Reviews

i started watching this out of boredom and i'm glad i did. i really don't understand why this drama isn't more popular (compared to zenkai girl which i thought was kinda cliche)


things i loved:

-overlying theme 'man is not an island'.
saki gradually realizes that friendship is so important when chasing your dreams and that she doesn't have to bear that burden alone.

-comedic moments broke up the seriousness!
the michael jackson dancing scenes were great and seeing how a high strung ohitorisama type let's loose was cute and refreshing.

-great ensemble cast!
each of the characters struggle with expectations placed on them by society and family and what they really want to do. that internal conflict was very realistic (especially since i am very similar to the main character saki).

-lighting
this is an odd detail, but one of the first things i noticed about this drama was the use of natural lighting in saki's apartment. scenes that took place there aren't lit by artificial lights but solely by window light. it's an odd thing to notice but when dramatic scenes took place there, it gave the setting more of a warmer feel. it was a nice touch from the PD.

things i hated:
-too short! i'd love to see this get a special!

overall:
if you want a heart-warming comedy about an ohitorisama that breaks down her shell, this quirky comedy might be for you! definitely recommended!

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Story:

It starts out very annoying, and you will most probably find yourself annoyed with the main character Hyeri. You may even find yourself not wanting to continue....BUT fret not, because it really gets a lot better. The character development in this drama is what makes it such a great story. I would recommend you stick through this one till the end because overall it's worth the watch. It's really touching, and I really felt moved by the father/daughter relationship the main role had.

Acting:
The acting was amazing....obviously, because Park Shi Hoo was in it. He is one of my favorite actors because of how well he portrays how his character is feeling. You can see the pain in his eyes when Inwoo was having a hard time. Overall everyone did a great job in acting in this drama and I didn't feel disappointed at all with any of them.

Music:
I enjoyed the soundtrack and even found myself and my husband both singing, "GOODBYE! GOODBYE MY PRINCESS!" Every single time it came on, and he wasn't even watching the drama with me.

Rewatch:
I don't rewatch dramas normally, and if I were to watch this again I would probably just skip to the end.

Overall:
It's worth the watch, and if you love Park Shi Hoo like I do, you will NOT be disappointed and may even find yourself falling in love with him all over again.

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I was initially interested because of the way the princess was described in the synopsis - she doesn't want to marry and habitually escapes from the palace. Gotta love rebellious princesses :)

I thoroughly enjoyed this drama special. Oh Man Seok was perfect as the former police officer who becomes a "blockbuster" novelist with a fan club to rival today's idols. This is only the second drama I've seen him in; I enjoyed watching him in What's Up, but I came to love him in True Colors.

Loved that the royal family wasn't like your typical royal families in most saeguks. There was lots of tongue-in-cheek humor mixed with a few more serious beats. Being such a short drama, there wasn't any wasted scenes or unnecessary angst, and the ending was perfect for the tone of the drama. I definitely recommend watching this show.

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I am super torn on this drama. There were things, particularly the beginning of Ha Na and Joon's relationship, that were adorable and well done, and really captured the mixed emotions the two characters had for each other. There were other things, particularly In Ha and Yoon Hee's characters, that came off rather bland and personality-less. Overall it was a good drama. There are parts I still think about and inspire me.

To be clear, I think the actors/actresses cast do a very awesome job! I'm not sure if the bland personalities is a case of poor directing or poor writing. All characters do an excellent job creating their parents' young identities and also creating separate ones for their children.

The problem comes just after midway through the series. This is when I feel like this drama should just be called "Things I Should Have Said". With the miscommunication between all characters, and their turmoil-filled emotions, it becomes increasingly frustrating to watch, especially after 4-5 episodes in a row. In addition, some sub-plots were not developed enough, and some characters seemed like they are thrown in randomly. The only character with a lot of depth is Joon.

There was also this weird filming issue for a few episodes: a lot of random zooming in on things quickly that was both unnecessary and inconsistent with the filming of the rest of the series.

By the end I was exhausted watching the anti-climactic go-round. It seemed like the actors (or characters) were too. The passion and emotions shared between the characters became really anti-climactic as well, with a ton of just standing and hugging. If I had a drink every time characters hugged instead of kissed, I'd need to go to the hospital by the end of the series. Seriously. It seemed like this series could not decide if they wanted this aimed at a younger or mature audience.

While I would have loved a much grander ending (something that would have made up for the latter half of the show), the actual ending is more realistic, a better fit for the drama, and completely expresses what the characters ultimately want, namely for Joon.

It's got a wonderful soundtrack, awesome acting for the support they received and if you love a good drama filled love story, this is it. It's not that funny, so pack some tissues. It has a lot of beautiful scenes that make you actually want to travel to the scene locations.

P.S. If you are considering this drama because of Jang Keun-Suk, he does not disappoint.

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This was the first drama that I ended up not liking. I have seen this drama on countless best drama lists and it was written by the Hong sisters so I thought I would love it-I was very wrong. It starts out okay, a teenage boy and girl who don't like each other are forced to get married after the boy spends the night in the girl's room. This premise worked, I usually like cohabitation dramas. But after they graduate high school the drama became a frustrating mess. Another big issue I had with the show is that the only characters I liked were Mong Ryong's friend Ji Hyuk and his dad. Choon Hyang was initially portrayed to be a strong character but when it came to standing up for herself she was a total pushover. I hated Mong Ryong the most, he was such a stupid and irritating character. He spends far too much time with another woman while he's married and he gets angry with Choon Hyang for being cold to him. I didn't like him or the second male lead at all-I shipped Choon Hyang staying single. If the second male lead had been the least bit likable I would have shipped him like there's no tomorrow. But alas, he was a controlling jerk who tried to blackmail Choon Hyang into being with him. The last few episodes picked up and were decent but not enough to make up for the hours of annoyance that I had experienced. I liked the music a lot and I thought that the fact that she made jewelry was interesting. I wouldn't recommend this show unless you are trying to watch all the Hong sisters' dramas. There are far better ways to waste time than watching this. If this had been my first Asian drama then I don't think I would have ever watched another one.

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Wow 22 weeks has gone by and I still cant believe it took that long to finish this drama…

Story: Unpredictable like you won’t believe. Sure there’s cliché situations that may turn people off but dramas in general are a cliché. As long as you accept the things that happen then you will be able to enjoy it. My favorite thing about the story was the laughs. There were a ton of funny scenes and it was cool how they were sometimes used to offset the more dramatic scenes. One major thing I wish the writers focused more on was the lovelines. I’m all for switching lovelines but there has to be a point after halfway but well before the ending where the love lines are clear so the viewer can connect and understand why that happened. What I'm getting at is by the end you still have no idea who ends up with who until the last 5 minutes, which I felt made the ending feel rushed and sort of a letdown in a way. Don’t get me wrong, I am very happy with the way things turned out, its just the HOW I would have liked to seen. The story also could have benefited with a shorter episode count to make it less frustrating.

Acting/Cast: I had no idea who any of the actors were at first. But I was pleasantly surprised that the 4 main leads could actually act! Not only that, the 4 main leads all had chemistry, which made the switching of the loveliness very believable. I did think the two female actresses were stronger actingwise than the men. The supporting cast was a bit weaker and a lot of overacting (to be expected in T dramas) but I came to appreciate their characters.

Music: So another surprise is the fact I liked the OST. I just found it fit perfectly for this series and they played a lot of the same songs so they became memorable that I wanted to download it to my ipod.

Rewatch: I would like to watch this again for all the funny scenes and when I want to come back to these characters, but not for a few years just because it really does feel like a long drama.

Overall, you can really tell Love Forward tried to separate itself from other romcoms but there was plenty that could have been done better. Still, I found it one of the more enjoyable Taiwanese watches.

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Can't believe I am just now reviewing this! If you want to see a female in a seriously stupendous action role; this is for you! I was simply blown away with Han Groo; especially with the fact that this was her first role and she was so young! The acting; professionally done; the supporting cast; blew me away also. Kim Jung-Tae was tremendous in the role and made me a believer for the second time of his acting capability! If you have not seen this and warning, there is a lot of violence, this is for you!! Han Groo is now on my watch list of up and coming young actors! Excellent! Excellent! Excellent!

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I usually don't watch dramas that have anything to do with historical stuff simply because I tend to find them really boring, but for this drama it's a different story. I loved the fact that they go in the the future and that's when things start getting really funny, and I mean REALLY FUNNY! The romance between the two main characters was really touching and I could feel the bond between them.
I'm guilty of always predicting whats going to happen next and ruin it for myself but this drama was unpredictable, there was twists and turns that I really enjoyed.

WARNING I'M TELLING YOU THIS DRAMA WILL MAKE YOU LAUGH A LOT! :)

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I am just waiting for the last two episodes of this kdrama and it is very good for me because there are a lot of scenes that made me laugh because of the ignorance and the innocence of the male lead. But what made him lovable is his sincerity in everything that he does.
After some serious scene , expect to laugh if he is there.

The story is just right, not so melodramatic and of course the female lead is not OA nor lack in acting. But i wanted to praise her for being a great dresser, since she lost a lot of weight and with a pair of long legs. The showcase of a lot of pretty shoes and bags are really something, since the story revolved around shoes and fashion, they became realistic! but i really loved looking at the shoes and bags that the female lead is using!

Over all, it never bores me and I was able to finish it in one sitting that is why it is very good!

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Very touching way to remember the pain the nuclear bomb caused for many people.

The movie is a little bit like a documentation. It tries to connect the current neglect of the past by the young generation with the feelings and the pain of Hibakusha and the people who were influenced by the bombing.

This movie is a little bit like a memorial for the dead which should remember us to never do the same mistakes again. The message is clear: "No more (nuclear) war!"

The authentic acting is connected nicely with the sad story.

I like to see the differences between the historical Hiroshima city coulisses of 1945 and the real pictures of 2005. It generates hope to see that people can develop and reconstruct even among the hardest conditions and after feeling so much pain.

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When I think of this drama, the thing I remember most fondly is the music. Mary Stayed Out All Night has a KILLER soundtrack! This is truly the first drama I watched where:

A) I even noticed the music in a positive way, i.e., not thinking to myself, “I'm sick of hearing this song.”

B) Halfway through, went desperately searching for the entire O.S.T.

C) Found it and played it on repeat in my iPod for months.

The sweet and thoughtful “I Will Promise You” was the first song to grab hold of me. Jang Geun Suk’s gentle crooning over the playful, melodic acoustic guitar chords reminds me of waking up on a rainy Saturday morning. You know, the kind of morning where you get up slowly, make yourself a yummy breakfast and snuggle up in your favorite, most comfy pajamas for most of the day? Yeah, it totally took me there. And the upbeat and flirty “Hello Hello” is the song you play as you leave home on a bright and sunny morning, ready to seize the day and give it your best!

I found that all of the songs on the soundtrack took me to someplace, and they painted a vivid and wonderful background for the drama. Which is good, since the plotline for Mary tasks the characters with creating an O.S.T. for a fictional drama within the drama.

Now that I’ve waxed poetic about the music, I’ll move on the actual drama details. :)

This drama is like junk food. It’s the kind of drama you watch when you’re in the mood for something cute, but not necessarily ground-breaking or deep. It’s good when you want to watch some eye candy with brains and emotions; when you want to watch a youthful, fun drama with a decent plotline and fairly witty writing. You can’t walk into a drama like Mary with high expectations about character development, moral issues (but it is successful with regard to some of that), and dynamic plot twists and turns. You really just have to take it for what it is. Quirky and kind of cute.

The actors are very likeable in their roles and do a good job portraying their characters. Moon Geun Young is ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE in the character of Mary. It’s all I could do to resist putting her in my pocket. She and Jang Geun Suk have wonderful chemistry, despite the fact that they dress like homeless people. I chalked it up as being a part of their eccentric charm.

Geun Suk is a moody, stoic, slightly arrogant and detached rocker--a role he’s played before, I think--but he’s also pretty funny with good one-liners and shows growth as the drama progresses. Kim Jae Wook is the misunderstood and terribly awkward business man that also grows through the series. As I am someone who is commonly (and tragically) a lover of the secondary male lead over the primary, my heart went out to him.

The only warning and major dislike I have is that the parents in this drama drove me BANANAS. Their rationale for their actions was just absurd and outdated, frustrating me greatly. The thought of the parents alone have stopped me from re-watching this drama, unfortunately. If they weren’t so irrational, I’d rate this much higher for re-watch value.

The “re-watch” value for the music, however, is a 10, hands down!

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Just finish this underrated drama...and I'm happy I was able to watch it...why i liked this drama?

1.) The actors are good...The main lead actor may not be that good looking but he acted his role well...As well as Nakama Yukie...

2.) The story is interesting...every episode are well told and the story as a whole is brilliant, make their viewers puzzled. They executed well that important factor of a mystery-detective drama...Unlike some detective drama that the culprit is quite obvious..this one really makes your brain cracked on who is the biggest culprit behind all those happenings*but i guess it right..kekeke* and as you go on to the conclusion many cliffhanger awaits you.

3.) It has comedy, romance and mystery.

It might not be as great as some well-known, highest rated detective drama here..but it's worth watching.

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