20th Century Boy and Girl (2017)

Sooo... if  you are looking for a nice, refreshing and  simple drama to watch, look no further.  This is by far one of the best Korean dramas that I have seen this year... the cast is awesome and the chemistry is to die for.  The story is okay and there are cliches here and there by but the cast is what makes the drama worthwhile.

When I first saw this drama I was like eh, cuz I thought it was gonna be like other dramas (you know full of cliches and all). But then I decided to give it a try especially since that Kim Ji-seok ( loved him in Another Oh Hea Young) was playing the main character. He is turning  out to be one of my favorite Kdrama actors????.

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The set up of the show makes it easy to watch. It doesn’t make me work too hard. These people are nice.
Things happen, get resolved, victories occur for sad looking people. The show gives a lot of respect to its characters. No one is unnecessarily shamed. The media scandals look like they’re going to be a big deal but they eventuate to nothing, so I was relieved.
The girls in this show are great. Of course, they have their stupid, weak moments. But there are so many shining moments when they are just being normal adult women that we so rarely get to see in Korean dramas. I really like there isn’t someone constantly telling them off or telling them they’re stupid. Even if Young Shim keeps turning up late (WHY?) her boss just is chill.

Also the level of English in this drama is really good. Both the leads can successfully pull off speaking in English. Han Ye Seul is particularly stellar.

Gong Ji Won – male lead
Kim Ji Suk looks very sleek. It was really nice to get so much of him on my screen.
Gong Ji Won is very much a character that you’d see as a second lead syndrome kind of guy. I really love his gentle acting. He’s so sweet and manly at the same time a real winning combination. I liked how mature he was and secure in his identity. He’s so wonderfully easy going and not petty at all. Even when he’s upset, or jealous, he doesn’t take it out on anyone. I like how you can see his vulnerability even as he tries to hide it.
He is really nice to the women in the show. Treating them with respect and giving them compliments.

Sa Jin Jin
Sa Jin Jin has it all. Money, fame, beauty and a wonderful relationship with her parents. And she’s not boy crazy. I love how she schools her emotions and restrains her thoughts when she’s working. Professional woman for the win. Also she can hold her liquor. OMG. She is definitely one of my favourite heroines ever.
It’s always great to have a composed and successful woman who is good at what she does. She’s not bitchy (though she can be tough). The drama shows how kind she is without being preachy about it.
Her parents are the kind and sensitive type who try and figure out carefully what their daughter needs from them.
I like that Jin Jin didn’t care what she looked like in front of Ji Won and she wants to be his friend.
Even with Jin Jin’s misguided crush on Anthony, I like that she wasn’t fanatical about it even though she is his fan. She just went out of her way to do little kind acts that he could choose to ignore. This girl has got so much dignity. She doesn’t have to be sly or use any manipulation to “snag” the person she “loves”.

Parents
The drama seems to take great pains into showcasing different styles of parenting.

Young Shim’s parents = mum pushover nice + dad super mean
Ah Reum’s parents = dad pushover nice + mean mum
Jin’s parents = nice dad + nice mum

I like that Jin Jin’s mother didn’t ship Jin Jin and Ji Won. Or at least not openly.

Friends
I appreciate that the girls were all different shapes and sizes. When reviews stated that the friendship was good, I wasn’t sure how good a friendship it would be. But it’s the chemistry and the camaraderie that makes these girls’ silly conversations and interactions stand out to me. They’re not funny, or deep, they’re just natural and comfortable, and that’s what makes it so meaningful.
I like that everyone has respectable jobs and they’re all in a stable stage of life.
Sometimes, they’re too busy for each other, but the girls have good instincts and know when one of them needs a pick-me-up.
Ji Won fits surprisingly well into the rag tag bunch of friends. He reacts, and responds with as much interest and enthusiasm as them and he plays along with their jokes and stories.

Romance
I always appreciate a normal meeting between romantic characters. The relationship between the two is so simple. He likes her, she likes him. They are so blissfully comfortable with each other. Yay. I actually haven’t seen childhood sweet hearts reunited, so it was nice to see how Ji Won was remembering how much he liked Jin Jin when he was a teen. Ji Won is very straightforward in his romancing and his intentions with Jin Jin. He’s not pushy at all though, and in fact rather the slow. He’s in it for the long haul. I also like that the drama explains the reason he’s going slow, it’s also because of his past and the fact that Jin Jin is so gaga over his brother. The push and pull of the romance is really perfect.
I like that their relationship isn’t rife with near misses and awkwardness. Jin Jin really shares stuff with Ji Won in a happy way.
I really like that he doesn’t laugh when she’s embarrassed, he feels bad himself because that’s what love is.
Another win: consensual kissing.

Young Shim
Young Shim’s family is small and quiet with a grumpy father. Young Shim is so sweet and loyal to both her parents despite her father being so gruff and mean to both his daughter and wife. I like how Young Shim looked out for her mother. Young Shim can also drink – good job show.
Even though Young Shim is the shy one, she’s also the studious one. Once she gets a job there aren’t a lot of workplace dramas of her getting abused verbally by her boss (just the cleaning lady) so that’s great.
I really liked her functional relationship with her boss. He has such a nice face when he talks.

“Sunbaenim, by any chance,     would you like to eat with me from time to time?”
“Mondays and Thursday? If that’s okay with you.”

Ah Reum
Ah Reum is kind of the throw away character. But I like that she’s good at her job. And when she makes a choice she sticks with it. She is quite pathetic, but when she decides to move out, despite all the bumps and potholes, she’s happy with her decision and she copes. I loved that. I also became interested in her love line as well and the compromises they had to work out with each other.
I especially appreciate that her more pathetic character didn’t have a smashed kiss, and that she was also credited to be romantic and worthy of a slow mo/replayed kiss as much as I hate them.

Anthony
This actor is a bit of a flat face. I feel like the other actors were giving their all to provide him with some chemistry but he was so emotionless and expressionless. It was a strange dynamic of not knowing how the brothers felt about each other’s relationship with Jin Jin. It was like they were both hesitant to go forward but couldn’t help themselves.

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Though the story didn't seem really appealing, the drama ended up being really good. The story is simple, but what makes this drama enjoyable and entertaining is the leading lady. She was so good playing Jin Jin, funny and cute as well as elegant. However, the romance was so so and, at least for me, adding the idols to play a few scenes from the past of the main characters was just there to attract attention from the fans rather than adding something more to the plot. The side stories, moreover, were funny and good enough to fill the gaps here and there, though all the actors were really good at their parts. A small dislike on Antony's character, though the actor was good, I really didn't like him or get him. Finally, that Bella girl mystery never were completed. I wanted at least to see her or, as they brought her to Seoul, they could have made an encounter or something. So, the last two episodes were just so so, but the rest of the drama was really good and cute.

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A fluffy story where nothing much happens at all

I actually watched this drama while it was airing, but I didn't think about leaving a review because I neither hated it nor loved it. Frankly speaking, that just about sums up the show. It's neither here nor there and overall just a forgettable drama.

On the story, this is the weakest link of the entire drama. There is no conflict at all. There are slice-of-life dramas which are executed brilliantly and entertaining, but 20th Century Boys and Girls is a romcom that tends toward slice-of-life in terms of the lack of conflicts. Pretty much nothing happens. In a nutshell, it's about first loves slowly getting back together, but there was really nothing in their way and all it took was a confession. The side plots were dull and the second male lead added zero competition. At the end of your watch, you are unlikely to recall a single scene that had left an impression.

However, I find myself going back to the drama because I quite enjoy the dynamics between the leads. I especially liked the characterisation of the male lead: sensible, capable and sweet. It's what you'd like real life romance to be like, but it's not enough to sustain 16 episodes.

Precisely because the drama lacks a plot, there isn't an opportunity to the cast to display their acting prowess. Again, it's neither here nor there. You can't say that the acting is good, but there's nothing really lacking or jarring too. I do feel that they have decent chemistry and scenes are not awkward (except with the brother).

If I were to use one word to describe the drama, it would be "invisible". I feel that epitomises how forgettable and pedestrian this drama was.

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Realistic and yet still cute

This is one of my favorite KDramas. Why? Because this depicts the adults who were born in the 80s.

Of course this is another drama trope, childhood friend separated then reunited. However, SJJ and GJW is sooo cute together. Their friends are no less cuter than they are. Struggling with life and love. The series shows a diverse background for the FL and her friends and the ML and the people around him.

SJJ the loyal fangirl to Anthony is so cute and relatable to girls in the 90s and early 2000s who still like the boyband songs they grew up with. I can relate. A LOT.

GJW and his insecurities is a real life issue for children of parents who remarried. Even though they are a family it feels like there's an intruder in their life.

HAR is cute and a hopeless romantic. I find her character endearing in a way and JYS the friend whose struggling because of her family and her career is a character that I find so realistic

The story revolves around 30something adults who grew up together and faced happy and sad times together. I like the flow of the story and the development of the characters in this series. I guess since it's been awhile since I watched it I kinda forgot the details. But what stuck with me is the reality people in their 30s, unmarried and still struggling with their career face.

SJJ and GJW love story is cute, her fangirling of Anthony oppa has boundaries. She understands the fact that she's a fan and doesn't own her idol's life or love. That's the healthy way to fan girl.

The ost which Melomance sung is awesome. It's on my play list.
I've rewatched this twice or thrice.

If you need a realistic drama with fluff this is a good series to start.

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A nice drama, performed by excellent actors, but not addictive.

A "Slice-of-life" drama of 4 thirty-somethings, childhood friends (3 girls & the ML = Kim Ji Suk). The bond is strong, everyone is trying to make a career and find love.

PROS:
+ CL very cute together.
+ it's good to see Kim Ji Suk in ML.
+ no break-up or "villain", nor unrealistic twist.
+ light (not memorable) OSTs suitable for a comedy.

CONS:
- The narration is slow.
- The CL is very very frustrating: the actress and the CEO visibly love each other, but out of fear, neither takes the first step... Episode 19, they are still indecision!!! Annoying => Only together at the end of episode 20.
- the characters of the different parents (having children, adults, 35 years old), are not very realistic: some unbearable, others submissive to excess, the father of the FL is over-over-protective, etc.

=> A nice & simple series, performed by excellent actors, but not addictive.
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Drama "slice-of-life" de 4 trentenaires, amis d'enfance (3 filles & 1 ML= Kim Ji Suk). Le lien est fort, chacun essaie de faire carrière et de trouver l'amour.
PROS:
+ CL très mignon ensemble
+ cela fait du bien de voir Kim Ji Suk en ML.
+ pas de break-up ou de "villain", ni de twist irréaliste
+ OST légères (pas mémorables) adaptées à une comédie
CONS:
- La narration est lente.
- Le CL est très très frustrant : l'actrice et le CEO s'aiment visiblement, mais par peur, aucun ne fait le 1e pas... Episode 19, ils sont toujours dans l'indécision !!! Énervant => Ne sont ensemble qu'à la fin de l'épisode 20.
- les personnages des différents parents (ayant des enfants, adultes, de 35 ans) , ne sont pas très réalistes : certains insupportables, d'autres soumis à l'excès, le père de la FL est sur-sur-protecteur, etc.

=> drama sympa, interprétée par d'excellents acteurs, mais pas addictif.

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A sweet drama about friendship & love

A few months I was in a drama slump & in the mood to watch something lighthearted, fun, & sweet so I decided to rewatch this to see if it was as good as I remembered when I first watched it (when it aired). While I was remembering it to be better than it was (maybe I'm just a picky watcher now but I will further explain what I mean later in my review), it hit the right spots that I wanted as a viewer.

For starters, the friendship between the 3 women is the highlight of the drama & a huge reason of why I like & remember the show. They all come from different backgrounds & shapes. They don't spend every second together all together, which is understandable given that they all have busy lives, nor do they have deep conversations all the time when they do meet. However, that's what made them feel real & enjoyable to watch. As another review mentioned, even if they weren't seeing or speaking to each other all the time, they were there for each other when needed. & seeing them have simple & regular conversations, that one would have with a friend of about 20 years, was nice to watch.

Though Jin Jin is the FL & a celebrity, I liked the fact that they didn't make her friend's stories revolve around her & that they were interesting enough on their own. Young Shim is the quieter friend who works in a law office. Though there are times when I would've liked to see her be more outspoken (like when dealing with the rude cleaning lady), she brought a good balance to the friendship group. Maybe she didn't accomplish anything extremely inspiring in her workplace but I didn't mind seeing her work & develop a relationship with her boss. Also, it was kind of fun to see if she would ever make it on time or be early to work lol As for Ah Reum, she's the fun, go with the flow kind of friend who works as an airplane stewardess. She has no problem speaking her mind & following through with her decisions once she's made them. What I particularly liked about her was how she didn't fully let her mother's nagging about getting married & losing weight get to her too much - like she thought about it but didn't take it too serious.

The romance is another reason to watch the show, especially if you're a fan of the first loves & friends being reunited trope. First, the leads look beautiful & good together so I'm thankful to the casting for giving us this pairing. (Most of the other cast are good in their roles & have good chemistry too.) Of course the leads also have chemistry that is natural & easy to watch. Though they are friends & first loves that hadn't seen or spoken to each other in years, everything fell in to place when they met again but it didn't feel too forced. (I mean it is a cliché trope so we have to expect & accept some things to be forced to drive the plot.) Part of that is because they take time getting to know & fall for each other again, though I personally wouldn't call it a slow burn but maybe some would. While Young Shim doesn't really have a romantic love line (she kind of gets an open ending regarding love towards the end), Ah Reum's attempts at love are interesting to watch - not only because of the way she approaches love but because of how her relationship plays out with her boyfriend, who she wasn't expecting at all.

Now, let me begin to share the things that I didn't quite like that made this show not as good as I initially remembered. Though Anthony's character was there to showcase Jin Jin's fangirl side, I found myself confused by what exactly his feelings towards her were. Maybe it was partly due to his acting but it wasn't really clear if he only appreciated Jin Jin as a fan or if he saw her romantically. (The fact that him & his brother really didn't completely speak about her but left the conversation half way didn't help to clear up that confusion.) I don't know if we're supposed to feel as if we're watching a love triangle but it never felt that way to me because it was always clear that Jin Jin's infatuation with him is solely that of a fan. But, that infatuation is partly why it takes the leads time to get together - as they each don't know the other's feelings are mutual & are scared to make a move.

Going back to Anthony, his career sees a rise & he even finds love but it felt like throwing a dog a bone so he could have a happy end - I say that mostly about his love life. I really didn't care about him like that to have his love life mentioned (it's like one sentence or two) & I didn't really think it was necessary. Aside from Anthony, his manager lowkey got on my nerves for some reason. Again, maybe it was her acting but I just didn't care for her, especially when she got mad at Jin Jin for actually dating. &, just like with Anthony, her having a love interest at the end of the show felt matter of fact.

Finally, while Jin Jin's sister was mentioned & her storyline was waiting in the shadows, the way it was executed could've been better. It felt as if they brought it up & left it there to serve as a filler time towards the end episodes. I felt like we never really got a good reason for why she disappeared & then her reappearance was quick before she was gone again making you wonder what was even the need for her in the first place. So, those things I disliked were enough for me to not give this drama a higher rating but not enough to say they make it a bad watching experience. Since I've watched it twice already, maybe will rewatch it again in the future, & would recommend this to anyone looking for an easy & feel good watch, that's why I gave it a 10 for rewatch value. I wouldn't be able to list the songs used in the drama, nor say I listen to them outside of it, but, while watching, I liked them enough as background music. (5 is my typical rating for music, unless I actually loved it & listen to the songs outside of the dramas.)

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I can think of very few things that I didn't like about this drama.

what a treat! this was such a sweet and easy drama to watch. great acting. great and relatable characters.

maybe the only flaw is that I thinks it could have been a couple episodes shorter? but even then,it filled its time very well (and it's very rare the drama that I don't think ended 1-2 episodes too late.) I mean, they even worked in Ahn Se-ha singing, which is always a treat!

some ppl may might find it boring bc there's no great and dramatic plot. it's a fairly small story about a group of friends and their associates. but sometimes,that's exactly what you need.

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How do I even begin reviewing 20th Century Boy and Girl, how should I rate this? On one hand the drama has fairly little emotional impact, there is no angst whatsoever, but the romances are also not exactly overflowing with emotional charge either. There is not much plot, but it meanders in strange directions. It's fantastic that the love triangle is so tame & easily resolved, but at the same time Anthony's character is just a waste of screen time, he is not annoying, just boring. Also the whole setting has infinite untapped makjang potential, certainly it's awesome that the writer did not go in that direction, but when I realized that the two male leads are stepbrothers, I could not help, but roll my eyes. Also the way the ML kept telling the second ML that he is only only friends with FL repeatedly certainly caused me some minor frustrations.

Despite the above I had a great time watching the drama. The sismances are up there with the very best & Han Ye Seul's calming energy is something rarely seen. Also the leads had great chemistry & looked adorable together. Most things in the drama are unusually wholesome and it's super nice how quickly and easily the scandals are dealt with.

I cannot help, but feel that there were too many (interesting) characters to completely develop them in 32 half-episodes and the team has even wasted 2 full episodes worth of time on Anthony.
Still gotta give them credit where credit is due. How often does one watch a relaxed romcom like this without it becoming draggy? The episodes certainly went by really fast, I reached the finale in a flash.

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This show is quite cute. Though it drags itself out a bit (maybe 32 episodes are too much), the characters are lovely, it is overall well acted and everyone's got their happy ending, which may be a cliché but I like it anyway.

The character of Ji Won is adorable from the beginning to the end and I appreciated how he and Jin Jin managed their relationship, their strong friendship even when it was already obvious they had feelings for each other. I loved the side characters, too.

But what I liked the most about this show it's the overall message: it is ok if you're 35 and have yet to be married or have children even if, according to society, that's what you're supposed to. Because everyone needs to feel free to take such important decisions if and when they are ready, not because you're forced to by the context you grew up in. This should be a general rule, but I guess it's particularly important in a Korean show (and I am writing this just because in almost all k-dramas marriage seems to be the main goal in life, something you should start worrying about when you're still in your 20s or, specially if you're a woman, you will end up an old maid).

I didn't give a 10 because of some plot holes (why, exactly, Jin Jin's sister abandoned her family and disappeared for 10 years? I understand she fell in love with someone, but why on Earth loving someone prevents you to still be a member of your family? I don't think it was made clear at all) and because, as I mentioned , it drags itself out a bit, with obvious attempts to fill the plot with random things just because writers needed to reach 32 episodes (such as Ji Won's ex fianceé suddenly popping out with the shoes issue).

But even so, I recommend it.

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