My first impressions were that the story was moving way too fast and I felt I was simply thrown into the situation at the moment without being given the context and past relationships.

Plus, there was a total overuse of dramatic music like soaring choruses.

As the show progressed, I appreciated the storytelling style of the writer, where we are thrown into the moment of the story, but we also get to understand the background and history between different characters through their eyes.

What I really liked about the story is how the characters shift and morph through the course of the show, in terms of their motivations and their allegiances. Sometimes I can feel that the writers are toying with our allegiances to the characters, but I was willingly ‘manipulated’ because it was enjoyable to see the characters choose how to play their chess pieces.

My favourite is probably the relationship between Kim Rae-won and Jo Jae Hyun’s characters. So complex, compelling and heartbreaking all at the same time. Great performance by both actors too.

Another thing that annoyed me about the show is the very unrealistic portrayal of the legal system and prosecutors. I am familiar with legal systems but not so much with the Korean legal system. Even then, I’m pretty sure this is pretty unrealistic. In any case, it’s a drama, not real life, so I’ll drop this point.

And my gripe about overuse of dramatic music remains. While there are definitely many twists and turns in the story within every episode, I became extremely desensitised to these twists and turns because every scene would use the same dramatic music.

Overall, an enjoyable thriller.

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The show started off promisingly - it kept to the 1-hour mark, the storytelling was zippy, and there was the right balance of humour and mystery.

But as the show went on, it became less enjoyable, due to the amount of airtime devoted to certain aspects of the stories and the flawed portrayal of the villains.

Cha Seung Won does such a good job - he's proven his comedic chops in Greatest Love. He still brings them to the table in this show, though not as much as in Greatest Love. He also shows that he is a very good dramatic actor. It's good to see that Lee Seung Gi is trying something different in this show, where his character is a lot darker and mysterious.

I'm really pleased that Go Ara is getting good roles after she did an excellent job on Answer Me 1994.

On a whole, still an enjoyable show.

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Another Korean crime movie, another story about corrupt government officials. It always makes me wonder if I'm just watching the same story in a slightly different form.

EVEN so, the story was well-executed and acted that I was glued to my screen throughout the movie.

Kim Rae-won and Han Seok Kyu, the two main leads, are both fantastic. Kim Rae-won's grit, perseverance, and desperation to avenge his brother is clear and wins you over quickly at the start of the show. Han Seok Kyu, despite playing an evil character, commands the screen every time he is in a scene and makes you root for him even though he is truly a despicable character. There are a few other actors who would hold top billing in their own right but played supporting characters in this movie, to add to the star quality already leading the movie.

The story escalates quickly to a thrilling end, and I was pretty satisfied with the way the story was resolved and how it ended.

As for music, the use of instrumental music to build up the suspense of certain scenes is one of the better ones I've seen amongst other Korean action movies.

A very entertaining watch with some great performances from the leads.

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Heist/scam artist shows aren't unique to Korean dramas/movies, what really made this show enjoyable was the ensemble of characters, especially the partnership between a bumbling upright civil servant and a sleek smooth talking scam artist, which was the beating heart of the show. Ma Dong Seok and Seo In Guk had great chemistry and partnership.

At the start, the heists and scams were impressive, logistically and also psychologically. However, with the inevitable escalation of the stakes of the heists, my expectations were raised again and again for what the final heist/scam would be. I feel a little sad to say that I was somewhat disappointed by what was meant to be the final plot or climax of the show.

However, even if the snazzy heist plotlines were taken away, the show would still be buoyed by the chemistry amongst the ensemble of characters, which were lovingly written and assembled, and gave the show a lot of heart.

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The thing about Korean dramas is, sometimes there's not enough story to fill the number of scheduled episodes, and other times there's too much story and not enough episodes to cover all the stories. Thank goodness for this show, which shows that when a story and its characters are plotted properly, a simple drama can start off on the right foot and be wrapped up neatly at the end of it.

This is not the first drama I have seen Kim Seul Gi and Doojoon in. They are both actors and seem to be good at getting the right chemistry with their fellow actors. They are really cute together in this show.

The concept of this drama is not 100% unique. There are a few drama tropes like time travel, cross-dressing, and high school pressures. But we all know that when the tropes are used in the right way in a drama, it can still be a very enjoyable watch. Although the female lead character is a high school student, the themes of wanting to escape a miserable reality and realising your true potential are relatable on all levels.

I think this show will be a great watch and source of respite for hardened Korean drama viewers who are tired of watching the same tropes being used in the same way again in drama after drama, or of episode extensions with too much filler and no storyline progress. A short but refreshing watch!

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As a former intern myself and now a working professional, I LOVED this show so much. The direction, the writing, captured the mundanity, the shuffling of papers, the silent murmuring of your colleagues, in a typical office. An office where you can feel eyes following you if you aren’t dressed your best that day, where you’re on constant alert and always aware that your every move goes towards evaluation of your performance on the job.

At first, I struggled to put into words why I enjoyed this show so much. I guess it’s because there are so many relatable and very human moments in this show, and lessons to be learnt. And they are pretty universal, but feel especially relevant to those who work in office environments and large organizations.

The characters are well-developed, and they mostly don’t make decisions that are baffling or completely illogical. Even if they do, their characters and backstories are so well filled-up that you understand and/or empathize with their situations.

Im Shi-wan always strikes me as being too pretty, but I did watch him in The Attorney and he was excellent there. He is also excellent. At the beginning, I found his prettiness really distracting, but he plays the reserved and thoughtful Jang Geu-rae perfectly.

Lee Sung Min is excellent as a frazzled, but compassionate and dogged supervisor, whose gruff demeanour betrays his tender heart.

Byun Yo Han is truly the breakout star of this series, playing a chirpy and sparkling character who must also overcome obstacles and learn what it means to be a worker. Glad to know he’s know getting good roles that are also fitting for his age.

I can totally envision myself rewatching specific episodes, especially after a tough day at work.

Overall, I HIGHLY recommend this show to all.

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Summary: this movie had so much potential but totally squandered it.

Seeing that the issue of plastic surgery is the main focus of this movie, it definitely had a lot of potential to explore Hanna's motivations and the consequences of her decision to go under the knife. But the story plays it very safe. I didn't get a clear stance from the movie about undergoing plastic surgery to beautify oneself and I finished the movie feeling pretty confused about what to think about the lead character's transformation. Even her emotional conflicts about undergoing surgery aren't well-explored, and the story tries to explain away these emotional conflicts by some simple crying scenes that don't have much depth or meaning to them.

I found myself liking the old, fat Hanna than the new, sexy Hanna, and that's probably a credit to Kim Ah Joong in her fat suit.

Joo Jin-mo plays well the role of the suave guy who Hanna has a crush on. Yet, and I'm not sure if this is due to poor writing or poor acting, I never get a clear sense of what he thinks of the old Hanna and the new Hanna. There are hints of his opinion towards plastic surgery, and his perception of the old Hanna, but there's no real exploration of how he feels about her transformation.

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The strength of the story lies in the familial and pseudo-familial relationships, especially the genuineness of the father-daughter relationship.

Here's what I didn't like about the story. Yong Goo's story feels totally unrealistic at times, such that sometimes I thought "really?!", when the ones who are supposed to enforce and uphold justice don't seem to give a damn about the injustice of his case. At times it felt that the writer was trying to wring your heart of as many tears as possible.

What an excellent cast. So what if the only name you recognized was Park Shin Hye? In fact, she doesn't even play the most important part of this movie. Kal So Won is a child star in the making - at times she is strong and cheerful, other times she breaks your heart with her love for her father.

Ryu Seung Ryong makes a departure from playing the gruff, stoic characters, to take on a challenging role - like . Not only did he manage not to be a parody of a mentally retarded man, he infused lots of heart and love into the character.

Imagine throwing together a bunch of actors usually cast as villains, but put them in a comedy. Yong Goo's cellmates are just that. You probably recognize them from other shows as villains. In this movie, they play hardened prison birds, who are initially dumbfounded by Yong Goo and try to subordinate him to the internal prison hierarchy, but are eventually won over by his innocence, sincerity and fatherly love. They bring the most laughs to this movie.

This movie has no deep message to preach, or lesson to teach, but gives lots of entertainment value by delivering many laughs and cries.

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Don't expect too much from this movie. It is light on the plot and low on the thrills, but just exciting enough to keep you somewhat engaged. If you have seen your fair share of action movies, this one is just another movie to forget.

2PM's Junho is surprisingly one of the more entertaining aspects of this show. Honestly, we don't get much "acting" out of Jung Woo Sung, who is meant to be the main villain. By the end of the movie, we don't get much information about his character either, which is a pity. Clearly, Han Hyo Joo's character is meant to be the centerpiece of the show, but her character development is just barely there.

Simon Yam has a cameo, as a wink to the original Hong Kong version of this story, Eye in the Sky.

My verdict - meh.

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This show is the third in the Reply series. It seems to be the popular consensus that 1994 was the worst one. I personally enjoyed it a lot, especially the husband hunt. This show has its own charm. There’s a lot more focus on the families as a whole, as opposed to the children finding family in each other. There were so many moving and heartwarming moments that had nothing to do with romantic love, but familial love, friendship, aging, loneliness, and growing up.

Although it’s right to say that romance isn’t the main focus of the show in this instalment, the husband hunt continues in this show. I hesitate to say that it doesn’t overshadow the rest of the show, because I would otherwise have overwhelmingly positive comments to give, if not for what I felt was a botched conclusion to the husband hunt. It wasn’t about who the husband was, but the way the story was . To avoid spoilers, I can’t elaborate further.

I avoided writing this review in the heat of the moment right after finishing the show. In hindsight, the husband hunt fades into the background of the show and the families come to the forefront. Even then, I find that some of my unhappiness and not-so-positive opinions remain.

What’s really great about this series is how the producers always aim to cast unknown actors and make them stars. I have only watched Park Bo-gum and Go Kyung Pyo before, and haven’t watched the rest. I loved Ryu Joon Yeol, Ryu Hye Young and Ahn Jae Hong. I don’t know what it is about Hyeri that I didn’t 100% love, but she definitely did a more than decent job.

One particular standout performance I must highlight isn’t from one of the young leads, but from veteran Ra Mi-ran. She takes on the emotions of her character and makes them her own compelling emotions, and pulls the willing audience along with her on her journey.

The episodes can get slightly draggy, many of them almost stretching to 2 hours (ohmygah). I still highly recommend watching this.

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Story wise, this really isn't new or innovative at all. I have watched 200 Pound Beauty which seems to be the ORIGINAL 'weight-loss' story. I haven't watched Birth of A Beauty which seems to be the most recent and alike incarnation of this storyline. How the story tried to separate this show from others, and which it did quite well, is to emphasize the health aspect of weight loss, as opposed to the beauty aspect. The show doesn't try to shout this at you, but it's so imbued in the characters that you just get it.

The antagonists aren't very antagonistic and don't pose much of a threat to the lead characters. That's both a credit to the writing of both the antagonists and leading couple.

What I really love about the leading couple is their strength, their maturity. No unnecessary angst, mother-in-law drama or dead-fish kisses here. It's enhanced so much by the chemistry and ease between Shin Mina and So Ji Sub.

There really isn't much happening story-wise, and this is where the cast saves it from becoming a snooze fest. Shin Mina and So Ji Sub feel very comfortable with each other and it really adds to their fantastic chemistry as a leading couple. It's my first time watching Yoo In-young and I really like what she did with an otherwise tepid character. There's really nothing much to comment on Jung Kyeo-woon, because it seems he was given very little material to work with.

Overall, a pretty light and uplifting drama, but somewhat forgettable.

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I started watching this show with really high expectations since there was lots of praise for it. And boy I was NOT disappointed! I had never heard of the Japanese version before this show so I’m judging it based purely on this version.

To begin with, it’s a really intriguing premise that’s really different from your usual Korean drama. So that drew me in almost right away. The show is also peppered with interesting characters who each seem to have a story of their own to tell.

The three lead characters naturally captured my attention the most, especially Kang Do Young, the character played skilfully by Shin Sung Rok. Lee Sang Yoon is smouldering in this show as the grumpy but secretly caring Ha Woo Jin. Kim So Eun puts in a decent performance as the innocent and trusting Nam Da Jung.

I enjoyed the mental gymnastics required of the viewer to figure out what is going on. Although at times I got slightly confused at some of the games and their convoluted rules, the human relationships and betrayals make for great drama and twists and turns in the story. I also liked that romance really wasn’t an important aspect of this show.

At times the story may have edged dangerously close to being a sentimental cry-show as many Korean dramas tend to, but thankfully it did not go there. The story is tightly written, with no huge loopholes, and every story is wrapped and tied up nicely.

On the whole, you can expect a drama full of intrigue, betrayal and excitement, and I am certainly looking forward to a Season 2!

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Admittedly, I only watched this show because I am a fan of Jung Kyung-ho - I have watched Smile, You and Heartless City, and enjoyed his acting in those two shows. I have seen Kim So-yeon in IRIS, but other than that, something about her acting got on my nerves previously.

The central plot in this show and the plot devices are not unique at all, hence my admission that I only watched it for the actors. Fortunately, I did come to enjoy this show quite a bit.

The lead couple has a really cute romance - I’d put that down to the cast and their chemistry. As the show went on, the male villain became more and more villainous for the sake of it, he just eventually became a non-compelling villain. One of the poorer villains around.

One of the more boring aspects of the how is the corporate hijinks, trickery and plotting. Safe to say this show didn’t handle that plot device very well. During those times I got pretty bored and sometimes found myself using too much brainpower trying to understand what was happening in the company. The initial part of the show is cute, but dangerously goes into classic melo territory in the last 4 episodes or so, filled with unspoken misunderstandings and groundless accusations and assumptions, plus huge plot holes that were not properly resolved/explained by the end of the show. Definitely tainted a show that was otherwise enjoyable.

Otherwise, a not-too-draggy watch that was well-paced for 16 episodes.

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What do I love about this show? Allow me to list it here.

The ragtag team of orchestra members who each must overcome their personal obstacles, and the unlikely love stories among them. These themes never fail to warm my heart, especially when they’re executed with care like in this show. Not too much cheese, but getting the message across nonetheless.

Shim Eun-kyung’s portrayal of the Nodame character did seem exaggerated at first, but then again I remember being pretty disgusted and put-off about the Japanese live-action one. What I appreciated most was the emotional development and maturation of Nae-Il throughout the course of the show.

I think Joo Won did a really good job of portraying the Chiaki character. In fact, I like his portrayal better than Hiroshi Tamaki’s in the Japanese live-action. At times, the Japanese version was a bit violent (in fact it’s something I observe in Japanese live-action shows in general). He showed so much emotional growth and maturity that was satisfying.

Go Kyung Pyo is excellent as always in this type of role as a goofy, best-pal character.

As always, the classical music was really enjoyable, and was weaved seamlessly into the story and journeys of the characters. Executed just as well as the Japanese live-action version.

Overall, a lot of care was put into creating this remake, and it is clear from the final product. A very enjoyable watch that doesn’t have too much high drama but with satisfying character journeys and growth.

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