You know that thing that kdrama heroines often do, where they choose to walk right into a bad situation, knowing that they will end up hurt or disadvantaged in some way, but they do it anyway, all for love?
Well. Applying that logic, it seems that I must have a lot of love for Ryu Joon Yeol, heh.
Coz I knew going into this show, that it was probably not going to be a drama that would be particularly amazing or satisfying (I was late to the party and had already heard that this show was a pretty typical rom-com that wasn’t very remarkable) but I still dived in, and even stayed through to the end – all for Ryu Joon Yeol.
This face. It was all for this face. ❤️
OST ALBUM: FOR YOUR LISTENING PLEASURE
Here’s a collection of OST tracks in case you’d like to listen to them as you read the review.
I thought I’d tackle this review in a slightly different format than my usual, because I responded to this show with 3 distinct reactions in 3 different phases. So it made sense to me, to split it up the same way to talk about it here.
THE INITIAL STRETCH (E1 – E5ish)
To be honest, I wasn’t too taken with this show in its initial stretch. Well, except for Ryu Joon Yeol, that is. But you guys already knew that. 😉
Downside
1. I found the initial episodes largely unremarkable and, to be honest, quite boring, even though Bo Nui’s (Hwang Jung Eum) obsession with superstition is supposed to be this show’s special quirk. It just didn’t feel very quirky, or different, or in any way special, to me. Rather, it all felt mostly predictable and formulaic.
2. I found the comedic touches to be on the lame side. [SPOILER] Like Bo Nui waking up in episode 2 appearing to be naked in bed, and thinking that the stuffed toy next to her is the sunbae that she’d met the night before. I found that entire sequence really lame. Especially when she shed the blanket and revealed that she was pretty much fully dressed underneath. [END SPOILER]
3. I felt uninterested in our second lead characters Gary (Lee Soo Hyuk) and Amy (Lee Chung Ah). [SPOILER] I didn’t really feel interested in Gary’s search for his father, and I found Amy rather annoying in general; I just didn’t like her pretty act, and the way she clipped her speech. Her presumptuous attitude in general didn’t help either. It also made no sense to me why both Gary and Amy felt it was their right to demand romantic attention from Bo Nui and Su Ho (Ryu Joon Yeol) respectively. [END SPOILER]
Upside
Ryu Joon Yeol as Su Ho
Ryu Joon Yeol is fantastic as Su Ho, and alone is THE reason to check out this show, seriously.
I love Ryu Joon Yeol as Su Ho. He just makes Su Ho come to life. And weirdly, I particularly appreciate how he looks like a regular guy, for the most part. As in, he’s lanky, and has got very attractive calves (ahem), but he’s not spectacularly buff, and the way he basically lopes, shuffles and skulks around with his long legs (vs. walking like he’s walking down a runway, for example) makes him feel so real and approachable and normal. I love it. Shout-out to his lovely voice, gorgeously sensuous lips and expressive eyes. I flail. Especially at the lips. Mmmm. ❤️
Most importantly, Ryu Joon Yeol delivers Su Ho with depth and dimension, and the best part is, he doesn’t even look like he’s trying. He looks like he just is this way, and that just makes Su Ho come alive in his perfectly nuanced, wonderfully geeky glory.
I loved Ryu Joon Yeol’s brand of distant, nerdy, impatient genius; it always felt so faceted. Even in a moment when Su Ho is just stunned and staring, even though he holds his gaze steady (vs. letting his eyes dart about to indicate he’s thinking something), I feel like there is so much going on, on the inside of him. In this sense, I feel that Ryu Joon Yeol’s delivery actually added meaning to Su Ho as a character. Very nicely done indeed.
[SPOILER ALERT]
Here are just a handful of Su Ho moments in the early stretch of the show that I found particularly adorable.
1. In episode 4, the setup of Su Ho misunderstanding Bo Nui’s request as indicative of her suffering from a terminal illness is funny because of the way Ryu Joon Yeol plays Su Ho’s reaction. He mostly deadpans it, but there’s a strickenness about his gaze that is very endearing.
2. In episode 5, even though he’s incredulous at Bo Nui’s request, I love that Su Ho (1), doesn’t take advantage of the fact that she’s asking to sleep with him, and (2), says outright that he has no right to judge her if she wants to lead that kind of lifestyle, but (3), doesn’t want to lead that kind of lifestyle himself. He’s really a decent guy who believes in not judging others for choices that might be different from his own, and that’s just something that appeals to me a lot.
Plus, Su Ho’s consequent consternation is very endearing and amusing, from shifty-eyed disbelief, to troubled puzzlement, to nervous terror. It’s hilarious and super cute.
3. I love the sprinkle of dorky funny, like in episode 5 when Su Ho fails spectacularly at acting natural around Bo Nui after her proposition, but congratulates himself for acting natural anyway, and with a dorky smile to himself, no less. So cute!
4. On top of the cute, there is a layer of pathos to Su Ho that made my heart go out to him. Every time he panicked and huddled in a corner to mutter multiplication tables to himself in a bid to calm down, I wanted to reach into my screen and hug him and tell him everything was going to be ok.
[END SPOILER]
Hwang Jung Eum as Bo Nui
While I found Bo Nui rather cringeworthy in the broader comic moments, I really believed her fear and sadness. [SPOILER] Like in episode 3, when Bo Nui rushes to the hospital thinking something’s happened to her sister Bo Ra (Kim Ji Min), and she keeps swiping at her eyes coz she’s tearing up. In that moment, I really believed her sadness and how much her sister means to her. [END SPOILER]
Mostly, I didn’t find Bo Nui’s character very well-written, and the treatment of her superstitions was rather patchy and uneven. Yet, I found that I could feel Bo Nui’s struggle, and that’s credit to Hwang Jung Eum’s heartfelt delivery.
THE CRACKY STRETCH (E6-E12ish)
Happily, at around the episode 6 mark, Show ramps into pretty cracky territory. Even though it was still far from perfect, I found myself enjoying each episode with a giddy sort of fangirl delight. Good times.
Downside
1. I still found Amy annoying. Not only did I find her delicate simpering manner rubbed me the wrong way, her better-than-thou sort of vibe also annoyed me. [SPOILER] Also, she doesn’t seem to have felt very bad about leaving Su Ho previously without explanation. When she tried to wrangle that “free pass” out of Dal Nim (Lee Cho Hee), I was so pleased that she failed. [END SPOILER]
2. Ryang Ha (Jung Sang Hoon) teasing Dal Nim is mildly amusing for a short bit, before becoming annoying. I wanted to strangle &/or slap him, in her place.
3. Bo Nui’s stubborn recklessness really does become a bit trying to me, even as a relatively casual viewer.
4. Show is not very consistent with some things. [SPOILER] Like Bo Nui resisting hugs because she feels like she will infect other people with her bad luck – she sometimes does, and sometimes doesn’t. She resists the hug from Dal Nim, but doesn’t resist the one from Gary. Also, when did the fortune teller ever say that Su Ho was Bo Nui’s talisman? That’s convenient, but inaccurate. [END SPOILER]
Upside
The stretch of OTP cute
The entire ramp-up of the OTP relationship is cracky, heady stuff. A lot of it has to do with Ryu Joon Yeol’s delivery of Su Ho’s nervous, dorky-nerdy, adorable reactions at each courtship milestone, but credit goes to Hwang Jung Eum too, for being a great foil.
Plus, these two share excellent chemistry, which really comes to the fore as our OTP finally comes together as a couple.
[SPOILER ALERT]
Adorable nervous geek
I think my favorite stretch has got to be when Su Ho starts to develop an awareness of his feelings for Bo Nui. All of the little moments really add up to make the episodes such a fun watch that I often found myself wearing a silly goofy grin while watching.
For one thing, Su Ho is hysterically funny every time he’s discombobulated. Like the time in episode 6, when he leaps for his phone, thinking that the incoming text is from Bo Nui. His flailing arms and legs and subsequent peevish disappointment is freaking adorable.
For another thing, as his awareness for his feelings towards Bo Nui increases, there’s a nervous, rather stricken quality about Su Ho’s stoic, rapid-fire logical spiels, which makes it all extra cute. It’s clear that he can’t help but care about Bo Nui and be curious about her, and it’s adorable that he’s fighting so hard to hide it.
Caring geek
As Su Ho starts to care more for Bo Nui, the extent that Su Ho is willing to go to, to help Bo Nui, is really telling of how much he cares about her. Like how he researches all the mystic stuff so thoroughly, and how he’s willing to spend his Saturday – in the lead-up to D-Day, no less – taking her to various fortune tellers in the hope that he’ll be able to prove to her that it’s not scientific. Or how he hovers and trails after her, to make sure that she’s not being taken advantage of by weirdos.
Plus, gotta love how, in perfect geek fashion, Su Ho needs an internet quiz to inform him that he likes Bo Nui. So funny!
Swoony sexy
Ryu Joon Yeol’s voice is lovely, and sometimes, in those moments when Su Ho speaks to Bo Nui in a particularly raw & throaty tone, it’s downright alluring. Like in episode 7, that time in the rain, when he asks her if they can go home. And that time in episode 8, when he holds her and tells her he’ll come with her anytime, to see Bo Ra, because he’s her talisman.
Also, I do love his gentle delivery of the kiss in episode 10. The words that he mutters, gently, and in low, throaty tones, “Is this what I’m supposed to do?” before he leans in for another gentle kiss. Augh.
Just. So. Melty. ❤️
Sweetly empathetic
Beyond the squee, there’s a lovely note of compassion and empathy between our OTP that I really liked. I love that each of them is able to express a simple, deep empathy for what the other has gone through in the past.
On top of that, the mirrored quality of the moment is a nice touch too. The long thoughtful gaze, followed by a simple sentence: “It must’ve been lonely.” “It must’ve been tough.” Such a small number of words, but carrying the weight of the depth of understanding of the speaker.
It was these moments that made me believe in the strength and depth of their love and care for each other. Likey.
A tangent in Bo Nui’s defense
I came across some viewer displeasure at Bo Nui, first for jumping to the conclusion that she needed to have sex with a tiger and therefore needlessly putting herself in danger, and also, for giving up “just because” she didn’t meet the deadline.
In Bo Nui’s defense, the phrasing of the instruction did imply she was supposed to have sex with a tiger. Also in Bo Nui’s defense, the fortune teller had told her that if she did not fulfill the instruction by the deadline, that Bo Ra would die.
Bo Nui doesn’t give up “just because” she didn’t meet the deadline. She gave up because she fully believed that that deadline was her last chance at changing Bo Ra’s fate. And once that last chance had been missed (in her understanding), there was no other hope to reach for, but to wait for the inevitable.
I think she planned to die after as well, because she just could not see herself living on without Bo Ra, and also because she generally sees herself as supremely unlucky, and bringing bad luck to the people around her. So in a sense, this is her effort to protect the people around her. In her head, if she’s not there to jinx them, they’d be safer.
For the record, I do think that the way the whole “sleep with a tiger” issue eventually worked out was sweet.
[END SPOILER]
Spots of Funny
I’m happy to say that during this cracky stretch, I found a lot of the Intended Funny genuinely amusing, and there were more than a few moments when I laughed out loud. Fun!
[SPOILER ALERT]
Like in episode 6 when Su Ho skulks around in his masked ahjumma disguise. The entire scene is laugh-out-loud embarrassingly hilarious, and there’s a distinct sheepishness to his posture which I love.
Or the time in episode 8 when Su Ho fusses over whether he should call Bo Nui, then practically dislocates something while flailing in mortification when he realizes the call had gone through. Ha!
Or when Su Ho acts as Gary’s date in the virtual mapping in the same episode. Ryu Joon Yeol deadpans it AND hams it up, at the same time, and it’s painfully, gloriously funny.
[END SPOILER]
THE FINAL STRETCH (E13-E16)
Sadly, Show’s cracky flavor didn’t sustain itself through to the end, and I found the final stretch of the show aggravating and boring in turn. I still loved Ryu Joon Yeol as Su Ho, but even that wasn’t enough to save this show’s final stretch, for me.
[SPOILERS THROUGH THE END OF THE REVIEW]
Downside
1. I often wondered where Show was going with Bo Nui’s supposed curse of bad luck. It’s implied that there is truth in what (supremely unhelpful) Fortune Teller Guy says, but there’s no sliver of hope provided. All the predictions are doom and gloom for Bo Nui, and Show implies that the curse thing is real.
2. In episode 15, I understood why Bo Nui runs away, and I got why Su Ho decides to break up with her, but narratively, I was unimpressed. Even all the drama around Zeze’s project being sabotaged felt boring to me.
3. I freaking hate that Bo Nui was written to run away from the scene of the accident in episode 15. Such a very bemusing choice, honestly. How could she do that to Su Ho, who’s lying bleeding on the road? If you’re going to leave him for his own safety, surely you’d call him an ambulance first? Check that he’s still breathing? Headdesk. Headdesk. Headdesk.
Upside
1. Ryu Joon Yeol is still fab. But watching Su Ho trying to act overly bright to Bo Nui pained me. Like in episode 15, when he’s trying to sound bright on the phone while leaving a voice message, and in his eyes, there is only bewilderment, fear and a sense of lostness. Really well-delivered, but that’s cold comfort in the face of a degenerating narrative.
2. Suddenly, I found both Amy and Gary surprisingly more likable than in earlier episodes. Again, small comfort, and it doesn’t feel all that organic either.
THOUGHTS ON THE ENDING
I hate to say it, but I was really, really bored by the ending.
Not only did I find it uninventive and predictable, I actively cringed in spots. Particularly at the overly cutesy, highly unnatural aegyo between Dal Nim and Ryang Ha, which got inexplicably served up in spades.
Given that this is a rom-com, I expected Show to give us a happy ending, so that in itself was no surprise. The way we got there, though, felt like an odd combination of deeply formulaic and completely random.
The callbacks to the beginning of the show, where Bo Nui and Su Ho first cross paths – at a game design competition – were extremely predictable, as was the beat of everyone descending on Bo Nui and Bo Ra for an impromptu housewarming party. Su Ho waiting patiently for Bo Nui through it all, while they each designed a game inspired by their individual journeys, which were both so warmly received that the games would be released together as a set, was clichéd and, the execution, overly sentimental to the point of being hokey.
The bigger issue to me, though, was that the whole issue of Bo Nui’s bad luck seemed to have been poofed away without any explanation. Up till almost the very last moment, Show had been pretty much laying it on, that Bo Nui’s bad luck was really a Thing, and that there was truth in Fortune Teller Guy’s ominous warnings. And now, in the finale, without any explanation whatsoever, Bo Nui is magically able to get over that belief, while spending all her days with Bo Ra, whom she’d used to stay away from for fear of infecting her with her bad luck, and Fortune Teller Guy packs his bags, presumably either out of business, or off to start anew elsewhere. And therefore, Bo Nui and Su Ho are now able to get their happy-ever-after.
Not that I’m expecting anything akin to brilliance in terms of the writing, but this sudden unexplained leap felt like a cop-out. It feels like some major things were skipped over, in order to fast-track us to the happy ending. I mean, I can rationalize heavily, that Bo Nui spent the year working through her beliefs, and was eventually able to change the way she saw her world, but it’s a huge stretch, especially since Show specifically kept the audience in the dark about this part of her emotional journey, while offering glimpses into her everyday life.
The unfortunate effect this had on me, is that whatever cute the finale served up felt hollow and meaningless. Sure, seeing Su Ho whoop with glee over Bo Nui’s proposal was cute, but I was underwhelmed enough by this finale that I was glad – relieved, even – to see this show end.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
In the end, perhaps my disappointment with this show stems from the fact that it managed to raise my expectations and give me hope in its middle stretch with its cracky cute and giddy adorable.
…Only to then crush that hope to smithereens with its cop-out of an ending. Sigh.
If I could turn back time, would I pick this show all over again, knowing what I know now? Well.. that’s a hard question to answer. After all, Ryu Joon Yeol’s brand of cute is truly one of the best things evar.
Perhaps I would do it all again, for this face.
This face. It was all for this face. ❤️
THE FINAL VERDICT:
Largely underwhelming and occasionally aggravating, but in possession of some bright spots – the shiniest and most endearing of which is Ryu Joon Yeol.
FINAL GRADE: C+
TEASER:
You know when you start watching a standard drama expecting it to be the same as every other drama and then all of a sudden it isn’t and you’re blown away by how good it actually is?
And then you get into the back half and you’re surprised by how much the writers aren’t screwing it up even though you expected them to?
And then you reach the magical episode 14 and it goes so completely off the rails that you’re kicking yourself for expecting something better? Why did you think this show would be different? Why did you think they weren’t going to mess it up? Why did you get your hopes up? Haven’t you watched enough dramas to know they’d ruin it?
That was this show for me.
I think the thing that really really annoyed me was that Bo-nui’s fortune teller was such a toxic influence in her life. Such a vicious and manipulative con artist whispering nonsense into her ear and yet the show gave him a get-out-of-jail free card on his toxic behaviour. I find that a cultural tendency towards superstition often stops these shows from being brave enough to call these snake-oil salesman what they are but I briefly hoped this show would be that brave. Instead it copped out of it at the end.
The whole sister thing – with him retrospectively changing his prediction to fit the situation so she would continue to believe his nonsense – was a classic con. “Oh, did you think I meant that? No, I actually meant the thing that you did. See! I’m still right!” It’s nonsense and it’s dangerous nonsense – as the show was clearly saying in the beginning. The kind of behaviour this resulted in was self-destructive and dangerous. I’m fine with Bo-nui falling for it because she’s just such a damaged person but the writers then seemed to want us to fall for it too.
I was surprised by how well they handled the ransomware plot line – even though a security guard would never have had access to those offices right before a launch so the whole thing was kind of dumb – but the last-minute truck of doom was so stupid I laughed and then cried at just how bad I knew the last few episodes were going to be.
Ignoring all that – until the episode 14 cliff it ran off, this show was doing such a good job examining how people process various forms of guilt and responsibility. Amy misinterpreting her guilt over her treatment of Su-ho as love, Su-ho’s father’s drunkeness and aggression because of his guilt over his treatment of his son, Gary’s guilt over his father, and of course Bo-nui’s guilt about everything. leading her to believe the toxic shaman in the first place.
It’s a shame it threw away its themes in the final two episode and it’s a double shame that this is such a common problem with dramas that a lot of people stop watching after episode 13 or 14 so as not to ruin a drama they were enjoying.
And to end on a completely shallow note
This was the first thing I’ve seen Ryu Joon Yeol in and…
… I’ll be in my bunk.
Tee hee. I feel you on that one, Dame Holly. He’s really quite something in this. 😍😍😍😍😍
Yikes, I’m sorry this show took you on such a terrible rollercoaster, Dame Holly! 😛 There was definitely a lot of bleargh in this show, but there was also just enough of a silver lining to pull me through my watch – and that, as you probably know by now since you’ve read the review, is Ryu Joon Yeol. 😍😍 He’s so quirky and adorkable in this, that I just couldn’t stop myself from watching, even though I kinda knew Show was going to tank and burn. 😛 And he’s just so wonderfully dorky and melty in this, that I dare say that if I could turn back time and could make the decision anew whether or not to watch this one, that I’d still watch it for Ryu Joon Yeol. But maybe I’d be more savvy about applying the FF button..! 🤣
*sigh* I knew it was going to tank and burn too. I just knew it.
I agree about Ryu Joon Yeol. I haven’t seen 1988 so this was the first thing I’ve seen in him. His acting was a delightful surprise and there’s something so sexy in how downright dorky he was. There are very few actors who give me funny feelings. I think he might be one of them.
There are very few actors who can be downright dorky and yet, be swoony-sexy while they dork out. I feel like Ryu Joon Yeol’s the only one I can think of, who can do that. <3 AM88 is my favorite of the AM series, but I must warn that [SPOILER] if you're shipping Ryu Joon Yeol with the female lead, you might become ragey. 😛 [END SPOILER] But he will absolutely charm you in his dorky way though, so there's that? 😀
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@Kfangurl: [Oh yes, I must agree that PBG’s personality is super sweet. From the little bits of him that I’ve seen – a bit of variety, including YOF Africa – he’s unbelievably endearing and amiable and well, sweet. Kinda makes me wonder where he pulls the fierceness from, when the role calls for it!] 😞😆
I totally agree! ❤️ And I thought the same thing too, in finding where he gets that fierceness from in his roles, esp. when he gets mad at the scholars and prime ministers in the Palace to MDBC drama. lol 😛✌️
Btw, sorry I had to write a new post here in comments. For some reason, I was unable to respond back to you above, to my bunch of comments. So weird…I’ve never encountered that happening before. 😳😯
Ah, don’t worry about the new post thing. Essentially, there’s a limit to the number of replies that can be posted – at least, that’s how it is on my theme here in WordPress. I’ve got mine set to allow the maximum number of comments. So when it doesn’t allow you to reply anymore, it just means the maximum number of replies for that comment has been reached. When that happens, feel free to start a new comment! 🙂
Wow…that’s too bad (and odd) that has to happen. Well, I guess perhaps it’s just WP’s way of dealing w/one-too-many-comments ‘within’ a comment (so-to-speak lol) and regulate the amount of comments 1 user can do? (I dunno) Well, now I know. lol (right?) 😛
Yeah, I’m not sure about the reasons behind the limit. I do understand that some bloggers would prefer to set a maximum number so that things are more manageable on their site, but WP’s set limit seems a little.. arbitrary to me. But, it’s not a biggie, and is easy enough to work around, so I’m not too fussed. 🙂
[“…I do understand that some bloggers would prefer to set a maximum number so that things are more manageable on their site…”]
ah…still didn’t know that. 😛 So sry to sound so ‘technically detailed’ w/my comments. I was just curious, that’s all. 😛👍
Aw, no worries, Reiko! We all learn as we go, don’t we? 🙂
Yes, we certainly do! 👍
Oh and yes…the storyline to this drama also sucked pretty badly, even though I kept watching it anyways to the very end of the last episode. 😛 Like I said before…I’ve always found these dramas drawn to my heart for some odd reason or another, even though they’re known as ‘sappy’ or too ‘sucky’ types. 😞😄
Ok gurrrrrl…you wanna know my thoughts too to this drama I just finished watchin’ last night? One word: same as YOU girl! lol *hi-5* (Ok, well…4 words. lol 😛) Your review to this drama right here, you took the words (and thoughts what I was thinkin’) right outa my mouth!
First of all, I kept thinking throughout the entire time while watching…Ryu Joon-Yeol looks almost exactly like my husband when he was in high school! (no joke) 😱😳😎😍👍 I’m SO dead-serious, girl. Make NO mistake. Ryu’s eyes, hair, and skinny/lanky/legs in this one, I kept grinning/smiling the entire time because, I couldn’t wait to tell you! lol If I searched around for a photo of my hubby during that time, I’ll show you what I mean. Now, my hubby isn’t as tall as Ryu in real life, but he IS 5’9 1/2″ respectively. ❤️😉 Ryu is like this geeky guy-friend of yours you had in HS or college, you know? lol And, I knew my hubby since we were 5! We both grew up together in childhood, because both our parents are classmates from their HS’s. I kept in contact w/my hubby all the way until Freshman yr (9th grade) in HS. By then, we had lost contact w/one another, even when we reached our college years. So for a long period of time, we had lost contact. Only until April of 1999, was when we made contact again, through his mother’s retirement party. (this was all in Hawaii, mind you) I moved to live w/him in California/USA from August of 1999 and have continued to live in Cali since. (present-day; current)
But, I swear to God, my hubby was just like a splitting-image of Ryu in this drama. *dies* ❤️😎😍😘🤓
Now, on what you’ve stated about an awesome storyline as opposed to a mediocre one, I have to also agree w/you and everyone else on here about that. True, experienced well-played actors/actresses will outshine the rest of the others. I have to also say, I’ve also always liked this actresses’ dramas so far she acts in: Hwang Jung Eum. I’ve seen her before in some other dramas, and she’s always been so good in them. (I don’t remember off the top of my head)
Now, there’s another actor that keeps replaying in my brain where I’ve seen him before in several dramas, acting as supporting roles, and mainly always acting in office-types, playing nerdy/too silly-type roles. I THINK I’ve seen him in ‘I Order You’ w/U-Know Yunho, now that I think about it, but I’m still not so sure. The actor’s name is: Jung Sang-Hoon. (he played as Han Ryang-Ha in this drama) In fact, he can also pass for looking Chinese, if he wanted to. lol I also think he’s a good actor playing supporting roles, esp those girly-office types. lol He’s so giggly when playing those nosy/busy-body/gosspy-types that work in the office, you can’t help but ‘let him’ be your friend in the office! hahahaha I know, in real life, these kinds of guys irk me to no end, but, just thought I’d say here for a K-drama. 😄😁😛
Now, another great/older actress I’ve REALLY loved watching through the years, is none other than Na Young-Hee. (She played Ryu’s mother in this drama.) I’ve seen her act in several of my other idol-dramas, whether it be idols from TVXQ or JYJ. I don’t quite remember off the top of my head but, I know I’ve seen her act in a lot of the ones I’ve watched w/U-Know Yunho and Shim Changmin in it. (i.e. Yawang, etc.) And I must say…this woman is EXQUISITELY FANTASTIC in her acting skills! She’s like those old-time veteran actresses, you know? Someone you want to learn from and gain experience from. Bravo to her! 👍❤️ *claps*
I also liked watching Lee Cho-Hee (Lee Dal-Nim; friend to Sim Bo-Nui) shine toward the end, making a physical change on the way she looked and dressed. Call me a ‘sap’ for ppl who make physical changes to the better, but I love that kind of thing when it comes to fashion. They go from looking like an ugly duckling, to a beautiful swan in my eyes. ❤️ I was also rooting for her in the end when she made that slight transformation! 👍 And I especially laughed hysterically when that guy, Han Ryang-Ha, ‘checked her out’ when she walked in heels downstairs in the lobby area, when she walked into the business building that one morning for work. The ‘way’ he checked her out from behind and watched her walk, reminded me of my collage years when I used to look like that, and guys would stare along the way. lol (or whistle) Oh God, now I feel so old! hahaha
I also agree w/you about Han Seol-Hee (Lee Chung-Ah). Uhhhh, no thanks. Sorry but, I have our own critiques when it comes to girl-band groups in K-Pop. I don’t need to know more of those in the K-drama world too. lol
Btw, I also thought this young guy looked kinda cute! 😄😛👍 He kinda looks ‘idol-worthy’, but I could be wrong. He played as Ryoo-Ji-Hoon in this drama. (actor name: Jin Hyuk) He had light, blondish hair color and played as one of the office subordinates or associates working for ZeZe company.
As for Lee Soo-Hyuk’s character: You’re absolutely correct once again on him to this drama. *sigh* What am I gonna do w/him? lol *tsk, tsk* He’s always playing ‘bombing characters’ lately in a lot of modern dramas he acts in. I don’t know why. 😞🙄 *rolls my eyes* He has so much potential to act in so many various roles, esp bad guy-characters…he’s soooooooo SEXY and good in those! lol Esp when he played Gwi in ‘Scholar Who Walked The Night’! *dies* He was exquisite in that one as the bad vampire King. 😉😛
But YES, Yes, yes…I HAVE TO AGREE WITH YOU ON ALL WHAT YOU’VE SAID ABOUT RYU JOON-YEOL!!!! You took every word right out of my mouth…NUFF SAID, cuz u already said it! hahaha *hi-5* 👍❤️
Whee! Glad you feel similarly about this show as I did, Reiko!! *hi5 right back!* Although I must say, your hubs looks like Ryu Joon Yeol?!?? I’m officially envious! 😆😆
Yes, this show had a number of solid actors and actresses in it, but most of them didn’t manage to rise about the bad writing, imo. The writing in this show was very patchy and uneven, and I wouldn’t say it’s a great drama by any means. But, Ryu Joon Yeol is so fabulous in this, that I can totally understand you reaching for this as drama comfort food. It’s not great, but it just works for ya. 😁
Yaaaaay! lol *hug*
Re my hubby looking like Ryu: awwwww, pls! *shy/bashful* Well, I must say though, I’ve finally found a good-looking K-drama actor my hubby can look like for once. 😆😛👍lol
No, this drama wasn’t a great one…I agree with that. (ugh) It’s too bad too. 🙁
Well. Ryu Joon Yeol is a hot rising actor, so it’s fantastic that you can say your hubs looks like Ryu Joon Yeol! You’d be the envy of many a fangirl, I’m sure! 😉 Yeah, it’s too bad that this show wasn’t a great one, but on the upside, it gave Ryu Joon Yeol a chance to shine, and he shone, so very well. 😍
I don’t know, I highly doubt it. 😓 I don’t know anyone right now who’s attracted to him like you and I are. 😛😉 Add about 15 lbs to my hubby (many years later), and you won’t get Ryu Joon Yeol. (looks-wise) 😓
Ohhhh yes, I agree! 👍😉
Really? I thought I also saw a good amount of love for Ryu Joon Yeol on Dramabeans, so if you’re looking for fellow fans, you might poke around there 🙂
ah…sorry, I’m not on Dramabeans and I’m not a member to that site either. And, I’d rather not be in too many places already at this point. I’m actually in ‘too many’ places! lol
It’s ok anyway. I’m not as much of a fan now to Ryu Joon Yeol as I’ve become toward PBG! *dies* He’s a whole new story altogether that shouldn’t be on this post! hahaha
Ah, I understand.. sometimes, being in too many places online can get very overwhelming. Also, how funny, that PBG has single-handedly made your Ryu Joon Yeol “problem” disappear! 😆
yeah…(oops)
[Also, how funny, that PBG has single-handedly made your Ryu Joon Yeol “problem” disappear! 😆]
ikr! haha (ahem) 😛 It’s like Bogummy has swooped over my feet and made me land onto Bogummy-land! 😂😅🙃😜 It’s like I’ve completely gone googley-eyed & smitten over this guy. And, it’s not just his sex-appeal or good looks I find attractive, but his sweet disposition/inner-character personality and how he treats his fans, toward the media, etc. is what I find most appealing of all. I’ve been coming across reading other fanblogs about him, about this drama, grabbing as many photos as I can on the drama and him, and the main love-couple, and more and more I’ve come to cherish him so much. I also heard in person, he’s the sweetest and nicest guy you could ever meet. Gosh, now I wish I was living in Korea, just so I could see him in person! j/k I’m serious! He’s like ‘more than an Angel’…is what his counterpart (Kim Yoo-Jung) said about him, working closely with him. And, she said he treats everyone like this, even outside in public places, etc. 😱😍 (wow) I dig that in K-drama celebs, when they can be like this in public, and toward fans, etc. Kim Yoo-Jung is so lucky! 😍 I think I’d DIE if I worked with someone like him, much less KISS him. (goodlord)
Oh yes, I must agree that PBG’s personality is super sweet. From the little bits of him that I’ve seen – a bit of variety, including YOF Africa – he’s unbelievably endearing and amiable and well, sweet. Kinda makes me wonder where he pulls the fierceness from, when the role calls for it!
I tried this show because I really like HJE and watch all her dramas out of loyalty… but I stopped mid way through because nothing made much sense to me and like you said the story became boring and predictable. I did however find a new fave in RJY. Your descriptions of him in all the scenes were spot on and this is what kept me going through episode 8.His voice (humuna) and hilarious delivery of Su Ho gave me a little hope but it wasn’t enough to keep me watching or even reading recaps of the show, sigh. I really wanted to like it but I gave up. I totally agree with your grade and im even considering going back and doing some fast forwarding to see if I can make it to the end. Lol. Awesome review yet again.
Ah, high five, Shountz!! We really do seem to feel similarly about shows and actors! 😊 Ryu Joon Yeol’s voice is gorgeous and he’s truly fantastic in this, even if the writing is a letdown. If you stopped after E8, I do think it’s worth it to keep going at least until the end of E12.. I found Show adorable and cracky for that stretch, and Ryu Joon Yeol is particularly endearing too. After E12, well, I’d say it’s safe to drop the show, really. 😛 He’s great until the end, but the writing sucked bad, and I found it painful to watch his character be in pain coz of the writing. No regrets watching this one though, since it allowed me to see Ryu Joon Yeol in his element!
Have you seen AM1988?? I loved that, so much. ❤ And Ryu Joon Yeol’s in it 😁
C+ Ouch… Well, I always feel that the story is first and foremost the most important thing. It’s not just about reaching the destination, it’s about the overall journey. When the story is good, it will make even bad actors shine. When it’s not, the good actors will truly shine and the average ones just won’t be able to hide the fact they’re average.
OFF TOPIC: i might be finishing Nirvana in Fire this weekend * pouts * i’m sad. i might delay watching the ending a little bit. they all have the “i’m going to die” stamp on their forehead… I already feel miserable.
Oh, that’s so true, Sunny! This mediocre script really did show off the truly good actors. Ryu Joon Yeol shone in this, so much. And Hwang Jung Eum did a good job of what she was given as well. It was clearly the fault of the writing, that this show ended in as underwhelming a fashion as it did.
Ahhh! Reaching the end of NIF is always a bittersweet, wistful thing!! It’s that kind of show that you never want to end. Have you.. managed to get to the end yet? 😛
>< i watched it.i need to figure out all my feels and i'll go comment on your article ;D
I understand.. NIF feels are in a class of their own. I don’t think any of us have properly gotten over NIF! ❤💔❤
The drama is not my cup of tea, but I needed to comment. It’s a good review as always. I really like the Flash review section. It looks like you’re playing with different formats and sections. I like it.
Uh oh! New man in the house of Kfangurl! Who is this Ryu Joon Yeol? You know what I’m gonna say next…He’s sooooo your “type”! The exotic slanted eyes, pert kissable lips, throaty voice….WHERE have I seen that before? Oh yes! Kim Woo Bin and Hong Jong Hyun, to name two. Hehehe. He looks like their brother. Talk about “Three Brothers” lol.
Heh, yes, this is totally not your kind of drama, my dear! And you’re right, I’m experimenting a little bit, with the Flash Review format.. anything goes, really, as long it fits what I want to say about the show. 😁
And YESSS, Ryu Joon Yeol! 😍😍😍 He is SO GOOD in this, seriously. It’s a complete coincidence that he fits into my “type” lol! You’re very right though. He totally fits the profile of the actors that have been stealing my heart. I didn’t even know this was my type until you pointed it out to me! 😂
I have an eye for these things. LOL. I’ll keep a look out for more of his work. 🙂
Lol, that you do!! Thanks to you, I now know that I have a “type”! 😆 I really really loved Answer Me 1988, so if you’re in the mood for warm family-centric retro, I highly recommend it! Plus, Ryu Joon Yeol’s in it, ahem 😉
only reason to watch this show RJY! spot-on review per usual:)
Aw thanks, bugs_bunny!! RJY really lifted this show way more than I thought a single actor would be able to. I’m really disappointed with Show’s eventual treatment of just about everything, but I don’t regret spending the time – coz, Ryu Joon Yeol. ❤
Recommend this show to a friend who luvs RJY! she was so happy that she finished it before i did, just for him:) true fangirl indeed!!!
Hahaha!! That IS the behavior of a true fangirl! 😂 Can’t blame her though, Ryu Joon Yeol is wonderfully endearing, swoony AND adorkable in this. It’s why I still feel it was worth watching this in its entirety, in spite of the very mediocre writing. 😁
Thx for the review, i haven’t watch it yet but from your review, i guess i should skip this drama? I mean, now i’m more more selective to choose what kdrama i need to watch, because i hate it when i feel boring in the middle of the story and then drop it because i cant tolerate it, it just waste my time!!! Lol. But for the sake of seeing Ryu Jun Yeol, just for him alone, should i just watch every scene that include him and ignore the plot of this drama? Because as much as i love another actor, i will skip their drama if the story not really pick up my interest, but for ryu jun yeol, i guess i need to sacrifice myself and maybe just watch this drama, only for his scene, eh? What do you think, kfangurl?
Hi there San! I’m sorry this reply is rather late (Life got busy 😛).. I would say, since you enjoy Ryu Joon Yeol, this one’s worth watching up to about E12. His delivery is worth it; he does so well in both the comedic and emotional spectrums. After E12, you could just skip only to Ryu Joon Yeol’s scenes. Or, you could just pretend that the show ends after E12.. Either way, I do think his performance here is worth checking out, especially if you’re a fan. 😊 I hope that helps!
Still haven’t got myself to watch this drama. Since i watch some of another work of him before this drama (with him mostly as a support role) I’ll try to give this drama a chance for the sake of seeing ryu jun yeol. Thank you kfangurl for the reply 😉
So far, this is the only drama where we get to see Ryu Joon Yeol flex his leading man chops, and he does it so well! He legit made me swoon, more than a couple of times. In that sense, TOTES worth it! 😍😍😉
Great review once again!
I really enjoyed this drama but it could have been so much better, both HJE and RJY were great but a little wasted especially her. I really wanted to like Amy right away (because Lee Chung Ah <3) but she was the typical female 2nd lead, at least she gave up right away but I did like her towards the end when she became BFFs with Dal Nim, they were cute together. Dal Nim was such a great character, and funny too!
I never realised how Lucky Romance have so much in common with One More Happy Ending, both girls can be downright frustrating, have eccentric fashions and both proposed in the ending. Plus, both guys are so swoony, amazingly lovable and makes the series worth the watch.
THE CRACKY STRETCH (E6-E12ish) = these were the best episodes, all the cuteness was awesome to watch!
Also, I love the Truth or Dare epilogues at the end and the OST release was pretty late but the one XIA sang is on my repeat playlist ever since.
Thanks for the wonderful review!
Glad that you enjoyed the review, Szercis!! 😀 And wow, I hadn’t made the connection before, but you’re right, this show is quite similar to OMHE in some ways! Although I must say, Mi Mo’s wardrobe was WAYYY better than Bo Nui’s. I just couldn’t believe how most of Bo Nui’s outfits were put together. I get that she was supposed to be quirky, but couldn’t they have made her quirky-cute instead of quirky-weird-and-frumpy? A couple of Bo Nui’s outfits were pretty, but those were so few and far between that mostly I just remember her wardrobe as being needlessly ugly. 😛
The epilogues were pretty awesome, yes! I liked most of them, until things got sad. Then they made me sad too. I hate seeing Ryu Joon Yeol sad. 😢 That cracky stretch was SO much fun though – I’m just gonna keep that as my main memory of this show. 😁
You often talk about the viewing lens while watching dramas, and I decided as a generally down to earth person myself that I had to view this drama not as a character stuck following nonsensical superstitions but rather as someone following a different belief system. She believes that jerk of a fortune teller, she believes in the salt etc. I actually thought for a while that this was going to deal with her going into OCD territory where it isn’t just belief in the power of prayer so to speak but in the, “if I don’t do it bad things will happen”. Because it was apparent that was the level of her desperation. (And if I had a sister in a coma and no one else in my life, I might have as well.) That and HJE’s very grounded performance saw me through the first 6 or so episodes. I think she was really good and then, yes, it was all about the adorkableness (is that a word – probably not) of the lead. However, even my liking of HJE and RJY couldn’t fix the last 4 episodes where the writer stuck his or her hand in the trope box and picked a few out.
At this time, I still haven’t watched the last two episodes and while I didn’t ever find this to be drama crack, it was an enjoyable watch for me even in its early angsty moments. However, I can always tell when a drama is losing steam as it’s a little harder to find the time to finish it up. I just read your review of the ending and now I am glad I saved myself the grief (and this after fast forwarding through quite a bit of episodes 13 and 14). I will go finish up the last 15 minutes of the last episode and leave it at that. What a disappointment in writing not to come up with something better than that.
Also, a side note. I like both 2nd lead actors and there was a little hope that they would do something with Gary. I was happy they kept the friendship up as I think that was sweet and I wish it had stayed instead of going into love triangle territory and then basically just giving me more RJY which is great and everything but they did introduce these other characters and then kind of abandoned them. They could have skipped the 2nd female lead totally and nothing would be really different in this drama…and it’s not about the actress who is perfectly charming. K-drama writers can save some $ and just skip the standard 2nd leads if you don’t have a story to tell about them.
I didn’t love this drama enough to feel bitter (like Cheese In The Trap…still bitter) but just a general feeling that the actors and crew deserved a better ending than that….oh, yeah, us viewers as well!!
Aw, I’m glad you tried adjusting your lens for this one, Kat! That lens thing helps me a lot in enjoying more dramas, but sadly, it doesn’t always work. In this case, I was able to rationalize Bo Nui’s thinking a lot of the time, by taking her belief system and how strongly she subscribes to it, into account. But even then, the way she was written to run away from the scene of Su Ho’s accident had me wanting to seriously hit someone on the head. No matter your belief system, that’s just no way to react when the man you love just got knocked down by a car.
My main problem wasn’t with Bo Nui’s superstitions and her actions.. those I could rationalize. What bugged me the most was how the whole superstition thing – which Show kept hinting was a Real Thing that caused Real Consequences – just got poofed away to get us to the happy ending. That felt like a total cop-out, and I honestly think you’re not missing much by skipping the last few episodes. Ryu Joon Yeol is lovely all the way through, but it was seriously painful to watch his character suffer because Bo Nui wanted to run away from him. His character – and all the other characters – deserved a better ending, just like you said.
I thank you for taking the hit on the last 2 episodes. If I had to see the running away from accident scenario, I’d probably have hurt myself hitting my head on my desk over and over again! I still can’t believe the show , after all that build up on the belief system, just abandoned the issue. So again, thanks for wrapping it up for me! I am curious if you are watching W now. It has started so strong so crossing fingers the writer can pull it off through its run.
Heh. I can’t believe how Show abandoned the issue too, actually! I mean, it’s only the entire premise of our story!! 😆 Honestly, I stuck it out for Ryu Joon Yeol. That, and I was curious to see how Show intended to resolve its central conflict – except it didn’t. Headdesk. Glad you didn’t sit through the scene where she ran away from the scene of the accident coz that was nuts!
I am watching W, yes, and I’m crossing my fingers that it stays on track. I like it a lot coz it keeps surprising me, story-wise, and I find both leads likable. Like seriously, please don’t pull a Yong Pal on us, Show. Please. 😆
I tried REALLY hard to empathise with BoNui, I really did. Often times I found myself shaking my head in disapproval at the many nonsensical acts she carried out but I still decided that I should probably just cut her some slack as she was doing it as a sister who was trying desperately to save her younger sister’s life. However, all this empathy went out the window when in the final stretch, when Su Ho had that unfortunate accident, and BoNui just decided to flee (??) Basically, Su Ho is the “lucky” one for it was a minor accident and the car owner was decent enough to halt and make an effort to help him out while his girlfriend was busy taking a run for it and this just stood out to me as such a selfish act.
Also, none of the side plots ever kept me interested. Mainly these ones:
•Su Ho’s mom’s swoony eyes reaction to Chicken Ajusshi and the whole “birth mystery” cop out
•The lives of Gary or Amy (They had sooo much potential to add so much more to the story plus, they were good actors)
•BoNui’s boss or any of the comic relief he provided. I couldn’t laugh because all I felt for him was pity
The only subplot that kept me mildly entertained was the whole Dal Nim and Ryan gha romance. Even this failed to entertain me as I found the way they dealt with her virginity so cringey (Not to forget their conversations after they did end up together😕)
I must add that I was fairly satisfied with the ending. Maybe this was because the show was far from a master piece or unpredictable, I realised that this was better than I could have imagined. Plus, shout-out to BoRa because she is a cute human person and I find her interactions with Gary to be so cute (Some were going with the romance angle, but, I decided to go with the sibling-y one sided kid crush angle).
Cheers to Ryun Joo Yoon because if it weren’t for him, I would have probably given up on the show a loooong time ago 💓
Oh, I totally agree with you, Bunny! All the side plots never interested me much, and the thing about Mom and the Chicken Ahjusshi felt so randomly inserted and so poorly resolved. I felt like they left that arc just.. hanging, and then conveniently forgot it ever happened. I know they had a scene where Chicken Ahjusshi cleared the air with Dad, but that didn’t feel very robust to me. All the stuff with Bo Nui’s boss also felt quite pointless, even though Boss Won served as a narrative catalyst more than once. I just didn’t find him amusing, and even though I was mildly amused by Dal Nim’s loveline with Ryang Ha, I quickly got over that when things got too cringey for my taste.
I suppose a happy ending is better than a sad ending, but it all felt like a cop-out to me, since writer-nim didn’t bother to explain how we got from doom and gloom to happy ever after. Still, it was all worth it, for the Ryu Joon Yeol awesome. He totally was the reason I stayed with this one to the end. 😍
Zigackly! You are ferpectly right! (Um. Asterix and Obelix reference. In keeping with the geeky-out party that was Ryu Joon Yeol!)
Oh my I don’t know how you do it, but I like 99% of the time I am nodding furiously at your reviews. I gave this show a Webby… which means I fastforwarded through it, and skipped around in an organic fashion… and you guessed it, the only places where I did not apply the FFWD button were RJY’s scenes. He made the most of his long rangy frame, and if I had not seen him elsewhere before, I would have thought that this was his normal mode of moving. He out-KwangSoo-ed Kwang Soo!
And then he did romantic and I was like “WHAT? WHAT? Do that again!” Where did he pull that sexy side from and when can I see it in full glory again? For 16 eps instead of barely 16 seconds, please.
Tee hee! Very apt geeky reference, Webby dear! XD YAY that we feel so similarly about this show! And you’re Spot On, about Kwang Soo! He really does seem to channel Kwang Soo in the way he skulks and shuffles about! Which is amazing, since like you said, it really isn’t his normal mode of moving. And yet he makes it look so effortless and natural, like it’s TOTALLY his normal way of moving! The more I see of Ryu Joon Yeol, the more impressed I am. I legit swooned at the E10 kiss.. That quiet intensity and throaty gentleness; just so sensuous. Boy is a sexy beast, and I likey muchey indeed! <3 😉
“The bigger issue to me, though, was that the whole issue of Bo Nui’s bad luck seemed to have been poofed away without any explanation.” That was my thing as well. Why was she suddenly lucky? Just because her sister was ok? Makes no sense.
I would totally watch it again though, I enjoyed the cracky middle and Ryu Jun Yeol enough that I think it was worth watching overall
I know, right?? The entire bad luck thing just poofed away into nothingness. Which would’ve been fine if Show hadn’t spent all its time indicating strongly that the bad luck thing was real. If they’d just made it such that there wasn’t a lot of evidence to support her superstitions, the ending would make much more sense coz it would only require her to change her world view. Instead, after basically hinting very heavily that it was all real, it just.. stopped being real. Argh. That’s such a cop-out.
But, like you said, no regrets on this one, because the middle stretch really was cracky, and Ryu Joon Yeol is just <3 <3 <3