THE SHORT VERDICT:
A light-as-air rom-com that rides more on atmosphere than plot. The ensemble cast has a collectively impressive resume, but don’t expect too much or you are likely to be disappointed.
This drama is likely to disintegrate under too much scrutiny, but if you’re in the mood to space out a little with something that doesn’t require much thinking, this might be your cup of tea.
I started out bemused, but ended up enjoying this more than I expected to.
THE LONG VERDICT:
Honestly, when I started this drama, it took me several attempts before I finished the first episode.
I found the characters contrived and annoying, not to mention childish for their age. The men were basically hormonal teenagers in ahjusshi’s bodies, and not in a cute way. I particularly found Kim Ha Neul’s character Seo Yi Soo bewildering.
I also found the red dress incident in episode 1 between the leads unbelievable and cringe-worthy.
[SPOILER ALERT]
I mean, seriously?
Your dress unravels so much that you lose the back half of your skirt, and you don’t feel a thing? That’s unbelievable.
And then, the writers decide that this is what happens next to mask it? Cringe, cringe. cringe.
And then “random stranger” who she’s got her butt up against buys her a tablecloth and wraps it around her like a skirt, then decorates it with a pin, then walks off with a flourish? So. Unbelievable.
I know, I know. Unbelievable is the name of the game in rom-com meet-cutes. But I guess this was just a bit too much for me. Especially when it involved Yi Soo being played dumb.
Just looking at this screencap makes me cringe.
[END SPOILER]
I think I finished episode 1 in 4 separate sittings. And then I wondered whether to just drop this drama entirely, since I wasn’t feeling the cute that it was trying so hard to serve up.
But I decided to hang in there, and by the time I reached the halfway point, I found that I was enjoying this drama a lot more than I thought I would.
Did anything change drastically since episode 1? No, not really.
I guess it was my mood that changed. Somehow, I was in the mood for light romance, without a need for anything bigger or more epic.
Yes, there was still a bunch of stuff I didn’t like, and here’s a list, just to keep track:
- I still found Seo Yi Soo annoying. I particularly didn’t like the way she spoke. It made me feel like she was trying to act cute, but instead she came off kind of dumb. That, or she had speech issues.
- I found Lee Jong Hyuk’s character Lee Jung Rok really annoying, with his OTT characterization and incorrigible cheating. And the hair. Don’t even get me started on the hair.
- I disliked Yi Soo’s housemate Hong Se Ra (Yoon Se Ah) and wondered why Yi Soo would want to stay friends with someone so unpleasant, self-centered and oblivious.
- I liked Me Ah Ri (Yoon Jin Yi) for being spunky and upfront about her Oppa crush on Choi Yoon (Kim Min Jong), but I didn’t like how she was treated, both by her brother Tae San (Kim Soo Ro) and her crush. They basically decided that it was a bad idea and treated her like a misbehaving child.
- In fact, this type of I-know-better male thinking rears its head again later in the drama, to separate our lead couple. So annoying.
I actually think there’s more, but I think I’ll stop here coz it’s getting to be such a downer, remembering all the stuff I disliked about this drama.
Basically, after I let my brain check out, I found stuff that I could like.
The tone is light and fluffy, with the leads prone to fits of imagination that give us some amusing &/or surreal fantasy sequences.
I particularly enjoyed Jang Dong Gun’s character Kim Do Jin’s fits of fantasy when he’s alone with Yi Soo. He imagines that the whole world fades away and they’re in a meadow together. So pretty.
The atmosphere of the drama is pleasant, with a nice color palette and an easy rhythm that basically hums along quite merrily. Nothing earth-shaking, just a pleasant everyday sort of a feel.
There’s a sexual undercurrent that shows up now and again, thanks to Jang Dong Gun’s ability to do smoldering stares.
I know Jang Dong Gun’s a big movie star and probably the hugest star in Korea, but I’m not as partial to movies as I am to dramas, and I started this drama never having seen him in anything before. Yep, you read that right. Impossible, I know.
So while everyone else was swooning over Jang Dong Gun, to my eyes, I thought he looked a bit like a drug addict, coz he’s kind of skinny and he’s got a slightly skinny sort of gaunt feel to his features, and his skin tone didn’t look healthy. I wondered what the fuss was about.
And then I realized. The man can act with his eyes, and his smoldering stares are impressive.
Throw in a couple of up-close-and-personal moments between our lead couple and things suddenly got a lot more palatable.
No, he didn’t have any choco abs hidden under his shirt, though I salute him for still doing shirtless scenes, given the high choco abs standard that other actors have set in recent years.
It was his confidence and the smoldering eyes that made him sexy.
He intrigued me enough that I added All About Eve to my mental list of old dramas to check out. Someday.
I’m curious to see what the world fell in love with. At the time, he would’ve been around 28, so perhaps his face didn’t have the pallor of a drug addict’s then? 😛
Another thing that I did like was the flashback scenes that opened each episode. Typically, they would feature our F44 in their earlier years. Most of the time, I found these flashbacks a hoot.
Here they are, back in their high school uniforms, in all their ahjusshi glory:
The younger cast members also brought a youthful energy to the show, which I appreciated.
So here’s a shout-out to Kim Woo Bin and Lee Jong Hyun, our resident youths with noona crushes who didn’t succeed at their one-sided loves but found friendship in each other:
Also, not forgetting the cameo by Jung Yong Hwa, who probably had CNBlue fangirls squealing at his appearance:
When I finished A Gentleman’s Dignity, I realized that it’s one of those shows that doesn’t have a huge amount of plot, but it has a pleasant enough atmosphere that I’m not discounting the (very faint) possibility of revisiting it sometime in the future.
The likelihood is low, but I’m not dismissing it entirely. And that’s saying a lot, considering how I felt about the show when I first started.
THE FINAL VERDICT:
Worth checking out if your brain needs a vacation, &/or you’re a Jang Dong Gun fan.
FINAL GRADE: B-
TEASER:
WHERE TO WATCH:
You can check out this show on Viki here. It’s also available on Kocowa here.
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Hello. Guess I’ve missed the party, huh? The thing is I only seriously started to watch dramas on the internet since my TV went kaput. Haven’t got myself a new TV, so where else can I look for some entertainment, right? I’ve watched two dozens or so dramas since the beginning of the year, one of them being A Gentleman’s Dignity which I finished watching last month.
As luck would have it, I came across your well written review. Must say you’re a fantastic writer and I really enjoyed reading your review. Wish I could write a good review like you. Hope it’s not too late for me to add my two cents’ worth in your blog.
I have to say I didn’t like AGD at first, largely on account of the male lead. I thought he’s rude, acerbic and a jerk – not behaving like a dignified gentleman at all. The unraveling of the lady’s knitted dress is no laughing matter to me. Nevertheless, I persisted till the last episode and I can say the drama is fun and entertaining to watch. Even Do Jin begins to grow on me especially when he accepts his paternal responsibility and allows his son to stay with him.
I like the camaraderie among the guys. They’re like the “4” Musketeers – where they subscribe to the concept of “all for one, and one for all.” It’s fun to watch when the four of them get together, which is quite often, that’s when they drop their gentlemen’s dignity and indulge in high school hijinks. They may be successful professionals, but they are just guys who want to have fun and know how to have fun.
I can tolerate Yi Soo’s character, it’s Me Ari that I find tiring especially when she tries too hard to win Yun over. I can understand if she’s in her teen, but she’s 24. How can a calm and collected man like Yun tolerate her at times childish antics?
Overall, the drama isn’t taxing emotionally or mentally. I like the fact that there’s no second male lead syndrome, which I find frustrating in some K-dramas. Well, thank you for allowing me to say my two cents’ worth.
Would you believe, this is the first drama I finished this 2016? Haven’t seen any for two months and I thought this would be good after the long break… I thought it was so long that I found the Korean language totally bizarre… hahaha. Anyways, I did find the first episodes cringe-worthy….and quite absurd. What’s with a bunch of teenagers in adults’ bodies? But somehow I came to enjoy the show, especially the scenes where boys will always be boys. How I laughed whenever the scene involves sexy ladies and all four of them would act up. They reminded me of my guy friends back in college and how they were exactly that.
Wow, you must certainly be busy, kaiaraia! To think that this is the first drama you’ve completed in 2016! And I get what you mean.. When you haven’t listened to a particular language for a while, it can sound very foreign to your ears. That was a sign, that you need to watch more kdrama, lol! 😉
I completely agree that the initial episodes were especially cringe-worthy and absurd. I found the female lead way too cutesy, and the men way too teenager-ey. It’s funny that this show is titled “A Gentleman’s Dignity” when they seem anything BUT dignified, the way they behave so much of the time. 😛 But like you, I found a way to enjoy the show later in my watch.. Just letting go of my need for logic helped a lot. Sometimes, a bit of mindless fluff is what we need, after all. 😉
So right! Writers and producers must have understood that once in a while mindless fluff works best for some people. Like been thinking technically all day long and sometimes you just want thoughts to float away and this did that for me. I just hated how each of them said they are the father which makes the first love of their lives a naughty girl. Funny also how I know I have most of the actors in older dramas but can’t recall.
Busy indeed. My last live drama was Yong Pal. And then during the holiday break and term break, I was able to watch I Need Romance 1, 2, and 3. I did see Six Flying Dragons but up to the 3rd episode only. Hope to get back on that. And I’ve already got a copy of the pilot episodes of Descendants of the Sun. Hope to get back on track with that. *Fingers crossed*
Yes, there’s definitely a place for mindless fluff in our drama journeys! I mean, I just lapped up Bromance (review here), which is total mindless fluff, but so cracky. I’m still not over it, the OTP is so good together, and the male lead so broody swoony. <3
I'm a little stalled on Six Flying Dragons, about 27 eps in.. I think Nirvana in Fire spoiled me, to be honest. NIF is sort of like SFD in some ways, but it's so elegant and well-written and such a masterpiece, that SFD pales in comparison in my eyes, unfortunately. 😛 I'm still trying to get back into SFD, but haven't been in the mood lately. I'm also planning to check out Descendants of the Sun, more out of curiosity than actual interest in the show. I mean, after so much hype, I feel like I gotta at least take a peek, even if I might not end up finishing it. ^^
I’m daunted by the volume of SFX. This is the first I’m hearing of Nirvana in Fire. I’ll check that out sometime. Is it current? Just finished watching episode 1 of Descendants of the Sun. Omo… the chemistry… way way up the charts. I’m squeeing and giggling throughout. I don’t know… I missed these Songs so much. 🙂
I mean SFD not SFX.
Nirvana in Fire is fabulous, like seriously, FABULOUS. It’s a Chinese drama, so it’d take some getting used to, if you’re mostly used to watching Korean, but it’s Seriously. SO. GOOD. You can check out my spoiler-lite review here, to see if it’s something you feel in the mood for. 🙂
As for SFD.. well, I honestly think I would like it a lot better if I hadn’t been spoiled silly by NIF. NIF is so much more elegant and beautiful and well-written. I know it’s a little unfair to compare (that rhymes!), but I couldn’t help it because they are a little similar in terms of story, ie, a strategist putting someone on the throne. And it’s also a longer show, at 54 episodes. I find it quite hard to get into SFD now, after watching NIF. 😛 So, if you could only watch one, I’d totally recommend NIF over SFD, hands-down.
I haven’t checked out DotS yet, but I’m planning to. Too much hype to ignore, even though I’m not terribly interested in the story premise. Great to know that you’re enjoying it! 🙂
NIF sounds interesting. I used to watch a lot of Taiwanese dramas and Chinese movies so they’re really not alien to me. My first drama marathon was Meteor Garden. And I really enjoy Kung fu movies and dramas. Are there lots of action in NIF?
Enjoying DotS ’cause of Joong Ki. I did not know how much I missed him until he showed up on my screen again… and in all his glory! Love how his character who is such a teaser and a little naughty too. Traits you don’t see often in a leader. I like as well the bromance between his character and Jin Goo’s. The cinematograpy is beautiful as well. But I take what I said about the chemistry. I guess I was just so excited. Hehehe
Yes, there’s a fair bit of action in NIF in the form of martial arts as well as battle scenes. BUT, there is also a fair bit of dialogue, which I found very well-written. I can’t recommend NIF enough, seriously! 🙂
Lol. I can see why you’d take back your initial assessment of the chemistry! I am LOVING Song Joong Ki and Jin Goo in DotS, but even just one episode in, I’m struggling to connect with Song Hye Kyo’s character. I mean, she’s beautiful for sure.. But there’s no depth to her delivery. Worse, I find there’s something vacuous about her gaze, which bothers me. But, the boys are definitely more than enough to make up for it, so fingers crossed that I keep on enjoying this one! 🙂
Vacuous….right, right! Especially noticeable opposite Joong Ki’s solid delivery… and those intent gazes…melt melt melt.
THANK YOU, for confirming that you see the vacuous quality in her gaze! I find it odd, and quite distracting. But, Song Joong Ki’s making up for it all, so far! <3
I dropped this drama , I just can’t stand the female lead’s acting , it’s so over the top and not suitable for her age , she’s too old to be acting like a school girl. hahaha
Haha! Given that so many people liked Kim Ha Neul in this, I’m just quite pleased to find that I’m not alone in finding her take on the character quite cringe-worthy 😛 I found her baby talk especially hard to take, and found it extremely age-inappropriate. Now I know I’m definitely not alone! 😉
Cringe – worthy is the right word !!! You’re really great in expressing yourself. Saranghae <3
Nancy Chua
Aw, thank you Nancy! Saranghae <3 <3 😀
pretty sure the red dress unraveling is an homage to this movie:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Jm9EUvwFj4
Oh, interesting! Thanks for sharing that, cerys! You’re probably right. I still cringe at the scene, but knowing that it’s homage to a classic movie does help to make it more palatable ^^
A Gentleman’s Dignity.
8/10.
Overall view. A likeable drama about some pretty unlikable people.
I read your review of this KFG, and looks we disagree on much of it.
But there are some things we agree on
“I found Lee Jong Hyuk’s character Lee Jung Rok really annoying, with his OTT characterization and incorrigible cheating. And the hair. Don’t even get me started on the hair.”
I know this guy can act. But for me, he was miscast in this role. He tries too hard to be cute, i guess, and it doesn’t work for him I agree with you on the hair, and it is kind of odd that nobody in the drama challenged him on it. But you could also say that it’s about a character, who even more than the others doesn;t want to admit that he is no longer a young man.
Still there should have been a scene where someone shouted him about that haircut..
But he was in the best scene in the movie ie the dance scene with the actress playing his wife. Well, that scene and the dance scene at the end were the best of me.
“I disliked Yi Soo’s housemate Hong Se Ra (Yoon Se Ah) and wondered why Yi Soo would want to stay friends with someone so unpleasant, self-centered and oblivious.”
No. for me, she was the character I liked the best. I guess I just liked her honesty, and overall her acting.
“I still found Seo Yi Soo annoying. I particularly didn’t like the way she spoke. It made me feel like she was trying to act cute, but instead she came off kind of dumb. That, or she had speech issues”
Hmm. I do think she tried to force the “cute” facial expressions at times. Acting wise, she was okay, probably better in the school scenes. But I had nothing against her overall. It was also nice to see somebody in a lead role with a bit of weight on them.
“I liked Me Ah Ri (Yoon Jin Yi) for being spunky and upfront about her Oppa crush on Choi Yoon (Kim Min Jong), but I didn’t like how she was treated, both by her brother Tae San (Kim Soo Ro) and her crush. They basically decided that it was a bad idea and treated her like a misbehaving child.
Okay. This is the one, we will have the biggest disagreement on. For the majority of the time. i found her pretty annoying. You say that she gets treated like a child. But for me, that’s how she comes across. Well. maybe “a child” is too harsh, but certainly not as someone of 24 would behave. I’ll put it like this, the younger males to my mind were more mature than her.
I found her acting pretty forced at times, especially her crying scenes. But there were some brief moments when she wasn’t trying to hard, and some honesty in her acting came through. This would have been in the later stages of the drama. Her best scene for me i(SPOILER ALERT} is when she tells her brother that she is ready to go back to the states.
“I found the characters contrived and annoying, not to mention childish for their age. The men were basically hormonal teenagers in ahjusshi’s bodies”
But isn’t that one of the points of the drama ie that the show is about guys who even though they know they aging, are trying to hang on to their youth.
On the red dress incident. I see someone else has already mentioned Bringing up Baby, which I was going to. I guess it was one those “Ah yes” scenes for me, as I recognised it;s inspiration.
On the two male youth. I wasn’t impressed bu the taller guy’s performance. But I thought the one playing the son had some acting chops.
On the lead actor. Yes, he was very good. His performance was very natural, and very charismatic. But the scenes at the end where he has his hair cut differently, it makes him look about ten years older.
So I said I found some of the characters unlikable.
Well of course I’m not going to like a character who goes around cheating on his wife.
What i found cringe inducing was Jang Dong Gun’s attempts in the early part of the show to get Yi Soo’ to go to bed with him.
When Tae san finds out that Yi Soo had the hots for him, he asks Jang Dong Gun’ why he didn’t tell him, and says he would have dated her and his current crush. Really, and I hope one of them would have kicked you in the ….. But the actor overall was good, except for one scene near the end. It’s where he finds out that his girlfriend is pregnant. I dunno, i just found his facial expresions a bit contrived.
So, I guess that leaves Yoon as the only really decent guy. He tries to do the right thing. even if if it’s really the wrong thing. Another good performance. Although I wouldn’t be surprised. that the actor often plays these sensitive types.
Overall, the drama except for the two dance scenes I mentioned, didn’t have too many memorable sequences. At the same it wasn’t the usual poor girl, rich guy drama. Okay, he was probably earning a lot more than her. But it wasn;t to the forefront of the drama.
I found the music rather meh.Well, okay, maybe I had a slight liking for the one that is played during the couple’s breakup . It was a female singer. But I certainlly don’t like it enough to go hunting for it on youtube.
The other two major performances by the acressess playing Lee Jung Rok ‘s wife, and Jang Dong Gun’s first love were good.
hi Kfangurl…..
very nice review about AGD, you definetely right about the skin tone of Jang Dong Gun in this drama is not healhty..I also notice it, I dunno what wrong,but I read in one article that Jang Dong Gun said, he was not in his best condition. But since I felt in love with him in AAE, he always good looking for me.
I agree with you, Seo Yi Soo is annoying, trying to act cute but look foolish.
ah..i totaly agree with you for others casts…
You will not believe me, if I said I only watch 3 k-drama, autumn in my heart, all about eve and a gentlemen dignity..but rewatching AAE for many times :)) now I rewacthing AGD too…
anyway thank you for your review, movie clip , love to read over and over again….
Aw, thanks yullyagustine! I’m so glad you enjoyed the review, and also, so glad to know that we agree on so many points about AGD! I had no idea that JDG was having issues with his “condition” while filming, but whatever it was, it definitely showed on his face. The man did not look healthy at all, and that was one of the things that made it hard to see him as a dashing romantic lead. But, his smoldery gaze did help to mitigate that quite a bit! 😉
And THANK YOU. Yi Soo is annoying, and I couldn’t for the life of me understand why more people didn’t see that. I found her aegyo completely cringeworthy, and her character coming across like that was one of the things that made AGD quite hard-going for me. It’s definitely a leave-your-brain-at-the-door kind of show! XD
Wow, if you’ve only seen 3 kdramas, it means there are so many other awesome dramas that you’ve yet to check out! Do you have interest to watch more than these 3? If you do, let me know the kind of drama that you’re looking for, and I’d be happy to send a few recommendations your way! 🙂
Indeed Ms. Seo is sooo annoying! Her voice tone and the way she spoke cannot makes me in love with her. Such a waste, since Jang Dong Gun (Kim Do Jin) really delivered an excellent acting
Ugh, I know! Ms. Seo’s aegyo was one of the major downers for me in this show.. So many people loved this show, though, that I’m pretty sure we’re in the minority 😛 I liked Jang Dong Gun’s smoldery stares, but I must say that I enjoyed him wayyy more in All About Eve. So, so charming in that! ^^
Nice blog you have here @kfangurl!
For me AGD is very refreshing and a feel good romcom for adults, though a lot of teeners did watch it, too. With Jang Dong Gun’s charisma, I wasn’t surprised at all to see teeners falling for him the way I did more than a decade ago.
Personally, I like his Kim Do Jin character (being a true blue JDG fanatic, I like him whatever role he plays) being so playful, immature, jealous, arrogant and full of self esteem.
Guess there are some people in real life who are like DoJin. Maybe it’s because JDG is DoJin. IDK if I will still find him adorable if it was another actor who portrayed his character.
Maybe it’s really the JDG fandom in me that got me hooked in this drama. Whether you like JDG or not, I’m sure you found something good in AGD. After all, it tickled us in one way or another and gave us some good laughs! And why not? I will rewatch it if I have the time to. 🙂
To each his own. I know there’s diversity in opinion and personal taste in beauty, but I still respect your thoughts on the drama and how you see Jang Dong Gun!
Keep rocking this blog! Count me in as your frequent visitor ’round here! 😉
Thanks amrijang!!! 😀 It’s so cool that JDG connected us and now we can chat here or on Twitter! ^^
I do believe that context is everything. So having an existing affection for an actor can go a looonng way in making a show more palatable. And now that AAE has given me a good amount of JDG affection and goodwill, I do wonder if I would like AGD any better now! Having said that, though, I really did find Kim Ha Neul’s turn as JDG’s leading lady highly annoying. I couldn’t take her exaggerated aegyo and instead of finding her/it charming, I found her/it exasperating to watch. So I don’t know if I would actually last a whole rewatch of AGD..! 😛
love it
YAY! Thanks! 😀
You are very right about watching this drama if your brain needs a vacation. personally i watched it every night before i sleep to reward myself for studying for the exams. To me this drama is just nice: not too addictive, not too boring. So despite the fact that i am a huge drama addict, i manage to contain the emotions. But it is light-hearted, topped up with a number of humorous and witty scenes which amuse you.
I like the prolouges more than the actual drama though, I find them more concise and I like how in those few minutes, the deep friendship between the F44 can be conveyed. Every prolouge portrays something different, and i never get bored from them! I especially like the one where Yoon’s wife pass away. Not much lines needed, but simply….. touching. It really cringes my heart.
Although I have always preferred comedic scenes, this touching prologue wins hands down.
I personally like Yoon and Me Ahri’s love story more than the other 3. If only more emphasis can be given to their love story, i would have enjoyed it alot more. I admit i got so impatient that i skipped other characters’ parts to watch Me Ahri and Yoon’s scenes.
The OSTs for this drama is not as impressive as that of Secret Garden though. The pace is not concise enough too, I almost lost interest halfway through. But this drama makes me reflect alot more than SG about the urban issues and problems we face which are very prominent in our urban lifes, which made up for the loopholes.
I rate this drama 7/10! Worth watching!
Hi there, happygirl95! Welcome to the blog! ^^
I have to agree with pretty much everything that you said about this show! Yes, I can see how this would be perfect for a nightcap after a day of tiring exam prep – light enough and fun enough to be relaxing, simple enough for almost mindless viewing, yet not so addictive that you’d have to fight yourself when it’s time to sleep ^^
I enjoyed the prologues more than that drama itself too! The F44 were hilarious & you’re right, they conveyed so much depth in such a short time, in painting the nuances of their friendship.
I really liked Me Ah Ri’s arc too, except for the part where her Oppa and her oppa crush both treated her like a little girl. But! Loved that she was spunky and fought back! Girl power for the win, to not only go all out for what you believe in, but also knock some sense into your oppas in the process! Yeah! 😀
This drama is an epitome (for me) of a context comes first and I-don’t-care-about-anything-else-this-is-my-story. Haha.
Well, it’s not really a bad one. It’s good in fact. But Yi Soo is just not the type of character I can love. But darn! You gave me a 짝사랑 story + hot and good looking 40-year-olds-but-acting-like-8 ahjussis and I’m sold!
I agree, this is just one feel-good drama. Not much thinking required.
I made some friends watch this and they also can’t get past the first few episodes. Good thing I can so relate in the one-sided love thing of Yi Soo that I smoothly made it through all the annoying stuff of the first episodes. Yup, that’s my context. I just came back from Korea when I watched it. Nursing my one-sided love to an ahjussi, I decided to watch something light. But instead of feeling better, I was hit bullseye!
Yeah, major annoyance – Yi Soo. Something is just so wrong. And she’s a teacher! Trying to act cute, but won’t/can’t go all the way (like City Hall’s Mi Rae). So she looks kinda dumb. She acts like a highschooler yet trying to act serious and mature teacher/girlfriend. So many things in between that I can’t just grasp it.
The ahjussis – I love them! Reason: I know 5 ahjussis like them (and yes, one of them is my one-sided love). Believe it or not they exist (in Korea at least!). How the 4 behaved on most situations (especially on the opening scenes) is how exactly my 5 ahjussis behave! Yes, down to SNSD fanboying!
Speaking of the opening scenes, I also love each one of them. For me it’s the strongest point/scenes of the drama.
But I like the chemistry – of the 4 boys! And I love Tae San. Everyone loves Tae San. I heard from Korean friends (I was in Korea when this was shown) that most people prefers Tae San over Do Jin. But Do Jin is Jang Dong Gun. End of story.
The romance is there between the two leads, so it made me forget my annoyance to Yi Soo. I’m a fan of the writer. She have some misses, plot-wise most of the time. But she never fails to make my heart flutter when it comes to how she gives romantic moments to characters. Hands down!
Maybe until I get over my 짝사랑 I can re-watch this drama once in a while. 🙂
Aw.. Context is everything. I can understand why this show meant so much more to you, coz you were nursing a 짝사랑 while watching a show about 짝사랑. I was nursing a broken heart when I first watched Goong, so all the scenes where the hero was being mean to the heroine etc actually made me cry. My sister who watched with me had no urge to cry whatsoever, so really, I believe that context counts for a whole lot.
And yes, I found Yi Soo really annoying!! Glad to know I’m not the only one, ie, I wasn’t being prejudiced against Kim Ha Neul or anything! 😛
Same goes for my first drama Kim Sam Soon! I know a lot of people liked and loved it but not everyone cried as much as I did. Or at least not on the parts where I cried.
I heard from my friends too that they are also annoyed of Yi Soo. But they were more prejudiced than us (saying they don’t really like Ha Neul). I like her. I find her good in On Air and on her old movies. Even new ones actually. There’s just something wrong with Yi Soo. Or Ha Neul and Yi Soo are just not compatible. Or maybe Ha Neul is also confused with Yi Soo the way I/we were. ㅋㅋㅋ
I guess I should give your Goong a chance. Reading your reviews, looks like we have similar tastes in dramas. 🙂
Hm. Perhaps it was poor casting? I’m not sure. But I do believe that casting the right person for the role can make a huge difference. Like, I can’t imagine anyone but Hyun Bin playing the lead in Secret Garden, he was so perfect. Yet, the role had actually gone to Jang Hyuk first, who eventually turned it down for another role. Now when I try to imagine Jang Hyuk in the role, I just can’t. Lol!
Do give Goong a chance! I found it very cute and then it became very sweet, and I liked the tone and feel of the show. Some stretches felt slow coz of the palace politics, but it was still worth the watch. It was my first kdrama ever, and I’ve watched it about 6 times now! 😛
Have you ever considered the idea that Yi Soo being a high school teacher makes the character naive and young. She
works in a closed environment with other teachers and she does not have the opportunity to meet interesting men. I found her character, of course, naive, shy and inexperienced. She was not used to discussing her life with anyone–just herself and that made her kind of silly. I enjoyed her and laughed with her and at her. This tv series was fun and should be watched in the spirit of fun and friendship. I am not Korean, but I am a Canadian from Montreal, who spent time enjoying the series. Nothing is perfect in life, but let’s be positive and not spoil the efforts of the people involved in the production.
I’m glad this show worked for you, Halina.. It just didn’t work for me the same way it worked for you, and that’s ok. I’m not trying to be negative and spoil others’ efforts or enjoyment of the show. This is a reviews-driven site, and I’m just sharing my own experiences. Everyone is different. 🙂
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Thanks for the kind comments! Welcome to the blog 🙂