But near the end I was extremely disappointed. The final two episodes lost it for me, the first being almost unnecessary as the noble idiocy just made me angry as a viewer and didn't make me feel any sympathy for KKJ at all. I won't go into why the finale was a bit of a let down, but just take it from me it's not a heart-stopper.
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Tons of Fun
Story: This is definitely one of the best written dramas of 2014. It's really hard to stand out in a sea of romantic comedy dramas but this one managed to be memorable because it actually managed to be funny and romantic until the end. The story didn't have any melodramatic moments. There are scenes that will really make you cry but it's because the characters are so endearing and likable. The story might sound cliche at first but the writer is very clever in twisting expectations. You might know what would happen but it turns another way. The opening sequences are also really creative. The second leads were a little sketchy and unlikable in some episodes but they weren't really the focus on the story so they didn't cause major problems. I really love the two leads and their families. The story really did a lot to make you care for them. The heroine really was an awesome character. One of the best characters of 2014.Acting/Cast: The acting was the strongest weapon of this drama. Han Groo and Yun Woo Jin were really committed to their roles. I really loved how Han Groo manages to look silly and funny in comedic scenes then be genuinely endearing in dramatic scenes. She manages to give more depth to her character. I want to see her in more dramas. Yun Woo Jin was also really good and he really had so much chemistry with Han Groo. The actress who played his mother was awesome. She was really hard to care for at first but as the story showed the layers of her character, she became a very memorable character. Her acting managed to elevate the material more. I rooted for her in the end. The other supporting characters did well enough to support the leads and most of them were memorable.
Music: The music was good enough to help elevate the drama. There were really excellent musical choices that helps makes the drama more clever. The ending song was definitely memorable for me. I always hum it from time to time.
Overall: This was definitely in my opinion, the best romantic comedy drama of 2014. From the writing to the directing and of course the acting, everything was just pitch perfect. Everything was in perfect harmony with each other. There were some flaws but they were too minor and not enough to derail the whole thing. I would definitely watch it again.
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The story is well built, the characters are well articulated and portrayed - every single one of them, even the supporting roles, the music goes along with the scene, just adding more emotion to it, and the way the episodes were developed was magnificent! I don't find myself so amazed by a drama since Reply 1997!
Generally k-dramas have this thing for making you scream of anger while watching them, but in this one, the screeches were of agony, because the feelings - especially pain, of course - were being so nicely portrayed that it wasn't possible to not feel along with the characters.
I like how the characters are human. I mean, none of them are completely perfect or completely awful, all of them have good and bad feelings - the want to do the good and the bad thing. Even the villains - you can't call them that, seriously, but let's go with it - have genuine emotions and actions, and everything is substantial and explicable.
Things in this drama happen like you would see happening in real life, the plot twists aren't something you would laugh about because they are so ridiculous (seriously, some dramas are impossible to be serious about). And for me, it's so good to see believable acts and events, especially because the plot is all about something that is inherently present in our everyday lives. There was only this or that scenes that probably wouldn't be possible to see (hello, Yoon Yu Rae, I'm talking to you), but they were made for the comic relief, so I just laughed and moved on.
Overall, Pinocchio is a great choice if you want to see a realistic drama. Kudos for Park Shin Hye for not making me want to kill her because of her acting and character - the first one is her fault, but the second I know it's not, I'm just glad she finally chose a character that wasn't developed by the screenwriters so... ugh. (Go Minam... Eun Sang... just no.)
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Anyways, the show wasn’t bad. In fact, the first 9 episodes I’d rate as a 10 and would rewatch. They were exactly how I’d want my ideal kdrama to be- funny, romantic, cute, and suspenseful, with good acting and a great cast (even Lee Seung Gi made an appearance). The downfall, I think, is that even though these was able to make up for the lack of a good plot in the beginning, the ending showed that the lack of one or any plot twists could not be overcome leading to the disappointment of what could’ve been indeed the greatest love. Since the majority of the show was immensely entertaining I don't think that it would be fair to lower the rating beyond what I have.
**Side notes: Yoo In Na is way too cute for an antagonist. Choi Hwa Jung reminded me of Bree Van de Kamp from desperate Housewives and was a cool character who seemed practical and instead of many powerful characters in Korean dramas who simply oppose things for no reason. Jung Joon Ha’s acting was really good and serious at times which made me somewhat sad since he might not really be the clumsy dumbdumb that I like watching on variety shows. : (
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Characters: 8/10
Plot: 9/10
Feels Factor: 7/10
Wait, before we start we all need to take a second to appreciate how funny it was when they said "City Hunter." In the Korean language, they have a hard time getting that hard "s" out there, so the "s" in "city" came out sounding like a "sh" sound. Say it to yourself. Okay, good, I got that out of my system. It was funny.
Moving past that, this drama was great, everyone! Action, suspense, romance, facemasks...
Where do Korean up-to-no-good-ers find these things? Anyway, besides Lee Min Ho looking great in a mask, this drama had a lot of high points for me. Here's the good and the bad.
The Bad: I am a sappy romance kind of person, and while this drama did have a fair amount of romance in it (enough to appease even me), it wasn't as focused as I would have liked it to be. There was only one kiss in this drama, and at the very end they weren't exactly running into each other's arms. Granted, a lot of sad and heavy things happened, so I'd imagine neither of them were exactly feeling it. But a *touch* more would have made me happier.
The other negative thing I might say about this drama was that it was kind of slow to start. For me, anyway, having an entire first episode of set up was a bit draggy. It took me a while to get into it. And although the plot is very gripping, I actually left this one to watch other things in between. So it wasn't a "can't put it down" kind of drama for me.
The Good: Pretty much everything else you can think of, this drama nailed it. Music? Gripping. Plot? Entrancing. Chemistry? Totally hot. It's an action drama with a great romance weaved into it, and I think it would appeal to a wide audience. This is the drama where I fell in love with Lee Min Ho, because his performance was just spot on. Kim Na Na, the main girl, was very cute, and she played her role perfectly. I already loved her from the first drama I had watched ("Sungkyunkwan Scandal"), and her feminine but capable character in this drama suited her well. Lee Min Ho's character Lee Yoon Sung also fit him nicely, and the acting all around was--from my limited knowledge--pretty flawless.
The whole drama was just different enough to feel a bit refreshing, but still familiar enough that you know you're watching a classic Kdrama. To make it even better, there's a satisfying ending, and the bad people end up where they ought to, and the good people come out on top. But they throw you enough curve balls that you don't feel like its too predictable or stagnant. And that's why I had to give this an 8, even if its not up there in my "grand romances" list, it's up there in my high production value, high rewatch value list.
Your ahjumma friend's verdict: Watch this when you're in the mood for a thriller.
Read this and other drama reviews at http://theahjummas.blogspot.com
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Esta resenha pode conter spoilers
Overall: 8/10Characters: 9/10
Plot: 7/10
Feels Factor: 9/10
Let's make one thing pretty clear: I love Lee Min Ho. Seriously, he's gorgeous, he picks awesome dramas, and overall he's just a Korean heartthrob. I will admit, however, that this drama is not what made me fall in love with him. Especially because of that hair. Guys, that hair though.
Not my favorite. That said, this was inexplicably one of those dramas I just could not put down. Even the second time around when I showed it to my mom, I couldn't look away. It actually defies logic because really, the plot wasn't that great, the leading girl was pretty annoying a good 80% of the drama, the kisses were stiff and awkward, and their relationship was downright strange at the best of times. Was it the gorgeous F4? Was it the fast pace? Was it the fact that the characters just REFUSED to quit despite every impossible challenge?
It's hard to say.
What I can say is that overall I actually enjoyed this drama. If you're wondering whether or not its worth a try, I'll tell you that this drama is kind of the gateway drama you have to watch at some point. Like a rollercoaster you have to ride before you officially enter Kdrama Land.
The Good: This drama starts at a fast pace, and pretty much keeps that pace through the whole thing. And right off the bat we get sparks flying between the two main leads, and some simmering feels between the main girl and the second lead. And speaking of second lead WOW. If ever there was a painful second lead, Ji Hoo is it. There are few dramas where the second lead has metaphorically stabbed me in the heart like Ji Hoo did. I actually had to go and watch "Playful Kiss" right after this one because I needed to see him "get the girl" so desperately.
Also, if you love the damsel in distress thing, there is plenty of that in this drama. (Too much? No, what am I saying--there's no such thing.) The F4 has to save the leading lady a lot, and that's my kind of my thing, so I enjoyed it immensely.
And without giving you spoilers, there's a feel good ending, so that gets two thumbs up from me. That's another thing I look for in my dramas, personally. The tone was equal parts light and fluffy, and dramatic and heavy at all the right parts, and the "villian" so to speak, was appropriately treacherous. All great things.
Also, Lee Min Ho. What a dream boat.
The Bad: I almost dropped this drama after the first episode because Geum Jan Di, the main girl, was too painful to watch. The overacting, the ridiculous...whatever it is that she is...I couldn't...
Yeah, I almost dropped it. But I persevered! I got used to Geum Jan Di eating like a camel and wearing her hair like a four-year-old. She lacked a lot of...everything. But the F4 are so perfect, they completely make up for anything this drama might be missing. They are the real reason you'll watch this drama.
Another thing I wasn't so happy about was the fact that this is what I like to call a "misunderstanding plot." I really rather detest that usually. This is when a plot is based almost entirely on the main characters misunderstanding one anothers intentions. They say one thing, but think something entirely different, and thus fight over...well...nothing. Things that don't exist. For example, Geum Jan Di doesn't think she deserves Goo Joon Pyo, so she runs away. But he thinks its because she doesn't like him, so he decides to be cold toward her. This, apparently, passes for tension. I don't know. I got over it because like I said above--there's just *something* about this drama that pulls you in.
So there you have it. Overall, does your Ahjumma friend think you should watch this? YES. Go watch it.
(See this and other drama reviews at http://theahjummas.blogspot.com)
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Good to watch on a road trip. I'm saying this because that's what I did, and I can't think of another time I'd be desperate enough to.
THE STORY
LOL This was like watching the two-hour recap of a melodrama...or starting the melo from the middle, skipping all the nice, fluttering falling-in-love part and jumping right into the in-laws-tear-us-apart drama, which, I have to say, had all the cliched elements you can find in melos and more. There's nothing gripping about Hanoi Bride because we're not given the chance to care about the protagonists separately or together, and everything is just so damn predictable. The good side? Well, I sure had a lot of laughs watching this, though I'm certain it wasn't what they were aiming for. I also like to give props to stories that portray a social issue, and Korean guys travelling to Vietnam to find a wife is not an unusual phenomenon, from what I've read.
THE ACTING
I would say nothing stellar, but because I got to see Kim Okbin in Yoona's Street first, where her role was so entirely different, I can't help but think she's a very good actress.
THE MUSIC
What music?
REWATCHABLE VALUE
It's standing on that line that separates serious from ridiculous shows. Because I wasn't watching it taking it seriously, it was entertaining, and I can't say I wouldn't watch it again. But I'm not dying for it. Not at all.
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Don't watch unless action and suspense is all you need. This doesn't have much more to offer.
THE STORY
I want to write a really mean review for this one. I really want to. I could go on and on about how watching this felt like watching the narrative of a violent video game tailored for guys, with unnecessary sexual scenes, unnecessary blood, and, as a bonus, unnecessary deaths. I could rant about the ending, which made as much sense as a book read upside down and was extremely disappointing, or the characters with no development, or the plot with no depth. But then, I'd be omitting one little thing: that I was undeniably into Killer Girl K from beginning to end. The suspense did not falter from episode one, and the occasional humor was good too. Retrospectively, I didn't like it, but I have to admit I sort of...maybe...okay, definitely was enjoying it in the moment, so...yeah. It's okay.
THE ACTING
Good. A special mention goes to Han Groo. It was her first lead, I believe, and she was great. Too bad the show wasn't.
THE MUSIC
...*crickets*
REWATCHABLE VALUE
As you can guess, not that high for me.
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STORY:
Pinocchio is a well known Italian tale about a carpenter named Geppetto, who crafts a wooden puppet and wishes for a son. Instead of a human being, “Pinocchio” remains a puppet. The Blue Fairy, which assisted in magically allowing this divine event to happen, warns Pinocchio that if he wishes to be a real boy, he must be honest and upright. If he lies, his nose will grow long and longer. Albeit there are differences from Disney’s version and the actual novel, Pinocchio is filled with life lessons, values, and warnings of human nature which some are folly too.
Now, why did I give this (somewhat boring) mini history session before my review? For those of you that may be familiar or not familiar with the true story of Pinocchio, there is an interesting twist to the: don’t “tell a lie” scenario or there will be consequences, and that is hiccupping in this Korean drama. Those who are “Pinocchio’s” as opposed to being wooden puppets that talk, cannot lie. When they do lie, their conscience (as substituted for a cricket here) is to hiccup. This, although I was apprehensive at first how they would take on this classic, is quite a refreshing take on an old story.
CHARACTERS:
Choi In Ha: *A standing ovation for Park Shin Hye* and it is well deserved. I had been apprehensive about Park Shin Hye’s involvement in this series, and although I adored her in Flower Boy Next Door and You’re Beautiful, she does have a few recycled roles under her sleeve, and I’m not just referring to Heirs. I do think script writing has everything to do with the success of a series as much as it does the acting. Park Shin Hye glows, she literally shines on screen, and perhaps that have to do partially with Lee Jong Suk, but I fully believe her charm as a serious actor came to light in this series. Here, In Ha is a wonderfully dedicated, but hopelessly seeking a future in investigative journalism. As a Pinocchio, she cannot lie, and has been discriminated against (and criticised) for her pursuance of this career. Although the stacks are against her, In Ha is strong minded, and a will to seek the truth. What I liked about this heroine is her integrity and strength. She has her flaws, and she admits to her faults, and that’s what makes her relatable and human. Choi In Ha and Choi Dal Po/Ha Myeong are like two peas in a pod, and I enjoyed their mutual understandings for one another, and the bond between these two.
Choi Dal Po/Ki Ha Myeong: Lee Jong Suk… bless the heavens, stars, gods, goddesses, all that is good in the universe… anything that you want to name and praise, thank you for being involved in this project, and thank you for bringing you’re A-game as usual, and this time creating a beautiful on-screen chemistry with Park Shin Hye. What more can I possibly say other then the multi-dimensionality of Dal Po is central to this tale of tragedy turned comedy, turned serious revenge, turned sort of revenge, turned now mature series drama with hints of melodrama. Complicatedness aside, Dal Po is on a journey of not only self discovery, but a journey of self-healing and forgiveness. Often ambiliventy going back and forth between what he thinks as right and wrong, and often has to reflect on his actions and thoughts. This kind of characteristic element of his makes him the Dal Po he is. The feels, the feels for his character development that I have, which is nothing but unique and roller-coaster like. Lee Jong Suk gives a memorable performance as this lovable genius.
The “Secondary Characters” were just as great, whether from MSC news or YGN news, the rivalry between each newscast station is hilariously refreshing. Though, of course, serious, there are times when it can be ridiculously entertaining. Especially the interactions between the two stations, which make this series memorable. Whether it’d be their “Cap’s” or it be their Team Leader’s calling their rookie’s out to bring in news, there’s always an interesting dynamic going on. In no way are they secondary at all to this series, but important components to the life as investigative journalists, as reporters, as people working for news companies that are presenting a version of a truth of event(s) that occur. And how objective those news pieces are often central to this series.
SOUND/OST: This is important to a series: the sound. It’s such a huge component to dramas. Every Single Day came back to to the original theme song for this series (just as they had done so for I Hear Your Voice). The music/sound is not overbearing, it is mellow or upbeat when it needs to be, and that's what I appreciate about this sound and OST (which Park Shin Hye does a song for!). There are many moments where it fits in just right, and I found that the music suited the flow to this series.
OVERALL IMPRESSION: Brilliant creativity, for taking an idea from a classic and changing it in many unique ways. Everyone is entitled to their opinion about this series, but there is one thing you cannot deny and that is the beauty in storytelling. I have praised this screenwriter plenty of times, and their work is pure art.There’s commotion, but not too much commotion. There’s connections we feel, but there’s enough distance to enjoy the drama. It just flows well. There is a complete package here, and whether or not you enjoyed it thoroughly, there is enough for one to realize how special this drama is, and how delighted I was to be able to see these characters transform over time. I like the interactions and memorable movements/actions between Park Shin Hye and Lee Jong Suk (that were totally “Dal Po and In Ha” moments). I wondered if they were actually scripted or improvised, which I think the idea of that is quite special, and probably a secret they would keep to themselves. One of my personal favourites. *SAYS WITHOUT HICCUPING*
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and because i like law+romance dramas :D
Pride and prejudice was so great to the point where i recommend it to everyone i knew .. but when i watched the last episode it left me with the feeling that this is not the last episode .. everything feels so rushed.. more like left me hanging on cliff :/
I advice you to only watch the first 20 episode and imagine the last episode in your head :)
In the first 20 episode The actors did a great jop in their characters .. sometime i even forget that they're actors but real prosecutors .. but i really can't say that for the last episode
The cast is awesome .. as i said before i only watched it because of Choi Jin Hyuk .. and later i found out that Baek Jin Hee is the one who acted as the queen in empress ki so i loved the cast even more ..
I really can't rate the music since i really can't tell XD
As for me I'm definitely not gonna watch it again
The overall rate is for the first 20 episode ... as for the last episode is down below 4 :/
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well the good part was the story itself and the lesson learned. Also they had really great wadrobe stylist and great ideas. I liked Kang joons dad, he was like one of the most real and good actors. The revenge was appropriate and sara matched well with her costars i like her with min hyuk too.
I dint care for the ost it was in fact annoying. Recommendation well if u have no problem forwarding then its good for u. Its cute and cheesy
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LnF was certainly an unexpected find. I loved the story which was heartwarming and addicting. The acting was good and chemistry was great. Especially the love scenes were so natural as compared to korean drama, it shows how a couple should and do act when they discover they are in love.
It was also a pleasant change not to have any evil baddies creating constant friction.
The only negative was the length, wish it was shorter, maybe 20 or so episodes. I loved the first half of the drama more than the latter, especially I hate the writers putting in fillers to keep the drama running for so long.
overall good romantic and addictive. I would definately recommend to watch if your are looking for this genre.
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The only saving grace in this drama is the excellent cast. The Chois are beautiful actors. Although, I must say it is hard to believe that Choi Min Soo would play dog to any master, but he makes Chief Moon believable. Choi Jin Hyuk is a perfect flawed hero as Koo Dong Chi. He is too cute and has a great chemistry with Baek Jin Hee who is one of my favorite actresses. She doesn't disappoint as Han Yeol Moo. There are a few things I didn't like about the way they wrote her character, but that isn't her fault. All of the actors were good. If it weren't for the acting, then I would have dropped this drama at some point. Although my curiosity may have kept me watching.
The music was fine.
I will never rewatch this.
I don't recommend this drama unless you want to watch the Chois. They both have better dramas though.
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It starts off pretty good, but nothing special, and it keeps you guessing as to whats going to happen next, but then it takes a turn for the worst. I would have to say the best part of the entire show is the piano music, which was beautiful, and the romance was cute, but once again nothing special. The couple managed to make it not awkward despite the huge age difference between the two and that was a plus, but that would have to be the ONLY good things about this drama.
The biggest let down for me was the absolute horrendous plot. Even in the beginning they have you a bit confused as to what exactly is going on, and until the very end you still have absolutely no idea what the heck is going on. It was very poorly written and really does not seem to fit in well with the "Secret Love Affair" whatsoever. The story tends to drag in unnecessary places, making you wish they would just get on with it already, and in other places they rush the story so much that it leaves you confused as to what just happened, without any decent explanation whatsoever.
Overall I am very shocked at the amount of good reviews this was given, and I cannot say I would recommend that anyone wastes their time with this. The few spurts of romantic encounters in it was nice, but it just didn't make up for how poorly the plot was executed.
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