Thirty But Seventeen (2018)

Why is this so underrated

Why haven't I watched this sooner? This has been a beautiful and rewarding journey, it was a lot better than I expected it to be. It was so good I didn't want it to end!
I loved everything. The small details of storytelling, the conclusion of their tragedy, their mindsets, their growth and acceptance. I am in love.
The couple was one of the most precious ones I have every seen, I mean look at Gong Woo Jin, isn't he the best boyfriend you could ever ask for? Understanding and respectful. I loved their relationship in every sense.
Honestly, I love comedy and light hearted dramas, they feel so good and make me so happy! Even though it was lighthearted and had the some typical elements of korean dramas, they didn't feel as cheesy und overused like usual. They felt real and sincere, like how Seo Ri knew him already and that it wasn't his fault anyways. That could've easily been a weak storyline, since it puts all the drama it has created to dust. But rather than that, I felt relieved and it made sense. And honestly, the acting was so on point, I don't even know? I came back here (I already bookmark this like a year ago) because I was interested in Yang Se Jong's works after Romantic Teacher, Master Kim and I have always loved Shin Hye Sun (she is so amazing and underrated) and obviously Ahn Hyo Seop. I cried so many times because of their tears, how can Yang Se Jong look so precious even when he cries?
Thanks to everyone that worked on this wonderful story!

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One too many coincidences

This story, about two 30 year olds that are basically stuck being their teenage selves due to a tragic event, takes its sweet time setting itself up. The first episode or two are great. Lots of color as SeoRi walks down the street, with musical notes and steps lighting up. We get to see that WooJin has a crush on her. And then the accident happens and everything basically comes to a halt. This has both positive and negative aspects.

On the positive side, the characters feel very comfortable with each other toward the end of the series. This is true for our main couple SeoRi and WooJin, but also for Chan Chan, Jennifer, and even the two hilarious side kicks of Chan DoHyun and HyunShick (who IS in fact SO much older than the other two). The negative side of of the pacing was that it was just too slow at times for me, and I found myself skipping forward quite a bit, something that I rarely do in dramas. Only around episode 18 things really started picking up. It was very back-loaded in terms of events and revelations.

Despite needing to fast forward due to pacing in the beginning of the drama, the casting was superb. I started watching specifically because Shin Hye Sun is possibly my new favorite actress after Mr. Queen, and she did not disappoint here acting as a 17 year old in a 30 year old body, trying to grow as quickly as possible. Yang Se Jong's character was unbearable for only the first ten episodes due to the writing not the acting- the extent to which they made the ML fully disassociated and apathetic was too extreme for me, but 10 and on, you really got to see him change and grow. Ahn Hyo Seop was a giddy child throughout "DON'T THINK! FIL!" I also loved both of the young versions of the ML and FL. Even for characters that I disliked, like Jennifer, it was due to writing, not acting.

The biggest issue I take with this drama is the number of coincidences. Off the top of my head:
- The leads both noticed and liked each other as kids, without having met.
- After waking up and running away from the hospital, SeoRi meets WooJin twice as "Pervert" and "Poop Pants".
- WooJin's parents happened to buy SeoRi's old house.
- WooJin just happened to start inhabiting that house again, because Chan's parents just left for Africa.
- Jennifer just happened to be the maid of HyungTae, SeoRi's friend.

One coincidence, two maybe, would have been fine. But when the writers throw these many at the watcher, it is a very lazy way to try and create shock. I likely wouldn't watch it again, but it was enjoyable enough.

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Content

- This drama has a lot of heartbreaking scenes as each characters past is revealed BUT it is not a melodramatic cry-fest. Instead, it has a very bright and energetic approach. There is quite a lot of comedic scenes and the characters are very childish, lovable and extremely cute.

- Trauma. All characters have some type of trauma that keeps them from happiness so all the conflicts will be centered around the different events that scarred each person and how they work through it.

- The romance is a part of the main plot but it never uses the plot for more romantic scenes. It's like the ending had already been decided and writers were working in romantic scenes instead of making unrealistic events so that the characters can get closer. It was all natural.

- The characters will grow and develop throughout the drama and it gives off the feeling of coming home after a very long trip that lasted a life time.

- This is a high budget, well made, well written, well progressed drama. There were no plot holes that bothered me and things felt very realistic.

- A bearable love triangle with not too much screen time and a good ending that will wreck ships. The first male lead was was an acceptable defeat for people with second lead syndrome. (If you did have SLS, watch Queen of the ring)

I was expecting a lot of short cutting in the story for the sake of the romance but I was surprised when I found out how different it was. This is not your typical romance drama where the plot is supporting the love between two leads. This is more of a healing drama, showing the hardship of different people supporting each other to achieve happiness.

ENJOYYYYY!!

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I love this drama. I cried and laughed so much while watching this. If you like dramas that are funny yet have sad/heartbreaking scenes that will make you cry your eyes out, then I think you should give this drama a chance. The storyline is very interesting and fresh. The cast was perfect in this drama. I cannot imagine anyone else more perfect for the roles. The music is perfect, calming and fresh. If you like classical music then you should check out this drama as it is heavily featured.

The summary really caught my eye and so I was really hoping that it would be nicely executed. I must say that I was not disappointed. The storyline is so interesting and I don't think I have watched a drama with a plot like this before. Usually, I don't really like it when dramas have many flashbacks as it can get repetitive but this drama didn't have too many, which was great. The flashbacks that were shown in the drama weren't the same one every time so it made it bearable to watch them. The pacing of the show was nicely done. It did not feel like it was dragging on nor did it feel like the story was being rushed along. I feel like all the events that happened came at a natural pace.

This drama was perfectly cast. There were many characters that I loved in this drama. Shin Hye Sun (Woo Seo Ri) did an amazing job of portraying a 30-year-old woman who actually feels like a 17-year-old girl. Her expressions were amazing and really made you feel for her character. It was very easy to sympathise with her character as she truly made you feel like you were feeling Woo Seo Ri's pain. I also think that Park Shi Eun, who plays a younger Woo Seo Ri did an amazing job. I look forward to seeing her in the lead role in dramas in the near future.

Yang Se Jong (Gong Woo Jin) was so lovable and cute in this drama. Seeing him turn from a grumpy man into a shy man falling in love was so nice to see. He perfectly portrayed the pain that Gong Woo Jin felt and on the other side, he did a perfect job of acting like a shy, bumbling man who doesn't know how to act when you fall in love for the first time. I think he had perfect chemistry with Shin Hye Sun. Yoon Chan Young, who was a younger Gong Woo Jin was very nice to watch as well. He did such a great job of portraying a boy who falls in love for the first time and a boy who is dealing with heartbreak.

The music is perfect for this drama. There are songs that really make you feel the pain that the characters are going through and then there are songs that are so uplifting. If you like dramas with really amazing OSTs such as Goblin or Strong Girl Do Bong Soon, then I think you will like the music from this drama. It is perfectly aligned with each scene. I know I will be listening to this OST on repeat for a while to deal with completing the drama.

I think that this is a drama that I would rewatch again, maybe even several times. The plot was so gripping that I wasn't sure what would happen next. This is not melodramatic show that will have you the edge of your seat wondering what crazy thing will happen next. No, this is a sweet, slice-of-life drama with some heartbreak sprinkled in. This is something you watch if you want to watch a sweet love story that won't give you a headache trying to figure out who all the characters are. I would definitely recommend this drama if you are looking for a love story that feels like fate.

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Elevated by Shin Hye Sun's performance, Thirty But Seventeen delivers a perky story about destiny with an unexpected tug at the heartstrings.

Initially, I didn't quite enjoy the first few episodes. Between Seo Ri's childish acts and Woo Jin's hostile behavior, nothing seems to enrich the plot. That's when I realize that the characters are overwhelming the story on purpose. I shouldn't be focusing on what will happen next rather I should laugh along the silliness and the growing camarederie among the characters. In the end, the loose ends are wrapped up nicely and went beyond my expectations.

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Entertaining and Endearing

cute romcom series!!! at first, i thought it is a entirely drama that will make me cry from time to time. don't get me wrong, i love that kind of series that is why i chose to watch this. however, it's not. it's funny and cute. yes, you'll cry sometimes but you will laugh most of the times because of its well written script and good castings. the music also adds to the overall vibe. the love triangle is cute tho even though the girl clearly shows only interest to the main lead.

the female main lead is so good at acting, her acting is believable. the ending is so cute especially when the staffs and productions are shown. it is so cute to look at even tho the fact that the series already ended makes you sad.

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Great casting and great story

I was just looking for something to watch while waiting for the next episode of Penthouse. So glad that I found this gem of a drama. This is definitely one series I would recommend to my friends.

When I feel down, I go for dramas which are bright and uplifting. This one is exactly what I was looking for.

I loved the story and the actors. They are so full of depth and portrayed their roles flawlessly. The story was uniquely different. Just like most kdramas, the lead stars often have a childhood story connection. The way the story and this connection played out was really well told.

Both leads have great chemistry together. )Shin Hye Sun is already a favorite of mine after watching Mr. Queen)

I hope that both of them can star in another series together.

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WOW... Nice starting... perfect ending..... no words to tell..... just enjoy watching

Story of Woo seo ri & Mr Goong...
Seo ri was in accident and coma for 13yrs.... she wakeup on her 30.... struggling for being adult.. understandingherslf...
Mr Goong live in Germany finally arrive to Korea... He think he was main reason to cause death of his 1st crush... so he make distance from everybody

Story makes progress when seo ri & Mr gong falling I love.. seo ri was adjusting life... marking friends and family.. also continue her violins....
Story was very simple each CHARACTERS was casted perfect.. Chan, feng, Jennifer..
Without any Negative CHARACTERS storylines was perfectly created and I got interest in watching...

Each casting was super.... they make a perfect family...
Music was good....
Chemistry between each character not only seo ri & Mr gong.. between Chan Jennifer....

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I think what I like most about this drama is that there's no bad guy - there are no villains plotting the downfall of the leads, no scheming ex, and no clingy second-leads - and the ride is smooth, but not uneventful. All the characters have an arc of their own, all of them satisfying.

Chan is probably my favorite character, with his youthful enthusiasm and abandon, but when it came to facing his feelings and owning up to them, he was probably the most mature. This is Ahn Hyoseop's best role to date, and I think it showcased his potential to grow as an actor.

Yang Sejong and Shin Hyesun were revelations! This is the first time I've watched them in dramas and I look forward to their other projects :)

I'd recommend this for anyone looking for a kdrama that is light on drama, but still comes with lots of feelings and heart :) also, watch if you like dogs! Deokgu was one of the reasons I kept on tuning in - I looked forward to seeing how they'd incorporate him into scenes each week.

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Mix of Romcom, melodrama & mystery

Thirty But Seventeen is a mix of different K-drama genres, like my headline describes. Overall I liked it, but I'll offer a more detailed review below.

Firstly, the story:
The pacing of the story was a bit off, as it progressed reeaally slowly at the beginning, and it was at first a bit difficult to find some of the characters likable/relatable because of it. And towards the ending the pacing became a LOT faster, but if you don't mind that, this drama has quite an interesting story, I really grew to like it a lot. I liked the relationships between the characters, and I liked the bit of mystery that was mixed into this drama that could mostly be classified as a romcom.

Acting/Cast:
I scored this a solid 9. I feel like the casting was really on point on most of these characters, especially the female lead and some of the supporting characters were absolutely incredible. Though I felt like at the beginning the male lead was a bit difficult to approach, I warmed up to him too eventually.

Music:'
This drama had some fun OST songs, I have no complaints but they weren't exactly mindblowingly good either.

Rewatch value:
I never know what to give dramas in this category because I've watched K-dramas for like 7 years and I have only ONCE rewatched a drama, and that was just because I wanted to watch one drama together with my friend that I had seen by myself before. So I just usually score this section whatever don't mind me lol.

Overall:
Overall I scored this 8.5.
This drama was interesting and entertaining to watch, and it had a good cast, but there were some plot points, misunderstandings and story pacing issues that prevented me from giving it a full 10. I still consider 8.5 to be a good score. I absolutely adored most of the characters, and I enjoyed the mystery element in this drama. I think I would gladly recommend this if you like romcoms with a twist of mystery, if you don't mind slight pacing issues.

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kdrama at its finest

This was just an amazing watvhing after drifting away from the romcom genre that got me into the kdrama world in the first place and watching newer more intense and complex dramas I needed a reminder of what got me here in the first place the characters were amazing the story is very much unbelievable but that didnt really affect my view on this I have to say that I became a Hye Sun after this she did more than well at portraying a difficult character in my opinion shes didnt make her over childish nor too muture and also characters like Jennifer usually make me cringe but she was such a delight chan and his friends were my main reasons of liking this drama rather than the romance part

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An easy to digest and refreshing drama. No usual plots which involve revenge, love triangles, chaebols etc. Instead it focuses on the journey of discovery and accepting oneself as well as appreciating things aound us. It reminded us that we do not have to look far to find solace and happiness.

My first Shin Hye Sun drama and I'm impressed. She potrayed her character exceptionally well (a 30 year old woman whose mind is still stuck at 17 year old).
Love all of the cast and their chemistry as well.

Quote of the day : Don't Think, Feel!! By Yoo Chan

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