Flash Review: Noble, My Love

A lot of the time, I look for the full package when I’m choosing a drama to watch.

Basically, a show that boasts an interesting story, is delivered by strong actors, and features an OTP that’s believable and shares great chemistry. If I get lovely music and gorgeous cinematography on top of that, all the better.

This.. is not one of those times.

After a physically and mentally exhausting several weeks, all I wanted – or could handle, really – was drama comfort snack food. Y’know, something light, easy, packaged in small bite-size servings, and that hits the right notes without requiring my brain to actually do any work.

Happily, Noble, My Love fit the bill nicely.

MANAGING EXPECTATIONS

For the record, this show is far from perfect. There are definitely flaws to be found, even if you choose not to look for them. In the interest of managing expectations, here’s a quick list.

1. Acting isn’t the best

Leads Sung Hoon and Kim Jae Kyung aren’t the most experienced or nuanced actors, and it does show.

Sung Hoon’s delivery of Kang Hoon lands on the more stiff and wooden end of the scale, while Kim Jae Kyung adopts a much more dramatic style in her delivery of Yoon Seo.

It still sort of works because he’s supposed to be a stiff-upper-lip type chaebol prince, while she’s supposed to be a free-spirited Candy.

Still, it would’ve been so much cooler if he’d managed to show more nuance, and if she’d been able to show more, well, subtlety and restraint.

On the upside, they both do solid enough jobs of making their characters engaging. In spite of their various limitations in delivery, they managed to make me care, and that counts for a lot.

2. Show is trope-filled and predictable

Show is quite literally Trope City, and if you’ve been watching drama for a while, you’d probably be able to predict each one before it actually unfolds on your screen.

Coincidental meeting of the OTP, an Event to get them in the same space, bickering, piggyback rides, leap-hugs (above), falling kisses, wrist-grabs.. Show’s got ’em all, and then some.

Importantly, Show executes the tropes pretty well, and makes them narratively cohesive, even at their cheesiest.

I was quite amused by just how tropey everything was. You could probably up the fun of this show by watching it with a friend and playing a game of Spot The Trope.

3. Cold Chaebol Jerk Alert

I know a cold chaebol jerk male lead is built into the story, and pretty much also into dramaland’s collective consciousness, but this was a bit of a problem for me, at points.

I think it’s mostly a product of where I am, in my drama journey.

When I first watched Secret Garden years ago, I was very much taken with Hyun Bin’s cold chaebol jerk character, who often manhandled his love interest Ha Ji Won in the name of romance. I didn’t care then, that he was pretty much bullying her.

Now, though, watching the same scenes makes me uncomfortable.

Same thing here. There are times when Kang Hoon bullies/manhandles Yoon Seo, and it’s supposed to be romantic, but it just makes me cringe instead.

[SPOILER ALERT] 

Like in episode 5, when Kang Hoon bullies Yoon Seo over her “reward” for saving him. Him bullying her is just not cool.

And then there’s how she stomps on his foot, then beats his chest (cringe), and then how he grabs her wrists to make her calm down, and then later laughs about the whole thing.

Cringe, cringe, cringe. I was never more thankful for this show’s short episodes than I was at this point.

[END SPOILER]

PLUS POINTS

Considering that almost everyone I know marathoned this show in big, heaping gulps, there’s gotta be some pretty significant upsides to this show, right?

(If you’re curious, I finished this one in 3 separate sittings, over 3 days. I would’ve finished it faster, if I’d had more drama time to spend.)

1. Pretty Leads

Both Sung Hoon and Kim Jae Kyung bring large servings of Pretty to the screen.

Kim Jae Kyung’s very pretty, and reminds me of Kim Ji Won, a little bit, especially with her big eyes, full lips and those bangs.

And Sung Hoon is chiseled, buff and handsome, while reminding me strongly of a younger Lee Byung Hun.

It also totally doesn’t hurt that Sung Hoon spends about 90% of his screen time either in sharp suits, shirtless, or going from shirtless to a sharp suit. 😉

Not bad at all, dontcha think?

I haven’t fallen under Sung Hoon’s spell like some of my dramaland friends have, but let’s just say that I definitely see the appeal. 😉

2. Strong Chemistry

In spite of limitations in their delivery, Sung Hoon and Kim Jae Kyung share a sparky onscreen chemistry that translates very well.

Whether they’re getting in each other’s faces while bickering, or getting in each other’s faces with romantic intent, the tension between them is sparky and engaging.

Special shout-out to Sung Hoon, for doing a solid job of bringing the sexy laden-with-intent sort of gaze when needed, coz that definitely upped the squee-factor in this show.

I especially love the comfortable, cozy vibe of this last screenshot. They totally look like a real couple here, to the extent that I feel like I’m spying on them. Which is a big accomplishment for any OTP, I’d say.

3. Short, well-handled episodes

One of Show’s big pluses, for me, is how it handles its episodes and its sense of time.

With other web dramas (like Her Lovely Heels, or Love Cells, for instance), I often don’t feel like the sense of time is well-handled or believable.

The episodes are so short that it can feel like we’re just hitting story and OTP milestones for the sake of it, and not because the milestones are well-earned.

In Noble, My Love I really felt that time was passing in a believable manner, and that the OTP milestones were reasonably organic to the story.

[SPOILER ALERT]

Like, I can believe how Kang Hoon might fall for Yoon Seo, since she saved his life, and was there for him when he needed someone.

That made his romantically-driven actions towards Yoon Seo afterwards so much more believable, for me.

[END SPOILER]

Additionally, I like how the writers give us enough OTP goings-on in each little mini-episode, without it getting to be too much. We do also get to see Yoon Seo spend time at work, and with her friends, and Kang Hoon at his workplace, doing chaebol CEO things.

That helped to flesh out the drama world beyond us seeing the OTP spend time together, and I liked that.

Plus, a bonus of seeing Yoon Seo at work, is the cute cats and dogs. Eee!

On a random tangent, I really liked the random “yowr” sounds that Yoon Seo’s cat contributes to the show. So cute, plus, it adds to the manhwa flavor of the show.

4. There’s someone to “hate”

Despite many of the story milestones being predictable and quite contrived, they still worked, and I give a fairly big chunk of credit to the fact that Yoon Seo had a bitchy friend or two in her life, who looked down on her and enjoyed lording it over her.

Mostly, I just wanted the bitchy friends to be put in their place, and it didn’t really matter how Show did it, as long as it got done. The satisfaction of seeing the shocked faces of said bitchy friends made up for everything, basically.

5. Funny Secretary Kang

Park Shin Woon brings quite a few unexpected laughs as Kang Hoon’s secretary.

He’s an odd, funny mix of snide sarcasm, knowing tease and adoring mother hen in one, especially when interacting with Kang Hoon, and it’s a total hoot.

I found his brand of funny a little weird at first, like when he popped up in the backseat of Kang Hoon’s car like a jack-in-the-box, but I soon started to look forward to his scenes, coz he’s, quite simply, hilarious. Definitely a plus, for this show.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

All in all, Noble, My Love isn’t a very inventive nor remarkable show, and that’s ok, because it never sets out to be remarkable anyway.

In spite of its shortcomings, I found Show to be sufficiently entertaining that I didn’t mind clicking on the next episode, and then the next, and the next (those short 15-minute episodes are so handy, that way!).

Sure, I totally knew that Kang Hoon and Yoon Seo would get their happy ending, and I could even pretty much guess how they’d get there, but there’s just something easy and comforting about watching them get there anyway. Plus, there was lots of cute to sweeten the journey.

And that’s all we need, sometimes, from our comfort drama snack food. Right? 🙂

THE FINAL VERDICT:

Warm, feel-good, fluffy (and mostly mindless) fun.

FINAL GRADE: B

TEASER:

WHERE TO WATCH:

You can check out this show on Viki here.

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Frances Roxas
5 years ago

I love your review! I was having mixed feelings whether or not to watch Noble, My Love since I’ve just recently re-watched My Secret Romance (and loved it!) but your review reassured me that I will not be disappointed. I’m all for the fluffy, warm and funny romantic K-drama!

kfangurl
5 years ago
Reply to  Frances Roxas

This one was fluffy, alright! I hope you ended up enjoying it as much as I did, Frances! <3

Blenny
Blenny
5 years ago

Fangirl, I’ve been checking out more of your reviews, as I have a bit more time than usual as I am at home and sick. So I gave this one a look-see. You know that I very much value your opinions.

But, I really can’t figure how you got through this one; I had to fast forward through a lot. Such pretty, pretty people (particularly Sung Hoon. Yowzee! Can such perfection exist?) but I believe he should just stick to being pretty because the acting…no. I haven’t been watching kdramas all that long, but there are SO MANY excellent actors in the kdrama universe, and some of them are also quite pretty. So this seemed like a waste,

He was unable to adequately communicate to the audience his vulnerability, his passion, and his alteration from cold jerk to loving hero. I didn’t quite believe him as a CEO, either. He seemed to just shuffle papers around and attend meetings. I don’t get why he was so jealous all the time, do you? Perhaps the writer uses nonsensical jealousy to convey passion? Unfortunately, Sung Hoon doesn’t have the acting skills to make it believable.

As for the lead actress, would you take your beloved family pet to her? Why does she whine and wail so much? The smallest thing would set her off…was that in the script? Director’s idea? So over-the-top and so annoying.

Also, how did she get a job as actress? Whenever she was on the screen, I could almost hear the director shouting directions…”Okay, now look frustrated. Look to your right..now left…okay run when you see him…and STOP.”

I do think there is blame for the director, too, btw. Why does he let his actors spend so much time before responding? Is that supposed to increase tension? Why repeat scenes over and over again? Why do they spend so much time sighing? For the love of God, DO something!

I think I was most disappointed in the writing, however. I really love how Korean writers are so much more valued than here in the states. I don’t mean how they are paid, but how they are admired and followed and known to the viewing public. But this script was just awful. I blame the writer for a lot of this mess.

So, yeah, I didn’t find much to like in this show. And, for the life of me, I can’t figure out how THIS is one you didn’t drop. It is a puzzlement! 🙂

But I do enjoy reading your reviews so much! Please keep at it, Fangirl, and thank you for allowing me to unload.

kfangurl
5 years ago
Reply to  Blenny

Heh, I’m sorry you didn’t like this one, Blenny. This one is FAR from perfect, so I watched this with a very particular lens. Basically, I switched off my brain and enjoyed this one as a mindless bit of (tropey) fun. I thought the OTP chemistry was decent for a mini web series of this ilk, and that helped to sweeten the deal a fair bit. I think Noble is quite polarizing, in that most viewers either love it or hate it. I guess the silver lining is that this one was short, so it didn’t waste TOO much of your time? 😛

Blenny
Blenny
5 years ago
Reply to  kfangurl

I’ve nearly forgotten it already, Fangirl, except for flashes of a very pretty guy in very sharp suits. Even better without the suits. You have to give him props…the work he must expend into developing and maintaining a body like that…wow.

I couldn’t console myself with the chemistry…sorry, I just didn’t feel it like you did. He seemed to be trying, but she was so whiny and totally not endearing that I just couldn’t get there.

kfangurl
5 years ago
Reply to  Blenny

Haha! It’s ok.. I don’t remember the details of this one either myself! 😂 It was fun for the little while that I was watching, but didn’t linger with me afterwards. I do remember that Sung Hoon was in excellent shape for this though, ha.

lyricalp
lyricalp
6 years ago

I recently finished this in a day 🙂 it was well done for what it was, loved reading and nodding in agreement at your spot on recap. I’ve been debating on watching Sung Hoon in My Secret Romance, but will wait until it is at least mostly done airing to check it out and see if it is worth the watch. The chemistry in NML was enough to keep watching, even though it was contrived to the point of ridiculousness, incorporating every possible trope and then leaving viewers with stiff lip presses only. I’m on a WFKBJ BTS clip kick, enjoying the OTP reel to real life chemistry, so I’m thinking what to try next. Watched a tidbit of Jealousy Incarnate earlier. Not sure about it, I like Gong Hyo Jin enough to probably make it through anything.

GiFTest1985
6 years ago

Hi kfangurl … Thank you as usual for your awesome review.

After I start watching Cantabile Tomorrow on Netflix, I am officially bombarded by its recommendations of K-drama. ha~ ha~ (My boyfriend is now so glad that we have been using our separate profiles on the account. LOL )

Nobel, My love is also in my recommendation pool, and I was so surprised that it’s only 15 mins per ep. That sounded just perfect for my quick break, so I again checked your final verdict and final grade before starting the show. I quickly scrolled through the photos of a topless guy. (Love the abs .. but you know … I was in the office back then. Ha ha) I was so ready for something easy, so I decided to just go with it.

I have no specific expectation for the show, other than wishing it to go easy on me since I am not ready for any (severely) trembled-heart conflict. And it does provide me with chuckles here and there .. so I am very happy with the show so far.

Oh … bottom line … I knew the abs will pop up, but I wasn’t expecting it at the very beginning of the show. Even though I felt it wasn’t necessary and rather irrelevant to the storyline … I found myself “Jaw dropped” !! LOL

Thanks again for the review.

Star Trek dude
Star Trek dude
6 years ago

I don’t watch drama’s but stumbled into this on Netflix because the actress was so pretty and reminded me a little of Meg Ryan in Sleepless in Seatle. Also first time I was exposed to web dramas. I’m actually surprised I liked all the fluffy silliness. As for the actor guy, I kept ogling his watches…hmm
Question? Why are the kisses so stiff, I think it really spoiled the good chemistry between the leads? Is this due to Korean censorship rules?

kfangurl
6 years ago
Reply to  Star Trek dude

Lol. The kisses in kdramas do tend to fall on the stiff side of things. It’s a mix of Korean broadcasting guidelines, as well as a general caution among actresses to preserve their pure image. Things can be very different on the cable networks, as well as in the Korean movie scene. Hope that helps to clarify! And, glad that you enjoyed this little web drama despite being new to it all! 🙂

felicity
7 years ago

I wonder if there is going to be a season 2. I would love to see them as a married couple and possibly have a child.

kfangurl
7 years ago
Reply to  felicity

That would be fun to watch, but I’m sorry to say, it’s highly unlikely for a season 2 to happen. Most kdramas don’t get second seasons and the ones who do, are the usually the ratings juggernauts – which this one wasn’t. No harm crossing our fingers though! 😉

felicity
7 years ago
Reply to  kfangurl

Yeah your right…. hopefully they will do another together like they did with the pairing from kill me, love me and she was pretty.

kfangurl
7 years ago
Reply to  felicity

That would be fun! Fingers crossed that it’ll happen 😉

Holly Davis
Holly Davis
7 years ago

I really enjoyed the first season and episodes. Will there be a second season?

kfangurl
7 years ago
Reply to  Holly Davis

Hi there Holly! Welcome to the blog! 🙂 Glad you enjoyed this one, it’s such a cute ball of fluff. Unfortunately, it’s not typical for Korean dramas to get sequels, and this one wasn’t even a full-fledged drama but a mini-sized web drama. On the upside, there are lots of other cute balls of fluff that you can check out. Have you watched Splash Splash Love? It’s just 2 one-hour long episodes, but is impossibly cute and adorable. You can check out my quick spoiler-lite review here, if that helps! 🙂

Kayla Wyatt
Kayla Wyatt
7 years ago

I liked that the mom gave some grief, but he, for the most part, really stuck to his girl’s side, and that the mom didn’t go too over the top and crazy. I hate! That in other shows. I also like that she humbled herself and realized that she was being a butt. This was a pretty spot on review, however I gave it an A just because it was Jane Austiny enough to have me connect fast, and the timing of humor was hilarious. It was a really funny show. I also liked that the female lead never super rolled over and showed her stomach. When she fell in love she was in love, but she never just bawled and gave up, except when it was appropriate, like breaking up and being heart broken. I can’t stand when the strong female lead just totally gives up on who she is. The man handling didn’t bother me as much as the mind games and totally taking over her life. Lol. Red flags anyone? But I guess he didn’t know how else to show his affection? All I know is that an American…or maybe just as a fighter…I would have punched him more than once. Lol.

kfangurl
7 years ago
Reply to  Kayla Wyatt

Lol. I can see why you’d want to punch him more than once, Kayla! It’s a good thing he wasn’t attempting to manhandle you, is all I can say! XD

I’ve come to dislike manhandling from most kdrama leads, coz it’s mostly portrayed as romantic instead of controlling and invasive. But this show was so tropey that it felt like it was self-aware, and that made it easy for me to laugh along with pretty much all of it. Glad you enjoyed this one! 🙂

Jaime the Drama Noona
7 years ago

I just finished this one haha, took me all of two sittings to finish. Pretty much the same amount of time it took me for High End Crush. I am definitely a fan of the web drama format. I loved this one just as much too! Work and life are intense sometimes and I wanted something filled with utter fluff and just a super sweet and easy watch. This absolutely fit the bill!

You’ve perfectly captured the show in your review too! I loved the tropes haha, I saw them coming a mile away, but they were so much fun when they hit the screen. The couple had great chemistry and if you turned a blind eye to the acting then the story itself was perfectly cute and adorable!

kfangurl
7 years ago

Hee! 2 sittings! You blazed through this right quick! XD But I can totally see how that’s entirely possible, since Noble tends to have that easy, cracky sort of flavor. And yes, those tropes! They were so cliched, but somehow, the execution made it a fun thing rather than a boring and tiresome thing. Absolutely yes, the chemistry between the OTP probably accounted for a lot of that. And Sung Hoon’s meaningful gazes, heh. 😉

I’m watching High End Crush casually, and I must confess that I’m not getting into it as much as I did with Noble. I’m still trying to figure out why.. Maybe I’m just taking a while to settle into it. We’ll see!

OtakuuGamer
OtakuuGamer
7 years ago

hiii its been a long time since i started watching kdrama. I enjoyed this short and fluffy kdrama and was wondering whether there were others similiar to it ?(psst btw Kang Hoon and Yeo were a super cute looking couple and i was wondering whether there are other kdramas with actors/actresses like that

kfangurl
7 years ago
Reply to  OtakuuGamer

Hm.. I’d say most kdramas have good-looking leads, so I’m not sure what you’re looking for, specifically, with regards to the actors/actresses.. If you’re looking to see more of Sung Hoon (who played Kang Hoon), you could check out Oh My Venus, which is pretty cute. He’s not the main actor, but there is a lot of good-looking all around, and it’s an enjoyably cute show so far 🙂

As for shorter format light dramas, you could consider 20’s (my review is here), and Because It’s The First Time. Both are more youthy than Noble, but both have that light, breezy tone that Noble has. Another suggestion I have is drama special Have You Ever Had Coffee With An Angel (my review is here), it’s light and cute, and is a nice little one-shot of drama fun. I hope that helps 🙂

OtakuuGamer
OtakuuGamer
7 years ago
Reply to  kfangurl

thank yous 😀

kfangurl
7 years ago
Reply to  OtakuuGamer

You’re very welcome! 🙂

rini
rini
8 years ago

i enjoyed the whole drama very much. i enjoyed every single episode of this drama.

kfangurl
8 years ago
Reply to  rini

That’s great, rini – I enjoyed this one all the way through as well. Such fun fluff! 🙂

sunriseglow26
8 years ago

I didn’t think i would like it this much, but it was soon addictive surprisingly and i kept clicking next i finished it in less than 2 days. it was a nice one indeed and just what we need at this time when its getting colder ><

kfangurl
8 years ago
Reply to  sunriseglow26

It’s quite a fun one, isn’t it?? Nothing groundbreaking, but put together nicely to bring on the feelz. Glad you enjoyed it, sunrise! 🙂

MinaBoom
8 years ago

hey, i watched based on your recommendation and it was fun
not that great of a show but i was n’t expecting greatness by any means
so can you recommend me drama with the same short formatting preferably light, romantic, and thanks for the fun review

kfangurl
8 years ago
Reply to  MinaBoom

Hi there MinaBoom! I’m glad that you found Noble a fun little watch. Yes, it’s far from drama greatness, but sometimes, light fluff is all that we need, right? 😉

In terms of something else in a similar format and vein, you might want to try Twenty Years Old, also known as 20’s. It’s short, cute, and romance-centric. You can check out my review here.

I wasn’t terribly impressed with Love Cells, but it was harmless fluff. You can check out my quick review here, to see if it’s your cup of tea.

Besides web dramas, another nice way to get a quick shot of drama, is drama specials. I don’t love every one that I see, but I really did find Have You Ever Had Coffee With An Angel really cute. The Ji Chang Wook Pretty didn’t hurt either. You can check out my review here, to see if you like the sound of it.

I hope that helps! 🙂

junny
8 years ago

The cat merits the B rating 😀 Oh, and the guy is not bad lookin’ either, hehe.

kfangurl
8 years ago
Reply to  junny

Hehe! I LOVED the cat, it had such a dour, royal look about it, and those random mreows were great <3 Sung Hoon was pretty good eye candy, and I do think that Noble got the formula just right, for mindless fluff mini drama. Not too complicated, but still makes sense in its own little simplified world, while serving up cute and pretty to boot. I can totally see why everyone was buzzing about this one! 🙂

fangirl
fangirl
8 years ago

What is the name of rington?it’s so cool!

kfangurl
8 years ago
Reply to  fangirl

Which ringtone are your referring to, fangirl? If it’s Yoon Seo’s ringtone, sorry, I couldn’t identify it. It usually rings for such a short while that I can’t make out what it is 😛

fangirl
fangirl
8 years ago

What is name of her rington?it’s so cool

asotss
asotss
8 years ago

You got me at “Sung Hoon spends about 90% of his screen time either in sharp suits, shirtless, or going from shirtless to a sharp suit.” and “Strong chemistry” but then I reread and you lost me at “reminding me strongly of a younger Lee Byung Hun.” That manwhore/pig ? Younger, present or older, I won’t have any…
And yay, you’re on insta ! Let’s drool there too XD

kfangurl
8 years ago
Reply to  asotss

Lol. I can understand the LBH aversion after his scandal, but honestly, it’s not Sung Hoon’s fault that he resembles LBH! Maybe look at it this way: this is one way to actually enjoy that particular brand of hot, since you can actually tell yourself that this isn’t LBH? 😉 I think you could possibly give it a try. At just 15 mins an episode, it’s not a big commitment to check out the first ep or two 🙂

Nancy Chua
Nancy Chua
8 years ago
Reply to  kfangurl

I wouldn’t call LBH manwhore or pig unless i’m in his shoes , i will still give him the benefit of the doubt <3

kfangurl
8 years ago
Reply to  Nancy Chua

Not at all a bad thing, the benefit of the doubt. 🙂

bluecomet
bluecomet
8 years ago

How does kfangirl rate dramas? Could someone share the link? Because I can’t find it. Thanks

kfangurl
8 years ago
Reply to  bluecomet

Hi there bluecomet! You can find the link under Index > Reviews > The Rating System. But, coz I’m helpful that way, here it is, for your quick reference! I hope that helps! 🙂

bluecomet
bluecomet
8 years ago
Reply to  kfangurl

Thank you. You’re a big help 🙂

kfangurl
8 years ago
Reply to  bluecomet

You’re very welcome, bluecomet! 🙂

Lady G.
8 years ago

I really liked it, but didn’t love it. The kisses were horrible, even though I know they were going for Manhwaesque, still/freeze frame, but come on. I felt it was a waste of the beauty of Sung Hoon. I dislike leads who are 30+ and act so childish like she did. So that got under my skin. But as you said, it was cute, harmless, fluff. One I’m enjoying even more right now is “I order You.” It’s a little more meat (20 min runtime) likeable leads, cute story, and lots of sizzle with Yunho’s kisses!

kfangurl
8 years ago
Reply to  Lady G.

Heh. Y’know, there aren’t that many kdramas where the kisses blow me away, so given that I had lowered expectations for this little web drama, I had zero expectations of the kisses, and that’s how they didn’t disappoint me. XD

Thanks for the tip on “I Order You” my dear. Will keep it in mind for when I need another quick shot of drama feels!

martin fennell
martin fennell
8 years ago

Lights and shadows. 8/10
SPOILERS IN REVIEW>

Pros.
The main story.
The series looks wonderful. The set and costume design are great.
Other things i liked in were the rehersal scenes, and you will have fun catching the movie posters. I do wonder why they are all from hollywood films, except for films made within the story. Does it reflect the state of the korean film industry at the time.
The performances of the two main protoganists Ahn Jae-Wook and Jeon Kwang-Leol are excellent.
The latter really going to town with the facual expressions and gestures
My favourites (outside of Shin Da Eun, of course)were Lee Ah Lee. I’m not quite sure of her acting ability, but she had a certain spark to her I also liked the actress playing the servant girl, Sunduok. I thought she gave a really nice natural performance. But I couldn’t find any information on her.
Then there was Kim Roe-Ha as Jo Tae-Soo, whose performance crept up on me.
Of the other females, Son Dam-bi is pretty good. She made a better impression on me, than Nam Sang-mi .
I found the most interesting character was that played by Lee Pil-mo, even if I think he’s somewhat miscast in his role. I wasn’t totally connvinced by him. I’d imagine he is better in lighter roles eg All my sons.
Overall, the men in the cast impressed more than the females
Cons
I would have liked Shin Da Eun to have a bigger role.
She is the best of the younger actresess in it.
There is no real spark between Ahn Jae-Wook, and Nam Sang-mi. I would say my interest in whether or not, they stayed together was quiet low,
The resolution is a bit quick. I believe The drama was extended because of it’s popularity.
Perhaps the makers were getting bored with it.
Overall, I found lead actress Nam Sang-mi was pretty bland. Although There were a few moments where I thought that maybe if she had something more substantial, she would have impressed me more. So I’m not quiet sure, if it was her, or the role.
But as Dustin Hoffman once said, it’s easy being good when you have a good part, but the trick is to be good, when you have a bad part.
I should say this. When Nam Sang-mi was playing other characters ie in the films they were making, she wasn;t any different. It was as if Jung-Hye (her characters name) was transported into the other films.
The moments I thought she might be a better actress for was when she became sucessful. This was after Ki-Tae had gone to japan. The other time was when she first learned that she might not be able to walk again.
So who does the fault lay with. Is it the writer for not giving Nam Sang-mi a meatier role , or is it the actress for not being able to do more with what she had.
When I think about it, I put the blame mostly on the actress. You could say that
Shin Da Eun, didn’t have much much of a role either, but she brought zip to it.
Perhaps it’s all down to personalty, and the main actress didn’t have much of a one.
Stlll I would like to see her in another role. Perhaps she would be a revelation to me.
I gew somewhat tired of Sung Ji Roo’s performance. He always seemed to be overacting, or perhaps I should just say, shouting.
Althoughh I found the relationship between his character and that played by Jo Mi-Ryung far more
interesting than the leads.
Also Jung-Hye’s father was supposed to be scary.I didn’t see any real evidence of that.

kfangurl
8 years ago
Reply to  martin fennell

Hi there, martin! Sorry, I haven’t seen Light and Shadow, but it looks like you enjoyed it quite well, since you gave it a good rating! Thanks for sharing! 🙂

Kay
Kay
8 years ago

This certainly does sound cute and fluffy! I saw this pop up on Dramafever, but hadn’t heard about it until recent positive reviews. With the episodes being so short, it does sound like it would be a nice mini weekend marathon. I’m definitely going to check this one out 🙂

kfangurl
8 years ago
Reply to  Kay

Hi there Kay! 🙂 Sorry this reply is late – have you now already watched Noble? How did you like it? I hope it did turn into a nice weekend marathon for ya! 🙂