Panda and Hedgehog (2012)

As I'm thinking about what to write, I remember talking to my husband about this drama one night and trying to break it down for him and it got a bit messy. I guess that's a fair description for this drama. It started out really cute, then the love triangle gets thrown in, complicated back stories arise and, at last, there's a dramatic turn of events once everything is revealed. The whole thing was just a bit messy. Halfway through I couldn't really figure out where this drama was trying to go. The story wasn't horrible, just could have been cleaned up a bit instead of going in a bunch of different directions.

I did like almost all of the characters, with the exception of Panda and Won Il's mom and step dad. I really liked the scenes between Hedgehog and Grandpa and Hedgehog and Won Il. I think it's the first time I really could care less about the actual love story and liked the bromance between the 2 male leads better. Some people have mentioned Donghae's acting. I didn't think it was bad at all and definitely improved throughout the drama.

I only gave the music a 6 just because I really didn't pay attention to most of it. The only songs I remember from the drama are Owl City's Good Time since it's a song I actually know haha. And they also had Gangnam Style in there which I thought was funny bc of all the hype that song is getting. But other than that, I don't remember.

Anyway, I liked it but didn't love it. Kept me interested enough to watch it every week but not to the point that I was sitting on the edge of my seat waiting for the next episode.

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Of the few dramas I have watched, Panda and Hedgehog was easily the most disappointing. It had such a strong premise and beginning, such cute characters and a storyline that just made you smile with every episode. In fact the happy feeling from the first 5 episodes is fairly reminiscent of the way To The Beautiful You made me feel.

Then they turned Pan Da into this annoying caricature of a woman, and started trying to throw in twists that were obvious from a mile away. I know there is a Korean term for it, but for me, this show just kept jumping the shark!

But enough negativity, since there really are some good things about this show that make it worth watching. Firstly, Won Yi. She made this show worth watching, she was so ridiculously adorable and over the top, I swear I have a minor crush on her! Also, Hedgehog's character was so fun to watch, even when the crap hit the proverbial fan. He was like the Energizer Bunny, not stopping for anything. His "1, 2, 3 Go!" was just adorable and watching his feelings develop (very quickly, I might add) for Pan Da just made you love him all the more.

The cast of supporting characters also really helped in making this a fun drama to watch. I will admit, I cried pretty hard towards the end, and I wouldn't have if it weren't for the amazing job the cast did with a sometimes ridiculous script.

If you are looking for something cute, fluffy and no where near groundbreaking or deep, then this is what you want!

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While glancing through the other reviews, I noticed that this drama didn't get a lot of good reviews. I thought it was really good. I watched it in two days. It is light and deep at the same time. Although I figured out the family dynamics pretty early on, I still enjoyed watching how it played out. If I have one complaint, then it is not seeing enough romantic time between Panda and Hedgehog. I can't post spoilers, but I could have watched an episode 17 with a celebration and some added romance. The ending seemed rushed, but it was good.

I enjoyed all of the actors in this drama. I had no idea that Donghae could act, but he did great. My favorite character is Oh Yi Na as Won Yi. I will be looking for more dramas with that actress.

The music was good.

I will probably rewatch this.

If you enjoy light romance with very little angst, then you would enjoy this drama

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Let me be the only one who really liked this drama! Surrounded by so many super melodramas, this was a refreshing relieve! The story was cute, the characters had their won special charm especially the bromance between Seung Ji and Won Il! It was truly the main relationship next to Hedgehog and Grandpa. Won Yi character, was absolutely charming and so, so fun! There was a period at Da Yang annoyed the hell out of me but eventually i just got used to her perkiness and ignored it. My only complaint was the ending. Felt it was rushed with a lot happening in a single hour. I will definitely be looking forward to some of e younger actors in the future. Dong Hae did a great job!

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Even with the lower rating it is not a bad drama just lacking- it was very cute and reminded me a bit of the tdrama Fondant Garden. However, the plot was not all that original so it was very predictable and some of the main characters lacked depth.

>What I liked: her childhood friend Won Il's sister was so funny and without her this drama would have been pretty boring and the pretty cakes. How PanDa reacted to finding out hedgehog's past. The ending was super cute

>What I didn't like: Pan Da Yang's character was boring, acted really stupid at times, and was just kind of flat. The plot was predictable and it annoyed me when they didn't get to the bottom of things until the end.

The acting: Pan Da Yan- soso acting and I really didn't care for her character. Hedgehog- *Excellent* acting. Won Il- acting was fine, but nothing spectacular. Eun Bi (Pan Da's Friend)- her acting was good for the character. Won Yi (Won Il's sister)- Excellent acting and I loved her character.

Music was fine for this drama, but nothing blew me out of the water. Rewatch value is ok since this is a good I'm bored and want some cuteness drama.

You may like this drama if you like the drama Fondant Garden, baking, cakes, cuteness, and love triangles.

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The only possible way to describe "Panda and Hedgehog" is that it's a mess. It's about 25% Cute, 75% wannabe-makjang and 25% of that butterfly song.
You know, the one that apparently had a deep and powerful story behind it?
Yeah. I don't know either.
That doesn't exactly mean that this drama was bad. Just... crazy.
The premise was cute and fun, with an adorable storyline that was just too cute for words.
And then you get revenge stories, birth secrets and amnesia.
Did I just step into "Nice Guy"? Or any other revenge drama?
And then the story switches back to cute with confessions and cupcakes.
Then back to makjang.
Cute.
Makjang.
I felt like this drama gave me whiplash. If it had stuck to the cute parts, then "Panda and Hedgehog" would have been a nice, but ultimately forgettable drama. If it had stuck to the makjang parts, then "Panda and Hedgehog" would have been a nice, but ultimately forgettable drama. Since it tried getting both, this became a mess of the most random things that confused me more than it entertained me.
Acting: The acting was okay, but there was a lot of eye candy *coughcough Donghae coughcough* so that didn't particularly hurt the story.
Music: Music was nice, fitting more with the "cute" part of the drama than the makjang part.
Rewatch value: I'd watch it for the cute. Not even going near the rest.
Overall: Let's hope this never happens again, shall we?

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This was defnitely a light and fluffy show. Nothing deep but lots of cute. The storyline was a bit confusing and pretty rushed towards the end, but the little character moments made up for it. I loved most of the characters. Pan Da Yang got on my nerves quite a bit, but everyone else was pretty good and I thought Won Yi and Seung Ji were really good. The show also had lots of good funny moments (especially bromance moments) and some surprisingly touching moments. And I loved all the cakes and desserts!

So, basically, even though I didn't really like the plot, the funny characters and tasty cakes kept me going. ^_^

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I've completed a drama after a long time and I feel bad rating it just a 7. The fact is I knew this drama wouldn't be great and it actually isn't. My sole reason for watching this meh of a drama was purely Lee Donghae. I think this drama is meant for only two kinds of people: one is the Donghae fangirls and the others are those who enjoy fluffy no-brainers.

The story is boring but the characters are very funny. This drama has some great LOL moments. However after episode 10, it is a complete snoozefest. I could go on till then because of the anticipation of how the leads would get together. When they did it was like the drama held no more appeal. There was hardly any to begin with in the first place. This is really the first time I ever watched a drama just for one actor, especially after knowing that it won't be great. I tend to be very choosy while watching but this time I couldn't resist because it was Donghae in a lead role. ;)

Panda's character was very annoying in the beginning but she sort of improved later on. Hedgehog was nothing great except to gawk at. I was blinded by his looks for most of the part, but as the episodes progressed I thought he did a good job of his character. He isn't that bad. Plus Donghae has naturally expressive eyes so he needn't act for the most part. At least that is how I feel. Apart from that the second lead was also annoying apart from his hilarious sister. She was the highlight was the whole drama and a true scene stealer.

The best part about the drama was probably in spite of mediocre writing an average cast, it was very heartwarming. Especially the relationship between Hedgehog and his Grandfather. I really loved that. And of course, those laughs in every episode certainly lifted up the whole mood. The characters in this drama were all like a big family and it was really nice to see that. These great moments save the whole drama from being terrible.

It definitely has no rewatch value and even the OST was forgettable. Only recommended for Donghae fans.

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I loved this show. This is the show that got me into kdramas in the first place.

The entire cast of characters, both main characters and supporting characters, are wonderful (except for Won Il's parents, obvs, and Dong Goo for the first half of the show) and I loved all of them. Won Yi is so fantastic and over the top. I once said that I would take a punch to the face for her, and then she would turn around and beat the daylights out of whomever had dared to hit me. She's such a gem. Beom Bo is another gem. A literal ball of sunshine and fluff that deserves your love and protection. I could go on and on about all of the supporting characters for days!

Our main group is great too. Won Il is a disaster but that's what's so endearing about him. He's awkward and trying too hard but his intentions are good, as is his caring heart. I've seen Jin Hyuk in several dramas and movies now and he's always so good in his roles, even when the roles are so vastly different from each other. Seung Ji is so spindly and defensive but you can see how much he cares, and kudos to Donghae for portraying that so well. I thought his feelings for Da Yang developed too fast, but that's a plot and script problem more than an acting one. Da Yang is actually the main character I had the most issue with. I appreciate that she tries very hard and is very Go Get 'Em and optimistic, but she annoyed me by complaining so much.

I cared more about the love story the longer the show went on, probably because I felt it appeared too suddenly, so I liked it more as I saw more evidence of their love rather than when I was simply told they loved each other. There were two relationships I was more invested in than the love story though, and those are

1) Won Il and Won Yi's brother-sister relationship, how they overcome that barrier in being step-siblings and would do anything for each other, and how realistic their interactions are to actual siblings
2) Seung Ji and Grandpa, who I would die for. This is the best relationship in the entire show, hands down. Grandpa and Seung Ji are precious, beautiful. They love each other so much, even without actual blood relation. They support each other and take care of each other, they know how each other's minds work and their smallest personality quirks. Ugh, I love them so much.

There's nothing astounding or groundbreaking about the plot. Some plot points you can see coming from a mile away or more. However, this show is my 'happy place.' If I've had a bad day, if I'm really stressed out, I can rewatch Panda and Hedgehog and be smiling within minutes. This show is very Feel Good for most of its run, lifting your spirits with the silly antics of its characters. And I liked how the more serious, dramatic aspects of the show presented themselves, never dragging the show down too far. Until the final episode or so at least, but by then you're expecting the shit to hit the fan.

The music gets a 7 because most of it is forgettable. However there were a few songs that were very touching and used very well. The ability to watch Seung Ji creates baking MAGIC every episode gets a 10 because that was absolutely fantastic!

Overall, I recommend this show to anyone looking for something lighthearted and cute, and a little bit nuts.

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There were a some way cute moments in the show, it's just most of them had little to do with the romance aspect of it. I really don't remember much regarding the romance parts but the bromances are another story. The relationships between Hedgehog and Grandpa and Hedgehog and Choi were absolutely the best, so very cute and so funny I just want to go back and re-watch those scenes again. The romance between Hedgehog and Panda left something to be desired for me but it was ok. The ending felt rushed and I thought it could have been better but the story was pretty good though mostly predictable. There were some very likeable characters in it including Choi's tomboy sister. The two males leads were very attractive so very easy on the eyes in that department. It also seemed to start some side stories and not really finish them which bothered me some but it was worth watching. I didn't watch it for the cakes but they were really great too.

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