This show doesn't know if it wants to be a horse or a mule
It is rare to see foreigners in a k-drama. Even rarer for them to have major roles. This show is definitely ground breaking in that regard. However, it is also a bit of a two way bet as most of those actors are trying to be more Korean than the Korean actors. It was an odd feeling when you see them together all speaking (I assume near perfect Korean). Compounding this disorientation, the Korean students who were supposed to return after living aboard for years (hence why they are in the international dorm) showed little "foreignness". They hardly spoke a word of English and you can forget any slangs or idioms. So it is basically like watching an American school sit-com but in a Korean setting with a juxtaposition of faces but utterly Korean.
Now that's out of the way, on with the show, I mean review. The plots of the show are simplistic. Slice of life with some odd ball side characters and running gags. Some storylines are fairly topical for a k-drama, love, money, fame, beauty standard, etc. It works most of the time if you are not expecting anything deep and meaningful. Plot developments are telegraphed well in advance, no horrible twists but there is a darker undertone which was not resolved by the end of this season. I do find the laughing track overused and largely pointless.
Overacting is pretty much to be expected in a sit-com setting and some times the actor's inexperience does show but they tried their best.
It is odd to say this but I felt that I would have enjoyed it more if it was allowed to be a true sit-com set in an international dormitory in Korea. Where foreign students behave like, well, foreign students. Suffering cultural shock, committing faux pas and mangling Korean idioms. I fully understand that it will be a fine line between cutting humour and racist undertone but comedy only works if your audience are not confused. Now it just felt like they had a foot in each camp and is straddling a pool of muddy water.
Now that's out of the way, on with the show, I mean review. The plots of the show are simplistic. Slice of life with some odd ball side characters and running gags. Some storylines are fairly topical for a k-drama, love, money, fame, beauty standard, etc. It works most of the time if you are not expecting anything deep and meaningful. Plot developments are telegraphed well in advance, no horrible twists but there is a darker undertone which was not resolved by the end of this season. I do find the laughing track overused and largely pointless.
Overacting is pretty much to be expected in a sit-com setting and some times the actor's inexperience does show but they tried their best.
It is odd to say this but I felt that I would have enjoyed it more if it was allowed to be a true sit-com set in an international dormitory in Korea. Where foreign students behave like, well, foreign students. Suffering cultural shock, committing faux pas and mangling Korean idioms. I fully understand that it will be a fine line between cutting humour and racist undertone but comedy only works if your audience are not confused. Now it just felt like they had a foot in each camp and is straddling a pool of muddy water.
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