Playful Kiss (2010)

Out of all the KDramas I've seen that have labeled themselves as rom-coms, "Playful Kiss" is the only one I've seen that successfully lives up to that title. It's a cute, breezy watch with a light story and average acting (probably less that average on Kim Hyun-Joong's part). I only watched this because it was a remake of the anime, and I wasn't particularly expecting much. That being said, this drama didn't exceed or fall short of those expectations. It hit them and stayed there.
Most people think that Baek Sung-Jo was a overly cold character. I think that coldness came more from Hyun-Joong's acting than from the writers themselves, so I can ignore it. Besides, the character has the same personality in all versions of this drama. That's kind of his personality...
I appreciated that part about all the characters. They were all fleshed out differently, and had their unique combinations of flaws and virtues. None of the characters in "Playful Kiss" were like the typical KDrama characters.
Music: The music here was fitting for the overall tone. Upbeat and full of energy, it helped set the tone of this show. It fit very nicely overall with the series, and made me smile every time one of the songs came on.
Overall, this drama was an easy watch. Even if you skimmed through it, the story wouldn't be impacted. It was fun to watch, and a nice attempt at remaking a classic manga, but it was difficult to take seriously.

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I love this drama! It's my number one favorite drama of all time! I've watched several dramas since this one, but none of them can compare to Playful Kiss. It was sweet, heartwarming, and full of charm. I laughed, and I cried. (I cried both tears of sadness and joy.) I was actually surprised with myself when I cried with Yoon He Ra and Bong Joon Gu. I wasn't expecting to feel bad for these two, but when they cried, I couldn't help but cry with them. I love Kim Hyun Joong and Jung So Min! They fit into their roles perfectly, and with such ease - the way their characters interacted felt very natural.



The only thing I didn't like was *where* it ended. Don't get me wrong, the ending was great! I just meant that I wish there was a second season - there's still more to the story. I really, really, *really* wanted to see Baek Seung Jo get jealous. (Hehe) I also wanted to see Oh Ha Ni in medical school. I really~ wanted to see the story continue.



Other than that, I give this drama a perfect 10.

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I am surprised that I liked this drama as much as I did, because I usually can't stand stupid female leads. Jung So Min is so cute that she made her character very likable, in spite of her pitiful behavior. Kim Hyun Joong plays cold/arrogant really well, and I couldn't help liking his character too (his smile is killer!). Together they had an awkward chemistry that I think worked really well. I also liked the supporting cast of family, friends, and rivals, but Wang Kyung Soo was distracting because he couldn't possibly pass for 21 years old. Lee Tae Sung's Oh Ha Ni-obsessed character was annoying at first, but eventually he started to grow on me, and I was impressed by how different he was from his character in "Romance Zero". I absolutely loved the mom as well, who was definitely one of my favorite characters. I started to miss the band after a while too... : )

This show basically is about stalking, so if you don't find stalking cute/romantic, then you will probably hate this drama. It takes the opposites attract theory to the extreme, but as the story progressed their relationship started to make more sense. I haven't seen the other versions, or read the manga, so I can't compare it. I wouldn't call Playful Kiss one of my favorites, but it is worth watching.

*beware of fan commenting, especially if you are unfamiliar with the story, because they end up spoiling everything!*

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This is the worst drama I have ever wasted my time watching. What the hell kind of message were they trying to send with this? Oh Hani is one of the dumbest and annoying main characters I have ever seen and in one moment where she is actually likable she ruins it within a few seconds of the same moment. I can't stand that boy she chases after. He is boring and a total dick. I don't understand what is so great about him. The story is god awful, the characters are horrible except for some of the supporting cast and overall I just hated this. The first episode was great but after that it all just goes to hell. I have no idea how I watched all of this. I recommend you watch the Thai version instead. It's much much much better. The main girl is still dumb but a lovable dumb unlike Oh Hani.

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Pathetic FL and A**hole ML

I am so disappointed watching this because I really like the actors and actresses. But the ML and FL characters were so upsetting to watch. FL was extremely spineless and pathetic. ML acted like a total major a**hole all the way till the end. He went beyond just cold and just straight up very mean. I mean seriously, saying to the girl you supposedly love that you rethinking marrying her, unable to show an ounce of comforting and loving gesture....I don't understand why she stuck around him. There's love and there's emotional abuse. During his supposed confession he didn't even confess. He just said she's not allowed to like anyone else but him, but didn't say he likes her. It's more of an order for her to continue being pathetic for him.
Ugh just totally killed the romance for me as I couldn't root for this toxic couple and being very frustrated at the FL.

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This drama leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I had really high hopes for it, because I had heard so many good things about it, but wow. The female lead was just...wow. Absolutely disappointing. A lot of dramas have female leads who depend on the male a bit too much for my taste, but this one takes the cake. Her dream is to follow this guy around. That's it. She is whiney and weak and clingy and just...unable to function without the approval of a guy who throughout the entire series (even after they get together) treats her like crap. And what the heck, Kim Hyun-Joong? I know he can act better than that, but he has exactly one facial expression the whole series. Extremely disappointing.

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I came into this drama without seeing the Taiwanese version and without knowing any of the actors (except for falling for secondary OTP in boys before flowers with KHJ). I have no bias towards KHJ other than the guy sure can make your heart skip a beat when he smiles :)

I have to say this drama is a hate/love one for most who watch it and I fall in the LOVE side. The things that bugged me in the first 2 episodes quickly got fixed/removed (like her daydreams) and from then on I was hooked. This drama has a very lighthearted and BASIC story line people so don't expect great turmoil and over the top romance. Its a simple love story that can truly happen..no crazy twists that make you go "only on TV".

What really hooks me in this drama is the cute/embarrassing moments that happen to Oh Ha Ni that make me cringe and giggle and hide behind my blanket for her sake. I love love that feeling in rom-coms and this drama has so many of them!! Jung So Min plays Oh Ha Ni so perfectly, if it weren't for her I'm sure I wouldn't have continued on with the drama.

I love a good drama like everyone else but I love me some silly too and this drama does silly without being stupid-silly (a fine fine line that's usually crossed making me drop a drama). It may seem crazy from our point of view that this girl is non-stop stalking our poor Baek Seung Jo but just when you think she's going too far, she holds back and restrains herself and just when you think she's gonna get over him, he shows her signs of hope and she's back to her obsession again.

I know a lot of people seem to hate it for the silliness and some people can't seem to get over the differences in PK versus ISWAK but all I can say is if silly bugs you and if normalcy bugs you then this drama may not be for you. I think its because I like J-dramas so much for the silliness and this drama was supposedly a straight adaptation of a Japanese manga that I am used to and enjoy that silliness. If you didn't like ISWAK don't ignore this drama because I couldn't watch past 4 episodes of ISWAK (I tried so many many times but I can't get over how weak the female character is in that one) and I still love this drama.

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