Male Lead’s sister and her doctor husband, but even sadder for their daughter. I kind of wish they would have decided to stay together, but I understand why they couldn’t. The other sister of the Male Lead had a happy ending though. Then there was the third couple that were just never meant to be together in the first place. But their storyline was really good. In the end, the woman was stronger from the experience, and was more successful and independent than she would have been if they did end up getting married.

All in all, I though it was a great Drama definitely worth watching. It kind of left me feeling good about how it ended. What I really liked about the ending, was it didn’t leave anything just “hanging.” We’ve all watched those frustrating dramas that left us feeling.... “Why did the writers leave us wondering where the relationships went after the Drama was over?”... Then, you have to sit there and imagine how you think it should have ended. This one doesn’t do that, all relationships were ended and explained. No imagination needed... Good from beginning to end!

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Don't listen to the cliche korean viewers!

This is a kind of drama that I try so hard to find. why? It's free from all the unpleasant and repetitive elements of many korean dramas. Now, what do I mean by unpleasant and repetitive elements generally present in 80% of the romantic korean dramas?
1) Childhood/prior acquaintance (the ML and FL have already unknowingly acquainted; i.e. their love story is fated) This is also present in one of my most beloved korean drama CLOY, which is pretty recent.
2) PTSD (even in many of the famed korean dramas , you will see that this element can't be avoided)
3) Rich ML, Poor or clumsy FL
Also ,this drama has very realistic and interesting storylines. I can understand if you don't find the main couple's story that attractive, but the progress of the story can be reasoned . The side storylines are very distinct and cover broad issues that one can face in relationships.
Please note that this is not the rom-com as written in the details section. Expect a slight melodramatic romance from the main couple. This is a light watch ,so don't expect very high emotional turnover

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Not Even The Right Shade of Song Ah’s Lipstick Could Save This Series...

As an eponymous novel adapted into a 16-part drama, it is always evident that there will be implausibilities with storytelling due to having cut certain material and storylines, however, the drama “ She Would Never Know”( or alternatively translated “Sunbae Don’t Put On The Lipstick”’s ) biggest inconsistency ultimately boils down to its inability to accurately create driving characters and storyline, as well as an intrinsically well-rounded relationship between our two main leads Song Ah ( Won Jin Ah) and Chae Hyun Seung ( Wo Roon).

Surprisingly the concept of the show wasn’t entirely “ terrible” in itself. Although not original or thoughtful by playing out its concept as an office romance drama , screenwriter Chae Yoon did seem to initially introduce interesting themes about South-Korean culture from the workplace, the beauty industry and the clear divide between respect of older colleagues as well as this posing an obstacle to seek out relationships ( as shown by Hyun Seung’s respectful term “ Sunbae” ). However, this show soon gave way to its own calamitous downfall by choosing rather than exploring these issues of social divide with respect and dignity, glossing them over in biased favour of the questionable relationship and characterisation between Song Ah and Hyun Seung over the course of the series.

Before continuing this review, it is important to advocate that the problems of the characters did not lie with either Jin Ah or Wo Roon as actual actors in the series . Although honestly both actors have had more beguiling performances in the past ( Jin Ah in “Steel Rain” and Wo Roon famously in “Extraordinary You”), there was nothing entirely unwatchable about either actor during their performance. At the same time, it is a fair conclusion that there was nothing intrinsically captivating about either performance , however, this may also be deduced as a consequence of the quality of screenwriting as well and the problems behind characterisation .

Before addressing possibly the biggest elephant in the room through the character of Hyun Seung, it is probably important to explain why Song Ah was an intrinsically poorly-written female lead upon certain grounds.

As a character, Song Ah was defined notably by her trope as the “ Sunbae” archetype; the “ slightly older female boss and crush ” of main lead Hye Seung, however, the “ age gap” between the characters never felt that strikingly important for the characters themselves . Although it is important to respect that a socio cultural age difference can be natural obstacle in relationships, even by South-Korean standards, a year difference between characters is nothing particularly shocking or controversial.

Beside her necessary drive as a plot mechanism for the affections and obstacles for Hye Seung within her relationship with the sociopathic Lee Jae Shin ( Lee Hyun Wook), it was hard to prominently define Song Ah as anything more than a complacent doormat for the male characters in the series to walk upon.

This is not advocating that Song Ah didn’t react emotionally to her circumstances and it did help to present a level of some humanity at times to her character, however, at the same time, viewers never really can intrinsically “get to know” Song Ah as anything more than the “ love interest” in the series; we do not get to see a lot about Song Ah’s background and wider interactions with friends and family to learn more intimately about Song Ah as a defined person, and her intrinsic reasonings towards even going out with Jae Shin ( despite his despicable personality) in the first place. Additionally what is also teeth-grinding about Song Ah as a character was falling hook, line and sinker again for the same and just as problematic relationship with Hye Seung. This is not stating that Song Ah shouldn’t have been with Hye Seung due to being the main pairing of the show, but the message put across by the screenwriter seemed to implicate that Song Ah had both little self-respect and dignity as an individual by allowing Hye Seung to continue on with his emotional manipulation without raising problems against this.

Naturally, this draws us onto the biggest elephant in the room; Hye-Seung. Introduced as the “hoobae” of Song Ah and a younger man at the company, and the “ hopeless romantic”, Hye-Seung’s feelings for Song Ah in the beginning of the series are fairly sweet and naturally act as the major driving force of the drama through trying to win the affections of Song Ah . However, only a couple of times in the series, are we actually exposed to Hye-Seung’s sense of identity outside of obsessions with Song Ah, and when we are shown this Hye-Seung’s flaws become strikingly prominent and unaddressed to audiences. The most notable weakness of Hye-Seung’s character can be sourced from his feelings towards Song-Ah growing to become a fairly self-absorbed and disenchanted obsession that he will win her over through meddling in her social life outside of work.

This is certainly most striking in the first episode with Hye-Seung’s direct words to Song Ah shown onscreen ‘ it doesn’t suit her’ by wiping away her lipstick. Although this can be initially taken on in a romantic light by Hye-Seung’s overt intimacy establishing the main pairing in the series, there was something a little unsettling by Hye Seung’s to control even Song Ah’s appearance in this scenario. To make matters worse for those unaware what was happening in the pretext of this scene, Hye Seung decides then to openly tell Song Ah of her boyfriend Jae Shin’s behaviour behind her back. Arguably, Hye Seung was open to Song Ah rather than leading her around in circles about Jae Shin’s behaviour, however, it seemed a symbol of repressive control by Hye Seung to suddenly start dictating Song Ah’s personal life in a form of emotional manipulation.

This often made it hard to truly romanticise or see both respect and dignity towards the relationship of Hye Seung and Song Ah, due to neither character being able to learn from past mistakes or addressing one another’s problems mutually in a health manner. The perfect example or the is seen in a later episode from the series when a drunk Hye Seung bumps into an emotionally unstable Song Ah and proceeds to proclaim that they should date. This is not just merely controlling, but emotionally manipulative upon Hye-Seung’s part as well.

Naturally, romantic relationships in real life are messy and complicated, and there was some elements of this transcending over into the relationship of Hye Seung and Song Ah in these scenes, however, it is important also to consider both Hye Seung’s past habit of emotionally gaslighting Song Ah, as well as Song Ah’s worrying complacency to these acts as well. . Rather than allowing Song Ah space and time away or approaching Hye Seung with good intentions as a friend before a lover due to her conflicted emotional state of being, he is too egotistical within his own selfish desires to date her, than to actually respect her feelings and psyche. This is not a healthy or symbiotic relationship of respect and dignity.

The pacing of the show oddly felt imbalanced as a consequence of the invest within Hye Seung and Song Ah’s lacklustre pairing often driving away a sense of overarching storyline and greater focus on other characters such as Jae Shin and more interestingly the chairman’s granddaughter Lee Hyo Joo (Lee Joo Bin) . Yet rather than allowing viewers to see intrinsic development and obstacles within the romantic pairings of the show, the drama rode too heavily upon cliches often resulting in the overall storyline feeling run-of-the-mill, than captivating or an intriguing love story. The ending is evidently sugary sweet, but perhaps delivered a less impactful result than viewers originally hoped.

Fundamentally it is probably fair to say that “ She Would Never Know” wasn’t terrible within acting or the premise itself, but it became its own worst enemy with poorly-tackled characterisation, a questionable portrayal of a relationship between our main leads, lacking overarching storyline and plot as well as pacing. This is a typical and cliche romantic drama perfect if you’re bored and have nothing else to do, but certainly not worth spending actual time watching.

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Nothing special...

Well for me it was just okay drama, which isn't a must-watch or isn't even a waste of time it's just something regular/average. As you won't get anything special or I would say don't expect that. It's office romance and as it's shown that there's an age difference so actually FL is just 1 year older than ML but its difference isn't in age it's more about the experience and also maturity. It's a typical love story filled with typical K-drama cliches. So don't have any high expectations from it.

But it has a really bad first impression of ML. Though his character is shown to be very different/perfect in further episodes if you judge on the first impression then it's definitely arrogant, rude, and interfering in others' personal space ML. Can call it a jerk thought it was just for the first few sides and then he became cute, understanding, enduring or I would say perfect ML for everyone. For me I really didn't get at what point FL Song Ah started to like our perfect ML for me it was out of nowhere but it's my opinion though.

Okay so the characters which I really liked Ha Eun this child's character is most well written and I really loved her every scene she showed stealer for me and her mom Yun Seung ah her character was beautiful still I felt very bad for her.... and I loved the secondary couple cute and bubbly. Though SML and SFL were both meh for me. I'm not a big fan of both leads but they were just likable for me.

I wasn't that satisfied with this at some point I was frustrated by it... still bothered by many things but it does have a happy ending well if you are a sucker for happy endings then you won't be disappointed as for some ending is more important than a journey which is not my case.

Overall it was average drama...

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Great chemistry. Great drama

I was going through a kdrama fallout phase until I came across this drama which is part of the reason why I got back into kdramas. It was the typical older woman/younger man kind of love story, but it's actually a good one. I wasn't sure how the chemistry between Jin Ah and Rowoon would be considering the age gap, however, they really pulled it off and the chemistry was great.

One of the things I liked about this drama was how the "love square" conflict did not take up much of the entire drama. I believe the conflict ended sometime a little over halfway through the drama. I mean, it's reasonable why it should since Jae Shin has no right at all to try and fight to win Song Ah back considering that he did cheat on her. He did try to but realized after that she'll never take him back despite his reasoning of why he did cheat. Also, it was unexpected how there was very little interaction between Song Ah and Hyo Joo considering they were both victims of being two-timed by Jae Shin. I mean there was no reason to since both women were not at fault nor were aware of the two-timing. I was actually expecting Hyo Joo to be like a very evil character where she just goes to great extent to keep Jae Shin and/or make Song Ah's life a living hell like what typical love square dramas do. But she wasn't evil at all. She just needed to mature. I think that's what also made the drama different compared to other dramas.

The build-up to Song Ah and Hyung Seung's relationship was at a good pace. Not too slow nor too fast. I really like how Hyun Seung was not forcing his feelings onto Song Ah as if he was forcing her to reciprocate. He always considered her feelings and patiently waited for her to like him back as he stood by her side. Compared to some dramas, if a guy likes a girl, they would like go all the way to try and make moves on the girl to get her to fall for him. But Hyun Seung was subtle and understanding. Eventually, she did end up falling for him.

I also liked how they changed the roles in the drama at the end where Song Ah tries to chase and win Hyun Seung back after she broke up with him during the 3 year time skip when she left for Europe. It was cute, especially how Hyun Seung reacts to it since he gets caught off guard by it lol. I felt like it was unreasonable of her to break up with him just bc of the long distance they had trouble doing. Like yeah I understand where she comes from bc she doesn't want to hurt or burden him anymore bc of her always being busy to spend time with him. But if he straight up says he can deal with it bc he loved her and wants to keep the relationship, then don't break up. You'll eventually find a way to make it work. She eventually came back 3 years later, even though it was originally 5, bc she missed him and wanted him back. I can understand the frustration and hate Hyun Seung must've felt when he saw her again and was hesitant to get back with her. But they ended up getting married in the end so it's okay LOL.

As for side characters, I LOVE the second couple LOL. Jae woon and Ji Seung were just adorable together XD. And I'm glad of the character development of Hyo Joo. She learned how to let go of Jae Shin and that she can still be happy without him. I'm glad that the writers did not script them to get back together in the end bc that's just pointless.

Overall, this drama was really good and something I would rewatch. I would definitely recommend this if you want some romance! Rowoon was great in this drama too.

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I loved the acting, especially Rowoon was magnificent in this role.
Now the story follows the classic storyline but it's not that bad to watch. The whole thing of going abroad and breaking up is kinda boring.
For those who say "Why did she break up with him if she really loved him?" I want to ask them if they could really put up with the emotional burden of long distance relationship, yes some people can do it and I admire them for that but not all of us can do it.
Ha Eun was the MVP of the show but how did she not grow up in 3 years? Come on guys she is a kid not an adult she would have grew taller at least, but changing the actress would feel different because that little girl is adorable.
Side stories were nice and it was good we got into more of their lives.

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One of the best Rom-Com KDrama

After having watched more than hundreds of Korean Dramas, I can say this one was the best among the rom-coms.
From beginning to end, there were no nonsense. Even breakup scene felt justifiable for me. Unconditional love from male character was so heartwarming. In the end, In many dramas only one person realizes just how much another person cares about and the effort he/she made. But here, FL also realized what she needs to do instead of just accepting ML love and care.
There were moments where I could relate myself as well and last 3 months watching this series was really a worth.

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Logically, I know they didn't do anything truly incredible. On the surface, this story has been told before. However, I found a surprising amount of emotional depth here.

From the beginning, with a shared pain, the leads are able to see through the other in a way others aren't able to, hear the words they're not saying. Before they even got together, the connection between them felt earned.

The way Hyun Seung approached Song Ah not just with good intentions but with a level of sincerity most men would not dare to show. He didn't play games, beat around the bush, or do things in half-measures; he loved honestly and fully, even when he had no hope or was given less in return. It was truly refreshing to see a ML take a chance with his whole heart.

I also appreciated the showcasing of a mature as well as flawed working woman FL. Song Ah put her career first and love life second. Some may say this made her selfish. However, she knew how she prioritized these aspects of her life, and rather than attempt to be someone she wasn't, she was honest with herself and Hyun Seung, made her goals clear, and took accountability for her shortcomings. And knowing herself as a person who struggled to express her feelings, she took steps to push through the blocks in her mind as well as make efforts suited to her affection style.

I felt I learned and grew with these two. I'm so glad the rep made me check She Would Never Know out!

Side Note: Can we talk about the respect Hyun Seung had for Song Ah?! He didn't take things into his own hands to remove her from a potentially dangerous situation. He respected her agency, stood to the side, and asked, "Do you want me to?"

My hearrrrt!

By the way, can we take a moment to talk about the height difference between these two?! Because it was . . . Ahhh! Maybe I'm starting to realize I sometimes have a thing for it . I mean, Extraordinary You and Abyss also had me swooning.

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It is an easy watch

This drama is not so bad, but not so good either. I suppose, it depends on your taste.

Honestly, I didn't like the FL, because other than being good at work, I didn't find her an interesting person. But I think I could say the same about every character, since it is an office-based drama.
I think I have the writer to be blamed, because in the whole story, the best character was the child, who's a secondary character...
Both male lead and female lead didn't have (my humble opinion, much chemistry or compatibility. And sadly, they didn't feel much real to me. Their romance felt forced somehow... And I didn't like that.
The female lead worked hard, yeas, but why?... I felt she didn't have depths, although the writer tried to create it by giving her one family conflict with her mother.
The main male lead was better, at least he had friends and sisters and a niece. I like the relationship among the siblings the best, and I think that is what saves the day time after time. I like dramas where family matters.
But overall:
I found the story a little bit boring and I confessed I did a lot of FF...
But that is also why is good, you can binge it very quick...

So if you are looking for something easy to watch, and the romance of at least one very handsome couple....This may be good enough for you.

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