Peridot83
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What even is the point?The basic plot idea is simple: provide Yumi with men with two different personalities and have her choose. Major problem though: both men have paper thin backstories and personalities, and we already spent a whole season with them!
Can you drag this out over 14 episodes? No. But, they certainly were going to try. This has all the flip flops of your basic daytime soap with no emotional/psychological or logical brain reasons why it was twisting and turning. I only watched to the end to see if I hated the end: and lo and behold I did. This is the problem with multi-season series with no defined goals.
The acting was excellent, and you really got tied to the characters as it went on even with paper thin backstories and reasons for doing what they are doing.
The only thing that worked for me was the music, which was layered with meaning and nostalgia after suffering with all these characters through last season.
I grade on other criteria as well:
Complex Themes: 5.0
Everyone lets you down eventually?
Complex Characters/Character Growth: 2.0
Last season, the psychology and emotions made sense. This time, they just really didn't. Ba Bi is all surface, no depth on one hand he has all these dark hidden sides and secrets, and yet is also someone of great depth of emotional feeling who is highly responsible and meets his commitments. Which is it?? If he's putting on a mask or a face, then why are we seeing into his head and FROM HIS POINT OF VIEW he's just a really great, mature all around guy. Then it's hinted at that maybe all this romance, lovey-dovey stuff is an act, or he is someone of inconsistent shallow feeling, but we don't actually see that we see someone who is caring, cries, plans for the future, reads fiction, cares for his family, it just doesn't make sense.
On Yumi's side, she is still deeply hurt by the betrayal of many years ago, and as a result requires constant validation, and is not very trusting. She doesn't mature or change or gain new perspective over the course of the show. She just changes professions.
Wung is the same from last season, portrayed more neurodivergent than last season, he still has no EQ and heavily relies on his pride and logical fallacies to get through arguments.
Quality interactions between women: 6.0
Because Yumi switching careers is one of the plot points, it allows Yumi to discuss her career ambitions and work with other women, but it's all fairly shallow.
Production/Cinematography: 8.0
Still quite high, and there's little magical cinematic moments that will linger, but relies on a lot of what was done before.
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Yumi is sleepwalking through her life into her 30s after a romantic betrayal. A series of events causes her to wake up and try again, and there is an addictive quality of wanting to see her succeed at last.
This addictive quality is also due to the 'roller-coaster,' action staged inner life inspired by Pixar's Inside Out. The Bond/action movie dramas of Yumi's interior feelings create more adrenaline to the situation, then this ordinary life and romance would inspire on its own.
The conflicts over pride, money, showing your vulnerabilities, ambiguous boundaries with friends and co-workers etc. are what make the show unique, these are the ordinary fights we've all had instead of the extraordinary larger than life conflicts in your normal Kdrama. But, this is also what holds this drama back, the determination to review over and over smaller, quiet dramas just between two people, prevents the show from truly lingering. .
Music was fine and certain scenes are such a good encapsulation of a first date, or a first fight that they are worthy of rewatch.
I also grade on other criteria:
Complex themes: 7.5
This is a character study of what prevents two, ordinary people, good looking, intelligent, nice from finding romantic relationships. Mainly, the inability to risk, be vulnerable, or show true feelings.
Complex Characters/Development: 9.5
Here, this show really shines, illustrating that surface human behaviors that we find so frustrating come from a very complex emotional and psychological inner self. Yumi also shows growth as she realizes that her past relationship has clouded her ability to commit in the present. The character of Sae-yi was truly exciting to see, a type of personality and friendship we often see in real life (encouraging dependency and discouraging growth and independence).
Relationships between Women: 7.0
Yumi is not fundamentally close to any of her peers, and keeps them at a distance which means she has some competitive and a bit catty friends from university/growing up and some kind fun to hang out with co-workers. She doesn't have an in-depth relationship with her mother and appears to have no siblings. The show really falls down on this point, though it may be realistic.
Cinematography/Production: 8.5
The inner feelings drama was cute and well done, and the film had a soft, indie feel to it that suited the show. The clothes and surroundings were all very realistic, and there were some artistic flourishes that mimicked the emotions that were concerning the characters.
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The plot covers two romances:
Plot A: the perfect billionaire grandson who falls for a pretty, silly and loveable girl from a humble background
Plot B: the rebellious billionaire daughter who falls for a serious, earnest, and secretly hot man with a bit of a past
The plots carries along with hijinks, and secrets, and slapstick humor. Never too stressful, serious, or well, unexpected.
Comparisons to Secretary Kim are inevitable. But in Secretary Kim, the power balance is much more subversive.
The acting is competent all around, but the chemistry between the two main leads was a bit lacking. Common for the genre, but they both were like two teenagers with a crush. The secondary romance was much more naturalistic and lived in, and they had good banter and physical chemistry. I enjoyed that romance a lot more.
Music didn't really register, no need to really rewatch. I grade on other criteria:
Complex Themes: 5
Follow your heart and be earnest and everything will work out. Lies are always found out.
Character Growth: 4
Really, none.
Interactions between Women: 6
The main female lead genuinely engages with her female coworkers about developing products and succeeding at their goals. While interactions with her mother and best friend are often centered around men, they are not always, and the main lead has plenty of screentime with other women.
Production values: 7.5
At this point, I expect more. While with a larger budget than dramas of 10 years ago, the clothing and style was a bit lackluster, as were the sets. There was little to no creativity attempted with the filming.
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The key to selling love is, of course selling the couples, and the main couple here is a rare mix of fun, sexual tension/chemistry and equal partnership. The 'unicorn' for career women in their late 20s/early 30s. All couples have mismatched traditional criteria (age, money, family status), but each couple comes to the realization that character, compatibility and intention matter so much more.
Pacing was great, and only briefly wobbled in the last third. The show ended on a perfect note.
The acting was excellent when it came to the main couple interacting with each other, otherwise it was your typical overacting for this level of drama. The music stood out and I got attached to a couple of the songs which is rare for me. Some of the couple moments, and the ending will stick with me.
I grade on other criteria:
Complex Themes: 6/10
Keep yourself open to love's possibilities, it's rare to connect and feel an easy joy with a person who truly wants to see you succeed.
Character Development: 7.5/10
The characters do somewhat shift with the show, the most heartfelt transformation was the male lead who turned from quite the hardened cynic, into someone who wanted to believe and commit to love
Complex Women/Interactions between Women: 6/10
There are a lot of female characters, and female friendship front and center. While they mostly talk about men, they do also talk about career and work and ambitions. Most of the women are pegged to a 'type' the flashy influencer/blogger with a soft heart, the cute bubbly girl/woman, and the career woman who is a bit oblivious to the human dynamics around her.
Production Values/Cinematography: 7/10
They got top name designers, sets, cars etc. so that everyone felt wealthy (sometimes a downfall of this type of drama). Otherwise production values/cinematography was very very straightforward and the typical quality you would expect in this era.
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Do Bong Soon and Ahn Min-hyuk are the key. Coming from opposite backgrounds, they share a childlike exuberance towards life, a love of video games, and underneath it all a strong sense of vengeful justice. Both know what it's like to feel like 'an outsider looking in,' and they hate the strong bullying the weak.
Ahn Min-hyuk immediately, and endearingly thinks Do Bong Soon's super-strength is an amazing quality. Better still, his admiration for her strength doesn't lessen his concerns for her well-being. It is this rare quality in the male lead that really stuck with me.
The music and sound-effects all have a comic book/video game feel that suits the show, and some of the scenes are so iconic or so startlingly unique that they will live in my head forever.
Themes: 8.0
Inner strength and a life worth living comes from being sure of your strengths and values. Pick a romantic partner who respects and values your strengths and does not try to supress or diminish them.
Complex Characters/Character Growth: 7.5
Do Bong Soon is on a journey to becoming comfortable with who she is. She doesn't so much change but settle into her skin. Ahn Min-hyuk develops different facets (childishness, ruthlessness, admiration) but not sure if he has much growth per se
Relationships Between Women: 5.0
Strong Girl Bong Soon does have friends etc. but all the other main characters are men.
Cinematography/Production values: 8.0
Thought was put into the comic book/video game feel to the show with the pops of color, noises and special effects.
NOTE: There was one gender nonconforming/LGBTQ character that was played very campily for laughs. I couldn't tell whether it was cultural differences or a disrespectful portrayal. Overall, the jokes are based on dated patriarchal ideas, and I could see the 'flip' of gender dynamics jokes not aging particularly well.
In addition, the creepy male serial killer attacking women who fit the patriarchal ideal and then being brought down by a strong woman - is a nice theme but it belonged in a different show. Worse of all, all the emphasis and fascination with this storyline overwhelmingly and unnecessarily centered male violence and took away from the point of the show.
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There is no tension in this drama. The main couple always do the right thing, and a lot of the teasing and tension of the first 10 episodes disappears. What kept me watching was the fun chemistry of the second couple, sweet and full of hijinks all the way through.
The music is decent with a wistful hint. There is no reason to rewatch.
I grade by other criteria:
Complex Themes - 3
I have nothing except stick to the righteous path. Friends are important.
Character Development - 5
Characters are roughy the same at the beginning as the end, though our 'Maiden Holmes' becomes a little lighter hearted and at ease.
Complex roles/relationships for women - 7
There were two female roles here, who were genuine friends, competent and professional. They did not just talk about their romantic relationships with men.
Production Design/Budget - 8
For being on the lower budget side, this is well put together with flattering costumes and sets and a decent amount of outdoor shots.
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The premise: what if the characters in a badly written high school romance became self-aware?
The set-up took two full hour long episodes. Beyond the slow pace, the plot keeps going in circles with no real character development. Every once in awhile, the plot would touch on something a bit profound, but it never stayed there and everything was only half explained.
The main actors are charismatic and do well in their roles, and that is the main reason I kept watching. The music went with the feel of the show but doesn't linger in my memory. I will not rewatch.
I grade on other criteria:
Themes - 7
The bad boy, narcissistic protagonists of your typical high school kdrama are horrible romantic partners. True, meaningful relationships can be so much more rewarding. Almost profound in how careless the writer was with Eun Dan-O's fate and death, and how she protested that she was a real person not just a plot point. But, the theme focus would always shift back to which boy was going to rescue her.
Character Growth - 5
The characters switch between their written persona and their real persona but there isn't much in the way of growth.
Relationships between women - 3
Eun Dan-O is surrounded by complicated and focused relationships with men, and very shallow relationships with women.
Cinematography/production values - 8
How this is shot, dreamy and slow, and a bit like panels of a comic book elevates the show more than it deserves. Indeed, how this show was presented tricked me into sticking with it as I kept confusing the well-thought out direction and cinematography with a show that had more gravitas and weight.
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All these years later, this drama holds up marvellously. While early episodes suffer a bit from the overacting, pettiness and villains of your average daytime melodrama/soap, the plot settles in on something a little more profound. Sure, there isn't a point to many of the minor/supporting characters, but it's hard to mind when the drama stayed engaging and kept pace in so many other ways.
The key of course is in the main couple as both actors play the opposites attract chemistry to perfection. You instantly believe Kim Soo-Hyun as the cold, cynical intellectual alien with a bit of a naive younger vulnerability and Jun Ji-Hyun as a dramatic, ambitious and self-involved star actress who pretends to be cynical but actually shares a similar vulnerability. Not only are they excellent on screen separately, but they have a great sense of comedic, romantic and tragic timings.
The big weak point in this drama is the music feels dated and overwhelms some of the scenes. The drama has good rewatch potential.
I grade other criteria as well:
Complex Themes - 7.5
The explicit theme is that loving and caring for others makes a life worth living and creates the feeling of home. A theme I enjoyed was that it's better to commit to love even if the future is uncertain, rather than a relationship without love just because of finances and societal expectations. Also, sometimes you need to let family members suffer the consequences of their actions.
Character Growth - 8
Both characters become more vulnerable, and human over the course of the show. They are not the same in the beginning as they are in the end (though the character growth is predictable).
Complex Female Characters/Dynamics - 7
Cheon Song I is a great character - full of ambition and joy for life. She, however, has a typical frenemies relationship with fellow friend/actress and conflicts with her stage mother.
Production Budget/Design/Cinematography - 8
The wealthy characters have lovely penthouse flats, great clothing, well-designed spaces etc. There's lots of shots outdoors not just on sets, there's some decently creative takes on how to display Do Min-Jun's powers especially his ability to stop time and walk through doors into other spaces. Very few of the special effects feel super dated which shows how much thought must have been put into it.
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I thought I knew how this would end, but the last four episodes delivered something different.
At this point, the dramas featuring young, modern love in the big city amidst a growing career are all interchangeable. This drama, however, had two strong points - a mature, complex set of themes that truly stick with you, and a genuine love for the fashion and entertainment industries.
Eleanor Lee was adorable as Nuannuan, while also being competent and fierce. Her slow fall for the male lead was believeable and endearing. Leon Leong as Han Che did fine as a cold, 'genius' who is hiding a dramatic flaw and who desperately wants to be loved and understood.
The secondary romance was very well-acted and while more dramatic/cringeworthy also very much held my interest.
Music was competent. I would not rewatch - there's no particular scene that really stuck out to me.
I grade on other criteria:
Complex Themes: 9
A wonderful execution of: how success finds it way in many forms, and that you can find a fulfilling life if you are open to different possibilities. How finding true friends and partners - people with kind, generous inner character can be the most precious, and necessary components of a contended life. Also, a minor theme, but that it's important to be clear and express your feelings in words.
Character Growth: 7.5
Before the last four episodes, I'd have put this at a 5. In the end, though, Han Che realized he was endangering what was truly important to him by not changing his behaviors and actually changed. It's a truly rare quality in a person, and I liked how NuanNuan appreciated and recognized this.
Complex Women Characters and relationships between women: 8
Nuannuan was part of a girl group and has a female best friend. She also meets mentors and coworkers who are women all along the way. These relationships are by and large not complex, but they are plentiful with lots of screen time.
Production values: 7.5
The production is limited, and not very cinematic, but I did like that there was a lot of coverage of the fashion industry and a good representation of different styles, brand and clothes.
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Good Morning Call - Nossos Dias no Campus
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Being with the most attractive, popular guy may be the high school dream. But what about a sustainable relationship after?
Two wonderful things happen with this switch to university:
1) Nao 'gets it' before Uehara flipping the whole silly girl script - she knows what she respects in a person and Uehara is it. Her insecurity this season stems from the fact that Uehara does NOT seem to get it.
2) Uehara suffers from a lot of self-doubt at university. It's nice for once for the guy in a school drama to NOT 'have it all.' He has little money/time/energy to be a good romantic partner to Nao, and he has trouble putting her first while trying to get ahead. Enter Natsume who seems to have all the things Uehara lacks, and the self-doubt grows.
The show could have cut some side plots, but in the end I just felt incredible fondness for the characters and their journey.
I grade on other criteria as well:
Complex themes:7.5
Being caring and responsible towards others is a rare quality that should be cherished. Secrecy causes trouble and heartbreak, so be open and honest. New to this season: relationships take work and growth - you have to put the time in.
Character growth: 8
Uehara does most of the growing. Letting life pull him in all directions and hope Nao's at home waiting is not a good strategy.
Female relationships/characters: 7
A draw back to the focus on Uehara and Natsume is that there isn't as much female bonding. Marina has a definite backseat this season. Uehara's sister-in-law is replaced by Uehara's new boss as the messy adult woman in his life. I liked that Uehara's boss was a woman, but I didn't like her characterisation and found it over the top.
Cinematography/Production: 6.5
A bit better than the first season but not by much. Still shot as a very basic 90s drama. A little more variation in sets, costumes, and extras. Natsume's look is well done and a good contrast to Uehara.
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I like this far more than Mischievous Kiss, Boys Over Flowers etc.
Nao-chan is average in school and appearance, but special in her ability to be a warm, caring and welcoming friend. Uehara -kun one of the top 3 coolest guys in the high school, is smart and athletic, but no one would guess he actually is in real need of someone like Nao.
At first, the relationship is very off-balance. Nao is head over heals, with a big vulnerable open heart and at risk of bullying. Uehara-Kun has difficulty risking his emotions, and his reputation seems to be getting sky high . . but then it all starts to change
The actress who plays Nao-chan just does a 150%+ job. She is silly but endearing, not a doormat, and very willing to stick up for those who deserve it. The actor who plays Uehara-Kun manages to pull his weight and attempts his Mr. Darcy type role well.
I like this one due to the every day at ease, physicality of the relationship between the two actors/characters. They interact a lot, go through a lot, and have a very symbiotic way of interacting that's very different from these shows where at the end the couple still feels like they barely know each other.
I grade on other criteria as well:
Complex Themes: 7.5
Being reliable, helpful, and a good friend are rare qualities that should be cherished. Speaking honestly and truthfully will save a lot of trouble.
Character Growth: 7.5
Uehara- kun does the most. He becomes more open, and attempts to make sure Nao-chan knows that she can count on him. He grows to respect her ability to make people feel at home. It becomes clear (esp. in Season 2 more so) that he has a much higher esteem for Nao-chan than she does for herself.
Nuanced Female Characters: 8.5
Uehara-kun's sister in law is a fascinating study in an adult woman finding marriage not what she expected. Nao-chan's relationship with Marina is a great one. I do wish it didn't have the stereotypical female queen bee bullies, but it is what it is.
Cinematography - 6
It looks like a drama that was shot in the 90s. BUT, it does have its strong points. I like that that it's staged like a manga . There's also no unfortunate attempts to depict wealthy or exotic locations. The show works really well with its 'every day' sets in a comfortable way.
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This romance is very similar in basic plot to Love 020 and Le Coup de Foudre.
I liked this more because of the endearing relationship between the two leads Xia Ke and Xing Yun. While in the beginning Xia Ke takes Xing Yun for granted , he is never unnecessarily cruel or mean. Xia Ke is quick to want to clear up misunderstandings. There is a lot of respect flowing between the two of them, and they have really good natural chemistry (and good kissing scenes - though it takes forever to get there!).
The side romance/side characters are charismatic with good personalities.
The plot is thin and could have been edited down to 20 episodes. I almost dropped this around Episode 12 because the typical 'switch' (when the arrogant male character panics/goes into crisis/humbles himself) was taking too long.
Complex Themes - 6
Not complex, but I liked the emphasis on trust, respect and sharing burdens. Really good modelling on healthy relationships. I liked the growing respect for typically gendered 'feminine' skills in the work place e.g. organizing, morale boosting, loyalty, team-work.
Character Growth - 6
Xing Yun grows to know her own worth, but it is Xia Ke who does the fundamental transformation to being more trusting and open. Neither do a huge dramatic transformation, but they do have a lasting change.
Nuanced Women -7.5
Xing Yun is your typical bubbly, girlish naive female lead. BUT she does have a lot of inner strength by the end, and does out-smart other characters. I liked the strong female friendships displayed - and there was a lot of female screen time.
Cinematography/Production Values - 7.5
There was a lot of name branded/luxury goods to help with the realism of wealthy characters. The sets were appropriate. There are no 'cinematic' moments - it was shot as a basic drama.
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Le Coup de Foudre follows two main couples for the first 2/3 of the show. The primary couple (Zhao Qiao Yi and Yan Mo) are stereotypical: caring but a bit clueless woman + the cold, ocpd and brilliant man. The secondary couple (Zhao Guanchao and Hao Wuyi) I found more interesting: a playboy who doesn't believe in marriage due to his abusive father + a confident, creative writer who has a huge romantic streak despite a lonely childhood.
How the main couple will come together is resolved early on, and their troubles are replaced by Yan Mo trying to start a corporation and the issues of Yan Mo's co-founder.
I lost my interest and the show fizzed out for me. The one saving grace of the show is the acting is excellent and naturalistic and that there are true to life problems and obstacles to conquer.
I grade on other criteria as well:
Complex Themes -4
The only real theme is healthy supportive relationships makes the ups and downs of life more bearable.
Character Growth -4
The only characters who show a bit of growth are the secondary couple - and even then their acting doesn't change much. They feel the same as they did in the first few episodes.
Nuanced Women -7
I really liked the friendship between the two main female characters, and I liked that the show depicted women with varying different dreams and goals.
Cinematography/Production Values - 5
It's competently done for the most part, but not at all cinematic. As one reviewer mentioned, there is a hazy tone over most of the scenes to denote nostalgia/the past. But since most of the story is set in the past, this choice was a strange one.
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The strengths of the show are the endearing two main leads and the fact that being a pyschometric is not an easy fix. Crimes can be complicated - seeing one piece doesn't mean you have the truth.
The mood of the show, however, changes dramatically between the first half and the second half. The first half is 'two young people solving mysteries and falling in love' and the second half is 'can you catch a psychopath before he kills more people.'
It also looses steam. Ultimately, at about episode 12, I just wanted it to be over. Something that could be wrapped up in one more episode took another 4 to finish.
I grade on other criteria as well:
Complex Themes -7
I enjoyed the three main themes. They were unique though only covered shallowly and easily covered in 1 - 2 episodes: 1) just because you 'know' a part of something don't presume you know it all - there often are no easy explanations solutions/fixes 2) it is a societal/community problem if the police are corrupt, and violent men are allowed to terrorize families. 3) if you try, you are capable of change - you are not a prisoner to the circumstances of your birth
Character Growth -6
While one of the themes is character growth, character growth isn't shown much on screen. We are told of changes but not really shown them.
Nuanced Women -7.5
There are strong interesting career women in the show, as well as female family members and friends. They were not complicated, intriguing or central to the plot. But it was refreshing to see so many female-female relationships given screen time.
Cinematography/Production Values - 7.5
Competent, but not particularly creative or interesting. There were a couple of group fight scenes that were stylishly done.
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'Healer' himself is the key character to this story - the one who transforms from a loner, selfish, barely trusting anyone to a kinder, more generous person who wants to see justice done. His story would be transfixing on its own - but its paired with a believable romance with lots of interactions, a mystery with multiple subplots, and a moving story regarding old friends, family and generational hopes.
The acting is top notch, and all the leads (and many of the supporting characters) can go back and forth between humour, tragedy, action etc. with the drop a hat. The music is good enough. There is a lot of rewatch potential as a lot of its value is not in the 'mysteries' of the show.
I grade by other criteria as well:
Complex Themes -10
There are A LOT of themes here regarding corruption, power, love, friendship, selfishness v. sacrifice etc.
Character Growth -8.5
'Healer' grows a lot as noted above, and at certain points in the show does a 'Superman' type deception. Yeongsin does become a bit sharper, cynical and somewhat steelier over the show, but the majority of the transformation is on his side.
Nuanced Women -7.5
There are 3 great female roles in the show - very smart with strength of character, but unfortunately no real bond or connection between them until the very end. The women are more ideals and inspiration - motivations for the men in the show than fully fleshed out characters in and of themselves.
Cinematography/Production Values - 8.5
The action scenes are really well done on what appears to be a lower budget than what K-dramas have today. Lots of 'exteriors' shot in real settings scenes - good, basic cinematic camerawork. The main downfall is the wealthy people do not have the trappings/attitudes of the wealthy probably due to lack of budget.
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