If you hate misunderstandings I would avoid this show

TLDR: Every issue in this show could be solved by someone saying one sentence at the right time but everyone refuses to open their mouths.

Disclaimer: I give average shows a 5 so everything above that is pretty good to excellent while everything below that is pretty bad to horrendous. Everything is also in reference to other shows. I am not an expert in film making so I cannot say how well the technical aspects were executed, but I can give my opinion on how they compare to other things I've watched and how much I enjoyed them relative to other shows even if I can't put into words the exact technique used that made it more/less enjoyable.

Overall: I would say this is a slightly above average drama with some fun elements and an interesting premise. Unfortunately it overstays its welcome and can't find a way to move things along which makes the middle of the show drag.

Story: The premise is interesting and entertaining at first. I has its own charm and its fun to see the FL try to navigate all the obstacles of her own making. But at some point it starts to go from fun to frustrating. Most K dramas have some element of misunderstanding/miscommunication that sparks the romantic plot and this one is no exception. However, it quickly becomes redundant as the character find themselves in the exact same situation over and over and over all while wondering how they're going to fix things when the answer is immediately obvious to anyone with a functioning brain. If the characters were reasonably intelligent for 30 seconds the episode count could have comfortably been cut from 16 to 10 without feeling rushed. Instead we are left with many episodes in the middle that feel like the the FL says "this time, I'll tell him the truth..." and then proceeds to not change or do anything. (side note: you know that whenever someone says they're doing something tomorrow that shit aint getting done). The only time the ongoing misunderstandings seem remotely organic is when the 2nd FL has a hand in it because it fits with her character. Outside of this, any cliche you've ever seen in a drama is present here (dead phone battery, ML protecting FL from car, tripping into close up, etc.) and it can get annoying.

The mystery elements of the story were interwoven throughout the story, but I never felt like they got the gravity they deserved. This is a pretty common theme in Kdramas but if someone is out to kill you that's not the time to brush it off and say that you're gonna be fine. The opposite is also true in that if there is a simple problem to fix its not the time to break out the sad violins and pretend like the world is ending. In this instance the tone falls into the former where there is some pretty serious stuff going on but the characters don't really seem to care which results in even more life threatening situations and makes it tough to know how to feel about it given the dichotomy between their reactions and what is actually going on. Spoiler: But like, if some guy has already tried to kill your boss, and he comes to your home with a weapon, saying your blind brother has trouble getting used to new places is not a valid reason to stay. Or imo if you use that reason then you kind of deserve to get killed the next time he comes. The mystery was also overall super predictable. It was pretty obvious who was going to be good and who was a red herring from the outset so some of the dramatic reveals felt more cringe than anything.

I would say my fundamental problem with the romance side of the story is that the emotional investment it tries to make you feel as the plot progresses don't feel earned. They try to make it seem like the characters are making tough decisions and grappling with lots of emotions, but then you realize that its a rerun of the previous 4 episodes so why should I care. Watching a character make the same mistakes over and over and over all while telling themselves and the audience how they are going to change requires fantastic writing/acting or a more comedic tone in order to keep the viewer invested. This show does not quite hit the mark on either of these leading to a frustrating rather than fun viewing experience at times. During every emotional or dramatic reveal instead of feeling sad/happy/whatever else they wanted me to feel, I just get annoyed that it didn't happen 3 episodes earlier when there was a perfect window and no good reason for it not to happen.

Characters: I liked all the lead characters. The FL is charming and charismatic in a bubbly kind of way that allowed me to still like the character despite the many questionable things she does throughout the show. She manages to play both versions of her character well and both were believable identities. The ML is ok, but I did feel like he was more of a passenger in the show being yanked around in whichever direction the plot needed him to go. He was supposedly instrumental in most of the plot threads but never seemed to actually have any agency in what was going on. Looking back, the only real things he does throughout the entire show is try to cure is illness so he can chase after a girl. (spoiler: perfect example but the secret org is scared that the ML is onto them as he reasonably should be, but we the viewers know that he hasn't given the file a second thought after finding it a few episodes prior and will only start to care about it once its convenient for that plot thread to wrap itself up) The second FL is probably the standout for me. The actress looked like she was having a blast playing the role and it definitely shows. She is over the top and quirky in the best way possible and I love her chemistry with the second ML. She steals most every scene she is in all while filling the comedic relief role in a show that could've used more lighthearted moments. The second ML is good as well. I think he is used by the story to add suspense and mystery to the show multiple times which actually worked initially because the actor can pull off the guilty without trying to be aura really well. Their chemistry was also great and I liked all the second leads scenes together.

My favorite side characters were probably the FLs family. Her sister was great as the mature kid trying to be the adult and the brother was funny while also being the voice of reason when the story needed to give the FL a push. The slow mo secretary scene is also goated. Most other side characters don't get much screen time so its hard to say much about them, but the second FLs mother was also quite funny.

Music: I'm not a huge music person and I also watch at faster speeds 1.5x so can't really comment on the music much but I assume it was good.

Rewatch: This would probably be on the lower end of the rewatch list for me, but not at the very bottom. The story is certainly not a reason to rewatch and the characters aren't good enough to justify rewatching this show over others.

Leggi di Più

Fun story fun characters fun show

TLDR: Popcorn fun with cute moments and great chemistry

Disclaimer: Average for me is a 5 so everything above that is pretty good to perfect and everything below that is pretty bad to horrendous. I know nothing about film making so couldn't tell you anything about how well the technical aspects of the show were executed, but I can give my opinion on how much I enjoyed it relative to other things I've watched.

Overall: If I could describe this show in one word it would be refreshing. Simple story with enjoyable characters trying to be their best selves. Everything adds up to be one of the most fun shows I've watched recently

Story: I liked the story a lot more than a summary would suggest. Its not super complex, there isn't a masterfully crafted plot that will keep you glued to your seat, but I think that is what made it so enjoyable for me. The main focus of the story is the romance, friendships and the politics/inheritance. The romance had its ups and downs but overall it was a fantastic watch. I will I admit I almost dropped this at episode 5/6 when the obligatory major accident happens that forces a lead to realize their feelings, but thankfully that was the only instance of eye rolling cliche that really got to me. The rest of it was a fun ride watching the leads get together and just enjoy life. Maybe this comes down to preference but I am a huge fan of just letting things happen organically. If there is no reason for a couple to break up then forcing it for the extra drama only detracts from the show. If two grown ass adults know they both have feelings for each other it makes no sense to complicate things unless there is a legitimate reason outside of "we needed to fill 2 more episodes". This drama creates a great balance of having outside pressures in the relationship, but also realizing that talking to your partner and open communication can in fact solve many problems. Can't tell you how much of a breath of fresh air it is to not see a couple who supposedly love each other break up at the drop of a hat all while pining for each other. Like no, you can be together, you are in fact 30 years old, be an adult.

The politics were ok. There wasn't a whole lot of drama and the outcome was pretty clear from the outset even without knowing all the tropes, but I thought it served the show well. Sometimes there don't need to be all these unnecessary obstacles just for the sake of artificial drama and this show understood that. The office drama I thought was handled very well. Sometimes it was a bit over the top but relative to what some other dramas bring to the table this was downright tame. I often get annoyed when the villains/antagonists/bullies in a show are super aggressive and openly antagonistic because I feel that realistic bullying looks much more subtle. The off hand remarks, office gossip, and tensions between co workers were subtle enough while also showing how oppressive the tiny things can be. The way the characters handle these things is also well done and had a mature flair to it that isn't often seen. The multiple perspectives from the friend group also allowed them to explore how different people can successfully navigate these situations while still being an adult. Whether it is the snarkiness/sarcasm of the department store worker or the kill them with kindness attitude of the lead, there are different ways to handle this without exploding. (Not that one way is better than the other, and sometimes a good explosive scene is just what the doctor ordered, but in dramas it has become the norm and hence much less enjoyable to watch)

I'll give the show credit for balancing the multiple story threads well. I was invested in all three of the friend group's lives and wanted them all to succeed. Sometimes this idea can be hard to do well because certain parts of individual stories are going to be more interesting than others which makes it very easy for me to dislike a character just because they aren't part of the more interesting plotline. But as I was watching their lives play out I was genuinely interested in every characters life. Nobody overstayed their welcome or made me wish I was watching a different character. I think Kang Da Eul's story was the only one I was sort of mixed on. Her home situation wasn't meant to be taken as seriously as the others given the shows portrayal but I kind of wish they did. Instead of the uno reverse they did which I think was supposed to be funny I wish there were some scenes where she gave some serious thought about what she wanted and the pros/cons of staying or leaving.

Characters/acting: I loved the leads but the FL was always going to be the standout from episode 1. It was great to see a FL that was competent and independent without needing the ML to simply exist. She was consistent throughout the show and stuck to her guns even when things didn't go her way. She had a direction and goal in life and just happened to meet someone that she wanted to share that with rather than being directionless before running into her other half. The performance was excellent, though I don't think the role demanded too much from the actress, she did a fantastic job with what she needed to do. The ML was good as well. I think the story failed his character early on, the whole petty act during episode 5 was the only real point where he acted out of character but everything else was good. If he had stayed a 30 something year old adult throughout the show I would've put him squarely in great but for those 2 episodes he turns into a middle schooler who is afraid to admit he has a crush. Spoiler but in an alternate universe not too different from the show the FL dies because the ML was petty which is something that was kind of hard for me to get over but I eventually did. That aside the performance was good with some great chemistry between the leads. I liked that the ML stayed out of the way of the FL and didn't start to dominate her life in the way that is all too common in the office romance shows. I loved their cute vibe and wish I could've seen more of it.

The second leads were also good. My personal favorite was Kang Da Eul. The performance was fantastic and I loved the sarcastic energy she brought to the table. Sort of mixed feelings on her story but I thought the character added a lot of fun to the group that would've otherwise been missing. Her relationship was kind of played for laughs with some mini revenge/comeuppance which was kind of sad to see as I wish she did find someone better for her but can't complain too much. Oh Pyeung Hwa was also good. I thought her storyline was a bit more basic than the other two on both the office and romantic side but I think she served as the baseline which isn't necessarily a bad thing. I still enjoyed her character and her relationship but don't think the chemistry was as strong as some of the others in the show. The standout though was always going to be how the 3 bounced off of each other because they were the definition of the sum is greater than the parts. Their friendship felt real and I enjoyed all their scenes together. The dialogue felt smooth and real while also showing how the personalities of the characters mix together.

For the side characters No Sang Sik is the MVP. He was over the top and goofy in a way that the show desperately needed and he never felt overbearing. When he slid those glasses down in the airport I was like, yes. I'm glad they didn't give him too much of a romantic side story because his character really shined in not taking him super seriously. The actress for Lee Ye Jeo was also amazing and I loved the performance despite the little screen time. The rest of the side characters were good in their roles but nothing too amazing for me to comment on.

Music: Not much to say, I watch in 1.5x speed and didn't really go back for any of the songs but they weren't bad either.

Rewatch: Rewatch value is the most subjective category for me because there are some fantastic shows that I know I will never rewatch while some objectively worse dramas I'll watch 5 times over. The story is good but not great, the leads are fun but not my favorite, and none of the side characters would crack my top ten list, but gun to my head this is the first drama I'd watch again if I had to choose one. Maybe everything just combined well together to create the perfect version of popcorn fun or maybe this just fits my guilty pleasure but I already know I'm going to be watching this one again regardless.

Leggi di Più

Solid romantic comedy to watch for relationship vibes

TLDR: Fun romcom with some good chemistry and hilarious moments. If you read the manhwa and liked it this is definitely worth giving a watch

Disclaimer: average for me is a 5 so anything above that is pretty good to excellent and everything below that is pretty bad to horrendous. I am not into film making so I can name a total of 0 techniques that go into making a good TV show. I can only comment on how much I enjoyed certain aspects of a show relative to ones I've watched in the past

Overall: I did not think I would like this as much as I did. I read the manhwa and loved it so my expectations were already pretty high. I didn't pick it up initially because I saw the initial date scene in a trailer a few years ago and thought it was kinda cringe, but dang the characters grew on me. They serve as a solid backbone to an otherwise simplistic story that made me enjoy almost every moment of screen time.

Story: Nothing super special about the story. Pretty much your run of the mill CEO/employee contract relationship with misunderstandings thrown in. However, it does everything well with good pacing and very little excess fluff. It kept me interested all the way through despite already knowing what happens.

This is kind of a big thing but you do have to buy into the plot in order to enjoy the show otherwise you're just gonna be thinking wtf most of the time. Light spoilers but you just have to accept that the FL looks completely different to every other character in the show when she is in her Geum Hi persona (in the manhwa she had a pink wig so it made more sense). She just stops hiding her face at some point and it didn't make a difference so they kind of just gave up on the concept but its something I was willing to overlook.

I think it did suffer from the random breakup 2/3 slump thing that a lot of dramas have (right after the leads get together there is always some random BS that pops up that forces them to break up again even though they both know they like each other so we can get the dramatic climax 2 episodes before the show ends). It wasn't super bad in this show but it was still there for both couples and kind of nonsensical. For the main couple it was the classic parents don't approve/class thing and for the second couple it was the classic miscommunication so pretty standard cliches that I wish would go away. Some of the cuts are also funny/disjointed af depending on if you're a glass half full or glass half empty kinda person, slight spoiler but how does she end up in the car while running on the cross walk... I still cannot figure that out.

Characters/acting: Solid performances across the board. I liked the FL a lot more than I thought I would seeing some of her scenes out of context. She really grew on me and gave a charm to the role that made me like the drama more than the manhwa by the end. She could shift fluidly between the silly over the top drunk girl and heartwarming serious business girl all while still being the same character. The character was portrayed well and I liked the adaptation they chose to go with. The ML was good in the role and I was a huge fan of the character. Most CEOs in these kinds of dramas are objectively not good people but viewers can turn a blind eye because they're hot af and are given enough emotional/backstory scenes to stay invested. But I'm happy to say the ML here is actually a decent human being. He makes mistakes but apologizes and has a solid moral compass that he sticks to throughout the show. Their chemistry is really good and I loved their dynamic throughout the show even when they weren't a couple.

The second couple was probably my favorite relationship wise. They sort of serve as the proxy to give the audience some bf/gf screen time while the main couple is still working things out and I was all for it. Aside from their aforementioned random misunderstanding they were solid throughout the show and had fantastic chemistry. I loved the second FL both in her relationship and in her friendship with Ha Ri. Their back and forth was amazing to watch and the drunk scene is something to behold. The second ML was super charming and bounced off well with the other 3 main characters.

Side characters: All were pretty solid. Standout for me was drunk Ms. Kim. I low key wish they made her an alcoholic because for whatever reason that actress made every line hilarious when her character was wasted. I'm actually laughing just thinking about it lol. The rest of the development team was great. They all played their roles well as the comedic peanut gallery watching everything unfold alongside the viewers.

I'm sort of conflicted on Min Woo because he was way more ick than I remember him being in the manhwa and pretty much never gave off any impression of being a viable number 2 to the love triangle that may or may not have existed. He was just not a good person and I'm not sure if that's how it was in the manhwa or if they just wanted to take the character in that direction but I do wish the character was a little more likeable. (Nothing against the actor or anything as I'm sure the decision wasn't his and he did a good job of bringing the character to life seeing how much he turned me off, just wish he was given a more likeable character to channel his talent through)

The grandfather had a tough role to play as the over the top supportive yet stern father figure and I thought the actor did well. He was less comedic than in the manhwa but overall his character worked fine. I thought the mom was a little over the top at times but other than that not too much to say about the rest of the side characters.

Music: Not much to say, I watch at 1.5x speed mostly so can't really comment.

Rewatch: I can see myself revisiting this but wouldn't be at the top of the list. I will be rewatching drunk Ms. Kim tho lol

Leggi di Più

Absolute masterpiece. I could watch the leads solve math problems all day and not get bored

TLDR: Of the 40 or so dramas I've seen thus far this is the only one that I pulled an all nighter to keep watching and I normally don't like historical dramas.

Disclaimer: I rate a 5 as average so everything above that is pretty good to excellent while everything below that is pretty bad to horrendous. I am not a film making expert so I have no knowledge on the techniques that go into making a "good" show so I can only give my opinions based on how much I liked a given show relative to previous ones I've seen.

Overall: I'm not a good enough writer to express how much fun I had while watching this show. If literally anything about cdramas interests you you will have no regrets adding this show to your watch list.

Story: The story is great. It has multiple facets that are all balanced beautifully. The romance, politics, mystery, and war elements are all given ample time to develop with nothing feeling left out. Starting off with the romance. The chemistry between the two leads is amazing and is backed by an interesting premise with strong plot points that the characters have to navigate. I loved the dual identities of the leads which added a fun element that allowed viewers to be in on a secret while characters gradually discovered things on their own. It also served to add depth to both the characters and the world they were living in which is not something that I can often follow in a historical cdrama. The backstory of the leads also made it really fun to just watch them exist together no matter the situation. I would say the only thing I was kind of disappointed in was the FL reveal. I selfishly wanted it to be a bigger deal, and it did feel like it was building up to it, but how it actually played out made sense in the context of the story so I can't knock it too much.

The politics were good. I've never personally been invested in this aspect of dramas but the court and politics in this show are solid enough with believable motives and actions which kept me invested. It was refreshing to see every character having a base IQ of at least 100 with their own goals and plans to achieve those goals. It never felt like a plan failed because the character was dumb, it always felt like they failed because they happened to go up against someone smarter than them which is not something that can be said for most dramas so mad props to the show for that. There is a fair share of over the top stuff but nothing too outrageous and easily overlooked given how good everything else about the story is. The war elements were ok. There was some CGI use in the later stages with some numbers that didn't quite add up but nothing super bad.

Spoiler: The only egregiously weird moment to me was when the daughter stabbed the FL. I sort of had question marks in my head as to what that was since the FL was pretty much her older sister/mother up until that point but that is the only moment I was really taken out of the story.

Overall the story was pretty good without trying to be overly complex. With the strong chemistry between the leads and the incredible characters the story's only job was to not be horrible and it accomplished this and more. It was pretty much the perfect vehicle to let the characters shine through and carry the show.

Characters/acting: This is a strong contender for some of my favorite leads and side characters of any show I've watched. Overall I loved the fact that every character is competent and found themselves in a given position for a reason. No rulers without a brain to be seen (the single exception being the lord that is introduced later).

Starting with the leads. The ML is perfectly cast in the role. I've seen 4 or 5 of his shows and I think this performance slightly edges out You are my glory for number 1 on my list. He does his best when playing the down to earth "straight man" while having a more comedic spontaneous partner to bounce off of and boy does he have that here. He played both sides of the character incredibly well and the aura he gives of just being the smartest person in the room fit both roles. I could write more about him but it would just be me gushing over how great he was in his own individual scenes and the chemistry he had with every other character in the show so I'll leave it there.

The FL is also perfectly cast. Similar to the ML, I've seen several of her other dramas and I've always preferred her more lighthearted roles of which this is by far her best imo. The character is the perfect balance of care free while also knowing when its time to lock in and be a responsible adult. We don't get to see as much of her imperial side but what we do see works well. However the standout is definitely her martial side which thankfully takes up the majority of her screen time. I liked her chemistry with everyone and both the leads bounce off each other perfectly giving the sense that they really are best friends that happen to be romantically interested in each other. Similar to the ML I could say much more but it would all be praise on how great she was in this role.

Its actually crazy to me how perfect the leads were in this show. They are both simultaneously good actors/actresses and play their parts well while also having the perfect partner in each other. I could literally watch them do anything together and they would find a way to make it entertaining. They were a huge reason as to why the story didn't really need to be this super innovative complex masterpiece because watching them go shopping was just as fun as watching them solve court mysteries.

The side characters were incredible as well. Starting with the rest of the 4 gentry I really liked Yu Wu Yuan as the scheming villain. I didn't think he'd be the villain until the show made it obvious which is a credit to the performance. He managed to give off the calm killer vibe where it doesn't feel like they're a bad person, their goal just happens to be something that most people would label bad. This and the fact that I got the sense that he would follow his goal through to the end made him simultaneously fun and scary to watch. It was also great that they made him an actual threat in the show so everytime he cooks up a scheme there is a reason to be scared. Huang Chao was a great 4th edition to the cast. The standard noble ambitious warrior archetype with his own flair. He was imposing and charismatic in the perfect way bouncing between the two depending on what the situation called for.

Another standout was Minister Feng. She was great in the role and I liked that she was both persistent but mature. She was a great addition to the main cast and had great chemistry with both leads. I particularly liked her friendship with the FL.

The brothers were great. Sad that the first brother kind of got shafted by the script but someone had to. He could not stop taking Ls :(. Credit to the story and actor for making this one of the few believable characters haunted by a past trauma. He was affected in a totally realistic way and did bad things because of it but nothing that didn't fit with the context we were given. I liked the third brother a lot. In any other drama he is written as a buffoon with 0 brain cells who can barely think for himself so it was incredibly refreshing to see that the story gave him some agency. He was arrogant and smart in ways that made sense it just so happened that he was out of his depth from the beginning given his opposition in the ML. It was really fun to watch the unspoken battle between the 2nd and 3rd brother where one was playing chess and one was playing checkers but at least they were both playing. Other shows would really benefit from taking notes on this. Watching a character overcome a monkey is much less satisfying than watching them overcome a competent human.

I really loved the King's performance as someone who knows what he wants and understands that not everyone is going to see it that way. I'm a sucker for a character that has goals that I don't agree with but the story/performance make me sympathize anyway. He stuck to his beliefs and did his best to keep everything together while others were trying to rock the boat. Credit to the actor for giving the character the gravitas he needed to be seen as superior to everyone else.

Other side characters were great as well but are too numerous to really go in depth but suffice it to say I loved pretty much all of them.

Music: Not a huge music person and I watch dramas in 1.5x most of the time so can't really comment.

Rewatch: If I had to rewatch a show this would be close to the top of the list. Almost everything about this show was perfect and I wouldn't mind experiencing the story of Bai/Hei Feng Xi again. - she paid me a fiver ;)

Leggi di Più

DNF but may return in the future for the FL

TLDR: This show is like broccoli and ice cream. Both are good on their own but combining them results in something that is worse than the sum of the parts.

Disclaimer: Average for me is a 5 so everything above that is pretty good to perfect and everything below that is pretty bad to horrendous. I know nothing about what goes into making a good TV show so my opinions are solely based on how much I enjoyed aspects of the show relative to previous ones I've watched.

Overall: It feels weird rating a show I didn't finish but I honestly couldn't get through any more. I dropped this show about a dozen times throughout the first 2 episodes and got whiplash so bad I almost ended up in the hospital. The tone is the sole reason I'm dropping the show. It tries to do too much with very different storylines back to back which felt super disjointed.

Story: Like I said above, if the story doubled down on one aspect or storyline, this would've easily been a solid 8 for me assuming they didn't drop the ball in some other way. But the tonal shift between the mystery and slapstick humor was so jarring I honestly felt like I missed some scenes every time the camera cut. Spoilers, but how are you going to go from a woman essentially being sexually assaulted on camera to quirky music and loony toons sound effects. K dramas tend to struggle in the tone department in my experience, with very serious situations being brushed off and lighter issues being viewed as the apocalypse. But this takes the cake for biggest disparity between what is going on in the show and the tone that is being set.

Not much else to say since I didn't get to experience most of the story but I really just couldn't get through the disjointedness of the first few episodes and my assumption is that the shifting back and forth isn't going to change.

Characters/acting: Not too much to say since I didn't get to see them grow as characters but the FL was pretty much the only reason I made it to episode 3. She is quirky, funny, and the only character where it makes sense for murder to be not that big of a deal seeing as how she is invincible. Still not a great look since it seems like she doesn't care about the people getting murdered... but they're also strangers so I'd give it a pass. I think I view her character in a more positive light because the tone of the show fits her character well. A serial killer on the loose probably doesn't mean much when you can one punch them into the shadow realm. For every other normal person though the tone really makes no sense which probably detracted from my view on their characters. Other characters didn't leave a big enough impression for me to comment either way and it wouldn't feel right handing down judgement on a fraction of a performance.

Music: Not a music person and didn't get to experience enough.

Rewatch: I might give this show another chance to see if the things get better but I wouldn't bet on it.

Leggi di Più

What happened here lol

TLDR: Didn't finish because I realized I could be watching literally anything else instead.

Story: Fine, nothing extraordinary. I haven't watched that many dramas before (15-20) so some of the tropes may not have gotten to me as much as they might someone with more shows under their belt but I was fine with most everything. Though the classic nonsensical business meetings with over the top reactions and consequences were kept alive and well. I will say some of the situations/misunderstandings that are ubiquitous in the genre can be pretty annoying in this show.

Characters: Most of the characters I thought were ok. Nothing amazing but also nothing egregiously bad either. Side characters served their purpose and most did pretty well. The highlight for me was the doctor. He was entertaining in most every scene he was in and served as some light comedic relief but still nothing spectacular. Disclaimer, I often concurrently watch dramas so the comparisons I'm inevitably making are to Love me love my voice and my neighbor is a gumiho which have incredible supporting casts so I might not be as high on some of the side characters as I might otherwise be.

I thought the FL was ok. She isn't the greatest here but she does enough to actually be the lead which is not something that can be said for the ML and boy do I have stuff to say about him. I do wonder if I'm recalling her parts more fondly because the only thing I have to compare her to in the show is probably the worst performance I've seen in some time.

I'm not sure what went wrong with the ML but he doesn't work at all. I'm not well versed in the technical side of the TV show business so couldn't really tell where the character was fumbled but either the actor was horrendously miscast or the director/writing staff gave him nothing to work with. Every time he shows up on screen the life is literally drained out of the show. He has less charisma than a garbage bag and I cannot for the life of me figure out how the final product was greenlit. He is supposed to be some highly competent CEO but he has the emotional maturity of a 1st grader that couldn't solve his way out of a paper bag. He is a rude, inconsiderate, socially inept a hole that couldn't smile even if all his dreams came true. I think the main issue for me is that multiple aspects of the show do their best to tell you that he is a likeable guy. They've got the obligatory slow mo shots with touching background music, injury/undressing scenes, coincidental touching scenes, and other girls pining after him but he does nothing to make you believe that any of that is real. I cannot name a single positive quality about him other than he has boatloads of $$$. My first litmus test for characters that are supposed to be likeable is whether I would ever willingly spend time with them and the answer for the ML is a fat no. The disparity between what the show wants the ML to be and what he actually is is so jarring that I can easily say he is the worst lead character I've ever seen put to screen in the genre and is probably up there across every medium. His character would've been fine as that supporting extra that gets 2 minutes of screen time throughout the show but watching a plank of wood pretend to be something it isn't for 40 minutes straight is kinda tough.

Maybe a bit harsh on the ML but I cannot stress enough how much the character stuck out to me. He is the sole reason I stopped watching. The show probably has lots of other problems but its hard for me to think of them because everything looks way better than it should when compared to the ML.

Music: Not a huge music person so don't have much to say. Didn't add any of the songs to my playlist but also didn't hate any of them.

Rewatch: Literally none. The ML did everything he could to stop me from finishing my first pass through so no chance I'm ever giving it a second.

Leggi di Più