Another OLD drama to review ‘coz frankly, im quite out-of-touch with the newer dramas these days. That shouldn’t be too much of a problem since it’s a drama that is worth the watch^^
A May-December affair that started with an accident. No, its not the kind of accident you have in mind but more like those that happens when one is in a drunken stupor and the other has a bad case of raging hormones^^ anyway, what made it exiciting is that it is the woman who is older in this case and the guy just happens to be the dongsaeng(younger sibling) of her feisty bestfriend. Should I also add that SHE and her best friend have been friends for sooo long that SHE was even there when HE was born? So for them to get together is almost incestuous isn’t it? And yet, I wasn’t put off by it, nor did I feel scandalized while watching it… not the tiniest bit repulsed by it actually***oh my, when you read further you'll discover i spoke too soon*** In fact, I was most of the time tickled pink by their struggles and was rooting for them to get together even if common sense and social norms dictates that she’s better off with the other guy. Haay, that other guy is afflicted with the “nice guy syndrome”, in the end, their kind never gets the girl T__T
The SHE/HER in this case is Ko Hyun Jung as Ko Byung Hee and the HE/HIM/HIS is Chun Jung Myung as Park Chul Su. So, to make it a little bit easier for me to do this review, lemme continue to refer to them as SHE and HE. No worries, I’ll make sure you will not be lost in the process^^
I was so sure that “the second look”, or is it “an afterthought” they both gave each other… SHE, when she first met the busty secretary in his workplace and HE, when the doctor picked her up in his garage, is quite meaningful and the start of trouble, the kind of trouble that makes life more exciting^^ but, I was wrong. In HIS case trouble started when… shhhh, I better zip it with the spoilers. there’s also this very important fact that both of them have in common that I wouldn’t reveal in this review ‘coz I wouldn’t want to take away some of the pleasure and excitement it will give you when you discover it yourself.
HE is sooo kyopta(cute) in episode 7, in that motorbike accident scene and she was overly worried and again a little later when they were having ramyun(noodles), OhMyGod, he was dashing and handsome in Cinderella Sister BUT he is sooo adorable here with a capital A specially when HE is in a jealous/sulky mood! didn’t I just almost fell off my chair when He sooo bravely and defiantly declared “this is the woman I love” to his supposedly busty girlfriend, I was thinking… I have never been attracted to guys younger than me, much less 9 years younger than me and yet I would absolutely understand why some women would feel flattered and loose their heads if they are confronted with these type of guys… YES, I totally get it ^^
After a few days of sulking… feeling s*ht and down and depressed after being rejected… HE came out of his room and even shared a few light moments with his “noona”. You’d think he realized, him and his noona, its not gonna happen and that it’s the start of the healing process for him… well, this is a drama ladies and gentlemen so… of course its not that easy and simple! Not by a long shot! You know how young people are, they are stubborn, they think using their overactive hormones instead of their brains. And of course I’m glad HE didn’t give up, otherwise i wouldn’t be able to see that scene when he drove his motorbike beside the car SHE was riding… aaahhh, sometimes, I really have to hand it to these Korean drama directors/writers, they can make your heart flutter with the most cheesiest scenes such as that one and there are tons of those kind of scenes here ^^ well, not unless you’re the conservative/prude type, then you would most probably be repulsed and disgusted by those scene… if its any consolation, SHE didn’t give in easily. SHE tried and tried and tried to talk some sense into him and avoided HIM and discouraged HIM… really, SHE tried everything and yet in the end, he wore her down specially after reading “the letter”… SHE lost her battle… I’ve heard this uttered before on boob tube by a very sweet and pretty celebrity who openly displayed her affection every night on primetime TV to a guy who is NOT her acknowledged celebrity boyfriend(she has one)… “its hard to battle with one’s emotions”.
Is it just me or was the excitement and fun in watching this drama diminished when they started hooking up? There is this "something" there that I could only describe as an “awkward sweetness” that is to a certain degree, somewhat difficult to watch, at least for me. Was it just my prudish side that is rearing its ugly head? It was ok when it was just HIM that’s going gaga over HER but when SHE started liking HIM for real and SHE acts cutesy and flirty towards HIM, I felt a bit uneasy and disconcerted. The 9 year age gap is not the problem with me … Its just that I cant get over the fact that HE is practically HER younger brother and when they start to make out… hmmm, while I have often aknowledged that I can be quite shallow, I guess I also have to aknowledge that in all my liberal mindedness, some parts of me is still “old school”.
If there’s one thing I truly appreciate here, it’s the fresh faces of the the leads. Although, forgive for saying this ‘coz its only a strong “feeling” on my part, and I wouldn’t exactly bet my lifetime savings on it BUT I suspect that the female lead has some work done on her nose bridge. It’s ok though, I wasn’t overly distracted by it, I was just happy to gaze at her make-up free face in almost the entirety of the drama. What can I say, it adds credibility in their acting and of course it helps that the two leads are legitimate actors to begin with and not some heavily made up idol who instantly become lead actors by virtue of their being in an influential management company!!!
I’ve already written extensively about this drama so I’ll be brief in my general assessment:
The Story and the Script: a very good story with a well-written script that challenge our sensibilities that could open an intelligent and interesting debate.
The Director: the general direction and fluidity of the story was paced like your average kdrama… which is most of the time, not too great but also not bad. Im sorry but I just have to mention that using the “Romeo and Juliet” theme song is a bit too much don’t you think??? Are you now trying to compare these two to the most famous star-crossed lovers of all time??? Are you kidding me :D :D :D
The Actors and Characters: I’ve already gushed and swoon over the male lead so you know what I think of HIM and his acting. I was sooo in love with HIS devil-may-care character, reminds me a bit of Ethan Hawke in “Reality Bites”^^ SHE is just as good, although not as cute as HIM. Very solid characterization and acting on both leads and on the ensemble cast. I was quite floored by the ahjusshi… the Fashion House president.
The Eye and Ear Candy: I cant remember any outstanding cinematography or any scenic shots and or songs that continuously rung in my ears after watching. Well, I know there is this one song, the love theme I presume that was also I presume sung by the male lead. But what the heck, I must confess, I cant fully appreciate music I do not understand.
The Ending: realistic but probably unsatisfying for fangirls… and boys^^
