Vivid Romance (2017)

I think I speak on behalf of everybody when I express my disappointment in web-dramas generally. It’s not that they are bad necessarily, but rather, being only a few hours long, they never have adequate time to develop and show something substantial and meaningful. However, Vivid Romance not only met but even exceeded my expectations of a webdrama coming off as completely adorable with strong messages and good comedy.

The base story is delightfully silly. It centers on a clumsy young man who has been constantly failing to achieve his big dream of becoming a police officer. After some endless disappointment in every department of his life he decides to take part in an experiment that enhances his senses and abilities. I could say the drama is inspired by the movie Limitless but it is wonderfully embedded in the Korean rom-com recipe resulting in a cute mini-drama.

The main genre of the drama is romance, it revolves completely around the main couple and the idea of destined love. I could argue that the drama had a lot of untapped potential considering its fantasy sub-plot but it’s ok it wanted to focus on other things. Simultaneously I thoroughly enjoyed the dorky comedy and how straightforward and fast the whole drama was. I can definitely say that the drama used the limited time it had in the best way possible to demonstrate a simple but adorable, light-hearted and interesting story.

That being said, my favourite part of the drama was the strong life messages the drama offered. Notions like, “believe in yourself and work hard, your dreams will come true”, “never forget and always appreciate the people who are next to you through thick and thin and never disregard them, they love you for who you real are” as well as “never try to squeeze yourself in somebody else’s life, people who love you will find time for you” come easily to mind after watching this drama. At the same time i appreciated how there was some minor effort to breathe some life into the main characters making them relatable. It was meaningful yet very enjoyable and light.

The acting wasn’t anything spectacular but just right.

I’ve watched Yoo Shi Yoon before but, apparently, he barely left an impression since I didn’t remember him. Obviously, he suits such cute, borderline awkward characters a lot. He really shined in this role, he owned it and made the drama work. Loved watching him.

My first time watching Jo Soo Hyang, she wasn’t memorable really, but she was good enough. Kang Ki Young is just loveable and he deserves some main roles, his comedy skills are the best among young Korean actors, always a delight to watch him act.

Overall the drama, considering its short length, I’d say is recommendable for binge-watching. Simple, funny, cute, short with a story, it is bound to make you smile! Recommended to everyone especially rom-com fans. Nothing extraordinary here, but one doesn’t need anything extraordinary to have fun.

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After I saw "Star of the Universe", I was planning to watch this one. I definitely know that the lead actor got me to watch "Vivid Romance".

As a big fan of Yoon Shi Yoon, I just knew this was going to be hilarious and the premise was wacked-out weird and strange. I mean, come on! - medical experiments?? With this actor that can be pretty funny.

The actor who played Kong Moo, besides being pretty hot - I just loved his hopeless romantic character. I shall definitely check out his other dramas!

Anyway, I don't really re-watch dramas, but I really recommend this one if you love Yoon Shi Yoon acting crazy. Vivid Romance did bring the laughs and heartfelt moments.

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SHORT REVIEW

"Vivid Romance" is neither whack nor excellent. It is enjoyable though quite forgettable,  and short enough not to make you feel like you've wasted your time. It's actually the 2nd mini-series that I have been able to finish. The storyline was interesting, since it addressed the inferiority complex of those who are unlucky in terms of genetics and background. That would have been a good script for a standard drama.  All the actors were good, the male and female leads were excellent, especially actress Jo Soo Hyang who was the bad girl in "Who Are You : School 2015" and left a good impression on me at the time. But I watched this mini-series to see more of Kang Ki Young (after seeing him in "I'm Not A Robot"), who plays Jo Ji-Seob here. He did an awesome job, now I know he's also good at comedy!

All in all it was okay, nothing to write home about, but at the same time fun to watch to kill time. Will I watch it again ? No, like all mini-series everything happens way too fast, since there's not enough time for character development. Maybe this format is just not for me. Would I recommend it ? If your goal is to see more of a certain actor's skills or if you're a fan of one of them, definitely. If you're looking for something revolutionary or at least memorable, then move on to something else.

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Overall I really enjoyed the premise of this story. The medical experiment was a quick and easy way to show the extreme changes in the intelligence and strength of the character. And I really liked how they showed that rapid change. For my I liked how the drama showed that happiness isn't measured by how smart or strong you are but who you are enjoying your accomplishments with.

My main issue with the drama was the pacing. I think that having 6 episodes was perfect but I feel like they didn't utilize their time appropriately. The first 4 episodes were amazing but, for me, episode 5 lacked something (and i skipped some parts of it), and then episode six wrapped everything up too quickly. I really think that the content of the last 10 minutes of the finale should have been 20 minutes so we are the watcher could have more hope for the future for In Sung so there wouldn't have been such a harsh cut to the future. And maybe show more growth from him (in the things that he thinks he is lacking in.)

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It's a bit long, but bear with me.

Romance Full of Life is a six-episode drama starring Yoon Si Yoon as its main lead, So In Sung. The drama circles around So In Sung, a slow, weak and clumsy character who has been failing the police academy exam for four years. In Sung participates in a high-paying medical experiment which changes his life.

So In Sung has a very positive and beetle-like personality which Yoon Si Yoon portrays very well. I don’t think anybody else could’ve done a better job. I loved how even after he changed there were minor things that kept him linked to his original self. For example, his eyes had the same dreamy/carefree look as before.

Jo Soo Hyang plays the female lead in this drama. Her character, Wang So Ra, perfectly and realistically balances So In Sung’s optimistic and dorky aura. She shows the frustration, anger, confusion and fear of a struggling unemployed person – something that was missing in the other characters. Even though I understand why, Wang So Ra was a pretty dead character. She was too worn out.

From the supporting roles, Kang Ki Young stole the show with his role, Jo Ji Seob. It is no lie that this man literally brings any role to life with his comedy.

Generally, the acting wasn’t outstanding but commendable. Kang Ki Young and Yoon Si Yoon stood out as they nailed their comedic side. They also proved that they can work the bromance magic with absolutely anybody. Jo Soo Hyang was mediocre. She left a mark on the audience when she starred in School 2015, but I wouldn’t be surprised if anybody forgot she acted in Romance Full of Life.

I DEFINITELY loved the Kim Seulgi cameo and how it linked to Queen Of The Ring – another series in the Three Colour Fantasy trilogy.

I loved the gist of the drama and the message that came with it: “Real success is when you work hard as yourself and achieve your dreams – not when you use shortcuts to get what you want in life.” An applause for the attack on people who use their parent’s names and sources to get a position (Claps). That was a well-timed and laudable strike. However, I felt like they dragged the entire main leads longing for each other concept too far. Instead, they could’ve given us more insight on what So In Sung can do now that he’s strong. But then again, this was primarily a rom-com.

Overall, Romance Full of Life is undeniably worth binge watching. It has the comedy, the romance and, obviously, the plot for a good drama. Although, most of the time I wish a web-drama was a full twenty-episode one, in this case, it would’ve lost its charm had it been a full series. On my blog, I rate dramas out of 5. For Romance Full of Life, it’d be 3.5/5.

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This drama missed the mark for me.

I was disappointed In Sung ended up getting back with the girl who treated him so poorly. What? Now that she's achieved her dream she'll be nicer to him? She should have been nice from the beginning.

They both had their struggles, both of them had a hard time economically and academically, but while the ML remained cheerful and thoughtful, the FL became mean and selfish. I think In Sung deserved better.


Also, I don't know, this drama felt very pointless since it ended with its main character pretty much in the exact same spot he started from. I watched three hours of the show and nothing much changed for him in the end, except maybe his girlfriend will treat him better now?

And I know the friend was supposed to be a bit of comedic relief, but to me he came across as overbearing and a little creepy.

One thing I loved, though? How they mock-recreated the MV for Eyes, Nose, Lips. That was hilarious.

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Short but light romance

Likes:
1. First, their names were too funny!! So Insung, Jo Ji Sub, Wang Sora, Kim Tae Yi, Gong Moo and Song Ae Gyo ??
2. I liked the story of working hard for your dreams, that there is no short cuts to success. But at the same time, you should strike a balance between work and life and health.
3. I think their relationship failed because they both weren't confident about themselves and they neglected each other instead of supporting each other. When the going gets tough, it's good to have friends and family around to lessen the stress rather than push them away.
4. Only 3 episodes so worth to watch if only for Yoon Si Yoon!!

Dislikes:
1. I wasn't sure what Insung liked about Sora because she seemed like the kind of girl that was always sad about life. Episode 5 had a lot of flashbacks about their relationship and i wished they showed that in episode 1 so that we root for them. Most of the time i want Insung to get over Sora and find someone better than her.
2. I didn't understand why Insung had to go back to his nerdy self just because the experiment is done. It's just a matter of fixing his hair and wearing better clothes.

Rating: 8/10

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My kind of story. The line by the female lead at the end was awesome
"I like you because you are so weak, so you need me"
It was a beautiful story haven't enjoyed a story this much since In Time With You
Rewatch Value is also immense.
The only part of the show that was a let down was the use of his powers
I expected him to be like Superman from Smallville and could hear the heartbeats and muffled crying of his significant other even if she was faraway from him
but then again, Smallville was done masterfully well, not many stories can compare.
Breezy and fun watch, lit up my day
Better than The Best Hit in my opinion

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