Rich Man, Poor Woman (2012)

STORY 9.5/10
As many reviewers pointed out before me: the title of this show is really misleading. This is most definitely NOT a Cinderella story and the difference in social status plays no significant role in the story. The story itself is interesting and complex and all four main characters go through a real development during the series. It's really refreshing to see a story about an intelligent, career-driven woman who (usually) has no problem balancing her work and personal life. Also, she is a scientist (a lab worker of some kind) which is a field not often enough associated with women.
I only wish they would give more space to the character of Yoko. That's my only regret.

ACTING/CAST 10/10
Flawless, but I would expect nothing less from this cast. Oguri Shun is especially hilarious as socially awkward, short-tempered Hyuga Toru and he has great chemistry with adorable Ishihara Satomi who makes her character extremely relatable.

MUSIC 7.5/10
OST is nothing extra special, though several tracks are great. I usually don't like when one song is 'overused' in the show, but I didn't mind with 'Hikari E' . It's an amazing, catchy song that goes well with the mood of the show.

REWATCH VALUE 10/10
I've already rewatched all my favorite parts...oh so many times and I suspect I will rewatch the whole show in the future (also many times).

OVERALL 10/10

WHAT KIND OF FEELS THIS SHOW GAVE ME
This show made me literally giddy with joy. And I mean all the episodes, not just the ending. Despite the fact that some plot points were quite predictible, it never bore me. The Special was superb and it gave a great closure to the series (which is kinda rare in the world of dramas...). I admit I am not praying for the second season. Second seasons are usually worse than the first ones and I am afraid they would ruin this perfect show.

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Went in not expecting a whole lot but came out feeling refreshed & happy!

Totally enjoyed this one despite having reservations about the female lead. Both Oguri Shun & Ishihara Satomi did an amazing job in this Drama.

Rich Man Poor Woman was cute, funny, sweet & extremely endearing with a great score & OST. It's one of those Dramas that re-uses the same songs throughout & I know some may not like that but personally I feel it binds everything together thus helping maintain the mood. I think for me; that's what really made this Drama stick in my mind.

Plenty of problems. Typical Japanese style non-romantic kisses; random jumps in the story, not really anything earth-shatteringly new either as far as story goes & plot holes the size of mountains but somehow I just don't care one iota!

Definitely recommended if you're feeling a bit down, tired or sick.

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1) The reason I watched this :

It has been a long time since I’ve seen Oguri Shun so it felt right to watch his comeback drama.

2) Storyline/Plot:

*Generally speaking, the storyline wasn’t that unique except the creative side.

Positive points

*Everything related to invention, the company or smart minds was captivating because it created a special aspect around the normal romantic comedy storyline.

*It wasn’t dragging which made it exempt of slow moments.

*Main genres:

--->Romance: It belongs to the “Rich Man Poor Woman” cliche so I can’t possibly say that the romantic side was unique or special. However, that doesn’t mean it lost taste since it was interesting at some points plus it had good plot changes.
Romance was average (+) that’s why I decided to mention it in the “Positive Points” column.

Negative Points:

--->Humor: Honestly speaking, the comedy didn’t deliver much to talk about; it was lacking for a rom-com J-drama. Funny scenes were almost absent but there were some ridiculous scenes that can make it feel childish sometimes.

The story: 7/10.

3) Acting/Cast:

*So like I said earlier Oguri Shun was the main reason that made me watch this drama. I got to see a different side of him in here; his role was portrayed in a good way.
Ishihara Satomi was good too, there were good vibes coming out of her acting.
The remaining cast had respectable acting skills so no complains.

*As for characters, Hyuga Toru was an attractive character whether it was strong or weak you would feel invested in everything he does. The character strength made it appealing in many ways.
Natsui was your average romantic comedy heroine, there were nothing special about the character overall since it was plainly predictable.
*The remaining characters had interesting scenes every once in a while but they weren’t very captivating.

*Appreciated character: Asahina made this drama interesting; if he was the usual second lead male this would’ve been very boring. Asahina created amazing plot changes that would make you adjust your feelings about him several times that’s why he’s appreciated in my point of view.

*Relationships:

--->Romance: There was good chemistry between the main characters but there was an interesting chemistry between the lead male and the second lead female too.

--->Friendship: It was set up in an amazing way. It’s not the usual J-dramas friendship since it had many twists and changes.

--->The triangle: It was a usual triangle but it was less serious than others.

Cast: 8/10.
Acting: 8.5/10.

4) The ending:

It’s true that it was a common cliché but no one would’ve appreciate it if it ended otherwise.

The ending: 6.5/10.

5) My impression (How did it affect me):

*I had shallow feelings while watching this drama; after all I started it because of Oguri Shun but it doesn’t mean that I only appreciated Oguri here.
*I can’t possibly say that I loved this drama; it was plainly average in my point of view. It’s true that I had a little fun but I wasn’t touched that deeply because I always thought of it as a normal romantic comedy; it can’t possibly be a mature one like some other masterpieces produced in Japan.


*Is this drama memorable: I don’t think so, I may remember some moments of it but I don’t believe it deserve a spot in my “unforgettable dramas” list.

Note: I really liked the opening theme song mainly because its lyrics are so encouraging and adapts the drama perfectly.


My impression: 5/10.

6) Overall:

*If you like Oguri Shun then watch this because you’ll get to see a different side of him in here.
*If you like Japanese romantic comedies then give this a try.

*Rich Man Poor Woman was a respectable drama with a decent storyline along with good actors which made it watchable and somehow enjoyable.


Overall’s rating 7.5/10.

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It's clear I'm treading on dangerous ground here, with a review which won't be generally agreed upon. Not that it has to be, but the fact that so many among the people I value the opinion of, found this drama very good, makes me ponder over my taste and choices. I've read and re-read every review, I've thought the whole drama over and I have tried to find it charming but I failed.
No matter how hard I tried, I didn't like it and I don't know why it encountered such a success.

I have problems with the plot, the characters and the ultimate meaning of this drama.

I found the plot highly un-original. Change a couple of names and the setting, and you're left with a déjà-vu: arrogant successful man is changed by simple, goodhearted woman, there's a second female who enters the picture, the hero's got some unresolved issues with his personal life, a lot of running around the city - for lack of any transport, I suppose - and there's the ever-present shilly-shally which goes on till the very end (accompanied by my yawning).

Fine, a plot doesn't need to be original to be well told. More often than not, the lack of suspense is successfully replaced by a strong characterization. And here comes the true sore spot for me: the characters.

Toru Hyuga is quite the obnoxious "genius", a pity he doesn't compensate his bad temper with any particularly charming trait. He changes, inasmuch as he becomes a little humbler towards the end, but I fail to be attracted to him even by a little.

Which makes it even harder for me to empathize with Makoto, who seems to be bewitched by his creativity and his success-driven nature more than anything related to him as a man. The result, in my eyes, is a badly matched couple of disagreeable people with no love chemistry at all.
What bugged me the most is the way Makoto's character is depicted. By what absurd criteria can a young woman who is good at her studies, has a formidable memory, can compile the income tax return of a little business in one night be called "stupid"? Yes, she isn't a computer genius, so what? Are our IQ defined by how good we are at computer programming? Instead of creating a character who could truly complement Toru's glaring shortcomings with her own talent, they gave us a woman who either laughs hysterically when embarrassed and blurts out the first thing that comes to her mind, or apologizes for... being stupid, of all things! As for character development: none whatsoever.

Asahina? One episode he's black, the next he's blue. Disquieting.
The only consistent, pleasing character is Yoko, but we all know from minute one what her role in this story will be.

On the good side of the charts are acting and music. They all acted their part very well and did their best with what they were given. I'm also ready to grant the drama a couple of intense, heartfelt moments, which manage to raise the overall score by a little.

Needless to say, I'm not going to re-watch this. I'm sure there's more to say about it, but I'm honestly tired of thinking this thing over when in fact I should simply borrow a good MDL friend's definition, call this drama "harmless" and forget about it.

°°°°
Edit: someone rightly pointed out my wrong use of the word shizoid. I apologize and edited to correct the mistake. :)

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Story
At first I didn't want to watch this drama because I thought it would be too boring or cliche but I am so glad I did. This drama's story line is interesting and unique totally underrated by its title. The characters and relationships are interesting to watch develop. The romance in this drama is not what you would usually expect but somehow you still find yourself fangirling at the cuteness. I was surprised and completely fell in love with the story. Of course it isn't perfect and at times you can feel quite lost or like me in the beginning wasn't quite sure of it but the story is great.

Acting/Cast
Of course a drama wouldn't be complete with great acting to carry the story and I thing the cast did a great job. Oguri Shun and Ishihara Satomi are two actors which I have seen before and so I was expecting them to be great which I think they were. Oguri Shun I thought fitted his quite different character very well and I don't think anyone could have played it quite like him. Together I thought their chemistry was excellent and they had something which I just can't explain.

Music
I gave a music a 10 because I LOVED their OST's and introduced me to one of my favourite Japanese female artists- miwa. I constantly listen to the songs in Rich Man Poor Woman and unlike many dramas the music used really stuck to you and imprinted onto the drama. As well as the miwa songs, the rest of the music was really well used and distinct tot the theme of the drama.

Basically I love Rich Man Poor Woman and do recommend it

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The title of this really made me not want to watch it at all, but I figured I would give it a shot since so many people gave it good ratings.

Do I regret it? Not really. Could I have survived without watching it? Yea, probably.

Nothing really stood out to me in this show and even though it wasn't your typical "rich man meets poor helpless girl" story, it just didn't really pull me in like others have. I felt that there was an unnecessary relationship in the beginning of the show that could have been left out and it really bothered me. It really had no place in the overall story.

The romance took too long to progress in my opinion, and when it did, it was very typical. If you've watched a lot of romance dramas you would know, and it really does get old when they all end in similar ways, using the same methods.

Overall, it was cute, the lead female is great actress, and the music wasn't bad either, but this just isn't one of those rare gems for me. You can read through the reviews and decide for yourself whether to watch it or not, but if you skip it, you won't really be missing out too much.

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I started watching Rich Man, Poor Woman expecting a love story between a rich man and a poor girl who falls for him. What I got instead was a whole lot dealing with the corporate world. I was kept entertained and at the same time a bit let down and bored. The entertaining parts were the corporate stuff and the boring one was the romance.

I kept waiting for something great to take place between the main leads and it never did. Sure, there were some moments here and there but after a few episodes you realize that the plot doesn't necessarily need romance. The story does fine without using romance as a driving factor. What we get is the stuff you can expect taking place in an office in a very Social Network kind of a way. Still, the story wins points because it was shown very well.

As for the cast, I liked everyone in their roles. Satomi playing the cute Natsui won me over initially but her character was stagnant till the end. I didn't like the way she was written. While I didn't ever like Oguri Shun before I thought he did a good job here. The supporting cast was also fine.

While the workings and challenges about the company kept me interested in the beginning, after halfway through I got bored. If I had known before that this was was primarily about the corporate world, I would have skipped it. Anyhow, I made my way towards to the ending episode.

This drama serves fine as a one time watch. I will doze off if I ever saw it again because it's not my thing. It was actually good and interesting if you think you can enjoy this genre. Don't let my personal views keep you from watching this drama. I hope everyone else enjoys it.

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For me Rich Man, Poor Woman, before the 6th or 7th episode, threaded a very thin line between ‘drop or keep’. The drama was so slow to build it almost lost me, the hero was not human (as the Koreans like to say) and the heroine, though cute and well-meaning, got on my nerves with her over-the-top deferential behaviour toward a guy who was an obnoxious brute for most of the show. Yeah, I get that he's the big man on campus, and everyone's expected to kiss his (very fine) behind, but still ... I wanted to punch him every time he went off the rails at his innocent employees.

With corporate espionage, insider trading and other back stabbings, the story picked up tremendously in the second act. By episode 8 I was finally invested. Valuable life lessons were learnt (by both us and our leads). Our prodigious but arrogant hero grew as a person and as a businessman, and it was hard not to like him then. You come to realize that under that gruff exterior he wasn't such a bastard after all.

The acting was convincing, perhaps a tad overdone by our heroine, but she had some mad on-screen chemistry with the hero. They reminded you of an old married couple who loves to bicker and swear at each other, but feels lost when their beloved isn't around. Very cute. And although a bit juvenile and silly at times the actress did a good job of portraying the adorable klutz next to the hero's gruff, cantankerous persona. She may also come across as somewhat of a pushover, but it was, for the most part, a very effective front she used to manage Hyuga. After all, you catch more bees with honey than vinegar, don't you? I wished more time was dedicated to developing their love story, but unfortunately this was sidelined to accommodate other characters and purposes of the plot.

I felt the role of the second female lead, Yoko, was redundant. A perfectly decent character she was, but she served no true purpose whatsoever. I’m pretty convinced the drama could have gone on just as easily, and more effectively, without her. Why are Asians so obsessed with these blasted love triangles I don't know. It gets really old really fast and has no real dramatic effect if all second leads do is confirm the attractiveness of our lead male/female. Give them a more substantial purpose or leave them out entirely.

I did not care for Asahina. I wanted the resolution of his story arc to be completely different. Without giving anything away, here's why: I understood his feelings very well & even sympathized with him to a point, but his actions toward someone who was essentially like a brother to him were despicable, vicious and totally unforgivable. Therefore, to my way of thinking you don't give people like that a second chance to wedge the knife deeper into your back.

Anyway, if you’re into technology and the machinations of the business world (with a smattering of romance), you’ll likely enjoy this series. This was like The Social Network adapted for the small screen. I wanted more from it, but in the end what we got was okay, I guess.

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As the title says, it'll give you an impression that it'll gonna be your typical love story about a rich man and poor woman (or vice versa) that fall in love each other fighting for each others love from other people who opposes their relationship, blah blah..
Well.. IT"S NOT!! It's very different! It's not only a love story but a story of friendship and betrayal, inspiration and confusion, success and failure. The story hooks you up and keep you looking forward on what will happen next.

I love the cast!! Their acting is really great! They really portrayed their roles very well makes you think that they are not acting at all.. haha!! :D

And the theme song, it's very fitting for the drama and has nice lyrics.

It's been a long time since I felt this kind of satisfaction after watching a series. It's a must watch indeed!!^-^

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