The Woman Who Plays (2024)

A mishmash of sweet and cringey tropes

This show started so well. It is cute and ticked all the boxes when it comes to the meet-cute of a rom com. It was tracking well but worrying signs start to appear by mid show.

Let's start with the good bits. From my perspective, the FL is the true star of the show. She is radiant and so sweet. She is born to play a romantic lead. The premise is also nice and promising. It leans heavily into the healing drama trope with a big dose of bad boys come good motif as well. Every fawn (or is it Bambi? deerling?) has a heart of gold and they give the found family trope a good work out. ;)

However, the ML is channelling Marlon Brando a little too hard for my taste. It works sometimes, especially when he is roleplaying The Boss/tough guy. However, even though he is experienced in life and served time in the big house, he has less social skill than a lump of wood. It is jarring to see how he could stare down a mobster in one scene and be totally tongue tied (or worst, catatonic!) in the next just because the FL smiles at him. His characterisation feels too laboured. There are times when he is sweet and swoon worthy but it is more like a caricature.

In fact, most of the characters are done with very broad strokes. Some are there purely as comic relief. Others have more nuance but only fleetingly. You certainly will not be watching this show for character growth nor social commentary.

Is this a simple farce then? Not quite. There are times when the silliness will leave you breathless but there is also a serious dark edge (like many k-dramas). The senseless violence and text book mobster antics made sure of that.

If you think that I’m confused about this show, you are right. I don’t dislike it but there are moments when I question whether I should have dropped it earlier rather than persevere. This is particularly true towards the end when the show race through tropes after tropes just to cover all the bases. It would be farcical if the subject wasn’t so serious. We literally have the ML suffered a near death experience and then within a few scenes two of his bros show up to a blind date and commit social hari-kari in one of the most cringe worthy scene in my drama watching memory.

Here lies the problem with this show. It just doesn’t know when to stop. It has good bones, but bits and pieces are grafted on which doesn’t always make sense nor work as intended. It is a shame because these are good actors, and the basic premise is solid. A “normal” rom com would have worked a treat.

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A perfect cheesy rom com that stands out from the rest

I like characters with a suprise twist to them and this drama had one of the great ones. A mobster with a sweet and clumsy side, count me in !

I started watching this because of reels of the male lead's voice. He really had the look of a gangster so I wanted to watch this one and I'm really glad I did.

Lets talk about the positives first:
- Great casting for the male lead, and supporting characters
The reason why this drama with such a story worked so well was because of the casting for the male characters. Ji hwan, Ill yeong, Hyun woo and all supporting characters looked legit according to their characters. I really liked that they used the rough looking Uhm Tae Goo for the gangster role and the soft looking Kwon Yul for the prosecutor to create a contrast.
- Uhm Tae Goo melted my heart
The character of male lead matched perfectly with Uhm Tae Goo's look and hence made me more immersed in the story. His voice and sharp stare was everything ! Even when he was acting cute or shy in the drama, it didn't look awkward and was fairly realistic. He was charismatic and fierce in screen. So I was really surprised to see him being really shy and dorky in realy life (he's so cute!!)
- The found family was a chef's kiss
The found family in this one was one of the best I've seen. The supporting characters were great and I liked how goofy they were. It was really warm and comforting to see them depend on each other and be one happy family.
- The pacing was perfect
Some may say the ending was rushed but I liked how they paced the drama. Every episode had decent suspense and I didn't find the romantic development between the two leads to be rushed or too slow. I didn't skip much also and enjoyed every episode.

Now let's move onto the negatives:
- The potrayal of the female leads (both main and 2nd) could've been better
I don't mind the casting but at least the character design of the two female leads could've been better. I wish the costume team matched their hairstyles and costumes better to their characters. Honestly, I don't know why they had to give the main female lead the world's ugliest bangs ever. A normal hairstyle would've worked fine since her character is supposed to be honest, kind and determined. But they gave her a quirky hairstyle even though she wasn't. It didn't suit the actress and was awkward to see.
- The sudden flip in the costume
Maybe because I studied fashion I'm sensitive to the costume in shows but I was really confused seeing the costumes of the main male lead and the ex-cons go from very dark colors to suddenly bright and normal colors. I get that they wanted to portray how the characters are changing in a good way but the change was sudden and it didn't suit the characters at all. If they stuck with the dark and flashy costumes, the contrast between their looks and actual personality could've been more clearer. Instead the costumes became bright and gentle which I didn't like.
- The chemistry between the two couples could've been better
At least the main couple had some chemistry but I didn't feel that tension and chemistry with the second couple. I get why Ill Yeong and Miho might like each other but whenever they were together, I just didn't feel it was real. The chemistry between the main couple could've also been great but I was fine with what they had.

Overall, a sweet and fluffy watch that'll put a smile on your face and maybe also make you realize how hot deep husky voices were 😏 8.5/10

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Fun until the last Third

So, I totally got addicted to My Sweet Mobster when watching the first episode and it felt like an eternity when waiting for the new episodes each week. In the first half, I was so sure this would be a 10 Star series for me but unfortunately I had to remove a couple of points.

Let's first get into the great stuff:

- The FL : I loved her storyline, which felt totally unique. Usually, we get FLs with the "very unique and totally uncommon in KDrama-World" occupations such as doctor, prosecutor, lawyer, office worker etc.. So I found it very refreshing that in this one, our FL is a video-creator for children. This seemed also so fitting to how her character was written and the way she was styled. I liked seeing working hard to create great videos while keeping the children's interests in mind and not becoming a sellout in the industry.
Overall, I enjoyed watching her on screen a lot and enjoyed her interactions with the other characters. I'm definitely going to keep my eyes on any future projects of the actress.

- The ML: Well, he's candy for the eyes and I guess everyone will agree with that. I'm also kind of a sucker for the stoic and strong with a soft heart trope-ML, so that was a win in my books. He also was written as a deep character who is caring and wants to change the life of people for the better. He's also one of the funniest characters on screen - something I did not expect having watched some of the actor's previous works. How he kept a balance between this comedic side of his character and also the serious CEO type was great to watch.

- The Deer Guys (aka Sausage-Squad): I absolutely loved watching the guys' interactions, especially Jae Su and Man Ho. They brought in the feeling of the found family concept and always kept me entertained with their bickering. The writer did a great job explaining some of their backstory, though it could've been better paced. I would have also loved to see more of the above two guys, I absolutely adore them just as they do their Little Rat! They elevated the scenes they were in and it always gave me a warm feeling when seeing the whole Deer family together.

- The 2nd ML: I liked how he cared for the FL and how he overcame his distaste for the ML in order to protect her. He get's a few points removed though for wanting to pursue the FL after she made clear she is not in love with him and for kinda being a creep in watching children's shows. One of my favourite scenes however, was the comment battle between him and the ML.

- The chemistry between FL and ML: their chemistry was amazing and their interactions made my heart flutter.


And now for the bad (or at least the not-so-great):

- Kang Ye Na: Her character feels kinda meaningless and for me could've been removed from the story. I thought that once her backstory was revealed, I understood her for a second and it gave her more depth. However, that was just for the first time they showed that one background scene. I just couldn't sympathise with her once she just could not stop approaching the ML and don't get me started on her contract conditions! Like that's a way to force someone who does not care for you to spend time with you! In responds to my distaste for her, I also did not care about any kind of romance sub-plot with Dong Hyuk (who was also my least favourite Deer member).

- The best friend: I also did not care for her and her sub-plot romance with Hyun Jin. Their romance had no depth in the beginning, so I did not care and never started to care. Her interactions with the FL also did not feel deep and I didn't believe that they're best friends. The pregnancy sub-plot was kinda interesting, but I felt that, as this was just a sub-sub-plot, there couldn't enough time be spent on it to make it meaningful or offer commentary. I also found it quite cheap how they just kinda fell in love in an instance, once they found out about the pregnancy.

- Go Yang Hui (aka the Cat-"villain"): he was a goofball, not a villain. They did manage to make him a total turn-off, to the extend though that I actually had to skip his scenes as he was an unbearable character for me. I understand that the drama is supposed to be comedy, but I would have liked a more serious villain, where I could feel like the FL and the Deer-guys were actually in danger for a second.

- The Gang-background: That, I found interesting at first, but it became a bore the more the drama went on. I feel like there was never a sense of enough urgency for me and the very childish set-up of Mr. Cat as a villain made it feel like watching a horrible children's animations trying to portray an evil gang, not an evil gang itself.

- The ML's father: I just didn't care, maybe because they showed some of the childhood scenes etc. too often. Actually, I also began skipping through his scenes.

- And now to something I didn't think I would say when starting the series: The relationship between FL and ML:

My heart fluttered in the first half whenever they interacted with each other and I just wanted them to find out that the ML was the childhood Oppa. And I soo waited for the love confession and was curious how their relationship would turn out. However, I was disappointed on that front. The finger-hearts and nervousness was adorable for the first time they acted like that, but as it kept going like this, I just felt turned off. Like, we're talking about the relationship of two adults in their thirties. The romance though felt like watching two thirteen year olds having a crush for the first time! I wanted a more mature romance and more skin contact and maybe some sexual tension. It just felt off watching the ML, an ex-gang member and successful CEO in his late thirties, to act like a teenage simp in love who never was in the sphere of another woman before!
That was a great let-down for me. I do find that the longing and pining before two characters actually start dating is more interesting in most dramas, but this was a total failure on the relationship for me.
Also, the totally unnecessary but thankfully very short third act breakup. Never been a fan of this trope and also wasn't here.

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Childhood Connection Trope Done Right

My 4 categories are Acting/Cast, Writing, Direction/SFX/Music, Entertainment Value.

I loved Eom Tae Gu’s (엄태구) character and acting in Save Me 2, so I was happy to see him again. I was watching this drama while watching Dreaming of A Freaking Fairytale (which has a similar zany, cartoonish vibe and even share the same second male lead) and I ended up liking this drama more.

Acting/Cast: A great cast of characters. They’re all very distinct from one another but are believable as a family. I enjoyed getting to know all of them. I liked the leads a lot as well as the second male lead. I think they were the strongest actors. 7.5/10

Writing: I wasn’t sure how to feel about this drama in the beginning. I typically don’t like over-the-top cartoony style comedy, but this drama ended up being really cute. I was so impressed by the character building and relationship building. It was refreshing to see such good character development in a rom-com. I’m a bit of a sucker for “enemies to lovers” romances though. I like what they did with the second male lead’s character. It was different from how I expected it to go. Yes, a lot of dumb, cliché things happen in this drama, but the overall plot is really sad yet beautiful if you think about it. I really like the childhood connection trope in this drama. I don’t think I’ve ever seen it written as well as this. It’s really meaningful to the story; it isn’t just throw in. Also, their childhood connection isn’t why they love each other – they actually fall in love with who each other are in the present before finding out about their past connection. I can say that I didn’t like the ending. My only explanation for how it ended is that they’re leaving it open for a second season. I don’t think it needs one though, so I wish they would have wrapped up the drama well. They leave two hinted side love stories just hanging there with pretty much zero development. The main love story is left unfinished, too, which is unsatisfying. I also think the male lead needs to care more about his own life since there’s so many people that rely on him. Please stop taking L’s for psychotic unrepentant criminals. Sorry, I don’t find it sweet or heroic at all. Something I don’t like about dramas that are too sweet or feel-good is that they try to give redemption arcs to antagonists even when it doesn’t make sense for them to have one. Sometimes you just got to let the villains villain. 6/10

Direction/SFX/Music: This drama has a very cartoonish style. To put it in perspective, the main villain purposely acts and looks like the 90s cartoon version of Batman’s Joker. He even says “Why so serious?” if anyone had still been wondering who he’s doing a parody of. The drama also has a vintage feel, as if I were watching something from 2016 or earlier. The pacing was a little slow in the beginning, as well. I actually thought I would end up dropping this drama because of all these reasons; it’s not the type of drama I usually watch. However, the exceptional writing saved it. The music is decent. There is one song in particular that I really like – See The Moon by LeeZe. 4.5/10

Entertainment Value: It was a little slow in the beginning. I actually thought I would end up dropping it. Although, once I accepted the style and saw what they were doing with the story, it became a very enjoyable watch. It wasn’t too light or too heavy. I liked watching all of the characters, especially the leads. By the end, however, I started getting bored because the ending was looking like it was going to be a pretty cliché one, unfortunately. For the most part, I had fun. That playground scene in the earlier part of the drama was hilarious, by the way. Give me more of that. 6/10

Overall, I gave this drama a 6/10. On my scale, a rating of 6 and above is in the ‘would recommend’ zone. Very cute with great leads and a sweet story, but the ending disappointed me.

I made a short music video for this drama that captures what I really liked about the plot. It’s on YouTube and it’s called “My Sweet Mobster | End Of Beginning” and my channel name is The Enablers (@theenablers3846).

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Stigmas and Second Chances

This drama is like a warm hug on a rainy day. It's got all the feels, you know? You've got Seo Ji Hwan, this ex-gangster trying to make a fresh start, but everyone's got him pegged as a bad guy. It's so unfair! Then there's Eun Ha, this super sweet children's content creator who's got her own set of challenges.

Their paths collide in the most chaotic way, but it's actually kinda cute how they slowly start to understand each other. I mean, the way they support each other through thick and thin is chef's kiss. It's not all sunshine and rainbows though, there are some seriously heartbreaking moments that will have you reaching for the tissues.

I loved the side characters too! The prosecutor, his colleagues and Seo Ji Hwan's employees as well. Total clowns, but somehow, you grow to love their crazy antics.
It's one of those dramas that makes you laugh, cry, and everything in between. If you're looking for a story that's both heartwarming and thought-provoking, this is it!

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snooze..

So I hate to say it, but this one sucked. It was basically what I would classify as the most traditional type of Korean romcom except it had a little gangster drama as well… except the gangster drama was incredibly half baked and had nothing to do with the rest of the story. They just kind of inserted it in there at the end for some drama. I genuinely was so bored the whole time I was watching this, there was absolutely nothing original or interesting besides the second leads’ romance (but also not that original either), and they barely even gave them screen time during the whole drama. Overall pretty disappointing, to be honest this wouldn’t top any list of mine because it is entirely mediocre as both a romcom and an action drama and a brainless “rotting in bed” watch and everything in between. The only upside is (spoilers) there isn't an annoying breakup or fight between the leads like in the 2016-2018 kdrama era. Very little angst overall unless you count some of the latter episodes (except the angst there couldn't even be taken seriously half the time).

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This show started with a good concept and mostly did it well. An ex-mobster and a children's content creator falling in love is a good idea. It was enjoyable. The rom-com was rom-com-ing. The only issue i had was it had a bit too much of comedy instead of romance but i think it's common in korean rom coms. After the couple gets together they either stick with more comedy into them or completely remove the comedy. Here, they continued with the comedy for a while and didn't build the romance until the last few episodes (at least for me). They really dragged the childhood friend plot and the ex-gang plot for too long that their reveals/endings were boring. The last few episodes were kind of boring. With all that said this was still nice.
I really liked the Prosecutor too. He was a good addition to the story and made it more wholesome. Minho and ll-young were also a great side couple. I would watch a whole mini-series of just them. The actor who played ll-young kinda stole the spotlight every time he was on the screen.
I also love that they tried something new with Eunha being a youtuber. It gave her a uniqueness. I liked the little 'like, share and subscribe' they did every episode with the cast.
This was a drama with a great starting which kind of fizzled out in the end

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This should be way more popular

Honestly, I didn't think that I'll enjoy it as much as I did. It's like a hidden gem in the big pile of the other stones. It has everything you need in a romcom - cuteness, actual comedy, romance and, the best thing ever, logical plot.

Seo Ji Hwan (Uhm Tae Goo) is an ex mobster that leads ordinary life nowadays. He has his own company and the group of ex-convicts that he treats like his family. You may think that he's an ordinary cold guy as we have seen many times in a romcom genre. You know, the type to be indifferent to everyone but that one girl. Surprise-surprise, it's not that at all. Ji Hwan is a kind man who always cares about his so-called family, his other employees and even about the people who don't deserve it. He's polite, he's gentle and he's actually shy. There is his gangster side, but he is still choosing to be a good man, even in those scenes when he needs to be a mobster. He has a great sense of responsibility, and he is respected by everyone in this drama not because of his past, but because of who he is. There's even a time when his love rival tells him that he's actually a good man, and he changed his mind about him.

On the other hand, we have Ji Hwan with Eun Ha and oh boy, he's so cute, really. He's loveable, he's a big baby of this drama. And he's extremely gentle with her, he wants her to be happy at all times and cares about her. He falls quickly, and he never once looks back at his feelings. He's bad at expressing them, but his feelings are pure.

And he's funny! I have no idea how Uhm Tae Goo did this, but Ji Hwan is funny all the time in this drama, even in the romantic scenes. Tae Goo did an amazing job portraying Ji Hwan it's like him being all moody in one scene because of his love rival and being completely smitten when Eun Ha comes to the picture. I'm completely shocked because of him, I'm in love with his performance in this drama, I don't have enough words to describe how good he is here

Our dear Ko Eun Ha (Han Seon Hwa) is like one of the best characters I've ever seen in a romcom. She has her own morals, she's kind and very understanding. I truly fell in love with her the moment she was gentle with Ye Na who's basically her competitor in the content for kids. She was always calm, she never answers to the toxicity with toxicity, no. She's kind, gentle and knows what she wants. Furthermore, she's not picky and does an honest work. She just wants to make children happy with her content. It's a shame that we don't know much about her, like her backstory is not that big, but at the same time it's good because she's like a character at the end of the drama. She has already found out what she wants to do, figured out her place in the world, and she's doing what she can.

And all of that goes for her relationships with Ji Hwan too. She never once feared him or judged him for his past. Even when she saw his ugly sides and him losing control of himself. She was always on his side, not even once holding a grudge against him. There was no misunderstanding between them, she always knew his motives and his feelings. He just needed to make the first step towards her. And he did

They both are independent on their own, so there's no character development in this drama because they're already the best versions of themselves. And you just watch two adults, who's very similar in personality, falling in love. And their whole journey was cute and loveable. They talk to each other and quickly resolve their issues, they trust each other with everything. And most surprisingly all bad moments between them are logical, they argue not because of one's insecurity, no, they argue because something really dangerous is happening. It's still a mobster drama, after all. But don't worry there's not much mob drama, this drama not about the gangs, fighting for power etc. no this drama about the good people who were able to break free of their ugly past and live ordinary life and that's the beauty of it

As for the side characters - I really loved them all. Even the prosecutor Jang Hyun Woo (Kwon Yul) who is Ji Hwan's love rival is eventually a good man that admits his mistakes and steps out when he needs. He really takes every situation like an adult man, and I like it very much

The second couple with Il Young (Ji Hwan's "right hand") and Mi Ho (Eun Ha's friend) is really cute, they have more passionate romance, but it also happens very off scene. Regardless, I've enjoyed their chemistry and their scenes

The whole Ji Hwan's so-called family is great too. Originally, I thought that they were there just for the comedy, but they actually felt like Eun Ha and Ji Hwan's family the whole time. The most warm interactions in the drama are when they are involved.

Even Ye Na, Eun Ha's competitor, became cute towards the end. I couldn't dislike her like in the beginning.

And the last thing - the plot itself. I don't think it's pure romcom I'd say it's slice of life with romcom elements. The drama doesn't have some end goal, some "defeat the evil" plot, no, all characters just live their lives and have their ups and downs. Even with the mob side plot it wasn't that dramatic, everything went very smoothly and logically. There's no stupid break up, no misunderstanding, no grandpas that don't approve the marriage. It was good from beginning to the end and I enjoyed every second of it

I would recommend it to the enjoyers of very sweet and gentle romance, mob stories (because honestly? Uhm Tae Goo was excellent playing his signature gangster role, wow), straightforward female lead and non-cliché romance. And finally - this drama should be waaaaaay more popular it deserves it

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How do people even enjoy this?

Maybe if you’re in for some light fun, this is the one for you. Personally, I can’t help but judge the characters by their personalities when it comes to enjoying dramas. The female lead’s acting is questionable. She’s a great actress, but in this drama she looks dull and tired all the time. Second, her character is just… bland. Her two obsessions: Her childhood friend, and her love for children(which stems for her love for her childhood friend). It’s ridiculous that a 30 year old woman is so helpless and clueless like she just stepped into the world. She does really odd things that any normal person would find weird. Im sick of the damsel in distress plot as well. Please, why do women need to be saved by the man all the time? It’s not romantic at all, especially when you’re trying to show it that way what with the slow-mo and the romantic music.

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Funny is his middle name.

My Sweet Mobster had me laughing out loud within the first few minutes. The Male Lead, who is a mobster going straight, has Vito Corleone down to the V I T O. He is killing me. Well written, this drama uses a lot of well connect witty puns. I laughed so many times, I am wondering if My Sweet Mobster can keep this up. The cartoon inlays overlaid onto the live action gives the drama a Webtoon feel at times. With the Italian music in the background, it is so strange. My Sweet Mobster is turning out to be an underdog sleeper of a hit for me, with thoroughly engaging characters. You must try it.

Marlon Brando as Vito Corleone and Uhm Tae Goo as ex-mobster Seo Ji Hwan imitating Art.

The story is about a mobster who is turning over a new leaf, running a respectful business, while helping other former mob types to go straight too. The Female Lead is a child video artist with a big heart and who might be the answer to the ML’s prayers, literally. Standing in his way is a staunch Prosecutor who does not think that ex-cons can reform, and he likes the same girl.

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A fun giggly cuddly romantic comedy

Please ignore the negative reviews for this drama. This was exactly what I needed at the moment. It's a cute romantic comedy that also involves a very special meaning with it. Everyone deserves a second chance and this drama is trying to portray that. The cast is perfect. The male lead has the mobster aura at the same time he is a pookie. Uhm tae goo is nailing this role! Female lead is also 10/10. The supporting cast makes it even better. They are all so funny. I have a good feeling that this drama is gonna keep the energy till the end. Please give it a try you won't regret it!!!

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