Choi Si Won, Kang So Ra, Gong Myung, Lee Jae Yoon
Drama Rating: 5/10 Neck Score: A++
This one was a sad disappointment because it had potential in both theme and the cast of characters, but it was written so badly that it became a joke. The one thing it did great on was character development. It was the selling point of this drama for me, and why I kept watching. It never got super bad. It just got so unbearably cheesy that it was impossible. It was super sloppy in the execution, and the love story was practically not there, which is why Curdy was constantly having second lead syndrome for Gong Myung. Can you blame her? I cannot. I am in love with him too. I might have finally started Bride of the Water God just to see more Gong Myung, because I miss him already. It probably didn't help that Kang So Ra just didn't have romantic chemistry with Siwon and she totally did with Gong Myung. It's like she was Siwon's noona the whole time (like she dated his hyung Leeteuk and never got over the siblings relationship, haha). I believed that Byun Hyuk was in love with Baek Joon, but we never really knew how she felt, and I would have believed right up until the very end that she could possibly end up with Jae Hoon. But, as I liked to point out, the opening only shows the three of them being friends, so that it what is important, right?
I really loved how Byun Hyuk started out as a worthless chaebol who always caused problems and Jae Hoon had to clean up after him, but by the end he was a revolutionary force for good. The progression from worthless, clueless pup to a hero of reform is a fairly natural one too, so that it's a gradual thing, and he learns from each experience. I loved that part. But sadly, they put all the effort into the character development (which I love) that they had no idea how to wrap it up or even move the most basic plot along. I thought they gave Jae Hoon (Gong Myung) a decent character arc as well, we got to see why he was the way he was and were given plausible reasons for him to change, and then saw him change too. I feel like Baek Joon got the least development, because she started off pretty great and her changes were more minor, but that doesn't mean they weren't there. She went from having no hope, but being driven by her experiences to wanting to make plans and decisions, even if they mean completely changing her focus in life. Still decent development.
