Synopsis MRG:
Lee Dam is a university student who is known to fail at the art of love. Uninterested in dating she tends to scare off her pursuers with her blunt personality and her unrefined habits. Her friends, Do Jae In and Choi Soo Young love her and all her unrefined edges but hope she'll open up and find love. Then after a night of drinking she accidentally meets Shin Woo Yeo a 999 year old fox who has given up his dream of becoming a human. Things and people collide eventually making Lee Dam swallow Woo Yeo's fox bead. Needing to keep his bead well and his new hope in becoming human Lee Dam and Woo Yeo decide to move in together. This leads to a lot of hilarious and heartwarming moments margin this a story of love and hope.
Review MRG:
Hello dear reader, it has been a long while since I have posted a review but I have moved at least three times since and it's been a process. For someone who hates to move this is quite an ordeal hahaha. I just hadn't have the time to finish or write a review. I have so many things to write about. So many dramas have come and gone and so many are coming that I think I'm going to smoosh these two reviews together.
If you are a new reader let me explain how I rate my dramas. I rate my dramas on mainly two categories, storytelling, and direction. Under Storytelling, I take into account not just the acting, but the writing, and music as well. It is usually presented as a percentage. Under the category direction, I consider both editing and direction, editing counts for 2 points while direction counts for 3. It'll be out 5. I call them my sticky notes because that tends to be what I write my thoughts on when I'm watching.
Let me first begin with My Roommate is a Gumhio, I ran into this drama completely by chance. I was watching Doom at Your Service and desperate to find another because Doom at Your Service was just killing me. The review for that drama will be up soon. I gave this series a 9/10 for storytelling and a 4/5 for direction.
I loved the story and I enjoyed the acting but the main female lead tended to get on my nerves. I understand she is young and that young people tend to act stilly but there were moments where her childishness (the aegyo) would bother me especially when she's drunk. Then again, that is a cultural thing but I still don't enjoy seeing it on the screen.
I feel like the writer did the Second male lead dirty. I mean this poor man changed his whole demeanor and character for the better. I understand when you are interested in someone it matters if the other is interested in you. She clearly was interested for a while there and she had moments where that was evident. Yet the writer continued to keep this poor boy on a string (literally) and tortured him. I don't enjoy that kind of writing, no jam. It's cruel.
Also, in the end seemed to just come abruptly. I feel like they could have embellished a little on the two friends love lives. We get little snippets here and there and was hoping for more in the last episode but they spent so long showing Lee Dam in turmoil that the side character's were smooshed into short moments at the end of the series. They did the female Gumiho wrong in that regard.
I really enjoyed the dynamic in the second female lead and the male lead. Normally, the second female lead will be madly in love with the male lead and do dirty little tricks to keep the main leads apart, but in this series it was different. She loved the male lead but more in a platonic way and helped the main lead with his relationship with her many times. I loved their brother and sister banter and how they were completely uninhibited with each other. It was refreshing to see.
Synopsis MMH:
Na Young Won is a woman in her 30's down on her luck. She has worked hard her whole life but never seems to find herself in a place she can relax and call home. She has been kicked out of rentals and scared out of others. She then meets business minded Yoo Ja Sung who's obsession in making money and incredible savvy in real estate both impress and annoy her. She can't ignore his knowledge in real estate but she can barely stand his prickly and precise personality.
Review MMH:
What to say about this drama, well, I like it. However, there are many things that bother me about it. My sticky notes say it's a 8.7/10 for storytelling and a 4/5 for direction. For starters the Male Lead's personality. I understand they wanted him to come off cold like a computer, but I feel dramas have moved past this drama cliché already. I like how the director shows his little bit of humanity through his facial expressions. As an actor Kim Ji Suk does this well and the director is good at exposing those little moments. Still writernim, find another way to make a man businesslike but not a humanoid void of all emotion. Then when the relationship between the leads begin I feel the character does a whole 180. I'm none too sure I like it, I feel it's a bit of a discrepancy on the writer's bit, but the character needed that growth. I just feel like it happens a little too sudden. There's very progression on Yoo Ja Sung's growth before their relationship begins but then once they get together he goes into hyperdrive, almost like two different character's. That isn't on the fault of the actor but the director and writer.
Na Young Won is not the most memorable character and her actress not the best I've ever seen, but she plays the kind soft hearted, but hard working character off well. There are moments when she is an utter doormat but there are other's when she displays great strength. The doormat parts drive me up a wall (I literally roll my eyes at the screen) and I understand her character is supposed to be sweet, demure, and good, a complete cutie but there are times when enough is enough.
The love story is a cute and steady. It does take a while for it to happen due to one of the character's being in self-denial but once it begins it's quite cute. Both character's desire to be together is heartwarming and beautiful. I love she shows an interest in his business and likes to help him while he likewise tries to better his relationships with others around them (i.e. her friends). I also appreciate that there is no misunderstandings when one of them acts like a total ass in order not to raise suspicion about their romance. It's funny, sets that bit of unexpected expectation and gives the audience something interesting to watch.
Anyway, that is my take on both dramas. I enjoyed the series' well and binged watched a few episodes even. No drama is perfect and these are no exception but they are both hilarious and enjoyable. Perhaps they can be something you enjoy dear reader. If you haven't enjoyed them already. I tried to make these reviews more concise than my usual which means there's not as much explanation for my sticky note scores. If you would like more explanation let me know I'd be happy to respond. Anywho, please let me know your opinions and comments down below!