non-boring story line? check
great OST? check (one of the best)
chemistry between actors? check (sizzling in some cases)
hilarious and embarrassing events? check
a beautiful love formation? check
actors acting their butts off? check (especially Shin Dong Wook's butt...um I mean acting butt...um I mean acting chops)
angst but not jump-off-the-cliff angst? check
a totally different way to tell a story (editing etc)? check (I haven't seen a drama do what it does to the story and not make it confusing but actually add to the awesome-ness)
man I love this drama!! definitely a must watch!!
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Except this wasn't your average k-drama. It's called a sitcom, but that isn't giving it nearly enough credit. It's also called a romantic comedy, and while it has romance and comedy, that's not a nuanced enough classification. And, while almost 100% of Korean dramas follow the 16-20 episode format with such uniformity that predicting which episode the big confession will happen in is almost an exact science, this one turns linear storytelling into a loose guideline rather than the strict rule. Also, the fact that it was entirely preshot without the stresses of the live-shoot system really shines through; it is confident and the different plots dovetail and interweave with efficiency and steadiness.
The writers were particularly successful in creating deceptively sharp characters. On the surface, they appear to be stock and silly. Most of them WERE stock and silly. But, taken as different, embodied responses to the "do soulmates exist?" question, they become luminous in their own right. And, of course, I would be remiss to forget to mention the wonderful cast especially Shin Dong-wook (effortlessly charming and insouciant) and Lee Soo-kyung (hilarious in her permanent exasperation).
The one thing I really liked about this drama, the aspect that vaulted it directly into my list of permanent favorites, was its way of handling life's little intersections, the minor butterfly effects. How we're a lot closer to others (and by extension, different types of happiness) than we think. The format is a direct manifestation of this and also gives a physical motion to the very cerebral process of emotional maturity. To say more would be to ruin the pleasure for first time viewers, but there IS this one scene that involves rain and Lasse Lindh's gorgeous song "C'mon Through".....
Most importantly, the writers found that perfect sweet spot between the opposing poles of the big question. The tone was neither idealistic nor cynical; skeptical, perhaps, is the right word although it implies more negativity than actually existed. Maybe it is most accurate to say that there was a thoughtful melancholy to it, one that removed it from the realm of throwaway slapstick and placed it firmly on a higher plane. This is Soulmate's strength: It has the singular ability to turn what might have been utter, lowbrow farce into something intelligent and bittersweet.
Tl;dr? This has my definite endorsement. Watch it for something different with a lot of laughs and a lot of heart.
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The story involves different couples, some of them believing in fate and some not. The thing I really loved about the drama is that it treats the fate/soulmate topic in a very lighthearted way because the characters weren't forced onto a certain path by fate, they were still free to make their own decisions. The drama made me laugh a lot but also had its share of touching moments without being overdramatic or angsty.
The cast was really outstanding for me. They portrayed their characters very realistically and there's not one character I disliked.
If you're searching for a drama that focuses on one couple falling in love this might not be the right one because it takes a long time for the main couple to even meet. But if you're looking for a refreshing drama that's different from your typical romance storyline I highly recommend to give Soulmate a try!
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This review may contain spoilers
This drama is very interesting to me. I saw so many good reviews for it and I like the idea and story line of Soulmate. I will be honest I did not except to wait so long for them to meet but I honestly think it was worth the wait.It's 22 episodes and by now if you have watched a certain number of dramas you get the general idea of who the female lead and male lead will be. I came in this show knowing who the leads are and to my amazement (and some-what disappointment) it took about 13 episodes for them to meet (I hope you don't take this as a spoiler). When I first watched it, it felt like a drag. I could not understand why the writers would wait so long for them to meet and it annoyed me.
By the time I finished the drama I totally got the reason why they waited and I really appreciated in the end. It made the story line even more amazing to me.
This drama focuses on the idea of soulmates. Some people believe in soulmates and some don't. In the drama you have both of those type of people. The biggest question of course is "Are there really soulmates?" This drama totally answered it in every way. And I LOVED it! This totally made the story line amazing to me.
The cast is great and on point. I think every one did a great job on their roles and all the characters are well thought out. There is enough drama on here that you might not notice in the beginning that the leads haven't met yet. I will be honest that it will feel like a drag for some, especially those who love fast pace dramas but I feel that in the end it was worth the wait.
Some where iffy about the ending but I loved it and I think it went perfect with the story. It made perfect sense for the situation they where in at the time. One thing that makes this drama great is that there relationships are very realistic. I also felt like the ending answered the question that we were asking ourselves the whole drama "Are there really soulmates?" That to me made the drama great.
I gave the re-watch value an 7. I did write that I appreciated the first half of the show even though it felt kind of slow but I wouldn't necessarily watch that part again. I will watch the second half again because I truly thought it was brilliant and the best part of the show.
So to you people out there who are kind of scared because you like fast paced dramas then don't be. Trust me, the first half is not boring and it's a great way to set up a drama like this. The end result is all that really matters and trust me when I say it's the best part. Overall, the drama is great. I think the writers and cast did a really good job with this.
If you're an romantic lover than this is the drama for you.
PS, The song "This is not a love song" was stuck in my head a week after I finished the drama. Lol I loved it!
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Music wise, they have used it splendidly. I say that because the main theme song was really incorporated well into the story. Having it has so much meaning all through out the drama and you'll just get that sense of LSS (las song syndrome) after hearing it over and over and over again.
Cinematography was pure bliss. It wasn't big or extravagant like other dramas but the angles to capture the scene brought out the beauty of the back drops and it's realism.
Here are several favorite quotes gathered from the drama:
"Everyone has a reason to be happy."
"Fate is something you can't run away from, something you can't shake off no matter how hard you try, it just sticks on to you no matter what."
"The best revenge to do against your enemy is to live happier than he does."
"So knowing each other's true feelings can be this difficult."
"If we're meant to be, even if it's not now… someday. Someday we'll be able to meet again."
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Now for the nitty gritty: The show is unique. There are characters in this show and if you give them a chance you will enjoy the journey. The characters are so strong and the writing is just as strong where you just are flowing through the drama. Even the characters who might've gotten a little annoying were so a part of the show that I still completely enjoyed those characters as well. The music is FANTASTIC. It isn't too overbearing. It went with the scenes really well. It also made me keep looking up the songs because I had never heard them before but instantly fell in love with them. The show even had meaning believe it or not!
Out of my 43 shows there have been a handful that I didn't want to start another drama right away because I wanted to keep the feeling of the show with me for a little while. This drama was one of them. There have only been a handful of shows I wanted to rewatch. This was one!
Even the ending was done so well that even though it may not have gone the way I thought I wasn't left feeling like something was missing like so many other dramas.
If I had to give it a criticism it would be those characters that were slightly annoying. Did they really need to be that annoying? Who knows? Like I said I enjoyed watching them anyway. The only other criticism would be more time with the main couple, but isn't that in every drama?! lol Take a chance on this show! I loved it!
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The main problem- it takes until more than half of the total episodes to get to the main story. That was really too much of a wait.
Once it does get to it, the story moves forward beautifully. But by that time there wasn't enough screen time left of course.
The way that it ended is probably the only sensible way that it could have..on a positive, open-ended note.
The music was great, I liked the characters much and I liked the actors even better. But there wasn't enough of the lead couple for me. For the 22 episodes that they had, I wanted more.
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I watched it through all at once but not without a lot of cringing. Some of the acting and situations weren't as quirky or fun as they were meant to be. That's really my only problem, but I've gotta admit, it's a big one.
That said, I have an embarrassingly big soft spot for this drama and it might be carried completely by the chemistry between the main actors and the soundtrack. Really, that's saying a lot.
I'm forever frustrated by the end, but it wouldn't put me off from a rewatch.
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Story: Just realistic portrayals of relationships. The main OTP doesnt even interact that much until almost the end so that was kind of a bummer. I didnt like the open ending.
Acting/Cast: I already have seen the lead actor and actress before so I know they can act well but I loved their chemistry. Just wished they had more scenes together. The actress that played Min Ae cant act and it didnt help that her character was a b*tch the whole time. The actress that played Yu Jin has the most annoying voice ever and her character was so unlikable! I really wanted to fast forward all her scenes which unfortunately she has a lot of. I really liked the other supporting characters!
Music: All indie which is a genre Im into so Ill definitely be downloading the OST when I get the chance.
Rewatch: There isnt a point really to watch this again since the ending isnt all that great.
Final Thoughts: Soulmate isn't boring, has a lot of interesting characters, and a cool OST but its not something that has to be watched unless you have time to spare.
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