Masterpiece

I just finished watching this show and I feel still overwhelmed by feelings... Exhausted by the intense emotions felt and by the tears I cried. I can say, one of the (few) actual masterpieces I had the luck to watch so far in my life.
"It's ok, ıt's no big deal." "it's okay to fail. It's nothing really. Even if you fail you can still be happy."
Even though the atmosphere of this show may appear full-filled with sadness, melancholy, depression, and pain, actually the story is an hymn to the Life, the real life, the life whoever lives day after day, which may appear miserable sometimes, but which must be lived, because "Even if you fail you can still be happy".
I watched the show, well knowing how Lee Sun-kyun ended his life's journey, the root-causes which led to his irrevocable, heart-breaking decision and this made even more emotional the vision of this show.
The story: terrific. What you can see in this show is a delicate portrait of the Life. The life as it is lived at the workplace, at home, in a family, in the deepest solitude, in the darkest desperation, in the loyal and noisy community of the neighbourhood, by the rich, by the poor, by the honest, by the dishonest... The characters in this story are all defined by their passions, their vices, their miseries, their weaknesses, their distresses, in a so moving and compelling way, that each of them will leave an indelible trace in your heart. None of the stories is predictable. And this made them even more realistic and compelling.
The cast: I think this is one of the most well sorted and assembled ones I watched. Each of the roles was played in an impeccably way. The two leads, the support roles, are an amazing ensemble, which keeps the spectator compelled to and captivated by the story. You live with them, you cry and you laugh with them, you suffer and you enjoy with them, till the last emotion. Lee Sun-kyun and IU led the entire story, rendering their not so simple characters in an awesome way. Despite the difference in age (and experience) between the two, their acting was well blended, credible and flawless. Around them there is a colorful and amazing world of characters, each one well developed, well casted and very well played. I don't want to list all of them, because they are really a lot, but you can be sure that none will disappoint you.
The music: moving, touching your feelings, well suited for the story told by this show.
The direction and the photography: awesome. I cannot explain: you have to watch to understand that even the way the scenes were shot is able to compel even more to the story, making you feeling part of it.
You need to watch without any kind of doubts or hesitation.

Lire davantage

An hymn to sweetness

I approached this show by chance, as usual. I use to listen to music from k-drama OSTs and this is a way for me to put in my watchlist new shows. Even this time the method worked fine and I had the chance to watch this sweet story.
It's true: the story is a light one, and the drama within is not a tragic one. But that's a story about good feelings and sweetness and love. A fairy tale? Yes: it is. A modern one where the leads are not a prince and a princess but the two clumsy toads, the two boisterous ugly ducklings, the story of two youths and their transformation in young adults, of their feelings and their growth to a sweet love story. And sweetness and love are the key elements of this show, not only between the two leads, but also with the rest of their relatives, their friends, their acquainted too
The plot, nothing unconventional TBH, based upon the well run-out structure of several youths' love stories we can find in k-dramas. But anyway brilliant, apart some irritating support roles.
The leads, simply awesome. Lee Sung-kyung is constantly well identified with her character Kim Bok-joo, and she shows herself well talented and credible even during the weightlifting scenes, not having she exactly the phisique du role (I read an interview where she admitted having gained more than 10kg to play Bok-joo's role). Sweet, beautiful, charismatic, funny, loving. A special mention to her eyes, which in this show often stands out in all their stunning beatutifulness. Nam Joo Hyuk is in his typical role, seen again in Twenty-Five Twenty-One and Start-Up, just saying. His character is a perfect sweetheart, mature, fascinating. I liked a lot both of them and the way they shared together the scene all time long, being both fun, showing chemistry and never ending loving sweetness as a couple.
The support roles, some nice, other too much rough or even annoying. I appreciated the path to redemption Si-ho walked changing her being from an obnoxious frustrated negative gymnast (sharing the traits with her discipline mates) to a woman, who accepted to get rid of the past and the huge suffering it brought in her life and to face herself, turning finally to a more comfortable self well-being.
The music, nice OST, I have to say thank you to it for having let me finding the show.
Nice the phography and the direction.
Enjoyed till the end, tears included for the sweetness: recommended the vision.

Lire davantage

Absolutely worth watching.

While there are other masterpieces that may be a cut above, this show is a masterpiece in itself. The story is beautiful, moving and intense, with a superlative screenplay that continuously and well blends moments of hilarity with sad moments, as is customary in K-dramas. My partner and I were glued to the screen from the first to the last second, crying and laughing and living with the leads. Leads who are over the top: theirs is certainly among the most beautiful love stories told in k-dramas. And both Gong Yoo and Kim Go Eun are more than up to the task and incredibly adorable and comfortable, despite the obvious age difference between them. Well described and defined supporting roles: The Grim Reaper and Sunny are for me one of the most beautiful and touching supporting couples seen so far (154 k-dramas completed). The rest of the cast is well assorted and the soundtrack is definitely up to par. It's a show that has seen a huge investment commercially, but well spent, truly well spent. Absolutely worth watching.

Lire davantage

The delicacy of love

This show for sure is not one of the masterpieces you can find around, but still has its solid what&why which make it more than worthy of being watched.
The story is obviously focused on the two leads, but also the other main roles are well encompassed and developed, which make the show a chorused one, since the stories of the three couples are all well tied the ones to the others, due to the strong and amazing friendship shared by the three women leads.
The story is a love story, or better (as said) a chorus of love stories, each one with its peculiarities and its identity. The psycho one, between the two leads Ji-ho and Se-hee, the normal one (so much normal that fell into a huge crisis) between Ho-rang and Won-seok, and the special one between Soo-ji and Sang-goo which I found simply captivating and perfect. Around them there are the support roles which are actually well convincing and functional for the story itself.
The main characters were well casted, even physically: I found all of them perfect, each one in the respective role. My preferred one: Soo-ji for sure. The kind of strong, unconventional, and independent woman, well performed by Esom, who breaks the rules of a society often still too much traditionalist, conservative, patriarchal and sexist, who finally finds her way to self-make her life and success, and who at the same time still believes in feelings as soon as she found the partner who's able to complete and support her (and Sang-goo did it excellently). I found them shiny together. As well as the performers were really nice (and surprisingly I found Park Byung-eun unrecognizable after having saw him in Eve). But that does not mean that the other two couples were bad. Instead, I have to say that their stories were captivating too. Ji-ho and Se-hee because they are actually more affine to me (and to my partner: ok tonight I will die) in their being a bit psycho (in the good way) and actually not banal. I liked a lot the way they faced the issues coming from the conventionalities well identifying the traditionalist Korean way of life. And I appreciated their path toward their liberation, as individuals and as a couple from those constraints, and from the miseries of their past lives. They actually growth together, in a sort of transfiguration well depicted eventually by the transition from the formal to the unformal speaking. Jung So-min and Lee Min-ki well performed two roles which actually were not banal. Last but not least the classic love story, the apparently banal one, the normal one, the one so normal and adherent to the traditional way to live a love story that very realistically exploded, because of its forced normality, predictability, conventionality, The story between Ho-rang and Won-seok is all of that. And as very often happens in the real life, the couple exploded because sedimenting upon the wrong premises. Both of them looks naive and banal, but actually also them eventually experienced a transfiguration which finally led them to reconciliate upon new premises. Both Kim Ga-eun and Kim Min-seok were able to perform their characters successfully, to include their irritating traits.
It looks like the underlay message in the end is: no matter which are the adversities, no matter the hindrances, Love will always find its own way to make it...
As said already, the rest of the support roles were well sorted and casted: Bo-mi, Jung-min, and (a bit less essential) Bok-nam well played their key roles in pushing our heroes to make their choices.
You will not cry, but you can find some things on which thinking. Nice photography and direction and convincing plot: just tell the director that cats are not so continuously meowing :)

Lire davantage

Brilliant, but...

After dozens of k-dramas watched, I know that a lot of them could be better than what they actually are. This is one of those brilliant shows, but pity for the show itself. Nothing to say about the cast: well sorted and brilliant, with a shiny Kim Ji-won. However the story is mediocre, and despite the effort of actresses and actors, it never took off completely, laying on a flat bed made of unexpressed things. But still, if this premise would have been maintained all along the show, in the end it could lead also to a 8/10, since the hilarious moments were several and really funny. What I could not stand for sure is the sexism which permeates the show. As a man I felt uncomfortable watching all these damsel-in-distress moments, as some lines which were surprisingly told by the leads, who expectadly should be just open minded and far away from that Joseon-like way to see a woman. In addition to this, the lack of concreteness led to not feel well compelled into the story, and even the (actually few, but potentially valid) dramatic moments left me not moved.
This was disappointing. Pity, because as said the comic moments were really among the most hilarious ever seen.

Lire davantage

unbelievable

Calling this drama just a melodrama or a romance would be unfair and nonsense.
This is an unbelievably beautiful story, compelling and captivating based on a tragedy, which explores the way to redemption of the survivors, of the guilty, and of the people who are part of their lives, and who share with them the pain, the sadness, the will to go further and overcome a loss, a trauma, both of them.
Through the two leads (who were simply awesome), the story deals with the theme of collective tragedy experienced by the survivors after a disaster that broke almost 50 lives. As a sort of background throughout the show is the path towards the processing of mourning and loss , which is symbolized by the construction of the memorial that forces the survivors to tell their heartbreaking stories and face the tragedy once again.
The two main leads are the personification of that collective tragedy and while they take care of the construction of the memorial, actually they become the symbols through whom that way to redemption take form, through their story so tragic and at the same time so sweetly romantic.
The plot is written well, constantly credible, and consistent, not giving room to holes and flaws. Some scenes are brutally heartbreaking, some cruel, but it could not be different. Watching them you could feel moved, compelled, involved till even cry your eyes out.
The cast, was top. I liked a lot the women of the story: female characters who show up strong and at the same time sensible. Won Jin Ah / Moon Soo was perfect: I didn't know her so far, and I was well impressed not only by her beauty (stunning: the combo of her eyes and of her smile can kill), but also by her talent, and the ability to render her character without flaws. Kang Han Na / Yoo Jin perfect too: she made her role credible and strong, without falling into the stereotypes, which sometimes impact negatively on a character and on the story itself. Maybe the strongest and at the same time the most fragile woman in this story, for sure a very beautiful character. Na Moon Hee / halmeoni, who impersonated the grandmother of all the derelicts, was simply awesome, literally filling the scenes where she appeared with her presence. Na Moon Hee / Ma Ri too, while rendering a not easy character, showing the humanity where not expected, and able to try till the end to redeem on of the shabby villain. And so on... All the actresses did well in performing roles which sometimes were not easy at all. The actors and the men of the story were unmatched too. Lee Jun Ho / Kang Doo among all was sublime, and able to render his character so unlucky and so painful in a perfect way. And I wish to mention Kim Kang Hyun / Sang Man, because he was unmatchable in playing a character like this, making him credible and intense.
Direction and photography were very nice.
The OST is one of the best I found so far: complete and well sorted.
A masterpiece who shall be watched, absolutely.

Lire davantage

Pity...

A very nice concept stands as basis for this show's plot. Nice and original.
That should be enough as reason for a high rating. However, for the rest I might say that the chance to have something epic was just wasted. Pity...
The cast is good, the acting was more than convincing, the music good, also the CGI was well developed, but it was the story that at a certain moment started derailing towards a complete, confused anarchy. The solidity of a story stands into the presence of a structure within which the story itself moves. The structure was initially present, but episode after episode it was simply dismantled and the story potentially could turn into whatever without any logic or sense. Funny thing is that the final itself was "explained" as a consequence of the rules governing the interaction between the two worlds: someone should explain me at this point why someone had to disappear, while the only reason behind the reviving of another one was that the W. world started working independently... So, both of them could have been survived, because there no longer were any rules. Hurray for the fantasy, that's sure, but not for ridiculousness. To explain what I mean, I might say that a good webtoon is the one which has an actual story to tell, a credible one, where the rules and the boundaries are clear or it is just a waste of paper and ink.
In addition to this, some nonsense hit the villains' characters. I understand that the predetermined fate for each of them should be the reason for some illogical actions taken by the same. But the continuous obsession towards the leads, at a certain point became paradoxical and not well credible.
The free will that the W characters start showing and which should be the main reason for their changing from toons to humans, is itself incredibly not explained, not clarified, thus not convincing. Why, for what reason all of that happened? Why did they start acting and choosing on their own and no longer following the plot decided by their creator?
Who knows?
Pity, really...

Lire davantage

why all these haters?

The story is nice and truly realistic. For sure way more realistic than the stories on which are based the 90% of the k-dramas available for the vision, which I find sometimes too much conventional and over-filtered in terms of contents and topics.
That said, I can understand who does not feeel comfortable in watching the show because feeling irritated by some of the characters, but that's it reality. You can make a choice: watching a k-drama because looking for a fairy tale or watching something more real life related, where (surprise!) people is just normal people: can be fragile, boring, messed up, idiot, brilliant. But just normal people. And, in our case, just youths witht their cumbersome luggage for the life filled with fear, enthusiasm, uncertainty, youthness.
Han So-hee perfectly suited for her role. I like her way to act. I'm less positive for Song Kang, instead. Sometimes he looks too much stunned. I liked also the supporting roles and the fact that (very likely because based on a webtoon) sex and thorny topics like homosexuality were included in the show. (Yeah: they're part of the real life too). Very nice the OST

Lire davantage

Shining because unconventional

A little lightful gem. Definitely unconventional, thus this is the main reason why I liked the idea behind this show and the show itself. A show which probably will be disliked by the majority who looks for the typical love story that a k-drama usually offers. And that I liked because of this being so atypical. But that was not the only reason.
Talking about the plot. Since this is not the classical love story we usually watch in a k-drama, things were definitely not going how is expectable in a standard love story. I found the writing true and intense, and I found the main leads appropriately suited for the characters they played. Even if the story can be liked or not, the characters can be liked or not. But as said, the key point of this story is the fact that it's not the typical love story, but something more adherent to actual feelings and personalities, even when disturbing. And this explains what can be found apparently bizarre or weird, mainly in what Seol does when dealing with Jung and In-ho.
Despite the story is well written, I actually felt disappointed by the ending. I found everyone getting their happy/bad ending or their redemptions, to include Seol. All but Jung: unknown. And that last second's (literally) happy ending disappointed me twice. Like if the story was eventually forced to show a potential happy ending (even if who's not Korean would find hard understanding who actually was the addressee of the messages: no sub no translation provided).
About the leads: I actually disliked Jung's character because I found him disturbing, creepy, and extremely toxic for his way to deal with wrong things and people doing wrong, manipulating the last ones till their humilation and destruction. I liked more In-ho, who is also a hothead (also a d1ckhead tbh): he uses his fists to solve problems, the violence is part of his way to express himself... But still: he looks more clear and genuine, and paradoxically less dangerous. To be honest: what can hurt more? A fist or a deep humiliation? Easy answer... So, again, both Jung and In-ho are truly in love for Seol, they try to did their best with her, but they both show toxic personalities, and despite the good intentions the outcome is (to be fine) questionable. Still, I found more and more dangerous and hurting Jung's personality, who's actually a sociopath. Simply, I prefer who is able to overreact showing his actual feelings, respect to whom overreacts wearing a mask, and manipulating and scheming. Both the actors were great, talented, and brilliant, personfying roles not easy to manage.
That said about male leads, talking about the shiny female leads, I adored Seol: Kim Go Eun was simply adorable in playing her controverse character. She has not a linear personality, she has a strong sense of duty and rationality as well as her approach to matters is unusual and sometimes harmful for herself: still I did not decide at the end if truly toxic as well, I mean toxic toward herself. Her tendence to justify and interiorize the actions of Jung is disturbing. Because his being toxic and manipulative trying to protect Seol, ends being harmful firstly to her. And what happened to her during the finale is a strong confirmation. Her ending is the only one not happy or redeeming: her life is sad, empty, she's clearly depressed, she keeps trying to keep in contact with Jung, despite he himself was the first admitting how harmful could be to her. And his having read the message at the end, honestly, I don't see it as an actual happy ending. As said above, Jung is the only one character for who's unclear if eventually able to redeem or not: will he hurt her again because he keeps being manipulative and toxic? Lee Sung Kyung, fantastic: she greatly played an In-ha who's a manipulative and a nihilist toxic (again) personality. Apart the beautifulness, she is really talented in characterizing, even when her character has an actual tragic nature masked by an apparent strenghtful temper.
I remained disappointed by the ending. I found everyone getting their happy/bad ending or their redemptions, to include Seol. All but Jung: unknown. And that last second's (literally) happy ending disappointed me twice. Like if the story was eventually forced to show a potential happy ending (even if who's not Korean would find hard understanding who actually was the addressee of the messages: no sub no translation provided).
In any case a show which deserves to be watched. Definitely.

P.S. The OST is beautiful

Lire davantage

overall nice but sometimes long-winded

The lenght of each episode is something which can kill spectators: really. That's the main reason for my not very high rating.
The second is that the screenplay looks like encompassing the whole (100% complete o.O) list of cliches you can typically find in a k-drama. I won't spoil anything here: but really, widely more than enough... Despite the flaws mentioned above, the show is worth of the vision at all. The story is overall nice and captivating, while the photography, the locations, and the unbelievable amount of fashion pieces stunningly weared by the lead Hae-in completed the whole.
I liked the cast. Kim Ji-won was stunning and superb, Kim Soo-hyun up to par partner (even if he may appear showing an only one expression). Also the other characters were well sorted, and the support stories were not left incomplete and the growth and the transformation of some were nice to see, first Da Hye's one who was well nicely portrayed by Lee Joo-bin.
The finale will leave you in tears... I already watched several emotional endings, but this one is really really inense.

Lire davantage

that chemistry...

Sometimes it happens to find a gem: this show is one. Just finished after a 20hours marathon to watch it in one shot, because after the first episode I just could not stop watching it. Literally. I waited for the last episode to be published on May 28 and I made a good choice. I was fully involved, and felt a lot of emotions, from amusement to sadness, from laughs to sobs. Great story. Great cast. Nice plot. Nice direction.
The two leads were simply adorable. I didn't know a lot Kim Hye Yoon. And she was a nice surprise to me: charismatic, talented, expressive, fascinating and what's about her stunning smile? While I had already chances to appreciate Ryu Seon Jae, who's not just a tall giant, but he's able to show charisma and scenic presence, from the comic till the dramatic scenes. But what I liked a lot was the chemistry between them: simply unbelievable, intense, moving, sparkling. Time has passed since the last time I found something similar. And I can even say when: watching Crash Landing on You and those Hyun Bin and Son Ye Jin (who were also mentioned at a certain point). I guess that who wrote that there is not chemistry, well: he/she apparently watched something else.
I liked the plot and how the stories were presented, the personalities of each character, and also the way the other lead and support roles were developed, which often are overlooked. And among them I appreciated a lot the figure of Kim Tae Sung and the loyal relationship he shares with the leads.
Actually the structure of the story do not bring anything very new: this is not the first show seeing the leads wrappend around a story, which happens along an extended timeframe and enriched by fantasy elements. But who developed the plot did a very nice work in making it so intense keeping the spectator literally glued to the screen.
Well done!!

Lire davantage

Outstanding

What to say? Outstanding. A masterpiece for its genre.
This is not a conventional love story, but an actual melodrama which will keep you glued to the screen till the last second.
The story is intense, intricate, and well developed in general (apart some minimal plot-holes). I liked the way it was structured in order to keep the spectators constantly in suspense, sipping the details episode after episode, but at the same time leading them to figure out the potential developments so that the attention as well as the expectation is always high. Tears (a lot) are assured. Some moments and key scenes are really cruel in their tragedy.
The Leads, simply awesome all the three. Seo In Guk confirms his talent as handsome and damned, able to recreate the dramatic traits of his character as expected, constantly immersed in his role. Jung So Min, perfectly suited for the role, well impersonating her character also phisically. Both of them showing an intense chemistry. Park Sung Woong, the gentle giant, who hides a dark past, loyal to her sister so far as to make extreme gestures. He's well completed by a brilliant Jang Young Nam, all along the story. Also the other support characters were developed and defined. Maybe the villains were on the verge of psychopathy, which could compromise their credibility.
Music, excellent. I confess that I fell in love for Lost by Lim Yeon.
Just a word to some who criticized, complaining about the lack of continuity, gigantic plot holes and not nice performances of some: you should watch and understand what you watched prior to saying nonsenses. Unless you were writing about other shows.
For the rest, keep the tissues ready and enjoy it.

Lire davantage

Make the screenwriter changing work

A WTF is necessary, because the screenwriter should change work. HTF is possible massacring in this way a nice story? Unbelievable! This show could have been a small gem if written by someone else. The idea is nice, and the cast did his best. But seriously: the plot is a nightmare. Cast well sorted, and capable. Also, the chemistry between the two leads is very nice, and Nana's simply stunning. Again, pity for the terrible plot making nonsense: the cast did not deserve such a garbage.

Update: that "bye bye" led me dropping down from 7.5 to 6.5
Come on.... bye bye... jeez

Lire davantage