175

Lucky Romance: Episode 2

The conflict is established, the characters are put in place, and now it’s time to let them clash and see what happens. There’s some comedy, as we would expect, but actually it feels that the character development is hewing more natural than screwball for the most part. It’s not what I expected from such an offbeat premise, but I’ll look at it optimistically as take it as a good thing.

Episode Grade: B

(Okay, I’m seeing the flaw with our new episode grading system, in that there’s room for little inconsistencies along the way since we’re more than one person. For instance, I don’t mean to say today’s episode was a huge drop in quality from yesterday’s—I think they were fairly close—but the grades may fluctuate a bit depending on personal preference. Still, we’re hoping that in the grand scheme of things, the feature will be more worth it than not, and we’ll keep trying it out.)

 

 
EPISODE 2 RECAP

After getting roaring drunk while searching for her lucky tiger man, Bo-nui wakes up in bed in the morning and is a little alarmed to find herself half-dressed under the covers. She remembers the fortuneteller instructing her to sleep with a tiger man in order to save her sister’s life, and had sat in a bar afterward, trying to convince herself that it wouldn’t be a big deal.

She’d called out an old sunbae to meet her, mustered up the nerve, and then blurted, “Sleep with me once!” …which was a fantasy sequence, phew. She’d decided she needed more liquid courage before getting to her request, and tossed back a shot.

So now, Bo-nui calls out apprehensively to the lump in bed next to her, only to find it’s a white stuffed bear. Looking around, she finds a large envelope, which triggers another memory: She’d gotten progressively drunk last night because every time she’d started to make her request, she’d reached for her glass instead. And finally, her sunbae had asked, “Do you have insurance?”

Bo-nui looks at the insurance papers in her hand with chagrin, since she hardly has the extra funds to put toward a policy. Her friend Dal-nim calls, and after a brief search finds her phone in the fridge, she sighs to her friend about not remembering much of last night. The recollection of asking a lamppost about being born in the year of the tiger floats to the surface, and she adds that while something should have occurred last night, nothing must have happened.

Speak for yourself. Across town, fastidious tech genius Su-ho brushes his teeth furiously, going through a whole pile of fresh toothbrushes that can’t scrub clean the memory of last night. He can’t even bring himself to touch his dirty clothes, which Bo-nui had vomited on, and ends up doing monkey contortions to put them into the trash with his feet.

Bo-nui stiffens when her landlady knocks on her door, and she’s about to pretend she’s not home until her loud cell phone ringtone gives her away. She opens the door and starts to explain that she’ll pay soon, but to her surprise, the landlady tells her kindly that she can have more time, adding that Bo-nui should have told her about her sibling. She gives her a container of kimchi, and tells Bo-nui she can take her time with the rent, which is sweet.

Tennis player Gun-wook/Gary gets his health evaluated at the orders of his agent Seol-hee/Amy, who has laid out strict plans for his training heading into his next match. To her shock, Gun-wook not only doesn’t care about Wimbledon, he’s actually intending to skip it, and has informed the tennis association. He wants two months off, and ignores her sputtering protests as he heads off with a spring in his step.

Gun-wook heads to Bo-nui’s apartment building, and a flashback shows us how he’d found her things outside the other day when her landlady was about to kick her out. A childhood drawing of her family had confirmed that it was the same Bo-nui he’d known, and he’d carefully brought all her belongings inside and paid the landlady all of Bo-nui’s back rent. Ah, he’d called himself her younger brother and asked the landlady not to mention this to noona, so this is the sibling situation she’d mentioned.

Gun-wook waits for a while outside, and snaps to alert when Bo-nui steps out, smiling expectantly… and then is put out when she doesn’t recognize him. Heh. Did that poke a hole in your ego balloon, big star?

On the bus, Bo-nui notices a passenger playing a game that looks like Genius II, but when she checks online, it’s not available yet. She tries to ask the man where he got his, but he snaps at her in Russian.

It’s a huge problem for Zeze Factory, who is in panic mode because their launch isn’t for a month. Those two rogue programmer spies have leaked it to Russian sites and skipped the country, apparently having planned this for a while. Su-ho meets with a lawyer, but there isn’t much they can do about it, and the press is having a field day.

Without a better solution, Su-ho announces to his team that they’ll give up on the game launch. He lays out the reasons logically, unemotionally: A lawsuit is unlikely to get them very far, they’ll be regarded as the knockoff, and this is their responsibility for not managing their employees.

His employees are afraid he wants their resignations, but he replies that their solution is to launch a new game as quickly as possible. He assigns tasks immediately, so they can launch their new game instead of Genius II in one month. Yeesh. He adds that he can accept resignations four weeks from now, as though there wasn’t already enough pressure.

As Su-ho’s friend Han Ryang-ha leaves the meeting with the lawyer, the team asks him about coffee deliveries, knowing him mostly as the guy who runs the coffee shop downstairs. Ryang-ha says with exasperation that he’s the top stakeholder in the company, which fails to impress anybody, and adds ineffectually, “I’m a really high-up person! Do you know that?”

Bo-nui drops off a bag of clothing at an alteration shop, which is another of her various part-time jobs. She declines more work this time, however, since she needs to spend her time finding her tiger man.

Su-ho spends all day, night, and day again working on the new game, as does his team, who know better than to complain (within earshot) about the grueling schedule. Su-ho drops by Ryang-ha’s coffee shop and falls asleep in the middle of drinking his juice, and Ryang-ha carefully slips some tissues under his head to let him nap.

Bo-nui goes to work at the convenience store, where she takes advantage of the opportunity to card every male customer in search of a tiger man (the zodiac is on a 12-year cycle, so that would be anybody aged 6, 18, 30, 42, and so on). No luck.

No luck for Zeze Factory either, where the employees present the ideas they’ve managed to whip up in the past two days, none of which is very impressive. When one employee balks at the demanding timeline, Su-ho points out that he doesn’t want artistic masterpieces, and that he wants results over hard work. He gives them three more days to come up with new ideas.

Su-ho and Ryang-ha go out for fried chicken, and it turns out they’re also friendly with the same Chicken Shop Ajusshi who’d given Bo-nui a ride. Ryang-ha asks if Ajusshi has heard any discarded ideas from other IT company employees who frequent the shop, hopeful for even a scrap.

Su-ho dismisses that request, and when Ryang-ha’s eyes light up at to see a notice for an open game design competition, he waves that idea aside too, saying that the entries won’t be any good. But Ryang-ha doesn’t seem convinced.

Bo-nui gets called out by her gambling-addicted boss, and when he doesn’t have her back pay for her, she gets up to leave right away. He says she’ll regret leaving without hearing him out, and she sighs, “My whole life is a regret.”

The boss excitedly brandishes a flyer at her—that notice for the game concept contest. He knows she submitted an entry, and has heard (belatedly, since his cell phone had gotten cut off) that she’s advanced past the preliminaries… which means she’s got a shot at that 30 million won prize. Bo-nui lights up in excitement, until her boss informs her that presentations are due tomorrow.

Bo-nui and her boss return to their old office in a dilapidated building, a small tech company named Daebak Soft. She thinks it’s too much work to do in one night, but her boss urges her to take this heaven-sent opportunity, reminding her of how hard they worked on the idea together.

The reminder revs her engines, and she decides to give it a shot, and they set out to work through the night to pull together a presentation. The morning finds them exhausted but successful, and they both head off to get ready, agreeing to meet at the presentation hall.

Bo-nui arrives there first, stopping to sprinkle salt in strategic places, and grows increasingly worried when she sees no sign of her boss.

Meanwhile, Su-ho slinks into the hall, hiding his face as he sits down to hear the presentations. The first several ideas don’t do much for him, seeming either too familiar or too childish. Then Daebak is called, and Boss Won is still unaccounted for, so Bo-nui takes the stage alone—wearing a stuffed raccoon head borrowed from the prop room. Does she have some weird face/recognition/exposure superstition?

Bo-nui incorporates the raccoon head into her introduction, saying that wearing it allowed her to see things she didn’t see otherwise, and made her think that sports games could apply the same principle.

Su-ho finds her intro speech dull and rambling and is ready to cross her off the list. But when she gets to the crux of the idea—sports games played through the eyes of the player—he recognizes an interesting concept and sits up in attention.

As she presents the simplified mock-up of her concept, Su-ho envisions the fancier, developed version in his mind. She acknowledges that there are games that have done this, but says they’ll go one step further in entering the very lives of their sports stars. Su-ho sees the potential for this as a VR (virtual reality) experience and nods along with interest.

And then Bo-nui concludes the presentation, and pulls off the raccoon head, and Su-ho has a vague sense of recognition. She states her name, and then the pieces click into place: The cleaning lady, the bunny suit, the drunk girl, and now the raccoon.

Bo-nui acknowledges that her boss was scheduled to present the idea, and that it’s a violation of the rules to send someone else. Even so, she felt it was such a waste of their efforts to not at least present, and thanks everyone for listening.

Su-ho follows Bo-nui out of the hall and jogs her memory about their encounters, wondering if she has a fixation with animals. He asks if she ever found her tiger, which makes her wonder how he knew that. He reminds her of their encounter when she was drunk, and her mind goes back… to the lamppost she threw up on… which turned out to be Su-ho instead. Haha.

He assures her that he isn’t angling for an apology or for gratitude, but she’s mortified at the memory and pretends she doesn’t know what he’s talking about. She hurries away with a hasty excuse.

Outside, she runs into her boss, who’s only now arriving after falling asleep unexpectedly. She tells him with disappointment that their idea didn’t cut it, and figures she’ll have to keep working part-time jobs.

Gun-wook wastes no time moving into Bo-nui’s apartment, and when he sees her approaching, he waits expectantly for her to recognize him. When she passes without a glance, he calls out to her and prods her, asking if she doesn’t know who he is, perhaps via the news.

She has no idea, saying she doesn’t watch the news since she has enough unhappiness in her own life without seeing more of it in the world, and then clocks the moving van and figures he’s a new neighbor. She offers him one of the candles in her shopping bag and welcomes him, then continues inside.

Su-ho mulls over what he knows of Bo-nui, and asks her friend Dal-nim for more information. Dal-nim leaps to her defense, thinking he’s still stuck on the accusations of corporate espionage, and explains how Bo-nui was a scholarship student at the top of her class in the computer engineering department, even if she didn’t manage to graduate. She was even almost hired at Zeze.

Su-ho sits up in surprise, and Dal-nim says Bo-nui was a finalist in their open recruitment and was the first applicant to find a bug in the software. In flashback, we see a room of applicants sitting before computers, and one by one they get up and leave the room, shaking their heads. Su-ho watches behind the scenes, while Ryang-ha chides him for making it too difficult to find the bug, and that after four hours, it’s no wonder people are giving up.

Just as Su-ho declares that nobody’s passing this round, they get word that somebody found the bug. But when they get to her desk, Bo-nui has already left.

That night, Bo-nui prays for the gods to send a tiger to her, and to save Bo-ra. She offers, “Please, if you only let her wake up, I can endure living the rest of my life not seeing her.”

A pounding noise brings her down from the rooftop, and she’s not particularly enthused to see Gun-wook banging on her door. He asks to borrow a hammer, and while she hands one over, she’s unexpectedly curt with him. It doesn’t bother him too much… although he’s still a little miffed not to be recognized.

He hits his finger by accident and heads next door to ask for a band-aid, put out when she tells him to leave the hammer outside the door. He cheers up when Bo-nui seems worried to hear he injured himself, and as she wraps a band-aid around his finger, Gun-wook thinks back to a fond memory, when as children Bo-nui had done the same and wiped the tears from young Gun-wook’s face.

Bo-nui again cautions him to be careful and explains that there are a lot of things she has to be careful of, like opening her door to strangers. He points out that they’re neighbors, but she asks him to ask other neighbors in the future or buy the things he needs.

She’s about to shut the door on him, and Gun-wook lurches to grab it before it closes. He offers to buy her dinner for all her help, pressing when she declines, and when he pulls open the door, the force sends Bo-nui scuttling out into the hallway. Whoa, cool your jets, buddy.

She’s fairly annoyed by now, and Gun-wook tries again by saying he’s pretty famous. Bo-nui replies that she doesn’t care if he’s famous, adding, “Although who knows, if you were a tiger sign…”

Gun-wook grabs the door before it closes. “And If I am?” Bo-nui looks up wide-eyed and asks if he is, and he answers, “Then would you eat with me?”

Taking that for a yes (don’t do that!), she’s suddenly eager to eat together right away, and he suggests dinner tomorrow. She agrees enthusiastically… and tells him to bring proof of ID with him. HA. At least she thought that far?

Gun-wook gives tennis lessons to kids, with ever-present agent Seol-hee watching. She asks where he moved his lodgings, since she knows he checked out of the hotel, wondering why he’s suddenly so fond of his mother country when he hadn’t even liked talking of Korea for years. He plays it off like he enjoys the fame, and just promises not to cause any trouble. He just wants two months.

Bo-nui gets ready for her dinner date with Gun-wook, piling on the makeup and fretting about how to go about this whole seduction deal and ignoring her calls and messages. Her doorbell rings while she’s still getting ready, so she peers out with her half-done face—and starts when she sees Su-ho there, not Gun-wook.

Su-ho’s been trying to call all day, and she exclaims defensively that she’s really not a spy, and that she does remember the drunk night and understands that he must be upset. Still, she accuses him of going too far to actually seek out her home to argue about it.

Su-ho can’t get in a word edgewise, and finally cuts in to say that he isn’t here for an apology. Instead, he brings up her game idea and launches into business talk: investors, platform, and contract terms.

Blink, blink. Bo-nui stares blankly, and he clarifies that he’s offering to buy her game. But it’s almost time for her date and Bo-nui’s acutely aware of the ticking clock, and dismisses him quickly, suggesting that he talk to her boss instead.

Su-ho prevents her from closing the door in her face, pointing out that her boss doesn’t answer any of his calls, and presses for her to decide right now. He says he doesn’t trust her or her boss at all, since it defies any explanation for her to apply to a job, spend hours debugging a program, and then leave.

Bo-nui points out that employees also have a choice in deciding whether they want to work for a company, and she’d decided not to work for Zeze. She keeps casting nervous looks down the hallway for Gun-wook (who has by now pulled up to the building with flowers), but that comment is a blow to Su-ho’s pride. He stammers that she’d decide against his company… and go to Daebak instead?

She affirms that, saying that her game (titled “If”) is similar—it’s up to her to decide whether to develop it with Daebak or to take his money and give it to him. Su-ho starts to ask for her answer again, just as Gun-wook heads up the stairs whistling, and Bo-nui looks at her half-dressed state and panics. She grabs Su-ho, yanks him inside her apartment, and shuts the door before Gun-wook arrives.

She claps a hand over Su-ho’s mouth and shoves him against the wall, eyes widening when Gun-wook rings her doorbell and announces, “I’m here!”

Epilogue. Labeled “that night,” we’re back to that drunken encounter, where Bo-nui teeters along, carrying the overstuffed teddy bear. Su-ho slowly follows at a distance, until Bo-nui arrives at her front stoop… and then kicks off her shoes and lies back on the ground, using the bear as a pillow. Yawwwwn.

Su-ho tells himself he’s done enough by seeing her home, acquitting himself of helping further… and then carries her inside anyway. She’s mumbling to herself drunkenly, and he wonders why she’s hunting tigers at night, just as she lurches up and flings her arms around his neck, asking, “Where are you going?”

Su-ho freezes, staring at her face, and she slurs, “I won’t let you go.” She grabs him close, and kisses him right on the lips.

 
COMMENTS

Okay, I’ll talk about the webtoon once and then drop it henceforth, since dead horses don’t need beating. I don’t think a drama has to be exactly like its source material and don’t ding it for being different. But in the case of Lucky Romance, I have to say I’m feeling disappointment that so much of its quirky, cute potential has been cut out by changing so much of the basic premise. Essentially, it feels like they took the Bo-nui character and setup and discarded everything else—which, of course, is entirely their prerogative. I don’t even think this new setup is bad or flawed. It’s just that the original was actually weird and funny and different, but the drama feels very much like a standard rom-com.

(I mean, how can you read about a hilariously miserly hero and not be itching to see that onscreen? For instance, refusing to date ever because dating costs money, or going around collecting the heroine’s scattered salt piles to reuse for pickling. That’s gold.)

That said, if you’re going to smooth out those eccentricities, I do like the way these actors are doing it, in a way that feels natural and not, say, mere representations of standard K-drama cliches. I like that Su-ho isn’t an asshole, or a standard prickly hero who’s just uptight because the archetype calls for it; I like that he doesn’t denigrate Bo-nui even after all the numerous indignities she’s inflicted upon him, and that while he’s an exacting boss with impossible expectations and standards, he’s not a mean person.

But Hwang Jung-eum is, to me, the reason the show works, because she gives Bo-nui reason and purpose underneath the outlandish setup. I like her best when she’s not being over-the-top and shouty (because she can be so loud), and she’s got a way of connecting to her characters that makes it easy for me to accept their reality. Even though I think her superstitions are nonsensical, I respect that she believes in them, and that they come from a place of heart and caring.

Plus, I’m glad that this episode explained her job background in greater detail, because about the time she arrived at her twentieth part-time job I was over it; we get it, you’re the Candiest Candy who ever lived! At least now it’s established that she had a full-time job in the field of her choice; it’s just that her circumstances (and maybe perennial bad luck) landed her in a bum deal where she got fleeced of all her salary. I grudgingly accept the Candy setup, so long as it’s temporary and gone, say, tomorrow.

I’m not really feeling the second leads, but time will tell whether they’ll develop into nicely fleshed-out characters (or remain standard romance complications). At least I do think I’ll enjoy the side characters like Dal-nim and Ryang-ha, and enjoy the idea of our two computer nerds working together. Mostly I feel optimistic that I’ll like this drama and look forward to the chemistry between the leads—and while I’m not sure it’ll be one to really grab me heart and soul, I’m content to keep watching it for what it is. (And while there’s life, there’s hope?)

RELATED POSTS

Tags: , , , , , ,

175

Required fields are marked *

I desperately need the second leads to stop dropping totally random and awkward English. It only makes sense of their background when they use English phrase casually, but they actually look and sound really conscious that they have to use English words in their sentences.

0
10
reply

Required fields are marked *

As someone whose exes are always programmers (sigh), I proudly commend Jo Seho for dressing exactly like a Computer Science nerd xD. I know Ryu Joonyeol has good fashion sense before, but he literally looks the most convincing among Zeze Factory peeps.

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

Eeeek! I mean Je Suho, not the Jo Seho the comedian!

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Ikr!!!!

The clothing is so on point ??

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

It's incredibly ironic that the only member of the cast who COULD drop close-to-natural English casually is RJY. I'd say they could leverage the "genius" thing to fit some English in, but if he does it'll only make it obvious that Amy and Gary are not Canadian.

I do have to say that the girl playing Amy does better than most with English. Her speed and general pronunciation are good, and she seems to basically understand the rhythm of what she's saying, but... She has not been living in Canada for 15 years, and if they try to make that her backstory too, ack.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Wait, they were supposed to be Canadian? Haha I didn't know.

The second lead is definitely better than average, but I struggled to follow what she says to the her agency over the phone. It's definitely a lot easier to watch the episode subbed.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

am i the only one who mutes the show whenever English is spoken? it's mean but it's the only way i can protect the hotness of my guys lol

i would walk through the hottest fires of hell for Park Seo Joon but don't ask me to listen to his "fluent" English.

0
4
reply

Required fields are marked *

that is terribly euro-centric of you. I don't think you needed to make this comment.

0
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

It's not euro-centric, it's realistic. If you tell me a character moved to America as a teenager and now is back in Seoul at 30, stilted English isn't going to cut it. It's not a criticism of the actor so much as a reality of how people adapt to environments and languages, and how a TV show can't match up.

RJY has the pronunciation and patterns down, and could probably pull off memorized lines because he seems to have switched over to thinking in English: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4pKDHGpCR8. But he's rare in an industry that keeps giving characters extensive American/Canadian backgrounds. Krystal and Jessica are good examples too - Krystal is straight-up fluent, and Jessica has the patterns and cadence down but clearly doesn't naturally think in English (she'd be fine memorizing lines).

By contrast, the girl playing Amy speaks like she learned from classes. Again, not a criticism of the actress, but her backstory means everyone who speaks English immediately goes "no, you didn't live in an English-speaking country".

Of course, Hollywood still casts for "Asians" generically (Thai? Filipino? Chinese? Sure, whatever, still Asian!) so it's not like we do any better. It's unlikely that any actor on English-speaking TV who is "fluent in Korean" actually sounds remotely natural.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

in lost the korean woman that is now in mistresses still spoke korean fluently and sounded natural and also speaks english fluently too.

0

I disagree, I don't think it's Eurocentric. If you are swooning over a character or actor, it does change things up a bit when you come to the realization that, if you aren't fluent in Korean, you could not have a natural conversation with this person. And it is disappointing to see characters who should be fluent unable to pronounce one-syllable words. The Korean friends I have who studied abroad in the US were much better than most kdrama actors in a short period of time studying/living here!

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

bo nui is shaping up to be my fave hwang jung eum character ever. as a computer science major its great to see us get some representation!!
as for the drama as a whole i think i'm going to end up really enjoying it. the setup so far is nothing new but i really like both of the main leads which is why i'll stick with it for now.
the kiss scene was so cute!! it was hilarious to see rjy be caught off guard when she pounced on him ahaha

0
12
reply

Required fields are marked *

Well. As another computer science major, it's almost an insult to have her having a computer-science-related education/work AND believing in the shaman's talk. No, thank you. I don't need to be presented by Bo Nui. Thank goodness for roles like Healer Ahjumma.

0
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

A handheld console puzzle-based strategy game company is talking about launching an entire from-scratch mass-market VR game in under a month. I laughed long and hard at that, and then decided to completely suspend my disbelief.

I look forward to episode 14, which I can only imagine will be an hour-long operatic meltdown featuring the last surviving members of the QA team.

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

Fellow Computer Science major here!!

Agreed with how unbelievable the software practices in this drama are. Though at least Su-ho acknowledged that the stealing of the game was because of their own security lapses.
Lol, a new software in a month's time, ready for release/launch? I get that it's a small-sized, dynamic startup-like company, but....

Yeah, better to suspend disbelief.

Lol, Shim Bo-nui's character reminded me of my classmate who just had to sit in 1 place in our class for her program to work/run (the north-east corner of the room. Even when she used to visit my place for a group project, she insisted on sitting in the north-right corner of the room. I don't think she still does it, but nevertheless it was a strange quirk!

That is why, I am willing to believe Bo-nui, especially since there is the added desperation she has for her sister.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Oh fellas, how I wish I could suspend my disbelief!

I actually can buy the one-month release schedule, having worked on similar ones and even tighter deadlines for alpha releases.

But the setup of Bo Nui and JSH (all the hullaballoo of sleeping with a virgin tiger man to be rid of karmic past and cure Sis) just... just... put me off.

I agree, an adaptation doesn't have to be a carbon copy of the webtoon. So why not just start with her trying to get into game industry and survive in it? And with such desperation, why not just nudge her into some grey areas... It'll be more interesting.

I think I'll pass this one, though.

0

Well, at least y'all now know what doctors/cops/lawyers feel when watching dramas.

I'm just glad that there's a female computer scientist lead on a drama. Now if only there would be a female data scientist somewhere in kdrama land, then I'd be all set.

Japan had one in Hard Nut!, but that character was also an Aspie, so meh.

0
6
reply

Required fields are marked *

I agree! I know a lot of people who were studying bio and pre-med and pharmacy and they were outraged by the awkwardness and slight absurdity of "Descendants of the Sun" and "It's Okay, It's Love" :\
but I'm just glad that Korea, with the help of the webtoon, is showing a female computer scientist.
Also, it's really hard to be realistic and funny -- like people should be looking at reality tv shows and variety shows, not Korean... DRAMAS... lol

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I'm a chef working in a professional kitchen, and many times drama with pro kitchen staff backgrounds gave me "rrrkkh" and "wtf?!" moments too... especially, we dont and wil never be looking so pretty with flawless made up face and sweat-less, moreover having our hair out and about like in some dramas (though many of us are gorgeous a. f.. lol)
So I think no matter what the occupation the characters in dramas have, it's always has even a little unrealistic part too~ they're dramas after all...
I honestly watch this because of Ryu Jun Yeol... it's not exactly my type of drama but I say it's eeemm kinda great so far. Looking forward for upcoming stories and some relationship development between Bo Nui & Soo Ho... if the objective is to find tiger zodiac person to sleep with... may we expect a bed scene? (Lol.... :D byuntae~~~~)
Cheers!

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I was raised by a mother with severe PTSD and DID (formerly known as Multiple Personality Disorder) and it's the mental illness dramas that have this effect on me (I'm looking at you, Kill Me Heal Me). The interesting thing is while I often pass on dramas because of it or very uncomfortably cringe my way through and fast-forward the most bothersome parts I'm always grateful for the obvious compassion and heart I find in them. That's something that's still lacking in most western entertainment, at least with severe mental illness. I don't think anyone ever has or ever will argue that K-dramas handle their subject material with subtlety and accuracy, minus a few noteworthy exceptions, haha. :) I don't know anything about computer science so it's fun to read these comments setting things straight!

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

I'm in special education and for that reason I can't watch any of the dramas with mental illnesses(KIll Me, Heal Me or It's OK, It's Love) or the one with the autistic doctor. For some weird reason the school ones kinda work for me though...

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

OMG! I'm in special education too. Though I still enjoy drama with mental illness (blame on the addictive substance: beautiful oppas, there), I love school drama more. Because..you know, some parts are relatable for me.

I really wish kdrama would make at least a drama based on special education life. I wish.

0

I graduated from International Relations and I think that's one of the reasons I couldn't finish King 2 Hearts because of absurd political setup (inaccuracies and reality distortion at its best) and hardly finished Descendants of The Sun. The peacekeeping part in Urk was aggravating for me.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Indeed! Bo Nui, the computer science major, is the most sensible character for Hwang Jung Eum's very very wierd acting. All her previous characters does not cohere with her strangeness, which always made her delivery terribly out of place.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Many thanks for the speedy recap. Will read now n enjoy watching the show tonight. Your recap always enhances our enjoyment.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

This episode was so much fun. I have faith this show will stay good. I'm loving the chemistry between RJY and HJE. They're both so good at making their characters likeable. RJY especially has that charm. It's probably why so many of us fell for Jung Hwan, and I'm sure Su-ho will be no different. That's a pretty early kiss...but I'm not complaining! I'm so glad we finally got some #justiceforjylslips! ?? Though I expect many more to really get some justice. ???

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Like you, I'm only going to mention the webtoon once. You pretty much said everything, but I think another reason why it bothers me is because so much of the plot seems to be centered on Su-ho's company. That already gives me the feeling of it being drastically different from it's source material, even without having read it myself. I do think it's cute that they're both video game designers and so, if I strip away my ideas of what the webtoon was, I think I can enjoy this for what it is. The changes just seem...so unnecessary?

That said, this drama does seem like the type that could really grow on me. I really do love Hwang Jung-eum here and this is just the kind of rom-com performance I want from her. I like our lead characters quite a bit and they really do feel surprisingly real. I'm definitely looking forward to their romance already, even if I'm not deeply invested yet.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Personally I'm struggling with the suspension part of it. So much of the source material is unbelievable but I suppose it is dramaland. I'm teetering and just hopin that they will reach a level of cute/quirky that will draw me in.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Definitely better than the first episode! her sunbae though... isn't he Kwang Soo from Secret? lol

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

I think it's him
upon searching, his name is Choi Sun Woong/Choi Woong (최웅)
and he also as Staff Sergeant Gong Cheol-ho (aka Harry Potter) in alpha team on DoTS apparently

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

It is Kwang Soo. Secret reunion!

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Maybe it's just the curse of setup episodes, but I had a much harder time getting into the second episode. It's weird because I actually prefer Bo Nui to other HJE roles, but I'd actually prefer to stick with the software company.

One thing I am impressed with is the concept they came up with for the game. As the presentations continued my heart started to sink, thinking they were going to try and claim that a completely generic and outdated concept was groundbreaking, but the idea that you play in-character in highly dynamic team sports is actually quite intriguing.

Also we might get to see people flailing around with VR headsets, which is always fun.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

...we might get to see people flailing around with VR headsets

Hello Samsung Galaxy 7 VR ppl set-up.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

i haven't read the webtoon but so far im liking the characters :) despite her sister being in a coma and the situation she is in its kinda nice that she still pushes through to it all..

also loving that they are highlighting the game dev industry :P its really everywhere hahaha :p

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I think overall this episode is more balance than the previous one,
I like it

ps: I really like the name Su-Ho it's kinda a rare name in k- drama I think but I really like that name, it sounds so good, but I don't like it as Je Su-Ho because for me it sounds weird, why not Im Su-Ho, Park Su-Ho, Ahn Su-Ho, Han Su-Ho, Kang Su-Ho or just Su-Go like Gong Shim,
do you think it's better than Je Su-Ho? or Je Su-Ho actually has meaning?

*sorry for this little name thing, sometimes there's name you just like, my ex Oh ri jin, Oh ri on, Ji Jia Wei, Lin Shu

0
4
reply

Required fields are marked *

jesu means luck, so his name Je Su-ho is a pun. I'm guessing Zeze Factory is from his surname (Jeje).

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Aaah thank you
But then why je su ho? Why not je su kyung, je su min, je su nim...or jr su shi
Hahaha I think I am just too fixated on su ho name ^^

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

just drop by to said you write a good name for a male lead, both for je su--- and ---su ho

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Je: Webtoon male lead (family name),
su: math, number (pronunciation)
ho; sign (pronunciation)
total means science.
His original Webtoon name is Je teak hoo, means financial technology.
A penny pincher man changes Nerd.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

She is an intelligent woman yet she believes that sleeping with 'tiger' man cures her sister?? What the in the what... She better go read medical books instead with that brain

0
8
reply

Required fields are marked *

If you have watch the first episode you will understand why she believe in superstition. Or read GirlFriday's recap on the first episode you will understand.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Hey, you don't screw around with chances to save your sister. And depending on your culture and background, it's really not a lasting impact on you.

This isn't "kill yourself in her place", "sleep with the local hobo who everyone thinks is a child molester" or worse, "kill a tiger man" order. She's got a large selection of tigers to choose from, and there's nothing inherently wrong with sex, it's all the cultural trappings around it. Find a guy you like, shag him, peace out the next morning if you don't want it to go further. Sister cured! Didn't cost money, doesn't cast you out of society, and no criminal record. Not a bad result for a brief workout.

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

I laughed so hard, but I love your explanation. That's where I stand on this as well.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

LOL thank you. exactly, its NOT a big deal! also considering her superstitiousness is part of the synopsis/drama byline. idg why i see multiple ppl in the comments insulting her for it. like u presumably went into the drama knowing that about her? well ne way, i think in the grand scheme of things, sleeping with a guy of your choice on your terms is a better deal than alot of other shit she coulda been made to do.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Everyone is entitled to their own beliefs whether it be in science or religion. They are all legitimate and to each their own.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I did like the webtoon explanation better. It wasn't any more logical, but the fortuneteller explains that Bo-nui had gravely wronged a tiger in a past life (a literal tiger, which starved to death) and carries bad fortune because of it. So to rid herself of the bad tiger luck, she has to reverse the energy using a tiger man -- particularly a virgin tiger, which the hero happened to be.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

oh that's p interesting! i wonder if we might get more info on her bad luck etc later in the drama. i definitely like this explanation alot more. rather than the more random non reason we got in the drama. i guess the drama is more interested in the how than in the why lol.

is he still a virgin in the drama? it hasnt been mentioned but i thought maybe i (or the subs) just missed it. i like the idea of him being a dorky math genius AND a virgin. idk why, its kinda adorable to me tho.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

If the medical professionals already condemned tha patient saying no hope, family always cling to any kind of hope. I know cases where doctors told patient and family to give up. But family go find alternative, may it be going to different 'quack' doctor, religious rituals,prayer, anything, just to keep hope alive for the patient and family. So that part of the drama is realistic. She will do and go far for her sister.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

better then the first ep, i think i'll watch it casually since i dont have much to watch. im not obsessively into like i imagined but its fun and jung eum is one of my faves, so i do hope it does well.

personally speaking i've never been that into random/accidental/etc kisses early on in dramas. it doesnt do much for me, i like waiting a little for kisses from built up sexual tension and chemistry

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

This episode is so good. I actually can understand Suho's company problem and his interest to get Bonui in his company. I didn't read the webtoon. But, in my opinion this is a nice setup for building their strong connection more than a landlord-tenant relationship.

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

yeah im glad u said that. cuz i was thinking that since ep 1 and definitely more so now that we find out she is a computer science major with great skills taht can improve his company like how awesome? def better than candy heroine with grumpy mizer landlord. dont get me wrong, im sure the webtoon is funny but i've read manga and watched jdramas along those lines before so i was fine with this set up in the kdrama. and this is the dynamic i wanted in that Oguri Shun/Toda Erika drama that aired in japan a while back. blanking on the name. but he was also some genius game dev director and she ended up working for him but had nearly zero knowledge of gaming or tech or etc. (and he was an actual hella jerk so)
MATH NERDS IN LOVE ! the kdrama. yus pls.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

That's Rich Man Poor Woman, and it was Satomi Ishihara, not Toda Erika.? I enjoyed watching that jdorama and, like you, have also seen some resemblance with the setup of LR and liking that they made Bo Nui professionally adept. I'm looking forward to seeing two people who connected through their common area of expertise find a way around their differences and fall in love.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

It was so off-putting when he manhandled the door and aggressively threw her out of her house.

It's an average show like this that really demonstrates Hwang Jung-eum's ability to carry a show by herself. I'm disappointed they didn't keep the quirkiness of Su-ho's character. RJY would've done so well with it.

Too bad this show didn't go to tvN.

I rate it C for average.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

You forget citt ?

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

If it's one thing I can't stand about the kdrama Candy, it's the ever-willingness to be the biggest doormat to ever doormat. Why are you still talking to the boss that ripped you off? Why include him in the credit for the programme? It just always bothers me. I love it when they're kind, but have a spine at least. Don't keep letting someone take advantage of you.

0
4
reply

Required fields are marked *

Sigh.... Just like She Was Pretty, I really enjoyed the first episode, but was bored out of my mind in the second, to the point of me never wanting to see another episode. I mean, it's fine and all... But I ended up fastforwarding through most of it. Nothing special about it, neither from actors nor anything else (I really like LSH, but his acting still needs polishing. HJE is too bland. RJY has more charm than I expected, but is a bit boring here, so I think I need to watch Reply 1988 before I can really say whether I like his acting or not.). The story feels much too familiar and the cinematography is not that special either. All in all, it's not much more than a fun, formulaic summer watch and nothing wrong with that, but I don't think I'll bother with the rest. *waits impatiently for June to come so Seo In Guk can invade my screen with conman tricks*

0
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

Me and the reply buttons do not have a good relationship. Apologies for accidentally writing this as a reply to your comment instead of as a new comment! :)

Also, I completely agree with you, it bugs me so much when the main female leads put up with anything! They need to start loving/respecting themselves more...

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I am gonna reply to you,
Agree of all what you said, nothing special about the drama
And also waiting for SIG drama, this actor is so pretty to just keep looking at his face and keep :saying wah how beautiful

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Haha, he sure is nice to look at, yes ;) Although for me it's more about his charm and charisma; I'd probably never call him handsome if he didn't have that in spades. More than anything, I'm just looking forward to his awesome acting. Even his acting in K.Will's MV moved me so much, despite it only being a few minutes long. He always gets to me...

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I, for one, am loving Gun Wook. I love how he lied about his birth year to score a date with Bo Nui. He is so endearing. I know he has no chance in the love triangle, but I wonder if the second leads will even end up together being ten years apart (24/34).

As much as I lament the changes from the webtoon (collecting used salt is nothing short of awesome), my favorite change has to be how Bo Nui is a top computer programmer who can go head-to-head with Su Ho. Even a genius like him would admit to being impressed with her skills. Their epilogue sizzled with chemistry, but I wouldn't have expected any less from Hwang Jung Eum.

Thanks lots for the recap, javabeans!

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

"Bo Nui is a top computer programmer who can go head-to-head with Su Ho. Even a genius like him would admit to being impressed with her skills"

this is my fave thing ever and the main reason i'll prob keep watching. that and i find suho kind of adorable in a very real way. i grew up in a family of techies, math nerds and software/hardware engineers (and i love gaming). so while there is def some eyerolly shit in the technical dept re this drama, i love having a heroine that is exceptional at those things. on top of the hero being an awk dork who is just really introverted instead of a pompous dickbag. like so many kdrama "geniuses" are.
if anything the more typical kdrama lead is gun wook's character. who is fine to me but feels kinda pointless so far. kinda which we could just focus on the lead guy and gal and the supporting charas at zeze. like dal mi, ryang ha and the programmers that work for suho.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Didn't this drama already happened? If Bo Nui ends up working for Suho who is mean to his staff which it seems like she will from the preview then she's pretty much just working for Park Seo Joon's character again. The second lead was her childhood first love it seems and then he moved to the US and now trying to find her after he moved back. That was also Park Seo Joon's character. MBC's basically just making us rewatch She Was Pretty

0
7
reply

Required fields are marked *

Don't forget both Sung Joon and Su Ho have panic attacks.

0
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

My thought exactly.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Oh, right! I've been wondering why this drama feels so familiar...

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

oh my..... why can't they just stick with the webtoon and make a live-action drama instead. i want to see Ryu Jun Yeol ask for a coffee cup refund with his straight face. oh they just throw away all the joy. sad. fall below expectation.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

My sentiments exactly! It's not helping either when Zeze Factory is the same set as The Most office (I think? It looks the same to me, albeit different furniture) Su Ho's office looks like Ji Seong Joon's office. Can't help but to compare Lucky Romance and She Was Pretty, though I'll still continue to watch it.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

How is it the same as she was pretty when the 2nd lead is the childhood friend and the 1 not getting the girl?

By your logic, tvn is making us watching the same drama over and over again with childhood friend first love and a famous world star that is another part of the love triangle.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

its also not like She Was Pretty, cuz that drama soooo boooriiing. idk LR has flaws dont get me wrong but so far the concept/set up is way more fresh than what SWP was offering. on top of having more interesting stakes than anything that happened in SWP. altho i dont get how panic attacks can only happen to one kdrama lead. its a real thing ppl deal with, so if its handled non ridiculously i'll be a happy camper.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

LSH...who knew he could be so cute and adorable? I didn't. I really appreciate him for his versatility

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Cant shake off vampire vibes whenever I hear LSH's voice. He's so cute though. :)

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Should I start watching or not? I kinda look forward to this drama, sigh...

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I didn't read the webtoon, but so far I like this drama. Love how natural JSH in his office 'attire'.
I really love about how great SBN's programming skill is. She will be a worthy opponent/partner of JSH.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

LOL.. no wonder he brush his teeth in rage. i was wondering whether she puke in his mouth or what and turns out that she actually kissed him. XD

and yeah, this drama somewhat reminds me of rich man poor woman.

0
4
reply

Required fields are marked *

His office setup reminds me so much of rich man poor man

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

yeah! especially the office.. make me want to rewatch the drama.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Rich Man Poor Woman. Now, that's much better than the forced She Was Pretty comparisons.

Still, I think the genius programmer female lead makes the drama rather unique.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

OH YEAH! thats the name of the jdrama i was thinking of earlier and mentioned up thread just now. similar set up but this time the female lead can actually keep up in terms of skill/knowledge and lead dude isnt a HUGE JERK. blech. i had hopes for RMPW but it was a painful experience and idk how i got so many eps into it before finally putting the brakes on that. yeesh. like oguri shun being a game dev or w/e was the ONLY non cliche part of that drama and its couple. (which didnt get any romantic bits even!)

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I didn't want to watch the show bec HJE is screechy as hell. I usually end up forwarding her ott scenes .... but if she maintains this level then i'm on board for the series

I like both the male leads esp Rjy. i do hope they keep the quirkiness of the webtoon bec he can pull it off

... in the whole 'candy' setup, i don't get why someone whose sister is in the hospital will not choose to work at the best gaming corporation but instead pick a small timer ? (like she said that applicants evaluate companies too) ... Even if the environment is bad, you know you have massive bills, wouldn't it make sense to work where you will get paid more and have a decent career trajectory.

PS: Why is LSH still not doing first lead roles? why? why? why?

0
4
reply

Required fields are marked *

Spoiler
Her sis's accident happened on the same day as the interview test thing, so she must have been busy with taking care of all that. Even if she went back after a few days I doubt Zeze would have accepted her. And she thinks Zeze has bad juju as her sister got into an accident when she went for Zeze's interview.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

I even think she was at at the preliminary exam for Zeze when she got the call about her parents and her sister's accident. I went back to episode 1 and she's wearing the exact same shirt in the test that she had on in the flashback when she was running to the hospital in the rain. So I think you're right @Sur. She's probably thinking of all the bad juju Zeze has in store for her. Another reason why Soo Ho would have to work extra hard to get her to work for him.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

In the first episode she said she had bad luck with Zeze. Is it coincidence that both her sister's accident and the interview that she ran out off was two years ago?

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Thank God, HJE Tone down alot of her OTT scene... She seems like a decent actress if he remove her OTT..

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I like RJY, quite a lot. He's the main reason I start watching this drama.

However, I have to agree with javabeans this time. It would be better if they keep Je Su-ho character to the one in the webtoon. I read the webtoon a little bit, and I can already picture RJY being the stingy man who brings his own tumbler to a coffee shop instead of using the paper cup (he believes he can save money that way). The Je Su-ho character's background being different from the original webtoon just makes this drama a typical rom-com.

But, I'll still watch it anyway. I just hope the show can be consistent.

0
6
reply

Required fields are marked *

I'm a huge fans of ryu jun yeol but this drama was a let down to me. Nothing new about the plot. I wish they would have stick with the webtoon plot. It was more interesting. His role in reply88 left a hugr impact on me that I kinda wish he will take a mre challenging project. I know he can be serius and funny but this whole drama permise was too predictable. I think he would have done better if he was in master of revenge. That drama was gold. I guess i will have to wait for his movie to come out. His choices in movie is good though. Ryu jun yeol is an actor who will shine more if he did play a complex character that requires him to use his body and his facial expression like what he did in reply.

0
5
reply

Required fields are marked *

Do you think this drama don't require RJY complex character? I think in this drama uses his facial expression more.
In this drama RJY shows many expression from annoyed, uninterested,and many more.
Also rom-com is always predictable.

0
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

totally agree. i enjoy RJY so much that i notice the numerous little things he does that is so different from your standard romantic male leads (looking at you Lee Min Ho & co). the way he awkwardly bends his butt (ha!) when collecting those smelly clothes, the way his whole body, hands included, shrinks back to avoid her touching him, the way he silently karate-chops the sofa cushion hearing her talking smack about him, the way he slinks down the seat in the theater like a turtle, the way he goes head first, body second, when she pulls him into the apartment, the way he half-looksie back when she says he's more body than brain...all of it is so refreshing and incredibly subtle and hard to do. i fully buy that he's Suho and nothing like his Reply 1988 character.

like you said, rom-com IS predictable what makes they work for me are the actors: those who make me love the characters portray and those who make me hate them. so far, RJY and HJE are making me love the heck out of their characters. I CARE :)

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

XD loved the way it shows in your 'list', how much attention you pay to RJY, every scene is recalled in my head as you name them, it makes me want to re watch the episode and wholly enjoy his subtleties and, of course, cuteness.

0

He is an actor with truly impressive physical comedy! :D

0

Same.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

The first 10 minutes of this episode gave me stress headache. It comes to be when I am looking forward to a break from my day and need to relax and choose a drama and drama just annoys the crap out of in the first 10 minutes. So, it did that and that I stopped watching because I did not want to bias myself too much.

Couple of things I will state.

1) HJE is a good actress but she is doing the same thing again and again. I have never liked her noisy dramas, when she screams, i get headache. But if the dramas has scripts, she does a good job despite he character problems

2)RJY is not ready for a male role yet. He is awkward and it shows. He simply needs more experience. This drama will be one of those.

3) They need to move from crying too much to

"having 10 Tigers available to mate., who will she mate with program."

....After second episode, drama still sucked.

0
18
reply

Required fields are marked *

Ditto. I really think HJE should stop playing comedy as it getting cringeworthy and RJY is not able to shine on his own. too bad cuz I really want this drama to do well to pass a good rating to 'W' (my most anticipated drama of the year) but this drama simply suck. Dropping it.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

You already gave rude comments in ep 1. Funny and hilarious yet pathetic and gross to see you insist to watch ep 2 only for giving bad and rude comments.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Thank you for your attention. This drama is so popular. A haters spend her time to watch and critique every Wednesday and Thursday is really appreciated. That's what made the drama really popular. Because if it's me I don't want to waste a single minute to watch a drama that I hate already in ep 1 let alone give a long comments.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Thank-you for watching. Pls keep watching in ep 3 and increase the rating. Your attention are real a big boost to lucky romance crew.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Wow you must have enough time to watch a drama you hate. Don't you have life other than hating grow up.
Well you could also stay in your hateful world. Forever Hater.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Just drop the drama then. Simple as that. You keep on complaining. In first episode too and here too.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

@dramafan100

I share most of your sentiments. RJY does not strike me as a male lead. Is it a coincidence, but the second lead male has more screen presence and is more natural looking on screen than he is?

And both episodes felt very choppy. The second episode, more so than the first. I am a fan of HJE, but without her past reputation in previous dramas, and the webtoon's popularity, I doubt that this drama would recieve so much love and attention, based on these two episodes. It's really all over the place.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Exactly my thoughts.
The story is not that good so far, I find it a bit bland. Plus, RJY does not have enough screen presence and his character is quite plain (not sure if it is because of the script or that he is inexperienced). There are comments asking for an older actor to be paired with HJE here, but I do not think it is an age issue. She makes a strong impression in the viewers and the male lead needs to balance this. In She was pretty she was paired with Park Seo Joon, who is younger than Ryu Jung Yeol, they had amazing chemistry and both were shining in their roles.
I will keep watching a bit more, but just for HJE. Hopefully the story will improve...

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Thankfully I didn't try to watch either 1 or 2. This whole theme of sex-for-a-good-cause was portrayed gorgeously in Oh My Ghostess. Either Park Bo Young or Kim Seul-Gi would probably have slam-dunked this role.

Which goes to say it deserves a younger actress. Even from the screen caps, our girl HJE just looks tired. With a more mature and experienced leading man, this would possibly have worked for her. But that would be like looking for a 40 year old male virgin tee hee

You shouldn't refrain to speak your mind, by the way. It's refreshing and gives a different viewpoint to anyone wanting to know the good and bad about this drama so as to make an informed choice.

I sense nothing malicious or hate-filled in you giving a negative review. The recappers do it all the time depending on the drama they picked up. Goodbye Mr Black got a bad rap almost every episode but no one cared...But then this is the great HJE in action here so...

0
8
reply

Required fields are marked *

HJE has range and can kill melos, I say that because I have seen almost all her works. She can restrain herself if asked to do so. I am tired of saying it over and over again. Personal bias aside, I think comments should be objective to a certain extent even if you dislike the person. I have seen people hate on her for no reason. She mostly stays out of trouble and does her job well. Still, you will always find comments harping on and on about same past performance issues and dragging it even if that is not relevant here.

0
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

Who's to say what's relevant or not here? Who's to judge? I think we should all take a step back and just chill. Let others air their views, no matter how questionable. You may show your displeasure but not to the point of attacking someone. Such as, telling them not to comment or even watch the show. I would say to such people to take their own advice, and just ignore comments they take offence to.

Guess what guys, some people can actually watch a show they hate. Maybe for a few episodes at least. While some can love a show but just don't watch. It's a matter of choice and that's personal so let's stop trying to impose our wishes on others. I wish everyone would be into the shows I like, for example Master of Revenge but it's mostly under the radar.

You like what you like, simple. But when you have to tell yourself to keep being 'optimistic' about a show (as javabeans said in her closing comments), maybe it's not something you should cling to out of loyalty to the lead actress.

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

Thank you my mood uplifter! I did not realize people get that sensitive here. I actually like it when people have honest opinions and share them so far as they do not attach each other personally. I will definitely comment when I feel about something. Come on. That is what this section is for right? Having opinions and exchanging them etc. Otherwise, where is the fun?

0

*microwaves the popcorn*

I was wondering if I should get around to watching answer me '88. Now I know the answer: never LOL. If I get sucked in and turn into some of the peeps here ... *shudderz*

I mean I'm sure you all are nice people in real life, but the comment section of Lucky Romance is seriously scary. Ryu Jun Yeol must command some serious voodoo magic if his fans are devoted to the point of hypersensitivity and willful subjectivity.

I'm gonna stop watching for now, and may tune back in if the drama turns out great upon completion. The first episodes are ok, but nothing to write to home about. The comment sections though are popcorn worthy material. Some commenter above writes a critical review (which is normal here in DB, right? Given it's a site where ladies can be smart about their drama critiques), and literally a legion of RJY fans jump out throwing pitchforks, hateful retorts, and/or defensive essays. LOL. Like I said... Scary... But also impressive. You guys truly love him. If someone insults my husband, I don't think I can defend him with as much fire and fury as some of the ladies here =D

0

She's only two years older than RJY - and she's hardly old! Why would she have to be paired with a 40 yr old actor? What's wrong with a 30 yr old women being paired with someone THEIR OWN AGE? (And I consider anyone within 2-3 yrs of the same age to be close enough).

I hate the trend of always pairing 28-30 yr old guys with 19-20 yr old girls. So I'm glad they didn't. I like to see people of the same age range together!

That kind of thinking really frustrates me. I'm 32, never married, good education, in good shape, good job, no kids, and people tell me I should look at much older guys, divorced guys, ect. Because guys my age want to date young women, so "the best I can do at my age" is a 45 yr old divorced guy. Well, for one thing I'm only going to date someone I'm interested in. But for another, I don't think it's fair that I'm "penalised" and looked down on for being over 22 when men aren't.

0
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

it's so sad that men & women of the same age looks strange to us because we're conditioned to see men with teenage girls :(

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

HJE apparently is early 30's. Well she's beginning to look her age. While a male around the same age bracket might look much much younger. Take for example, RJY.

Not to say there won't be situations and plots where this will work for her or other actresses. But the disparity is glaring this time.

And what's wrong with the actors clapping 40? Sometimes the lead male roles can only be carried convincingly by the mature male actors. Eg Marriage Contract's Lee Seo Jin.

The casting is just really off this time. Both leads are awesome at their trade, but PDs and casting crew should pick actors who match across many levels. And not based solely on who's a ratings magnet (HJE) and who's flavor of the moment (RJY).

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

It hurts when you say flavor of the moment xDD but I acknowledge it's true. It's sad because it sounds like his talent is more and more in second place, and first comes the huge mass of fans that loves him and consequently gets ratings high.

0

this drama is not for you. i'd move on.

as for my opinion. RJY is fantastic and i need him in every show/movie.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I read a bit of the webtoon and can understand where javabeans come from. But similarly, I do also agree with the director that there probably isn't enough material if we use the 'stingy' part.

I like episode 2 a lot better than episode 1. Episode 1 is well paced but nothing stands out(I like it but it is not memorable). However, good enough to make me keep watching it.

I find episode 2 really fun and hooked to the drama.

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

i think i am kinda glad they went for the traditional rom-com route rather than sticking with the cheapskate premise because like you said, it would be incredibly difficult to keep it fresh/funny. like right now, i can see myself getting sick of the slapstick comedy of him constantly trying to save money by episode 5. plus, i worry that that character trait will take over everything and it'll be all there is to talk about for this character and everyone that comes across him become participants of the various cheapness gimmicks. like what's the level of cheapness is he going through in this episode...

i mean, eventually i got sick of all the eating slurping scenes in Let's Eat lol

or maybe not take it out completely but between making it 99% of his personality, make it 1%.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Maybe that personality would work in a short length drama? Episodes of 15-30minutes. I haven't read the webtoon (because I know I'm going to suffer watching the drama) so I'm just saying based on what you say. And it's true, some details are not made for dramas of an hour long episodes, but meant to be short glimpses.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

It should not be the responsibility of actors if the directing is poor...what's the problem with RJY acting...he has done so much good with his character...some says he should give more facial expression...but think about the character je su ho..he is really a versatile actor....you can't blame him...you should think what kind of character he is protraying and then you should comment ...

0
17
reply

Required fields are marked *

I agree with you. He is a good acto. You can see that in all of his project before. But this drama was lacking in terms of its plot and character. It was too bland. I mean his character is. But in reply 88 he managed to bring the best out of junghwan character because it was written well. Je su ho to me lacked those layer that we all know jun yeol was capable enough to pull it off. I belive if he wants to do drama then he will have to be very careful, especially if it was on public broadcast. This drama was a let down really. Everything was too predictable. Its a shame because the materials was interesting but when they change a lot of this it became a standard romcom with overused plot. I was really2 disappointed. I waited for this drama. I guess I will have to wait for his movies to come out. He did better there since he was given a good material to work with.

0
8
reply

Required fields are marked *

That's exactly what i want to say...act

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

That's exactly what i want to say..but still i gonna watch it to the end only for RJY............

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

why don't we move on from the issue of changing too much from the webtoon? We can't do any thing about it. Why don't you just appreciate all the efforts exerted by the actors for their character? Being in a drama is not easy.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

But we are still allowed to say something about it.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I think it is a bit unfair to compare his acting as Junghwan and his acting as Suho just yet. How can Suho be a character as well developed and layered as Junghwan after only 2 episodes when we got to see Junghwan's character growth through 20 episodes?

Also, I personally think that 2 episodes is too little to judge a drama since many dramas that I ended up really liking had first episodes that I really did not like (and vice versa...sadly). But if Lucky Romance is not of interest for you than whatever. I just believe it is unfair to judge Junyeol's acting so quickly.

I am also looking forward to his other projects. He is definitely on my radar!

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

Never in my comment had I said anything negative about jun yeol acting lol. I praise him like crazy. He was one of the actor who i looked up to. I was only criticizing his character. And why would I want to say something that will bring him down since I was a huge fans of him. I followed up all his work and although at this time we only saw 2 episode, l can only see how predictable his character is. I never said that he cannot pull off his character here since I think he easily pull it off just by watching this 2 episode. The problem rely on his character not RYU JUN YEOL lol. I know you love him too but please be reasonable and stop attacking people for being dissappointed with the character that he played. I do think he just want to enjoy acting for this drama. He deserve better. He is one talented actor. I want nothing but to see him succeed.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

I apologize. I realize that I have explained myself wrongly and I definitely did not want to "attack you". That was not my intention at all.

I understood that you were not saying anything negative about Ryu Junyeol's acting and that you were also his fan. All I wanted to say was that I believed it too early to judge the character of Je Suho as being predictable. I remember when I watched the first episode of Reply 1988, my initial thought was that Junghwan was going to be the typical stoic boy next door type character that we see often...of course my first impression was wrong.

Please do not take offense to what I said. I really do not want to be painted as a crazy fan who attack others that do not share their opinions. I just wanted to point out that sometimes it takes time for a character to develop itself and break away from cliché and stereotypes.

0

i think it's unfair to compare a fully flushed out character of 20 episodes (30 hours!) vs. 2 hours.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

RJY is a relatively new rising actor, so I don't think he had much better options for TV drama roles. Also, he still needs to prove that he can bring a good rating, especially since his look is not as pretty as some popular idol actors. And, I think he just wants to have fun with his TV project and try a different genre from reply 1988. For a more challenging role, he seems to get it from both of his movie projects.

0
7
reply

Required fields are marked *

i feel like i am RJY's mother because i am defending him left right and center today lol

i don't agree with what you said, he's a raising actor true and this is the show he chooses to do amongst i am sure hundreds of projects he was offered fresh out of Reply 1988. I mean, this is opposite HJE for heaven's sake!!!! the rating queen of rom-com whose last project made Park Seo Joon's career (not that he's not talented of course). come on, now. he didn't choose this one because it's the only thing he could get. he picked it because it can elevate him into leading man status where i am sure, he can be now considered to leads other shows on his own without having to ride anyone's coattail.

I am sorry but even Park Bo Geum's next project/choice seems so kiddie-like and i am not sure if he can headline a show where he's "the leading man" if it's not another teenage-ish show, versus, after this show, no one will be questioning RJY's ability to lead another show as the dude character. i think it's a great career decision and i am glad he's able to do it and build from here.

0
6
reply

Required fields are marked *

LOL I feel like his mother too (even though he's older than me)... But let's not bring PBG into this, it never ends well when these 2 boys are mentioned in e/o's articles! Even just a whisper of their names can start something *sighs*

0
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

Today we are all Ryu Junyeol's mothers LOL

0

haha don't worry. i am a full-grown woman with your basic common sense so i am simply stating my comparison without malice. any child (and my god, there are so many of those online) who wants to be defensive and picks at my comparison is more than welcome to do so lol

i love Park Bo Geum way too much (despite our age difference makes it borderlines disturbing lol) so again, no malice to him BUT I do think PBG's choices (and face) are still limited to teenage/idol-ville whereas RYJ has the maturity to carry off more leading man roles despite the fact that they were both chasing after the same girl in the last show.

0

Sorry to disagree, but did you watch I Remember You? Park Bo Gum is super-charismatic and has a wide acting range. He is able to steal any scene he is in, and win people's hearts transmitting so much feeling. He was a serial killer in that drama and everyone ended up in love with him... I have no doubts that Bogummie is on the way of becoming a huge star, and I bet he will make an impression with his performance in his new drama, as he always does :)

Back to this show, Ryu Jun Yeol is barely noticeable and this is bad for a main lead, not sure if it is because of the writing, or that he is being insecure: his dialogues with HJE feel awkward. It feels more natural when she is with the second lead.

0

You don't have to bring PBG down just to uplift RJY tho! And this drama has noting to do with him sooooo...

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

But you did drag PBG down because you can't handle the criticism towards RJY as being the male lead..so by saying you welcome tho fans that will defend PBG regarding your opinion are being immature is kinda hypocritical because from what I see you are doing the same..

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Ohhhhh! Such a good and comfortable and warm and fuzzy episode. Glad i didn't read the comic beforehand because I can't tell the difference.
I love that Bo Ni is a computer Science chic and that she actually gets to be smart! That was one of my favorite parts of the episode.

OMG, Jung Eum's hair is so beautiful on her! I couldn't help but think that I want a bowl cut. she's absolutely gorgeous and I also noticed how more subtle she is in this role.

Ugh! Ryu Joon Yeol is soo handsome. I really cannot believe he is 30 years old. He looks like guys my age so he comes off extremely youthful and the way they dress him in this show is A++ (wish they would dress his beautiful counterpart like wise).

I love the chemistry so far and i'm excited for next week.

Unpopular opinion---I could never bring myself to like Lee Soo Hyuk (no disrespect to his fans). He has such a strong edgy face which just turns me off of him for some reason. I always try but in all the things I've seen him in, i've always been turned off.

And yeah, I think they need to drop the awkward english as well.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Just laughing at your LSH comment.

I actually love that face. Kind of completely happy when it appears on my screen and ALWAYS. WITHOUT fail, give his dramas a chance. but I can never ever finish them.

And therefore I feel bad.

But to read, you actually disklike that strong edgy face makes me laugh about how different everyone's sensibilities are...

Fun right?

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

That's really more logical than the drama i wish they kept the original concept, I didn't read the webtoon but i find ridiculous that she has to sleep with a man to save her sister in the drama

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Oops *I mean the webtoon concept
But the second episode is better than the first one

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I'm doing my best to like it...but still not. Really want to. No disrespect to HJE's acting because I love her in serious moments but when she plays drunk she's so off. Her hair here is indeed perfect. RJY is a lovely guy. Enjoyed him in Reply 1988 and so happy for his chance as a lead but like him even more in "real life" as shown when the Reply 1988 boys did Youth Over Flowers in Africa. RJY was the leader, the calm organizer who kept everyone on track, with exceptional English and a true love for travel and sunsets. He seems like a very thoughtful and romantic soul and I'm hoping the silly premise of this drama allows that soulfulness to come out. I'll hang in there but just not wild about the story.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I love HJE and RJY, and this is a decent show but please drama gods, let HJE return to strong melos, she excels in them.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Take a leaf out of AV Club's Tv review system. Grade the episodes against one another instead of in a vacuum.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

This could have been worse and it could have been better. I'll watch LSH smile for a change. He looks much younger when he smiles. RJY doesn't appear to be the right fit for this rom com. Maybe it's inexperience, maybe it's just not his type of comedy. We really don't know yet if he can do comedy well. Thankfully our girl isn't being too annoying this go round. She really needs to choose a melo next time. She's in a rut.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I guess I'm pretty horrible because I've managed to keep my mind open (best way to enjoy a drama) in expectation of rom-com drama stretches of logic but the one thing my mind just refuses to accept is the bear.

Hello? Where in Korea can I wander around drunk to find a cute gigantic teddy bear just lying around, which I can just grab and take a nap on in the street? That stuff ain't cheap! And how is that not lucky? I want a big bear!

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I have never seen someone brush their teeth so intensely. *Dead*. XD

And also Suho trying to put his clothes in the garbage bag with minimal touching...that reminded me so much of myself and Ryu Junyeol was hilarious in that scene.

I hope the rest of the drama will be just as enjoyable and funny.

My only true concern is Lee Soohyuk's character...I already don't really like him and I am not a fan of love triangles...

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

i agree with the re-capper. the second leads in this drama...i forgot they exist lol

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I hope this drama ends up to be the opposite of One More Happy Ending, which had a great first episode but just went downhill as it progressed. In this case, I hope that although the first episode was lacking that it will just continue to go up from now on. I have hope *prays hard*

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I am biased so I just want to enjoy and thankful for this drama to be created whether it keeps the original or not.
no need to analize, guess the husband, make a long post theories to enjoy this drama. It is a light romcom with a deadly sure happy ending. so I'm loving it.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Is Lucky Romance worth the watch? I can't really decide from the recaps.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

the second ep is obviously better and funnier than the first one. hope it gets better each week.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

You know what I find off about this drama that became more pronounced because of MND/AOHY?

The sounds. So many scenes would've been much better with the proper sound cues.

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

+100 I think so too, SWP was so good because of the BGM and LR seems lacking in that part,I hope the sound director will step up the game,and put more appropriate music so that the actors' efforts are not wasted.There are so many hilarious parts that should have been the best but ended up meh coz the sound effects didn't jive with it.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Something was missing but I couldn't put my finger on it... but I think yeah this is it. The comedic moments are definitely there, but the lack of sound makes them fall flat. There seems to be a lack of OST too and that's what kept me watching AOHY. I honestly would've dropped AOHY after the 2nd/3rd episode if it wasn't for the OST being so good (tbh I wasn't feeling the plot back then).

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

This drama may not be the most believable one but I think it's entertaining enough. I loved the Bunny fight sequence in the first episode, it was so funny, ?, and also cute (the pink bunny, and the bear, then the raccoon) ♥ .
So I decided to put logic aside and just enjoy it as it is. Good episode, I would grade it B+.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Something about Je Su Ho's character rings me alot of a character from this jdrama I watched before. Genius programmer and computer game developer. Why does JSH reminds me alot of 'Hyuga Tohru' a character from 'Rich Man, Poor Woman' jdrama? well if someone does watch it, the characterization really reminds me alot of Hyuga. no harm but I also love the vibe of how Ryu Joon Yeol portrays JSH..well Im watching the drama for HJE but im already rooting for this otp ^_^

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I'm still a little skeptical about this drama, like it didn't exceed my expectations somehow. I expected it to be more, but it fell a little short and I'm looking forward on what's about the happen in the next episode. Instead, I'm just waiting for the next episode to prove me wrong.

On another note, look at Je Suho. Finally, a male lead who is actually doing work in dramaland! He stayed up for 42 hours (and 13 minutes was it?), brainstorming ideas, hunting ideas, and not just sitting around waiting for his minions to do his work for him. That's a plus point?

Hope the next episode will be better. I guess I have to agree that the plots do seem more predictable now.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

i expected to love the show because i waited so long for it and i know i am going to enjoy it no matter what - same for the case of Oh My Venus -but this one i can admit that i truly enjoy it instead of desperately trying to convince myself lol

what i love most is the natural acting jobs the leads are capable of. RJY's reaction is just so good and natural and different that i love everything he does from the way he wears his hoodie to the way he fight off her attack and I especially LOVE Suho's reaction to her choosing to not work for Zeze. honestly, i can watch RJY's act all day.

HJE is just in her natural environment. she's such a pro. she's one of the very few female stars (through no fault of their own as there should be a lot more) who can carry a show. i looooooooove RJY but let's face it, HJE can star against any guy and still make it work. in my eyes, HJE is bonafide.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

I agree. So far, I'm totally on board.

How about when Bo-nui grabbed him in the outro and he just FROZE. Stuff like that, I just believe in his reactions.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Wouldn't it be better to do two grades, one as an overall measure of quality within the genre, and one for the episode in comparison to the rest of the show? Because if someone is already watching the show because they like it, they want to know how the episodes compare to one another, whereas someone who is wondering if they should watch the show wants to compare it to others.

Sort of like how on the ratings page, we get a grade for how much Javabeans or GF liked it, versus how they think it objectively measures up quality-wise.

Then, even if there are different people recapping, they can do the second grade with the the metric of the other recapper's grades in mind.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

As someone who's a software engineer, the "debugging" scenes are cringe-worthy tbh. You don't debug by just typing furiously -- and the code that they showed on-screen during RJY's debugging scene was hilarious. Well, at least it's better than just typing and having random crap show up in a screen like other dramas. I've been spoiled since watching the tv show Mr. Robot :P

However, I think the show is cute so far and I am so happy that the main female character is a developer! So far, I like Hwang Jung-Eum in the show, she's not screaming as much as in her other works. Will keep watching for now.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Agree with you but I also think it'd be very boring for the viewer to watch the coder scroll through the code to find stupid typos in the code lol

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Wow! such critical comments! It maybe just me but there has been lot of negativity at comment sections of dramabeans lately. Things weren't like this before. I have never seen people here comparing different shows or mocking actors before.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Thank you sweet baby!jaysus Ryu Joo Yeol's glorious lips were put to use. The biggest heartbreak of R88 (other than the great Maury reveal of: Kim Junghwan you are not the husband) was the fact that those lips were never put to use. Not one kiss!?!?!! Then within 2 eps this does what the other never would....Lucky Romance, you the real MVP. You did the kdrama lord's work. Please do continue to spread to use the good lips in more episode now the line.

0
4
reply

Required fields are marked *

LOL. Amen..thank you kdrama lord..

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Mathematically speaking, if there is one kiss every two episodes, we may have at least 8 kisses between Suho and Bonui...

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

*applaudes* and the kdrama church said AJA AJA aka amen. I'm gonna go spread this good news.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

You just got accepted in Zeze! Thanks for calculating that for us. Ha

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

And the worst thing about the fortune teller shag-a-tiger-save-your-sister thing is...
... you just know he's right. Rich tiger-daddy will save her somehow, maybe by paying for some expensive treatment.

What? Did you think they were going to have a rom-com and kill off the sister? Leave the whole sister thing un-resolved?

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

LMAO ACCURATE

what she gonna do post-sex when sister does not magically wake up from coma?

Fortune-teller: "read between the lines, you dummy. Catching the tiger is financially symbolic."

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Thank you soooo much JB for reviewing this! I like your recaps the BEST! No really.

Considering the absurdity that this premise brings with itself I'm happy that they make it look so good. And I'm happy the heroine is a smart hardworking candy...wait HJE always plays those right? Anyways since I feel computer nerds have been seriously underrated in korean dramas I am happy they get their spotlight here.

After Healer Ajumma there should have been a drama about stuff like that. But I guess nerds aren't as popular in korea as they are in the western world, right?

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Hello javabeans! Thank you for the recap. I quite like the idea of grading each episode, but actually I like it better if you do it in terms of rating like dramabeans does for the overall drama rating? Also, i think it's better to put the episode grading below or after the recap like the one for episode 1... cause if I read the grading first I tend to get forced to believe that this episode is a B or this episode is an A, before actually knowing what the story is like :).

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

when I read Javabeans comment, I felt like Cheese In The Trap all over again. I did not read the webtoon, but the premise where the guy is stingy and saved every penny to have his own building at a young age, was not here. So that, I spend episode 1 with creased brows like getting a peculiar taste from a medicine. I thought it was a stingy guy and not about a genius and a game creator. Genius equals typical, and he was no way stingy. He just threw out cash he won from a lottery, and a obsessive stingy guy surely won't be in a casino.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *