Fabulos (2022)

Bite-sized, one day KDrama

The main reason that I watched this is because it's just 8-episodes and I feel like I need to watch full KDrama in a day and this fits perfectly into that category. To be honest, at first I am hesitant because I'm not into fashion thingy. I thought they'd be too technical that eventually I won't be able to relate but boy, I was wrong. Whether you have an interest in fashion or you're just a curious K-Drama lover, this series is still enjoyable.

While I'm not an expert, I feel like the artistry used in this is somehow realistic yet I feel like it's not exactly too detailed (and I'm guessing it's a lot much more different in real life) The friendship among these 4 people is also just amazing (another friendship that I wish I had) the romance part though is not so much entertaining for me. I don't feel any sparks within the main lead love line. (I honestly loved SeonHo with her new boyfriend more although they had limited screentime. His dedication to SeonHo is unmatched really. Then here we have main leads who don't know what they're doing. Even the love triangle trope is a meh.)

Overall, I'm glad I stuck around for this one until the end. Their stories are definitely fun to watch and seeing them giving their all to their profession is just inspiring. If you're looking for a series that is just light-hearted yet you don't have much time, I recommend this.

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A drama that feels incomplete at times

It has only 8 episodes and four characters to follow, maybe that is why everything feels so rushed. But even as I sat grinning from ear to ear as Woomin finally got the girl I still asked myself, was that it? I understand the characters and their motivations, and the story makes sense too, except a lot of things happen just because the lead character is the lead...and why do all the men like her so much? How is she considered intelligent and clever when she seems to mess up most of the time and always calls someone (Woomin) for help. Ye Seon Ho is jobless for most of the drama and you know only towards the end that she was one of the 'top' models in the industry...nice to know towards the end just how important she was. All in all, I did like the drama, its a good watch if you just want to pass time watching something fun and entertaining.

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Charming work-place drama in the fashion industry

It’s a charming little 8-episode series. There’s no strong plot, but instead you just follow the lives of this tight-knit group of friends. The main cast of the fabulous have great chemistry and are really charming that it really makes you want to root for them! The plot points focus strongly on the fashion industry so if that’s something that interests you, you might enjoy this one! This show kind of reminds me of the Bold Type or similar Freeform dramas. The music is catchy and suits the drama well to give the right atmosphere. I’ve added them to my playlist! It’s only 8 episodes so it’s a very low commitment show and easy binge if you were on the fence about watching it!

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Fancy, fashion and fabulous

The world of fashion is not a difficult world to showcase on screen. Fans of Devil Wears Prada know very well that what makes a show based on fashion a hit is not its glitter and pomp but the rawness of the character it shows. The strongest point of The Fabulous is it's fantastic storyline that tackles the most wonderful of ways for characters to develop, mature and yet never feel too tedious.

In its main leads, much like Devil Wears Prada, The Fabulous never misses to show the reality of what makes the world of fashion so fancy yet so difficult to tread inside: passion. The main characters are a mix bunch, a marketing agent, a photographer, a model and a designer yet all tied by the same threads of the hard work to pursue that they really wish. I think that is what makes them so "fabulous".

In a society that is still stringent about same sex relationships being publicly showcased, The Fabulous tackles queer relationships with a sensitivity and normalcy that I wished other dramas did. While you watch these special relationships blossom in their own way even though with very less dedicated screentime you still feel heavily for them.

And yet amidst all this, the glamour and the drama of the fashion is not lost. Watchers of Emily in Paris who love the drama of the show, need to watch Fabulous for an even better treatment of the world. Get ready to dazzle your eyes and often also feel deeply for these characters.

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Interesting and complicated yet very fun to watch

As many shawols like me only started this show for Minho’s fiery charisma and his visuals.
I entered the show with no idea what i was gonna watch. I was instantly hooked by the aggressive amd fast oaced start of the show in ep 1. The chemistry between the mains is indestructible. Every scene they’re together its just perfect. In my opinion is Joseph the hidden gem of this series. He makes every scene hes in enjoyable.
My only dislikes in this show has one of the most complicated and useless plot-streched romance story ive seen. The Nam-jin arc was in my opinion useless but a bit need for the drama.
Henry first arc was confusing at first but became wholesome at the end while mixing with the main romantic arc.
A most deserving arc of all was joseph appointment as creative director. Ive never been so happy for a fictional character getting a job.
The fabulous doesnt have any sad aspects to it but it still was able to make me cry. Seeing Joseph crying after devoting so much to his career and to be at the position he affected me emotionally. Ji-eun rejecting Woo-min and Woo-min crying made me cry aswell.

Overall this show was very enjoyable, wholesome and dramatic and i hope that itll get a season two. 9/10

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Insight for my generation

Admittedly I watched because of the promise of friendship revival among fashion industry workers. You do have to look that good all the time plus practice good manners if you're working in PR. It's hyperreal because we see callous celebrities and influencers continue to thrive when in fact rumors travel faster than light for those kind of antics. Fame won't take you places but lineage that corresponds with money does.

Having 4 main characters amidst an evolving love story between the 2 can be disorienting but this gang is solid! The approach to each character's back story may seem impractical but once we embody the "ride or die" motto, we're in for a treat.

I'd like to dub this a story of my generation particularly in Korean culture (in Korea itself as well as in ventures run by Korean elders). We're overworked. We try hard to let off steam by taking up whatever liberalism provide. We're not so numb, bored perhaps, but there's always wisdom around the corner to be thankful for. Thus, I think each character went through deep thinking mode when entering crisis. It's not shown nor mentioned but we know they do so everytime a change of mindset is present. Self developing insight is probable!

Lastly, watching a cis male designer with a hint of queer sexuality surrounded by love is never quite enough. However, I'm hopeful for off screen social change instead of asking for more visibility in an 8 episodes slice of life drama. That includes a social change where younger Korean workers can laugh cry express themselves, perhaps through living more passionately or from actually trying to understand our tendency in dating/mating?

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A MUST WATCH AND REWATCH

You can finish in one sitting and it deserves a rewatch. :) Characters are easy to love and very relatable. The characters are so real that I can imagine meeting people with the same attitud as Ji Eun, Woomin, Joseph and Seonho. TBH I watched the drama to support Minho but I totally fell in love with Seon ho's character. She's such a badass woman and knows what she wants! I also love the portrayal of Joseph and Seonho's supportive families! I also love the chemistry of the 4 leads and they made me believe that they really are true friends. My only problem about it is that some story lines weren't polished enough. That's why I gave the story 9.5 stars hoping that they can do a better execution if there will be a 2nd season.

All in all it is a very light drama with interesting sneak peaks about the fashion industry. Give it a watch!!

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(A swing and a miss)A shorter review

Story:(4.5) Yes fashion fans will have something to enjoy with this title and yes the first episode starts relatively well, but in my opinion it slowly falls off as the series progresses. This story has quite poor writing, leaving the viewer with lots of forgotten storylines and moments later on that simply don't pay off like they should because the show doesn't let the cast earn those moments in the latter half. A good example of a forgotten storyline is in the first episode, when Joseph kicks a model out, than that model then ruins the show by cutting the power. The viewer will wonder "is Josephs development going to follow the lines of learning compassion and empathy for others?", well no, its never really brought up again and he's never really portrayed as having that type of issue after the first ep, but the show never expresses that growth. Another example could be Ji Eun and Woo Min's relationship. They kind of portray Woo Min as a F boy in the beginning and never really show what's behind the scenes until Ji Eun is given his photo album of her 80% into the show. So up until that point, its hard to understand Woo Min's character or even Ji Eun for that matter. Why does she changes his mind so quickly and constantly? (Also thought it was weird and toxic how they never addressed Ji Eun cheating on her boyfriend, yet she's constantly perceived as a moral person). Last example is the perception of our main four cast members. We like them from the start because they are belittled and have a hard time from the top of fashion, but by the end they are all given tremendous opportunities without anyone really seeming like they had the backstory to earn it, other than Seon Ho. Overall this poor writing made moments feel flat and even cheesy at times when it had so much potential from the start.

Characters:(6) Out of the whole cast my main favorites were Joseph, Seon Ho, and Thierry. Joseph was the most interesting from the beginning with his personality and exaggerated responses to failure, but later I felt his actions start to lose there flavor as the show progresses and things began to work out for him. Seon Ho for me was my favorite character. She's pretty low key from the beginning but has the best development by the end of the show. Also her scenes where she stands up for people who cant protect themselves(even when its self destructive) come off so wholesome and honestly were the show stealers for me. Lastly Thierry was surprisingly good. The show constantly hammers in that the bosses of fashion are ruthless and that drives a similar expectation for Thierry. But this element coupled with Thierry's extravagant outbursts make him a truly unpredictable character. By the end of the show I still couldn't predict what he would do next, He was a rare character, but surprisingly well written. Aside from those three I wasn't too impressed, Soo Bin and Min Ho acted very well but I don't think they had much to work with in creating interesting characters.

Music:(7.5) No track in this show really blew me away, but they had subtle chimes and short moments of music throughout that helped bring some vibrancy to each scene as they transitioned.

Rewatch Value:(6.5) Like I said before I'm not a big fan of the writing here, but its a short show and if you like fashion it could definitely be easy to get thorough again for some.

Overall:(6.5) The show has some moments and aspects that make it stick out from other K-dramas but I found the writing to be a big anchor waying down the potential of this series. In my opinion the series felt like it was supposed to be 16 episodes but wasn't for some reason; its a decent watch at the beginning, but its issues begin to show as you bridge to the second half. Making the ending less than satisfying.

Thank you for taking the time to read my review. I hope you found it helpful, and have a great rest of your day!!

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The dynamic of the four is superb!

Checked out the drama for Minho and Soobin but stayed for the whole cast. It is a feel good drama with heartwarming scenes (Ji Woomin and Jieun's grandma scene, for example). Perfect drama to watch with your friends as the year is coming to its end. Can I just add? The dynamic of the four is superb. The drama was able to show the charms of the cast. I still can't believe Minho was able to walk the runway, run and play sports, sing and dance, dj, and be a photographer in one drama. Chae Soobin was fabulous, Park Heejung slayed and Lee Sangwoon-Esther tandem was one in a million. If ever there'll be a season 2, I'll definitely watch.

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Binged it in a day

Story:
Not gonna lie, the story is pretty predictable. However, I still liked it. The characters in the show were likeable; honestly, I wanted to see some of the side characters more (ahem Thiery! love his sassiness. This actor is super versatile!!)

Acting/Cast:
This cast is STACKED. Honestly never watched Seonho and Joseph appear on screen before (understandably so since this is Seonho's first drama) but the cast is HELLA STACKED. Looking at the cast, I knew there wasn't going to be an issue with bad acting. I love Chae Soobin so I may or may not be biased here but :)

Music:
I like Jo Yuri's OST A LOT. The OSTs were appropriately played throughout the series.

Rewatch value:
oh please, even though I just binged it, I don't mind rewatching it HAHA.

Overall:
The romance + friendship theme and the likeable characters made the show binge-able af. Plot and character development are present and honestly satisfying IMO! Give this show a try, I think it's a rom-com that's not too heavy on romance so it will be palatable even for people who don't usually like to watch romance dramas.

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