She was pretty but that was NEVER the point

Okay, maybe that was the point in the first episode, but then it was not. I am a HUGE PSJ fan. I love love love him, he is the undeniable king of romantic comedy BUT, this drama was more of a miss for me. His character is cruel, hypocrite and even an elitist. The ML was a very unlikable character, the FL was the quintessential self sacrificing heroine. I was not a big fan of her caricature character and predictable journey of ugly duckling turning into a beautiful swan. I think there was a little redemption for me towards the end when she accepted her true self. She wasn't ugly, she was just broke

At some point, I thought that the FL and the SFL had a wonderful friendship, but boy I even did not get that. I do have major Second lead syndrome after watching this show. Siwon was delightful at times except when he was not ( his character was a certified lunatic).

The OST was not memorable, the production was decent, how it tends to be for newer shows. The story was dragged and maybe the last 6 episodes we not required. The side characters were not very memorable, but there were some good moments with them.

My takeaway from this show is the Siwon could be a great ML, he overshadowed PSJ at times and THAT is saying something as a PSJ fan.

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Revenge, an act of passion with a gratifying conclusion.

The fact that I ended up watching both parts in less than 24 hours is a testament to how compelling this drama is in its entirety. Part 2 picks up pace, tying multiple loose ends in that were sprinkled through the first part. The treatment of the storyline and characters is brilliant. While there is a lack of suspense throughout the show, in my opinion, that was never the point of it. The Glory of it is in the way things happen and the FL comes after her perpetrators guns blazing. While there are some interactions that could be considered as unnecessary buildups but they are few and can be forgiven easily. FL is surrounded by people who come ahead and help her throughout the course of the story depending on her to be courageous enough. There are also moments when she experiences kindness and humanity which she was devoid of as a child. These moments are heart wrenching, especially her seemingly non-existent relationship with her landlady.

The acting by the cast as a whole is marvelous. Song Hye Kyo portrays a believable vengeful FL supported by Lee Do Hyun who shines in his own right. Usually in other shows, when any main lead is dealing with such trauma, often their significant other is sidelined and ends up adding nothing to the main story. This show breaks away from that cliché and the ML becomes an essential factor for transpiring multiple events. Lee Do Hyun plays his complex character with grace and comes out as a mature actor capable of handling such storylines. I laughed at his carefreeness, I cried when he was struggling, for me, this was his best performance. Yum Hye Ran continues to be stunning in this part as well, you can't help but feel powerless in her situation. Lim Ji Yeon will really make you hate her character and that is a proof of how good she is. It is satisfying to watch her beloved castle of glass break. Even other actors have played their character to T and made this show what it is.

The show is also special because of the beautiful background score which really enhances the scenes. The cinematography is top notch with high production value. This season is, dare I say, better than the first one because you will see results of thing put into motion previously and that is very thrilling. The end is gratifying and as much as I like the show, I do not want there to be another season because that would only mean that the main leads are still struggling somewhere. I could probably watch a slice of life version of them together because they are so cute but I hope this will be the end of it and they finally got the peace they deserved.

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Light Rom Com with an Unconventional Heroine

The 'God of Romance' can't stand women and the FL punishes men by seducing them. The story is not new, the leads misunderstand each other, work together and fall for each other. Throw in a love contract and separation due to circumstances. However the situations created and the reaction of the cast to these situations is hilarious.
Kim Ok Bin is brilliant as a competent human being and Tae Yoo plays an effortless superstar. The leads have amazing chemistry. The second leads provide good support to the leads.
FL is fearless and independent fighting prejudices against women while being wary of men, ML on the other hand has had his fair share of bad luck with women and is literally repulsed by them.
It is refreshing to watch the FL beat the sh*t out of ML, there was no big moment of love, just the leads being extremely funny together and a delight to watch. Interesting contribution by SML to bromance, good friendship between the FL and SFL. This 10 episode drama is wholesome, funny and endearing. Welcoming more skinship in k dramas, and even more independent female leads.

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I am Team Yumi because let us all choose ourselves

The drama continues from the previous season with a new ML- Babi (GOT7's Jinyoung) who was introduced in the previous season. The conflict of choice between Woong (ML from Season 1) and Babi really keeps you on the edge. You absolutely cannot predict who Yumi is going to end up with because both are equal rivals with their own strengths and flaws. As a viewer, I was torn between the two and both Jinyoung and Ahn Bo Hyun played their roles to perfection. Although, Yumi as a character has her own flaws, Kim Go Eun's portrayal of Yumi was sublime. The drama is filled with fluffy moments, funny situations and excellent chemistry.
The story is interesting because of the cell village which is yet again, adorable. I really like that there were some aspects in grey area and left to the viewer to decide. Online forums are a testament to this which kept buzzing with speculations, observations and stans. The side characters make a bigger impact than previous season but yet again, cells take the center stage which works for the show. The show has it's moments of laughter, wholesomeness of being in love and the vulnerabilities that relationships bring to the table. It is also about Yumi's journey of taking a chance and finding herself in the process. Irrespective of whether she ends up with Woong or Babi, her choosing herself is what I always wanted. To some extent, that was fulfilled.
The production quality is excellent, the OST is delightful. I am truly waiting for another season and I will lose my mind if there is not a season 3 because there is enough material and sufficient potential.

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Good Potential Wasted by weak writing and horrible music choice.

ThIs drama had the potential to deal with mature themes of burnout, loneliness, career breaks, family and marital relationships. It started on a good note setting up the story in a manner where such themes could be delicately explored but it has fallen flat on that promise.
after 9 episodes, nothing happens, there is no significant progress in the story. The drama is filled with troupes which are done half heartedly.
I love the actors who play ML and FL individually, they have given some solid performances previously but this writing is extremely weak.
Even though I mostly like the casting, the lead pair lacks chemistry. THAT COULD ALSO BE Because of the lazy background score which is mismatched and not conveying the correct emotion. For example, in romantic scenes, there is Elevator music, in serious angsty scenes, there is again elevator music.
The SFL is amazing but her story has nothing to offer. There is unnecessary meaningless conflict and the story has no connection to the main plot - it's like watching a second boring drama inside a drama.
what a waste!!!!!

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Heartfelt watch with criminally miscast FL

Let me start with stating that I have nothing against Jeon De Yeon but she was simply not suitable for the role. The role required FL to be in her late twenties to early thirties but FL is 50 years old in real life. I was bewildered when someone in the drama mentioned how FL looks too young to be a high school student's mom (this is also a plot point) whereas she was definitely looing the part. She was styled horribly even for her character. There was zero chemistry between the ML and the FL and this for me was the biggest fault of this show. I just could not watch their scenes together, not because she was 11 years older to the ML but because that was not the story they were telling.

Jung Kyung Ho (ML) did a wonderful job. He was charismatic and funny but the romance was really meh. This show has such a delightful supporting cast, it was an entertaining ensemble of familiar faces from some of the most popular dramas of recent times. Props to Oh Eui Shik for playing a character on the autism spectrum, I was impressed with his portrayal. Roh Yoon Seo was terrific and I am sure she has big things in store for her. Even the younger support cast was lovely, I was low-key more interested in their dynamics than the main lead.

The story is a bit troupey but there has been an attempt to make it in the best possible way. This also means that there is no novelty in the plot and it is ridden with several sub-plots, some of which are not explored properly. It has a bit of suspense, trauma, drama , comedy and cringe-worthy romance. The music is forgettable, the production value is at par with the shows of current times.

TVN threw all their money on casting this show with popular names but did not consider testing the chemistry of the main leads and that will reflect throughout the show, I wish they went with some other FL and this show would have been better received.

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Melodrama trying to be funny

When you watch some dramas, you just question the judgement of the makers wondering why was this drama made the way it was and who allowed it to be aired. This drama could have ended in maybe 8 episodes, but it was dragged on unnecessarily becoming frustrating by the minute.
The story was not new, fake relationship with unbearable family and add some childhood trauma to it as well. The FL has to be the most flaky character in the history of K dramas. She was mostly undecided and often self-contradictory. The ML was your regular rich guy with a family the does not understand the concept of BOUNDRIES. There was water dumping, cat fight, faking illness, real illness, extra marital affairs, a web of misunderstandings, a really annoying mother-in-law , unwanted pregnancy, an ex lover (comedic relief) amongst other things. There were second leads who frankly never stood a chance. The side characters were annoying with repetitive dialogues and predictable deliveries.
However, if you ignore the complete ack of logic, the situations warranted a few laughs across the drama.
The production quality was alright, this is an old drama. The OST was unremarkable. This drama is skippable.

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Kim Woo Bin is Amazing and I am here for it

I was on the fence about watching this one considering I am not into melodrama and I generally go for light and breezy stuff. I somehow watched the first two episodes and while the story for me was too intense, I absolutely adored KWB. He is gorgeous and did a great job at being the angsty, sad, conflicted and sometimes cruel person his character is.

The story did not make sense at times, many characters made questionable and frustrating choices throughout the drama. However, the main leads worked for me together, their chemistry was great and they had adorable moments together. They were truly star crossed lovers and the actors played their part to perfection (yes, even Suzy).

The OST was beautiful, the cinematography carried the story-telling to some point. The side characters for me were a bit annoying. They lacked a certain depth and showed no significant development by the finale apart from the obvious change of hear that was bound to happen.

Overall, this one is a tear jerker and all those moments of brilliance and emotions belong to Kim Woo Bin, he was exceptional and carried this show on his back.

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So lame that it is probably okay (maybe just bearable)

From the very beginning, the story did not make any sense. It was ridden with cliches and over the top melodrama. The only good thing this drama had the offer was the chemistry between the lead pair. It has to be noted that the ML was veryyy possessive and borderline neurotic but maybe that is something people find cute in couples. But when together, the leads were undeniably adorable and worth shipping throughout the drama.
Stupid plotlines without much explanation were introduced and the leads, although pretty cute together, lacked any depth or intensity in their own right. Some aspects did not seemed well thought out, like, were they trying to tease a love triangle? Why did some scenes or some characters even exist if they were not lending anything to the story?
It was a light supposed rom-com with not much comedy. The side characters were unremarkable and annoying . Their interactions were boring and pretty skippable. The OST was not memorable and the show had okayish production value. It was an okay drama with zero rewatch value.

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I was not expecting to be Destroyed by the feels

I went into watching this as a pretty light high school rom-com with some angsty moments but boy I was taken a bit aback.

The story albeit usual, takes you through a visual journey of 1999 and hits all the sweet spots of being nostalgic in the right way. The phone booths, the pagers, the music, everything is an ode to that era. It has its funny moments, I found myself smiling ear to ear on these people and their situation. The pace of this movie is good.

Half-way through the movie, you'd feel there is a twist. The response to it is predictable on all ends and the ending overall is tinged with sadness.

The actors are delightful. Kim Yoo Jung and Beyon Woo Seok are a pleasure to watch. Rooh Yeon Seo is a believable bestie.

The production and cinematography was of high quality with decent music backing it up. It is definitely worth a re-watch.

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A very fluffy illustrated guide to your emotions

This show is first of it's kind because of the whole element of the cell village. The whole process of arriving at a decision is shown through various emotions living in the cell village and it is admittedly adorable. The show is fluffy and the ML and FL are definitely couple goals till they are not. It is definitely worth watching because of it's humor and romance. The casting is great, Kim Go Eun does justice to Yumi and Ahn Bo Hyun grows on you just like his character did on Yumi. Jinyoung is also cleverly placed in the story so you know that the now released sequel is not an after-thought. The show has some cute and funny moments which makes it worth watching.
The side characters were unremarkable, but their presence were never supposed to be highlighted. The cells were cute, the cell village makes this ordinary rom-com extra-ordinary. The concept and the process of decision making while absurd sometimes , is still refreshing .
The cinematography is great, the OST is good too and the overall production value is pretty high. The drama seems in sync with current times and that is enjoyable. It leaves you wanting for more and the good thing is, it is developed in a manner to have multiple installments.

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It was a journey that I am sure I will take again someday

I have nothing but praises for this drama. This may be the best of the lot, endearing and engulfing. I smiled throughout the show at beautiful bonds between the characters and bawled my eyes out when the occasion called for it. Every character was written with such depth and the million relationships that fluttered on this one street warmed my heart.

The drama was definitely long but was worth every minute spent on it. The FL was a trailblazer for me, not your regular damsel in distress, self sacrificing cliché. The writers were successful in delivering on the promise of a love triangle with equal contenders. I obviously have major second lead syndrome, but I also strongly feel that the FL and the ML were meant to be.

Subtle plot lines and brilliant performances made the story what it is, a masterpiece. The OST was beautiful, I was convinced that this show was shot in 1988, production was absolute perfection.

There is an elite list in my head of dramas that I am sure I will watch again in my lifetime, it is very short and very exclusive. Reply 88 has successfully etched itself there.

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Cliché Done Right

I was skeptical about this one because I knew it had some older graphics which are very obvious in the current times and really spoil the whole experience for me in general. However I was pleasantly surprised with how the show unfolded. It was light, breezy with a hint of melodrama, how these cliches tend to be. I LOVED Jun Ji hyun, both her performance and her character, it was the comic relief that I needed and actually laughed at her quirks. Kim Soo-hyun also grew on me over the course of the show but I would have been bored to death if it weren't for Song I (FML).

The epilogues were a nice touch and I really enjoyed them. The SML also actually played a role in taking the story forward which is kind of nice. Everyone else did a good job but I really did not care about them because the chemistry between the MLs was so good. There was nothing new in the story, but the delivery was funny and engaging. The melo was in check, just the right amount. I would have wanted to know more insight about the ML's life before he came to earth and not just his life on earth but even I know that is asking too much from a rom-com.

The OST is fantastic, the cinematography is good, considering this drama was released 9 years ago. This show has aged well and I can see myself watching it again after a couple of years.

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it's so funny that I laugh just thinking about it

This drama is hands down the funniest thing I’ve watched in ages—and I’m talking about content from four major languages! It’s crude, silly fun with top-tier acting. Every actor nails their role, but Lee Kwang Soo’s physical comedy? Pure gold! No one can pull it off like him. And let’s not forget Kim Mi Kyung—she’s my all-time favorite TV mom, and she’s absolutely hilarious here.

Of course, none of this would be possible without the razor-sharp writing. The success of comedy like this needs strong, clever writing at its core, and this show delivers. Even the extras with just one line absolutely crush it with their delivery and expressions. You can tell everyone involved brought their A-game.

All in all, it’s ridiculously funny, totally over-the-top, yet somehow still so endearing and impossible not to love!

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