In France, there is this expression "brasser du vent" and I think this idiom fits this drama like a glove. All the characters do is talk but all this talking is just fruitless words.
Also the "plot twists" are obvious to the point that it's annoying (and let me tell you I'm usually a very gullible viewer).
The main problem however isn't the story itself but the characters, especially the main ones. When I first read the summary of the drama and of its three main characters, I was thrilled but then I watched the first episode and I felt betrayed. Where the hell were the characters I was rooting for? You know something is wrong when the main couple is the thing you despise the most about the drama and something was clearly wrong because from the start I was just waiting for the two to die and to stop annoying me with their presence on screen, hoping they would die sooner than later was actually the only thing that excited me about this drama. A white blank page would be more layered than these characters. Let's not forget that the writers kept trying to shove the male lead's greatness down my throat but they didn't bother showing me why. The writing was clearly not strong enough to carry the show on its own so why didn't the people behind the casting make a better job?
Overall the acting was rather good but the main two actors didn't fit their characters nor did they manage to make me -the viewer- care about them. On the contrary, even if I wanted to love the characters, everytime I saw the actors on my screen, I was plainly annoyed. Also there was not even a spark of chemistry between them. The leads should be able to carry a show but these two just dragged it down.
The soundtrack however is a little gem. It is a candy for the ears as well as perfectly fitting the mood -overall sad- of this drama. Song of the Sun and the Moon is definitely one of my favourite things about this drama, if not the only thing I truly enjoyed.
I don't think I will ever rewatch this drama, it was already painful enough watching it once, why even bother watching it twice? The only reason I see would be for "historical" purpose. And even that....meh.
I don't know if Conspiracy in the Court is overrated or if the romance prevented me from truly enjoying it but one thing is clear if you don't think Romeo & Juliet and Hamlet would be a great crossover, just don't watch it (I have to admit that I just can't stand the R&J vibes).
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I really liked the idea of the story. Girl has a huge crush on arrogant boy, a series of unfortunate events has the two families living together, and slowly arrogant boy sees the girl as his soul mate. A totally sweet and cute idea and I was pretty excited to see it. However, for me the execution of the story was lacking. I kept wanting to like it, kept wanting to have it move me, kept wanting more from the show. It just never got me in the feels.
Throughout the entire shore I saw little growth in the characters themselves, they remained as immature and aloof as they were when the show began. I wanted to see more development of Oh Ha Ni, there was so much they could have done to show her growing up. Yet she remained perpetually a child in actions and mentality. Then Baek Seung Jo never seemed to change, he began as a narcissistic and egotistical character and ended exactly the same. Once Baek Seung Jo admitted that he loved Oh Ha Ni he was as cold to her as he had been when he hated her. There was no warmth, no affection, and certainly no chemistry between them. For me the main couple totally fell short, and left me cool.
Even though the lead couple didn’t really meet my expectations, I loved the secondary couple. Bong Joon Gu and Chris were absolutely adorable! The moment she came into the noodle house and stared at Bong Joon Gu with that puppy love gaze I loved them. There was real emotion there and reaction. However, the bromance of the fathers Oh Ki Dong and Baek Soo Chang was amazing. Every time they had a scene together I loved it! They were just cute together and I wanted to see more of them. On top of that Oh Ha Ni’s relationship with her father, Oh Ki Dong was lovely. Their moments almost made up for the lack of feeling between Oh Ha Ni and Baek Seung Jo.
I also really enjoyed the big reveal kiss in the rain. Even though I didn’t care for the series as much as I wanted to, that kiss is in my top five best kisses. For that moment, for whatever reason, the leads made me believe that they were in love. I just wish that passion and fire had carried through to the episodes after the kiss.
Playful Kiss just dragged for me. If it were me now as opposed to six months ago I would have stopped watching and just moved on to something else. However, back then I felt guilty for not sticking with a show from beginning to end. But with full time work, a husband, and a rambunctious five year old I just don’t have the free time to commit to a show that doesn’t immediately capture my heart.
Noona's Rating
Overall: 7 (I rated this 3 stars on DramaFever.com)
Story/Writing: 7
Cast/Actors: 7
OST: 7
Sets/Costumes: 8
Feels: 6
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There were several things about What’s Up Fox that I really loved and a few that fell short for me. First, some more mature themes were mainstays throughout the drama. The main character, Go Byung Hee, is a reporter for an adult man’s magazine and writes erotic stories along side actual reports relevant to the male readers. The daydream scenes of her stories were hilarious. Because sensuality was such a main theme in the story it dealt with sex in a much more straightforward way than is typical in a Korean drama. It was refreshing.
The humorous moments were well placed throughout the show. It was funny without being over the top, and added in just when it was getting too serious. Being a Rom-Com, that’s part of the formula anyway, but I found myself enjoying the series more because of it. Additionally, there were very few instances that I felt the story progressed too slowly. The whole show moved along at a steady pace, never really very fast, but moving things along at a rate that I wasn’t bored with it.
The main couple was great together. Park Chul Soo took a little bit of time to admit his feelings, even after the big whoops of the first episode, but once he committed he was dedicated to wooing her. Just the way he looked at her was adorable, puppy love all the way. Chul Soo did his best to prove to Byung Hee that he was really in love with her, but she fought against the idea valiantly. It was great to watch her evolution, starting out seeing him as nothing more than a little brother to denial that she was attracted to him, and finally to accepting what her heart had been trying to tell her all along. Their chemistry was just right, the perfect amount of tension and playful banter.
Doctor Bae Hee Myung just never really felt all the strong to me. I understand that the character was written to be pretty low key and accepting, but as a part of a love triangle he just fell short. Doctor Bae never fought for Byung Hee, he never made an attempt to really tell her that he loved her. And on that note, he admitted that he didn’t feel love or want to feel love. He just wanted someone to live with, something comfortable and warm. Not the kind of talk that sweeps a girl off her feet. As far as a second male lead goes he just didn’t really make me pull for him. Perhaps I’m comparing Doctor Bae to other second male leads and that’s why he just seems lacking. But to me the other guy in the love triangle should be like Ji Hoo (Boys Over Flowers) or Kang Shin Woo (You’re Beautiful).
The side story of Go Jun Hee and Park Byung Gak was so much fun. They were just as strong as the main couple, for me anyway. Their love-hate relationship was hilarious. They were just as horrible to one another and then would turn around and be wonderfully sweet. As they grew closer and closer to one another I just couldn’t help but root for them even though they were seventeen years apart in age. It was just such a sweet love that formed between them.
As we all know I’m a sucker for a happy ending and What’s Up Fox had a satisfyingly happy ending. The stories were wrapped up well and the things I’d been hoping for through the whole show came to pass. I got the warm-fuzzies, and really that’s what I love at the end of the day. The ending didn’t have as much punch or fireworks as I wanted, and was just a little rushed I think. But even though they didn’t show as much sensuality and love as I wanted they left it open enough I could imagine. All in all this was a good time.
Noona's Rating
Overall: 7.6 (I rated this 4 stars on DramaFever.com)
Story/Writing: 8
Cast/Actors: 8
OST: 6
Sets/Costumes: 8
Feels: 8
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In my opinion this drama is an excellent choice to introduce the non-K Drama-believer to the world of K-Dramas. For me it made me hungry to know more about the culture of Korea, the language, and the story concepts used to tell this tale. Because of this drama I was introduced to some very basic concepts of the K-Drama scene. Chaebol, Eomeoni, OTP, OST, STP, Flowerboy, Sunbae, Wae/Wae-yo, Ya!, Second Male Lead Syndrome, and Oppa. As I watch more and more dramas I gather more and more terms and words to my knowledge base. I’m sure there are other really phenomenal choices for a person’s first drama, but I’m biased and really believe Boys Over Flowers is in the top three best choices to bring people into the fold.
I won’t summarize the story here, there are so many places and blogs which rehash and retell the store in its entirety. Instead, my goal is to talk about what I liked and disliked about the story itself. Hopefully help others to decide if Boys Over Flowers is for them.
Let’s start off by saying if you’re watching a drama for the eye-candy then Boys Over Flowers has it in abundance. All of the F4 are handsome Flowerboys. Each fulfilling a different character archetype. Goo Jun Pyo is the cold hearted Chaebol who torments and tortures others with a smirk. Yoon Ji Hoo is the tender hearted and warm second male lead with a smile that can melt your heart. So Yi Jung is the suave Casanova/Plyaboy who can charm the pants off anything. And Last but certainly not least is Song Woo Bin, the enforcer and smooth talker of the group who will defend his friends no matter what. Something for everyone that’s for sure.
Geum Jan Di is the poor, working class gal who finds herself wrapped up in the world of the excessively rich. She is stubborn, cheerful, hard working, and a bright light to her friends. For me she was amazing to watch. The story put her through the gamut of emotions and she still remained strong and true to her own morals. For me that was an amazing journey to witness.
I keep saying what I loved about this show, so I should add a few notes about what I didn’t like. Geum Jan Di’s family caused me no end of frustrations. The more I learn about the culture there and the image portrayed in their TV shows I can see where they were coming from. However, this poor noona just couldn’t get over the fact that they were pretty much trying to sell their daughter to a rich family for their own improvement. Plus the strained/strange relationship between the parents didn’t sit well with me. Because Jan Di was so hard working I really wanted to see a family that supported her and was happy at home. Lastly, it bothered me that the parents left the high school daughter in charge of her middle school brother and left to make money.
The Eomeoni, Jun Pyo’s mom, yeah I hated her so much. I understand the role she played and the way she created dramatic intensity in the story, however, she was a bit much. I wanted to see her part toned down a little, because then it would have been a little bit more believable.
This story introduced me to Second Male Lead Syndrome, I’m sure there are a ton of other names for it. But what it boils down to is that I loved Ji Hoo so much that by the end of the story my heart was broken and bleeding for him and his unrequited love. I hated that he didn’t get a happily ever after, it still bothers me to this day.
Other things that I loved about this show was the secondary love story between So Yi Jung and Cha Ga Eul. It was fun to watch Yi Jung grow as a man and to see Ga Eul slowly fall in love with him. The friendship that blossomed between Ji Hoo and Jan Di makes my heart all warm and fuzzy (as long as I don’t think about his unhappy ending). I loved how Goo Jun Hee (Goo Jun Pyo’s older sister) and Min Seo Hyun (Ji Hoo’s first love) protected and supported Jan Di. I also just loved the story. Angry, rich, spoiled, brat who slowly becomes a good man through his love for a woman he shouldn’t want. The acting was superb and writing amazing. Best of all, for me, it had a mostly happy ending. There were a few sad things which I wish could have turned out better for the characters I adore, but even with these road bumps the ending was happy and sweet.
Noona's Rating
Overall: 9 (Rated at 5 Stars on DramaFever.com)
Story/Writing: 9
Cast/Actors: 10
OST: 9
Sets/Costumes: 7
Feels: 10
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As with Boys Over Flowers it is difficult for me to look at City Hunter with an objective eye. And since this review is just my opinion anyway I’ll just gush over it as much as I want. I really enjoyed this one. Prior to K-Drama’s my usual genre of movie/show was action and adventure. So the fact that this is an action/spy based story line, well I fell in love even more. The basic story is South Korean Spec. Ops group is sent to North Korea by politicians, once there a deal is struck with the States and the South Korean politicians end the mission and hide any evidence of its existence. Then they kill off their own people, only one man survives. He then steals his friend’s baby and raises the child for one purpose, revenge. When the baby, now a man, returns to Korea he completes the revenge for the man who raised him.
I’m not even sure where to start because I loved everything. So I suppose I’ll start with Lee Min Ho. He did an amazing job. The character grows from a rambunctious teen to a young man with a purpose and he truly did a fantastic job showing that. Additionally, Lee Yoon Sung (Lee Min Ho’s character) is being asked to do some truly despicable things by the man who raised him. You can really see the pain Yoon Sung feels at disobeying the only man he’s ever known as family. And that pain only intensifies as Yoon Sung’s past comes to light. He really pulled me in and I felt his suffering with him.
Kim Na Na is my favorite female lead in any drama so far. So often when a ‘tough girl’ part is being cast the actress is not right for the part or just way over acts in order to appear strong. It can ruin a show when the ‘tough girl’ is trying too hard or not believable at all. Kim Na Na was just perfect. She was an excellent mix of strong and tough woman with vulnerable and soft. I truly believed that she could beat the snot out of anyone attempting to harm her charge (the president’s daughter). Though on the other hand when she’s home alone I believe that she just wants someone to lean on and make her feel safe too. Park Min Young did such a phenomenal job portraying Kim Na Na.
Sometimes the chemistry between the leads falls short, but not here. The main leads and their secondary counterparts just had the perfect mix of tension, aggression, attraction, and sensual interplay. Along with that, the supporting cast was perfect. I especially enjoyed Ahjussi, he added just the right amount of comic relief to a story that was intense.
Lee Jin Pyo, who went by Steve Lee when he returned to Korea, was the man who stole Yoon Sung and raised him. Oh I just loved to hate this man. He was so focused on his revenge and so set in his ways that he didn’t care what it was doing to Yoon Sung. He was an evil and horrid man who I hated with a passion. Yet, he’s my favorite villain to date. I loved him, he was so broken, but had such a strong will that he didn’t let his broken heart stop him. And then at the end he redeems himself and I loved him even more.
Additionally I really loved Yoon Sung’s City Hunter look. The face mask and the clothing he wore. It was simple and easily obtained which makes it realistic in the sense that anyone could have those items. He wasn’t wearing anything that was cumbersome or tacky just for the look. It was clean and simple and functional. Also, for me this is my favorite look of Lee Min Ho’s.
The only criticisms that I have are minor and really just a few nit-picking items. Yoon Sung is supposed to be a genius and the Blue House is very pleased to have him there. However, he just comes and goes whenever he wants without a word or a reason. I would assume that the Blue House is tightly guarded, scrutinized, and watched. It seemed a little improbable that he would have such free reign to do some of the things he did while there. Additionally, speaking of improbable. Being raised on a drug farm and then somehow managing to enter the US with valid identification to fabricate a past and go to school. I understand that with most action flicks you need to suspend your disbelief, but this just seemed like to much. Though I’m not sure what they could have done to make it a little more believable.
The last thing that I could possibly say as a negative was the fact that it felt like the characters were written to be particularly slow in figuring out who the City Hunter was. Yoon Sung didn’t exactly cover up his actions very well. I thought it would have been much better had they discovered his identity sooner and we could see the struggle they had in deciding what to do with the information. They had the epiphany too late in the series for my tastes.
However, even with those few small things this is definitely in my top three best dramas of all times. I would absolutely recommend it to anyone and will most definitely watch it again.
Noona's Rating
Overall: 9 (I rated this 5 stars on DramaFever.com)
Story/Writing: 9
Cast/Actors: 9
OST: 9
Sets/Costumes: 9
Feels: 9
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The best thing about this drama is Mike He! He is EVERYTHING!! I mean he is the prince, he is the pauper, he is evil and he is good. His work is incredible as two different characters and clearly uses different facial expressions for both. He played so well that I was secretly hoping for a He on He love scene (they can do that cant they??). During the last episode I fangirled out so much that got hoarse.
What was annoying was the emotional retardation of almost all of the characters. I understand that characters need to be developed but the writers put the starting place so low that there was no where to go but up. They put the female lead in one of the best fat suits I have seen in a drama, but her wrists and neck were still very thin. If you are fat don’t take what they say to heart because the call her all kinds of fat. The wardrobe person needs to be shot for this drama because everyone had ill fitting clothes and she/he had Mike He in the same clothes every episode (I was through with that blue jacket!).
All in all, this was a good watch- I fell off around episode 5 because the plot wasn’t moving fast enough for me; they didn’t bring the other Mike He into the fold till around ep10. The end was satisfying- all the ends were neat and there was so much Mike He.
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An excellent cast of supporting characters help bring the drama to life, as well as providing sub-plots for diversion. There are several faces you'll recognize from other dramas.
Serious classical musicians will recognize that the actors are not "really" playing the instruments, but actual musicians are used for background roles, which lends credibility. The drama features many popular classical music pieces and the OST is a nice compilation for a music collection.
This hidden gem in kdrama land is well worth the watch. It's a great choice for an original storyline or someone with an interest in classical music; as well as fans of Kim Myung Min and Jang Geun Suk.
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Plot: This drama really makes you empathize with the baddies......and lets you see the good in the bad, and the bad in the good. AND THE CORRUPTION WITH THE GOVERNMENT!! Many striking similarities to City Hunter, although both are vastly different in their own ways. The protagonist in this drama is the villain, so you find yourself really conflicted in supporting what's supposedly right vs what you want to be right. Just like mind vs heart i guess.
Cast: Was absolutely blown away by JKH's acting. One of korea's finest, and I say this with much conviction after watching 48793879847928 dramas. This is his first work that i've watched and thank god i've discovered his existence, As for Nam Gyuri (female protagonist) she didn't particularly impress me here although i do like her other works (e.g 49 days). I blame her character's lack of relevance though. And i am so in love with Jinsook and Soo, they were so so good... They have got to be my favorite characters (besides Doc's Son) in this drama. Jinsook is all i ever aspire to be - classy 24/7. The rest of the supporting cast were so good too! E.g safari ahjussi.
Ending could have been better IMO. However one major gripe i have about this drama is that they could have cut down to 18 episodes because there were so many fillers e.g about ji hyungmin's dad & that reporter girl - totally unnecessary, and these fillers disrupted the flow of the drama and made it draggy towards the end.
*** warning: the first 3-4 episodes are MAJORLY confusing, just take a deep breath and persevere through because it'll be worth it!! And reading recaps help too :)
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man i just loved this drama i started watchin this to wait for heirs but it turned out to be a every day habit the casts the acting the chemistry is just good. if u are havin one of those days where u have nothin to watch and want something to blow ur mind ill suggest u to just watch this!!
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Story- It was pretty much similar to the original, however they were changes made to the story (some which I enjoyed, and some I disliked). This drama's biggest flaw was possibly the length of the drama, it was a little too long for my taste. It was exciting for the first half, but then sizzled out towards the end.
Acting/Cast - No complaints for the acting. Everyone acted well given the script these actors were given.
Music - Honestly I don't remember any of the sound tracks, aside from the instrumental where problems arise.
Rewatch Value - Would I watch it again? Having watched both versions, No.
Overall it's a decent drama, you'll love it if having not watched the original.
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However, within the first episode I realized the lead was not what I had been sold on. She was dumb. And despite the description of the show saying how smart she was, I didn't think so. Maybe test smarts, but not the stuff that counts. As in worldly and can actually care about something outside of her own appearance. Towards the end of the show she definitely started showing some of the "smarts" that I wish could have flavored the show right from the beginning. For the majority of the show she's obsessed with her looks, and others, and is basically an air head. She was beyond annoying. It only added to my frustration as more and more characters saying how smart she is.
Now for the interesting plot. Oh, it was . . . in fact things got really . . . crazy. Which I loved! It's this crazy first love, new love, coming of age, fat to skinny, revenge, and mystery drama all rolled into one! The coming of age part is what took me by surprise since I had thought the leading lady was supposed to be older . . . and again more worldly. It was this craziness that kept me glued to my seat long after I realized I wanted to strangle the lead.
There were a number of aspects of Prosecutor Princess that I loved! However, the main character annoyed me for too long. She doesn't become real enough until the end of the show, and I know I could never-ever-ever rewatch this drama. It's one I wouldn't go out of my way to tell others to watch either. The positives are it made me laugh, gave me a few ahhhhh moments, and when it was good I thoroughly enjoyed myself.
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I like that it didn't focus on the romance between characters, rather it focused on the love between family members. This is a feel good drama for those who would like to see good looking guys going crazy over their child.
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The plot was great, somehow predictable... (but it didn't prevent to be hooked by the screen), the actors did a great job, the music was so fitting.
Love starting from revenge- i think it's the most passionate one.
While watching this drama all my emotions were mixed.
It's an absolutely MUST WATCH drama...
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