Reviews

The songs caught my attention the most in the beginning- kind of hauntingly beautiful in a way. The initial story was a little strange for me to follow at first but I was half drawn to wanting to know the character's backgrounds (because I was hesitantly intrigued!), so I continued. The first two episodes were hard to swallow because characters were all over the place or drunk but starting episode 4 everything became to be more clearer. On a slight side note, that's kind of a drama rule for me-give it 4 episodes. If it's still not good... then whoops. It's interesting how they both start out as broken characters that try to find their way back, together. (In that respect, OHYA reminds me of It's Okay, that's Love) I loved their open communication, even in the beginning.

Just as a note, all the leads in this drama are completely new to me except for Kim Mi Kyung (loved her in Healer and here she is a completely different character) I like the characters so much. They feel like real people I would really meet in life. I admire Seo Hyun Jin's character, our Oh Hae Young. She has so much tenacity and willingness to throw herself out there, both in her wrecked love life and difficult work life. Her humorous antics are also hilarious. She gave this drama life. Of course, Eric was stellar at portraying his brooding character that is actually warm inside but SHJ's multifaceted character and her way of portraying our OHY is what made this drama. From being down in the dumps to easily happy, SHJ acting as our OHY, made me fall for this drama.

On the surface, the plot isn't really that new but DK and our OHY's relationship is what makes this drama what it is, regardless of the flaws because that's a part of it as well. Family love, dealing with abandonment, self-exploring, and more are all something this drama touches on and deal with well. Sometimes I hate Do Kyeong so much for his selfish actions, but then I can't help but love him later on again. Aiya, basically he made me a mess of emotions. Thanks Eric. And yet, I find myself rooting for them despite Do Kyeoung's mistakes, despite all he has done. It's amazing what some raw, sizzling chemistry can do.

Speaking of the chemistry..wow, just wow. For their relationship, it isn't just the feels-it's completely heartbreakingly realistic. Whether it be an ecstatically happy scene or an agonizing, tearful scene that is making me bawl- it all hurts and in a good way. Often times, I feel like I'm on a train that will eventually crash. I know that and yet I keep watching anyways even though it hurts so much. Their tug and pull relationship was overwhelmingly hard to watch, seriously, and every time they're together, the charged atmosphere and tension between them is so tangible. They shouldn't even be together given they need to heal themselves and get the secrets out of the way first, but regardless of all that, I still want to root for the impossible to turn into the possible. I have to give it to the writer for making me feel all these emotions.

On a completely superficial side note, I love Eric's voice. I love how sound was incorporated in this drama. So ingenious, and so essential to the story. The importance of sound, emphasized through Do Kyeong's job, is beautifully expressed and creates some awesome scenes with gorgeous cinematography to top it off.

I know some viewers were in a controversy about the 'cop out'. In all honestly, when it happened, I sighed in relief. Up to then, I couldn't completely justify rooting for the OTP because it seemed wrong, in a way.

Now, side characters. If anything, I feel like the office scenes were too long, as well the drunken scenes. Less is really more. Bromance is serious in this drama. I loved it so much. The duckling squad always has DK's back no matter what. In terms of the other storylines, I really liked them. No character seemed one-dimensional; for the most part, all the characters had purpose and was fleshed out, and given a chance for redemption, to have a fresh start if they chose to take it. I appreciated that the second leads weren't purely vindictive. Circumstance made them who they are and maybe some incorrect choices took them on their path. So in that sense, I liked all the characters. Even for those that I didn't like, I didn't want them gone from this drama either because it didn't feel justified. In their own way, they added to the drama.

The songs are so appropriately fitting to the drama. Like the theme of this drama, the songs (sound) perfectly complement each and every scene. AOHY really made me fully appreciate the importance of sound (and sound directors) in dramas to enhance the whole drama experience and just in everyday life in general as well. I love this whole soundtrack- every single song! If I have to choose one, though, it's definitely 'If it is you' by Jung Seung-Hwan.

If there is one themeI learned from this drama, it is: We should live life to the fullest; pride really isn't everything. If you don't try throwing yourself out there, you might never be reciprocated. If you don't give, why do you expect to receive?

I recommend if...
-you want to see some fireworks chemistry
-you want to see some of the best kiss scenes I've ever seen in a drama
-you're ok with lots of revenge and raw, unfiltered emotion
-you like hardcore bromance and heartwarming love between family
-you're a huge romance lover (like me!) and wants to see something different and surprisingly new

If you're still on the fence about whether to watch this or not, just watch it! Don't be afraid of throwing yourself out there! (Did you get the pun? LOL) Okay, seriously, give it 4 episodes then decide whether you like it or not.

This drama has so much heart, so much depth, and just so much love. In the end, the raw emotion this drama provokes as a whole overrides the flaws this drama did have. I love you, show, and you'll stay in a heart for a while!

Leia Mais

Friendship, rather than romance, would best describe the main theme. The drama centers around 3 friends who live together and share their lives, loves, and misfortunes. Enter the handsome brother who adds to the close camaraderie.
While this scenario is a perfect set up for romance, the writer makes too many blunders. For one, the writer never develops the characters outside the 4 roommates, so the audience feels emotionless towards them. Several romantic relationships take place, but their termination often has unsatisfactory reasons. The climax, the two you are waiting forever to get together, may or may not happen, and ultimately the audience is let down with quite unnatural results. Why couples stay together or fail makes no logical sense. You will be held in suspense until the end as to who ends up with whom.
The main reason to watch this is the beautiful Esumi and Japan's hot GTO star, Sorimachi. Even with the poor writing, they sizzle on screen.

Leia Mais

For me, this entire drama hinged on the acting of Seo Hyun Jin. I have never experienced such a deep empathy for a character. She portrays someone who is devastated incredibly well. I have found that if she so much as sniffles, I burst into tears. The dead, haunted expression she had through the first few episodes, and the inner strength of her character to put on a brave face to the world stayed with me.

I found the story to be interesting at first. It was different. But after a while it seemed to have lost it's charm for me. This makes me sad, because I was anticipating Eric's return to the screen. That is not to say I didn't enjoy the drama, but it isn't one I would watch again.

As for the music, I am torn. The main song is catchy but annoying. Roy Kim's song is lovely. The two balanced out to a 6.5 for me.

Overall, I rated this drama a 7.5, which about averages the other scores. That is almost exclusively due to Seo Hyun Jin. The side characters were also fun to watch, and their stories were light-hearted interruptions to the main plot, which at times became a little heavy.

I do recommend seeing this drama, even with it's short-comings. If for no other reason than to experience acting that will literally make your heart hurt in your chest.

Leia Mais

I'm catching up with 2015 dramas so I didn't take part on the poll on last year's best, but I'm amazed to find so many great dramas, like this one, were not even close on the most voted. This drama is one of the best I've seen from 2015 so far.

The story is about an introverted and hardworking girl, Sugisaki Momoko (played by Renbutsu Misako) who is a new asset of the agency Little Snow, which employs what we can call"nanny-nurses", people who take care of kids when they're sick enough they have to leave school yet not enough to be in a hospital. When parents can't take care of them because of work or other issues, these people are called in to help.

As in many medical dramas, the plot relates cases of the families Momoko works in with her own life in an abusive and neglecting household (content warning there), and we unravel Momoko's past and reasons for being the way she is step by step. Connecting with families with different realities and learning from parent-child relationships in very different environments, Momoko will discover more about her true calling in life.

The plot deals with very heavy subjects such as parental abuse, child neglect, toxic living environments and violence, but it does so in a way in which it isn't for shock value, it's narrated and explained and every perspective is depicted. It's not merely about parents or kids, it's about relationships, and I found its narrative very well handled. I'm not one to feel comfortable with these kinds of narratives and I was scared I wasn't going to be able to watch it all through, but the story is so well told and it gives you enough moments of peace to catch your breath and to keep wanting to watch. Instead of using the subject like a device to put people in a "good vs bad" situation, like other more popular jdramas which came last year did, this one shows it in grayscale and attaches it to the amazing performance of Misako as the lead character.

There's a bit of romance and a love triangle of sorts, but it's not really the center of the story (to the point in which a character actually states Momoko "doesn't have time for that right now"). There's fluffy and nice situations involving very adorable kids and their relationships with their parents, but I was also moved to tears for many different reasons more then once. Contrary to some, I don't feel the ending was rushed, I feel there's a very consistent narrative pace throughout the drama, and I'm very pleased with every aspect of it, especially the acting.

Leia Mais

The story was alright. It was better towards the end but around the middle it seemed a little boring and dragged on (it felt so, anyways). Overall, I enjoyed the story. The story of this kdrama is definitely to watch if you're looking for something not too heavy/heart wrenching. There are plenty of cute/funny moments and they were enjoyable to watch.
The acting of this kdrama was superb and definitely what stood out the most. Lee Minho seems to never fail me with his acting. Some people think otherwise with this actor but I honestly think he is a really good actor and he did well in this kdrama. Song Yejin portrayed her character well. She was honestly a fun character to watch, in my opinion. All the characters in this kdrama were really good and the supporting roles were very important. My favourite character is Director Choi. I got quite annoyed with In Hee and Sang Joon but that's okay.
I never really paid attention to the music until the last couple of episodes. I don't know why. But I realise, the music was not bad! The chosen music fit with the concept of the kdrama really well. I feel like there was one song that was repeated too many times but it's still a good song so I didn't mind too much.

The filming of this kdrama was a little off at times, I have to admit.. (e.g in one of the earlier episodes, I'm sure I saw a microphone in the filming view or something).
Overall, this korean drama was enjoyable to watch. I was in no rush to finish it because it wasn't too intense and not really many cliff hangers. Good to watch if you're looking for something calmer and sweeter :)

Leia Mais

Story: The poster suggested a romantic-comedy genre, but the romance is actually not the main focus of the story. The fact that I finished the entire thing even when I didn't get the rom-com that I expected should say something about the quality of this show. Teaches you a lot of valuable lessons towards the end about the importance of money vs self-worth. Also, it has a VERY satisfying ending.

Acting/Cast: I enjoyed the cast (except for Hwang Bo Ra, she's terrible). Every single one of them is lovable in their own way. I also really loved the older cast members. There's something about the way they deliver their lines that make it sound so natural.

Music: 11/10. My favorite has to be that bg music they use when something bad is about to happen or if they are about to reveal something huge. Dat orchestra.

Rewatch Value: I probably won't watch this again. I don't want to put myself through the same pain watching them struggle again. No. of episodes when the cast are struggling > No. of episodes when the cast are happy. I'm satisfied with just one cycle.

Overall: It's good. Romance is not the main theme as one might have assumed. Great cast. Great music.

Leia Mais

I LOVED this drama so much! Probably the best drama I've ever watched in my opinion.

The casting for this drama was THE BEST! Oh Yeon-Seo played Do Bo Ri, a wonderful, bubbly (but also dinky at times) character that was funny and we (the viewers) instantly fell in love with her bright attitude. Meanwhile, Lee Yoo Ri played Yeon Min Jung, possibly the best villain ever existed in Korean dramas. Lee Yoo Ri payed attention to the littlest details that made you despise her even more. From the taunting in her voice to her stunning make-up scenes (seriously, even her putting on lipstick made me despise her!) I have never hated a K-drama character more than Yeon Min Jung. Lee Yoo Ri absolutely deserved the Daesang prize!

The story was brilliantly written. Props to the writer, who must've had something going on in their head to come up with a despicable villain and a plot that infuriated us so much. How makjang can a drama get? Although, the comedy in this show was absolutely hilarious, I loved the supporting characters who made us laugh so much. But there was also an intense character solely focused on revenge, and they played their role so well. I'll be researching the writer, I love her style of writing.

The music varies from light-hearted to dark and evil-sounding. Seriously, even just listening to the music that played at the end of every episode added to the "I'm on the edge of my seat" effect! A beautifully written OST. I applaud the show's orchestra, they did a wonderful job.

The reason I'm giving the rewatch value an eight is because it gets to the point where if you rewatched this series twice, you'll soon jump around from episode to episode, rather than start to finish.

I highly recommend this drama for everyone, because it has a good makjang plot, a heartfelt romance, and great comedy. So this drama is good for everyone.

Leia Mais

I would have given a higher score but this drama broke my heart. :-( Han Jung Suh & Cha Song Ju were a great pair and they tugged at the heart strings. The actors that played the characters were great and the acted beautifully. But at times the situation that they had to deal with was frustrating, I wished for a better happier ending but sadly that did not happen. The younger version of Han Jung Suh & Cha Song Ju were great also but I yelled at the screen about how nutts the circumstances were. Han Tae Hwa & Han Yu Ri characters were insane and at times you want to shake them and say snap out of it. Enjoyed Director Jang. The stepmother was off the charts evil and nutts. The dad's character was so oblivious to what was happening. The story has the usual, evil stepmother, jealously, love, betrayal, determination, loads of sadness, despair, crazy people and people just in denial, mix in some cute moments, cute kisses, did I mention sadness and ANGER. This was an emotional roller coaster. I think I deserved more happiness after watching this. Lots of cuteness overload and winking from Kwon Sang Woo, Yum yum. Enjoyed despite the tears.

Leia Mais

Refresh Man is a sweet romance with some corporate games thrown in. The corporate story is good, but nothing that is intense or gripping. I felt like it was predictable and sometimes boring. However, if you look at it from the love story side of it, then it is beautiful and fun. It is a little cheesy at times, but it seemed to go with the flow of the story. The side stories for each character actually add to the story and to the understanding of the male lead. Also, it helps with character development. I think the ending was well done, but could have spent more time on the lead couple.

I don't watch many Taiwanese dramas, so I don't know the actresses well. I wonder if Tseng Joanne is a popular actress. She drove me crazy with that frown look. Very rarely in this drama was she smiling naturally. I don't know how to explain my aversion to her acting, but she is pretty. She did an ok job as Zhong Yu Tang. I didn't think she had any chemistry with Ji Wen Kai played by Yan Aaron. Maybe it was because they knew each other since high school. I hear Aaron plays a lot of CEOs. I can see why since he does it well. He was efficient but not cold. I enjoyed his character a lot. This is the second time I have watched Lee Jack play the second lead. In this one he was more of a jerk as Wang Zi Yu. He is cute though. LOL The other actors are good also.

Some of the music I really enjoyed and some of it I absolutely hated. Lalalalalalala

I won't rewatch this.

If you like romance where the guy loves the girl from beginning to end, then this is the drama for you.

Leia Mais

The story kicks of without much fuss and the time travel happens within the first 20 min of the first episode. After that the story is engaging and has a good pacing and build up of relations and friendships all the way through. The actors are really good and their characters have a nice depth and dynamic. Around episode 10 the story gets a kick and plots start to speed up making it exciting to watch.

The main couple has really good chemistry. They suit each other well and their scenes are good. The angst in this romance is about them actually not supposed to be together, it was never meant to be. The butterfly effect has consequences. The second couple are also sweet and the romance plot is a tad angsty, I found myself worrying about the future I knew and wishing for a new future for them.

I have not noticed any big inconsistencies with this taking place in 1989. Even though the brands shown are of later date, I don't look at the brand names but rather the fashion style. I remember well all these horrible clothes, old technology and I feel myself being immersed. I am sure that if you really want to you can rip this show to bits finding loads of errors. I'm just not that kind of viewer. So far it feels like the 1989 that I remember.

All in all a well done drama, with the usual Taiwanese issues (low audio quality and at least one clown character). The extremely cheesy moments didn't bother me at all, I enjoyed them, squealed and cried my way through this very sweet story.

Leia Mais