The Woman Who Still Wants to Marry

The Woman Who Still Wants to Marry

6.5/10

The Woman Who Still Wants to Marry

Genre:                                Episodes: 16                          Year: 2010

Romance

Comedy

Synopsis:

Lee Shin Young is a reporter whose fiancé dumped her once she decided to go oversees to pursue her career. Years later Shin Young is back in Korea and has remained single. At the age of 34, she fears that she will never get married. She reconnects with an old school friend, Jung Da Jung, who is also 34 and desperate to get married. The two women often seek advice from their friend Kim Boo Ki, a successful woman who ended her 10 year relationship to find her own happiness. 

Cast:

Park Jin Hee (Lee Shin Young)

Kim Bum (Ha Min Jae)

Uhm Ji Won (Jung Da Jung)

Wang Bit Na (Kim Boo Ki)

Lee Pil Mo (Yoon Sang Woo)

Choi Cheol Ho (Na Ban Seok)

Park Ji Young (Choi Sang Mi)

General Thoughts:

This drama came so close to being really, really good, but then started to fall apart in the later stages (but more on that later). The cast and characters were all pretty delightful, and the first half of the series was loaded with laughs.

Slapstick humour done right

Park Jin Hee did a good job as our heroine acting out some rather ridiculous scenes, and had great chemistry with the other actresses. Kim Bum was just all kinds of delightful, and it’s almost worth watching the show just for him alone. He’s been great in previous roles, but the character of Min Jae just seemed to fit him perfectly- the right amount of charisma, mischief and charm to bring an absolutely gorgeous hero to life.

Kim Bum was just SO perfect. SWOOOOON

However, despite how wonderful the leads were separately, the chemistry between the two wasn’t all that great. Sometimes the vibe between the leads was really strong and emotional, but there were also times that they felt awkward around each other. The chemistry was best during more serious scenes, with some of the lighthearted interactions coming across a touch forced.

Flirting > Dating

Sure, similar lighthearted scenes were cute and fun at the start of the series when Min Jae was flirting and Shin Young was responding while still keeping a barrier between them, but these same sort of scenes seemed childish and put-on once the two started dating. Most often it was conversations between the two that ended in giggling that felt most awkward. But considering how much time the show spent on the love story between Shin Young and Min Jae, the two actually had very few scenes that required killer chemistry, so it was pretty easy to overlook some of the uneasiness between the leads. On the other hand, the chemistry between the three ladies was just killer. There was a beautiful vibe between the three, and they could bring in humour and annoyance without ever making the love shared between the friends appear any less. Even when the girls had disagreements or got annoyed with each other, there was always a deep sense of love and loyalty between them. I wish that the boys had maybe been given a bit more screen time to develop their relationships, because as it was it was quite easy to forget that Min Jae and Ban Seok were extremely close. And poor Sung Woo just didn’t seem to have any friends at all.

All Sang Woo has in an ex who doesn't want to know him

The crossed relationships were really such a hoot too. It was all a bit unfortunate (for the characters) how tangled everything was getting, but for us it just meant an amazing amount of awkward. The writers did a great job at choosing when to make the situations funny and when to make them emotional. The same situation could often be played for either laughs or drama, and the writers just nailed which direction to go.

Sweet yet substantial

I never thought that humour was being added in a scene that could have done without it, or that a light situation was being taken too seriously. The drama just hit that nice sweet spot of being a fun, fluffy drama that had just the right amount of depth. All the characters were developed beautifully (except Boo Ki, cuz what do you do when you’re already perfect). Almost all of our characters were given a chance to grow and mature and were in completely different states of mind at the end of the drama than they were at the start. Our hero goes from an uncommitted playboy to a devoted boyfriend and our heroine figures out that marriage isn’t the most important thing in life. The drama also didn't drag conflicts out for too long, which can often be the case for dramas that have no other conflict than the relationship between the leads. Many times I was expecting a situation or a misunderstanding to be drawn out in order to up the angst and get through more episodes, but I was happily surprised when that didn’t happen. For most of the show’s run, it’s characters communicated effectively, and never held onto grudges longer than was necessary. It kept the characters as interesting and relatable, and ensured they never tried the audiences’ patience (mostly).

Conflict → Tension → Resolution → New Conflict

Conflicts were resolved in a precise and snappy manner, meaning that we could quickly move onto the next segment of the drama, satisfied that the previous conflict was fully resolved. Being 7 years old the drama did feel a tad dated at times, but that’s to be expected- K-Drama has come a long way in recent years. Sometimes the editing techniques felt a bit old or the soundtrack felt a bit out of touch, but as the whole drama fit the same tone it wasn’t too jarring.

What Was Great:

Gal Pals:

Perhaps it’s because it happens so much less than bromances, but I absolutely adore really solid female friendships in K-Drama.

So much fabulousness 

And boy were these girls solid. Despite having three completely different personalities and wanting completely different things in their lives, the three women got along splendidly and were always fun to watch. Having the women be so close gave the viewers opportunities to understand their minds that you just don’t get in dramas that don’t have these type of friendships. Rather than being left wondering why the heroine was doing what she was doing, we were right in on her thought processes as she almost always spoke to her friends about it. And this was true for Da Jung as well as Shin Young. Without this insider knowledge to her actions, Da Jung was highly likely to become a dislikable character (because she is just a touch crazy). But instead we are exposed to her fears and vulnerabilities through these late night girl gossip sessions, ensuring that she remains sweet and likeable, even if she is still a little naive and crazy. I also loved how the show didn’t feel the need to give all three of the girls a love line, and that Boo Ki remained single and confident from start to finish.

Not Just Fluff:

This drama actually had far more substance to it than I was initially expecting. Usually dramas that aim to be light and fun tend to skimp on the more emotional, in-depth aspects of its characters and plot, but here the drama was more than happy to explore some deeper aspects. The noona romance was cute and fun, but the show was always ready to remind us that there were some pretty hard factors to deal with as well.

Cute but not without consequences

While Shin Young wants to get married quickly, once she starts dating a young guy that dream pretty much flies away. It’s an interesting point that not a lot of other noona romances actually deal with as their heroines tend to be work focused (‘I Hear Your Voice’), not looking for romance (‘Hello My Teacher’) or totally prepared to marry a guy that’s just way too young for marriage (‘High School King of Savvy’).

That grey hair is one of the worst K-Drama fashions I've ever seen

It’s a look in on the sort of sacrifice that older women have to make when they choose to date a guy that is that much younger than them. Because she decided to stay with Min Jae, Shin Young has to accept that she might not get married until she’s 40- and even then it’s not a guarantee as she and Min Jae might break up before then. The drama really explored just how much Shin Young was willing to risk for a chance to make things work with Min Jae. Because as much as it’s ridiculous and as mad as it makes me- men tend to not really want to date/marry a woman who is still single by 40. Another conflict that was often raising its head was the idea of work vs relationship. This played a part in not only the main romance but the side romance as well. Shin Young has already given up one relationship to pursue her career, and she is well aware of what that lost her the first time. It’s wonderful to see her make the same choice again, as she is fully aware of what the consequences of that choice are. Yet despite the fear and uncertainty, Shin Young still decides to do what it is she really wants, even if it means giving up something important. Similarly, Da Jung struggles to balance her working life and her home life. Unlike Shin Young, Da Jung has never really had to make a choice between her relationship and work, but it often became a problem in her marriage to Ban Seok.

Marriage isn't just weddings and honeymoons

We see Ban Seok’s father telling her than Ban Seok’s wife won’t even need to work, and Da Jung’s big conflict comes as a result of wanting to study and work rather than spending time with her in-laws. So while the drama was very fun and extremely enjoyable, it also didn’t shy away from commenting on some pretty heavy social issues that our main trio of ladies had to face, meaning that the drama remained memorable rather than just fading away like many other fluff dramas.

What Wasn’t:

Unresolved Issues:

Oh my golly goodness this drove me nuts and is ultimately where the show lost my love. The drama introduces all these really interesting, thought provoking conflicts and then just…ignores them.

Why did you have to let me down show?

It felt like the drama was gearing up for some pretty big explosions, but instead it just fizzles out. Da Jung encounters some extreme unhappiness in her new marriage which is awesome. Not awesome for her, but awesome for us viewers who get to see some of the downsides to Da Jung’s choice to rush headfirst into marriage with this man she barely knows.

All this angst for no real payoff

He meets all her criteria, but still isn’t the ‘perfect’ man, and she suffers a hard whack of reality. It felt like all this time we were waiting for Da Jung to stand up to her husband, say what she was feeling and then either choose to work together to solve their issues or walk away. But instead she only half-heartedly tells Ban Seok what the issue is and fails to really do anything about their disagreements. Then she falls pregnant and Ban Seok decides that he’ll just do whatever his wife wants. It was a pretty unsatisfactory resolution for the only really conflict that Da Jung has to face all series long. It doesn’t give off the feeling that the couple has the foundation for a strong marriage or that they’ll be able to work though issues together in the future. Instead it kind of feels like they're walking into an unhappy marriage that will turn them both bitter, but the writers didn’t want to go there so they tried tying things up with a big happy bow. Only I’m not buying it. Then all these issues that the drama brought up in the last few episodes between the main couple are just ignored. There’s no real thought given to how the two will cope with Min Jae’s mother’s partner being Shin Young’s ex-fiancé. Or to any of their other issues. Love conquers all. Which is fine for a fluff drama, but I was really expecting something a lot more substantial from this drama.

Aw, look at you just ignoring all your issues

Another thing that annoyed me was that all series long Min Jae never really had any consequences for his actions. Each time he wronged Shin Young he got off extremely lightly. I mean, he makes fun of her age in the middle of an apology so he dyes his hair grey and that apparently makes everything better?

I know he's super cute and all but please let him know he's being an ass

As it was early on in the series I could let it slide, but when it really annoyed me is when Min Jae stood Shin Young up for their last dinner to hang out with friends after Shin Young has given up hanging out with her friends to meet him. Then he’s doing love shots with some other young girl while his actual girlfriend is home alone waiting for him. 100% not cool. I was expecting some major grovelling. I was so on Shin Young’s team when she was giving him the cold shoulder because no matter how you look at it Min Jae messed up. While he wasn’t encouraging the young girl’s advances he wasn’t shooting her down either. He didn’t even tell her he had a girlfriend (which is a whole other barrels of worms)! And to act that way when you know your girl is at home waiting is pretty high on the d*uche scale. But instead of grovelling he gets in bed for some snuggles and it’s all good. Like, he doesn’t even apologise. Even though it was only one moment, it really made me lose confidence in Min Jae and his ability to love and support Shin Young and actually showed how young and immature he really is. So while most of the drama was really excellent, the lack of decisions from the characters and lack of consequences for their actions really made the drama quite infuriating.

Recommend?

Maybe- if you like noona romances this drama would be one to watch, otherwise probably not.

So, so, so, so, so close to being amazing

Dating Agency Cyrano

Dating Agency Cyrano

6/10

Dating Agency Cyrano

Genre:                              Episodes: 16                           Year: 2013

Romance

Comedy

Synopsis:

Cyrano is an agency that helps people with their love lives. The Agency sets up situations that help their clients get noticed and express their feelings to those they love. Gong Min Young is a new employee and a hopeless romantic. She is surprised to find that her three male colleges have very low opinions of romance and love.

Cast:

Sooyoung (Gong Min Young)

Lee Jong Hyuk (Seo Byung Hoon)

Lee Chun Hee (Cha Seung Pyo)

Hong Jong Hyun (Moo Jin)

Jo Yoon Woo (Ah Rang)

Kim Jung Hwa (Yoon Yi Seol)

Ha Yeon Joo (Hye Ri)

General Thoughts:

I haven’t seen the movie that this drama is based on so I don’t know how it comes across to those who have, but as a stand-alone drama it’s pretty successful. I never felt like I was missing out on anything just because I hadn’t seen the original movie. This series certainly doesn’t break any new ground or deliver anything exceptional, but it’s enjoyable as a light, easy watch.

Simple love stories are pretty cute

The 45 minute episodes made me wish more dramas had slightly shorter episodes- despite not having a heap of depth or quality, the episodes seemed to whiz by without ever becoming boring. The episodic format kept the cast rotating with a bunch of cameos lasting for a few episodes before moving onto the next client storyline.

My reaction to K-Drama romances

The short stories kept the show interesting while also tending to comment on aspects of our main characters. Admittedly though, none of the characters had a whole lot of depth. They were enjoyable enough, particularly our heroine, but all remained firmly grounded in their character set-ups without much development. Min Young was a cheery hopeless romantic and Sooyoung played her with a sweet charm. Despite not being a groundbreaking character, Min Young remained likeable and was an easy heroine to root for. I mean, if you're watching this drama (about an agency that sets up romance) you’re probably going to identify with the heroine who enjoys watching romance develop. The two young boys were always fun to watch when they had some screen time and tended to deliver a lot of the comedy. Hong Jong Hyun’s straight-faced humour was always delightful. I was a little less convinced by Byung Hoon though. He’s the type of character you’d expect next to this kind of heroine (K-Drama law states that the hopeless romantic must of course fall for the practical realist and vice versa), but I never really liked him all that much.

Such a party pooper

His character could be funny at times, and did have some nice moments, but he was overall kind of an ass. He was never really all that nice to anyone, especially not to our heroine. Despite my less than warm feelings for the hero, Lee Jong Hyuk did play him well.

Maybe we'd take him more seriously if he wasn't wearing a Hawaiian shirt

Granted, it’s not exactly a taxing role, but there was a risk of Byung Hoon just being flat out dislikable. While I wouldn’t say I liked Byung Hoon, I also wouldn’t say I really disliked him either (I just preferred Seung Pyo), and I think a lot of the character's redemption came from Lee Jong Hyuk’s delivery- Byung Hoon may act snitchy, but it was clear he had some warmth underneath. The continuing plot for our main characters was overall pretty simple, but was enjoyable all the same. Seung Pyo's hostility towards Byung Hoon was justified, and the way the love-triangle was concluded was lovely, with Seung Pyo working with Min Young to help Byung Hoon realise his feelings. The dead brother story arc that turned Hye Ri into a villain was pretty interesting, but could have done with being hinted at earlier as it felt a bit like it came out of nowhere to deliver a final conflict. On a side note, the soundtrack was a little odd. I’m not sure if it was just that the videos I was watching were old and a little jumpy (no other sounds were jumpy though), but the music tended to sound quite off-beat and disjointed- and not in a unique, fun way, but more a mistake kind of way. 

The quiet achievers

What Was Great:

Even Level:

Everything in this drama is on the same kind of level. None of the actors are a lot better or a lot worse than anyone else, the stories were all the same level of tension, and the characters were all developed about the same amount.

Easy watch from start to finish

While it can be good to have some things that are really a cut above the rest, there’s also something nice about watching a drama that’s pretty safe. None of the acting is disappointing so it’s easy to watch, and it’s easy to like the characters without becoming too emotionally invested in them. Emotional investment can be great, but in a light, breezy drama it’s really enough to just have likeable characters. There’s no great evil to challenge these characters, so it’s fun and simple to just watch them go about their crazy yet delightful job. The final conflict with its kidnapping almost seemed a tad comical because it just wasn’t on the same level as the rest of the show. All series long the stakes have been pretty low, so it was jarring and almost laughable to have such a serious issue arise out of nowhere. Thankfully, that plot was wrapped up pretty quickly, and the show returned to its charmingly chilled-out ways. 

What Wasn’t:

Chunderella:

You didn’t think I’d forgotten to talk about our darling Lee Chun Hee did you? Of course not. Boy was he just delightful in this. He was sweet and likeable, even when he was surrounded by an air of mystery.

But...but...he's so perfect for her...

Seung Pyo was your typical nice guy second male lead (once he established that he was not an evil mob-boss) and he was always fun to have around.

Team Chunderella right to the end

So if I liked Lee Chun Hee and his character so much, why is he in the not-so-great section? Because he was just too likeable. I much preferred Seung Pyo to our hero. He liked the heroine and wasn’t afraid to tell her, and he treated her like she was a wonderful, special person. Not an annoyance the way our hero did. I really wanted Seung Pyo to get the girl, even when it was clear that he wouldn’t. It just felt like the drama was pushing way too hard for Min Young to fall for Byung Hoon, when it felt like she should really be falling for Seung Pyo. All that we know about Sooyoung (which admittedly is not very much), is that she loves romance, grand gestures and falling in love. So it’s a tad confusing that she didn’t fall for Seung Pyo who seems like the perfect man for a romantic girl.  

Lack of Depth:

The episodic format of the show was nice as it let us have an array of side characters and a variety of different stories, but the downside is that it takes the focus away from our main characters. While each side story definitely revealed more about our characters as they unfolded, it’s nowhere near the character development you get in a series that focuses heavily on the leads.

But the side stories were still fun

As a result, it could be a little hard to connect with the characters. Sure, they were likeable, but at the end of the day, I just wasn’t that fussed about what happened to any of them. 

Recommend?

Nah, not really. It’s light and cute but it’s not the best light and cute drama ever. 

Simple, short and sweet

Coffee Prince

Coffee Prince

9/10

Coffee Prince

Genre: Episodes: 17 Year: 2007

Romance

Comedy

Melodrama

Synopsis:

Han Gyul is the son of a wealthy family who only likes to play around and hates work. He is ordered by his Grandmother to operate a cafe for three months, and if the cafe is a success he can return to his carefree lifestyle. One of the employees at the cafe is Go Eun Chan, a girl who has had to become the primary money-earner of her household after the death of her father. As Eun Chan needs money and the pay at the cafe is good, she continues to work there disguised as a boy as the cafe only hires males to match its ‘prince’ theme.

Cast:

Gong Yoo (Choi Han Gyul)

Yoon Eun Hye (Go Eun Chan)

Lee Sun Kyun (Choi Han Sung)

Chae Jung Ahn (Han Yoo Joo)

Lee Eon (Hwan Min Yeop)

Kim Jae Wook (No Seon Ki)

Kim Dong Wook (Jin Ha Rim)

Kim Chan Wan (Hong Gae Shik)

General Thoughts:

This is a rather special review, as it’s the first drama I’m reviewing after watching it for a second time. ‘Coffee Prince’ is one of the first K-Dramas I ever watched, and so my reviews hadn’t even begun at that time. I’m glad to say that not a lot changed watching it the second time around- it was still immensely enjoyable, and still remains one of my favourite dramas.

It's hilarious

While I wouldn’t go as far as to say that this drama has aged well (it’s pretty dated), it’s a feat in itself that the drama can feel a little old and yet still be so highly entertaining. The characters are all so delightful- particularly Han Gyul, and they’re all acted so well. Gong Yoo never puts in a half-hearted performance so there was no surprise there, but this is really the only time I’ve seen Yoon Eun Hye put in a decent performance.

The start of a weird, but interesting relationship 

Sure, she still overacts the banoonoos out of everything, but it sort of matched Eun Chan’s personality. Lee Sun Kyun was an excellent second male lead, and was the perfect choice for Han Sung. Lee Sun Kyun really expressed Han Sung’s feelings well, despite how convoluted and confusing they were. As an audience we never became too confused with how he was feeling, because Han Sung didn’t really know himself, so it was easy to take his actions at face value- he did what he did because he wanted to and it made him feel good, not because he was a sneaky, manipulative character. I didn’t love the relationship between Han Sung and Yoo Joo the first time, and I didn’t like it any more the second time, but it was a satisfactory direction for the two second leads to take. Han Sung has always loved Yoo Joo, and it’s always been obvious that he has, but Yoo Joo herself was less convincing. It also didn’t help that Yoo Joo just didn’t seem like a nice person. She’s already cheated on and dumped Han Sung once, and has been continually flirting with his cousin for 10 years- and it’s so not just the two of them being close as Yoo Joo does some really obviously flirtatious things that she is obviously aware of, despite already knowing how deep Han Gyul’s feelings for her were.

What a total player

And if that’s not enough to make you dislike her, she also gets furious with Han Sung for liking Eun Chan for a short period of time. And while I know that how Han Sung acted wasn’t great either, and two wrongs don’t make a right, it was a little hypocritical of her to get so angry at him for it when she actually cheated on him for a whole year. But moving on, the rest of the boys in the coffee shop were super cute. Manager Hong still grosses me out, but his underlying personality is rather sweet. The three young boys are just so fun to watch and are a large part of the reason why the show is able to stay so interesting despite not a lot actually happening.

The show had just the right amount of boy bonding

A large bulk of the drama definitely focused on Eun Chan and Han Gyul and their relationships with the second leads, but these scenes were often padded out with side stories of the other coffee boys. While the side stories weren’t insanely interesting, they were enough to keep your interest so that the main conflicts had time to breathe.

Han Gyul had zero idea what was going on

Each story was well written and gave the characters room to grow and develop, and all of them were tied up in satisfactory ways. When it comes to the main plot, there’s not actually a lot going on. Girl dressed as boy is the main hook of the show, but the series is really more about the male lead’s confusion as a result of the set up. Yes, there’s an abundance of comedy to stem from our heroine pretending to be a man, but ‘Coffee Prince’ is actually quite a melodrama, with Han Gyul’s resistance, shock, and then acceptance to him developing feelings for someone he believes is male. The first time watching I didn’t really appreciate how long the misunderstanding went for. Now that I’ve seen a few more (a looooot more) dramas, and more crossdressing dramas, I now know that this is a rarity. Other dramas tend to let the male lead know that the heroine is a girl pretty early on, even if the heroine isn’t aware of his knowledge. ‘Coffee Prince’ is truly unique for letting its hero go so far down the ‘gay’ path, particularly as it’s an older drama and really one of the first of the crossdressing kind. There were many good things to mine out of Han Gyul’s predicament, both comedic and heartfelt, and I’m confident that the reason this show has remained so popular through the years is that it’s really the only show (that I’ve seen or heard of) that let its male lead struggle that much with his sexuality.

So cute, so confused

It made Han Gyul a truly sympathetic character. We could understand why he was having such a difficult time accepting his feelings- he’s always liked girls, not to mention Korea isn’t the most gay-friendly country, and although he’s struggling he never really denies his feelings to himself.

She really just didn't think anything through

Which just makes him so unbelievably endearing. On the other hand, Han Gyul’s struggle did serve to make Eun Chan come off as a little dumb and non empathetic. She seemed to have no comprehension that Han Gyul was confused about his feelings (despite his pulling her close then pushing her away), and it didn’t even cross her mind that SHE was the source of Han Gyul’s turmoil. It might just be because as viewers we were privy to scenes of Han Gyul breaking down and thus understood him, meanwhile Eun Chan didn’t have that experience, but it still felt like she should be picking up something. Overall, Eun Chan as a character felt highly immature. While most of the time she came across as quite funny and cute, there were also times that she just seemed to be acting far too young for her age. It wasn’t a huge downer, but I did often find myself thinking that Eun Chan was acting more like a child than an adult. However, despite the immaturity of Eun Chan, the romance was still highly believable. Eun Chan’s affections moving from Han Sung to Han Gyul was done in a gradual, believable way, and Han Gyul’s growing affection for Eun Chan was the highlight of the show. 

What Was Great:

Believable Crossdress:

Of all the gender-bender dramas I’ve seen ‘Coffee Prince’ is the only one where it’s honestly believable that people would mistake the heroine for a boy. Yoon Eun Hye’s face with short hair and no makeup does look remarkably like a young boy, especially when she's dressed like one.

She looked like a dude and she acted like a dude

Despite her tendency to overact, I will say that Yoon Eun Hye really nailed the male mannerisms. The way she walked, slouched, sat and interacted with those around her was very masculine and really helped sell the idea that people could mistake the character for a boy. Having such a successful crossdress made it that much easier to relate and understand Han Gyul, because quite often it was easy to forget that Eun Chan was a girl. It prevented Han Gyul from coming across as stupid, and increased viewer sympathy for him.

Selling the Hurt:

In every drama where the main plot centres around a deception, there’s always the fallout after the lie comes to light.

Poor sad Gong Yoo

Quite often the fallout can seem too extreme for the level of the lie, or the deceived party carries on their hurt for far too long. This wasn’t the case in ‘Coffee Prince’ at all. Han Gyul’s hurt is completely understandable as we see him struggle with his feelings for Eun Chan, and understand that being gay is a much bigger deal in Korea than in western countries. So it’s understandable that Han Gyul is angry when he realises that all he went through and was willing to go through for Eun Chan didn’t really matter because she was a girl and not a boy. Han Gyul’s pain and anger are easy to understand, but the drama also doesn’t drag it out for too long. Han Gyul is appropriately upset at Eun Chan for a time, but then forgives her before the fight becomes annoying to everyone watching. I only wish that the reason Eun Chan lied about being a boy was a little more solid- because frankly, wanting to work in a boy-only coffee shop is a pretty weak excuse. 

What Wasn’t:

Second Party Reveal:

The biggest bummer in this drama by far is that Eun Chan didn’t tell Han Gyul that she was a girl herself. Instead Han Gyul gets this information from Ha Rim, which only adds to the deception. Eun Chan never came clean- she was discovered.

You should have just told him yourself 

It’s not like there weren’t plenty of opportunities to tell Han Gyul the truth, and once Eun Chan became aware of Han Gyul’s feelings for her, she really should have come clean. Because continuing the lie past that point just became cruel. I mean, it’s not like you can be ignorant of his feelings after he says he’ll love you whether you’re a man or an alien. That makes it pretty obvious. And it was really at that point that Eun Chan should have revealed herself.

It's a super cute show

There was really no excuse to continue the lie, and was only setting up for a bigger fallout. Eun Chan’s choice to continue to lie to Han Gyul made her seem manipulative, and made her hard to relate to.

It’s A Tad Draggy:

The first time I watched the show I was so onboard with all the emotions that the show never felt slow. However, after watching it for a second time I will admit that the show tended to drag its feet a little. Most of the time the drama moved at a nice, steady momentum, but there were times were not a lot was happening, and because I knew where we were going I just couldn’t wait to get there, and found the buildup a tad too slow.

Recommend?

100%. This drama has remained so popular for such a long period of time, and there’s good reason for it. The characters are mostly fun and charming, and Han Gyul’s emotional journey is really one of a kind in K-Dramaland.

The time skip annoyed me significantly less the second time around