Meu Infeliz Namorado (2015)

So, first thing first, the synopsis is misleading. The guy takes the role of the Gary Sue character in place of the main girl and the whole point of the drama is the relationship between this innocent and naive flower boy (literally) with a woman that would do anything for her carreer. The premise sounds original enough and I considered it to be at least very good in the comedy department. I wasn't wrong. I have been following No Min Woo recently too and I was really excited to see him in a different role than the usual poker face'd one, as well as looking forward for another drama with Yang Jin Sung which I find to be an extremely good actress to be able to play a diversity of roles (note Bride of the Century).

The first episode was kind of awkward, but it was easy to get into it and follow it loyally till the few last episodes. The drama likes to play a lot on the contrast between Tae Woon and Ji Na which worked till up to episode 10 or so, however after that I felt like the plot started to drag out considerably. The tone of the show was not as colorful anymore and I found hard to feel for Tae Woon's situation. They started to pull out a lot of excuses and issues that were never actually a problem, also apologizing and taking blame for something that was not even in their power to stop and I really feel like episodes 12 and 13 were a complete waste of time. The story only got up to 7 for me because it attempted to be fresh and entertaining for most of the time, but in the end it just bit itself with it.

Character and cast wise, I feel like No Min Woo did a really good job. It was a new role for him that I think he handled perfectly, no matter how badly written Tae Woon might have been. However the rest of the characters tend to shine for a while and then bite themselves and going back to be simply "cliche'd troupes"; of the genre. Ji Na was a brilliant character that through the last few episodes just started to act like a dead fish, letting the people around her monologue their pains to her and she being completely ambigous about it. They turned an initially ambitious woman in a Marry Sue that can't tie two thoughts together and don't tell me that she had a reason for it because the drive and bluntness she had in the beginning couldn't have just jumped out the window. It was a complete waste of potential. Kang Hee Chul is also one of the strong points of the show in the beginning and safely stays as one till the last 10 minutes of the last episode, he completely took the spotlight from Tae Woon more than once, he was intriguing and I really liked his inner struggle between his feelings and his ambitions; a complex character that in the end just didn't deliver because of the "second main guy" barrier and because I guess the plot demanded him to. About Hye Mi, she also surprised me in a pleasant way, I didn't expect her to be that likeable and I feel it's the first time besides maybe Bride of the Century case that I really felt for her and I hoped she will get something good out of it all...but that too backlashed at her when she started to act too much like a pain and a badly used cliche. However the actors didn't disappoint. This drama actually made me curious in following Jung Yoon Hak. He wasn't perfect, but I find him to have a very fascinating charm that other actors miss.

Soundtrack wise it was...alright I guess. Average. Forgettable. I usually do pay attention to these things, so this time I really didn't feel like any of the songs stand out. Some were nice and funny, but that's really all.

You know? I really wanted to give this drama a 7 but in the end counting all overall problems that I had with it in the last 6 episodes, I just couldn't bring myself to. 7 is still a Good rating for me but it was more closer to Fine (6) due to its trying to be original and I chose to value that.

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Generally I will not write a review if there are 2 others posted; but I really liked Unfortunate Boyfriend, and no one has mentioned how hilarious it was. Yes, the premise is very different from the description, and yes, the first 2 eps are slow, but this drama was funny, cute and different.
The good: In at least 4 different episodes I had laughing fits, the uncomfortable nature of the comedy in the beginning had me literally rolling on the floor. How hot is No Min Woo? I needed a few more fanservice shots, but we have a topless No Min Woo, a wet No Min Woo and a guitar playing No Min Woo. No Min Woo was so believable, that I thought he was playing a mentally challenged adult. But No Min Woo is not the only actor that stood out, the whole supporting cast was really good with few exceptions. I felt as if every character in this story had some development, change or epiphany, and unlike many other dramas the change was so gradual, realistic and well planned. In real life every event or situation we encounter challenges our way of thinking and sometimes our mode of operation causing us to evaluate ourselves- I liked that the characters also went through the same. The ending was sweet, but it should have taken 2 more episodes to complete.
The Bad: The first episode turned me away from this drama because the main female lead appeared to be manipulative (but she wasn’t).The second male lead looked so old in some shots and I could not connect with his acting plus occasionally Yang JinSung’s face looked frozen (maybe it was the makeup used?).
I would really recommend this drama as a rom-com that is funny, a little raunchy, written for folks over 17, and No Min Woo stans . The story has a great message, a great cast and a really good ending. There are no evil mothers, spiteful ex-girlfriends, and the love triangle formed was so super weak that there was no real need to “fight” for love. I liked it give it 3 episodes and you will too!

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