An unorganized show with weak mini-plots that never let its characters reach their full potential.
This had so much potential. And it goes nowhere.Laugh tracks alongside the most boring scenes (the actual funny ones had none whatsoever). Characters changing the way of speaking out of nowhere (I'm looking at you, Carson). Some of them have almost no development, no interesting arc, nothing. And some characters are just low effort and overall lackluster (ahem... Minnie and Sam). Seriously, were these two really necessary at any given moment? I couldn't tell.
You know... poop jokes can only get you hooked for like 5 minutes. Tops.
Hyun Min was a great character that suffered from being part of an overall unorganized series. The same goes for Se Wan, Jamie and, to be fair, all of them. Hans was completely misused, so did Terris, which, just like Hyun Min, had a lot of potential in a show full of wasted narratives (or should I say at times nonexistent). Carson's most interesting moments were when she simply wasn't acting like herself. If this isn't a sign that something is not completely functioning within the narrative, what is?
And there were moments in this show that simply made no sense. Without giving any major spoilers, a good example would be when they visit Hyun Min's mom. The way they handled that Se Wan scene during this mini-arc was atrocious, to say the least. What the hell was that?
I paid almost no attention in the last episode. I just couldn't. The few glimpses I gave were enough to tell me that it was simply so not worth it (ba dum tss). Sorry, I had to do it. lol
I wanted to like this so bad. The premise of having characters from multiple countries caught my attention and I was dying to see a kdrama with actors from different races (and I still want to see more of that in the future... but not like this). This one is a big NO for me.
I'm still trying to understand how this show currently has a score of 8.0. I guess I just wasn't feeling what everyone else was when watching this. Well, luckily we can all agree to disagree, right?
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This review may contain spoilers
Is it Worth it Or Nah? Well, depends on how high you are and what you're looking for.
Contrary to its name, So Not Worth It, is actually kinda worth it. Well, depending on what you're looking for. Armed with a diverse ensemble cast and numerous gags along with a light smattering of cameos, SNWI promises to be a good time. And it is! For the most part, I suppose, seeing as everyone's having mixed reviews about the whole thing.As with any show which has too many idol actors, it's understandable to be wary of it. Being a longtime ahgase, I admit I started the show mainly because Youngjae was in it, but I ended up getting sucked in by the other characters, namely Carson. To me, it was an enjoyable watch, especially due to the ensemble cast and the little graphic animations which added to the visual experience.
Seeing that this is a sitcom, one should be judging it on the basis of whether or not it was entertaining. That's my criteria for a sitcom: good enough to get a few laughs out of you, engaging enough to keep you going to the end, with a sprinkle of a poignant or heart-touching moment here and there. Moments such as Hyunmin constantly explaining his flighty mother's lifestyle which has resulted in a myriad of siblings and the resulting subsequent confusions due to it, or Sewan being a business major to the core (I would have had a much better time of being one had I possessed Sewan's unique skillset of keenly extorting people out of their money lmao) or Jamie's shameless cheesiness had me laughing out loud at times.
I will admit there were cringe moments as well. It isn't a sitcom unless it gives you secondhand embarrassment one way or the other. Minnie's obsession with k-dramas and the Descendents of the Sun moment she was having at that prison gave me sheer secondhand embarrassment, as it was too reminiscent of how the locals behave when they newly begin to absorb k-content. Plus, the Perpetual Suffering of Han Hyunmin was funny (mainly because Hyunmin didn't get too serious about it) and the show could have taken an approach to shed light on the hardships of being a day student (or a foreigner like Jamie struggling to fit into his homeland) but it chose not so and that's okay I guess.
I was pleasantly surprised to see how it handled the sexual identity and orientation aspects. I did not expect an LGBTQ couple to come out of it of all things (it may not have been in detail, but the fact it was portrayed still counts) and the couples were all easily shippable. Jamie and Sewan might have been cute but Sam and Minnie's kiss felt more natural. Il-seob and Terris were also adorable in their own way.
There was your fair share of serious moments too. While it annoyed me how the friends dealt with Carson's cheating ass boyfriend Sergeant Kim, but they did still choose to rush over in her defense. It also gave me an appreciation for Carson's character. Despite her unkempt appearance and her grandma-ish demeanor, she is surprisingly the most level-headed and perceptive friend in the group. I wasn't expecting to find such depth in Carson of all people. Maybe that's why it made her my favorite among them all.
Sewan's drunken distraught rant about parental neglect must have struck a chord with some, but the way Hyunmin's mom handled it was admirable. Your love for your child isn't determined solely by biology. Sure, we can say biology plays a part, but we can't just attribute it to just that. Plus, Sewan wishing the world would end because life is too difficult when you're middle-class (or a class other than rich) in today's world was relatable as fuck too.
The show's fourth wall moments here and there also served to elicit an amused snort every now and then. The product placement callouts were especially funny to me, especially when you take into account the penchant of excessive (overt and subtle) product placement which is often found in Asian dramas. And that fourth wall break, where Terris comments on Sam's emotional growth in the span of one season. Ah, I should have known then there'd be a season two.
Of course, sitcoms can be more than that, but not all of them should be expected to be. True, the mistimed laughter tracks are a little jarring, and seeing how they were constantly offbeat (I wonder if that was deliberate on the part of the directors) and the running gags tended to get a little tiresome but overall it was good. But that's just me. To sum it up, this drama was refreshing.
To conclude, if you're looking for something light and entertaining to occupy your mind, then So Not Worth It is it. If not, you're welcome to check out other sitcoms, I'm sure you'll find something that's more your speed.
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Worth watching
It's not as funny as Waikiki, but the drama is enjoyable and has short episodes which means it doesn't take much time to watch the drama.I really liked that the story circulated the international students of different nationalities. Each student has their own story to tell and I liked the "living together" plot. The acting, OST, story and actors are all good. In my opinion, I think it's a really good and enjoyable drama which is worth watching.
I was unsure if I should watch the drama or not according to the negative comments, but I think people had really high expectations. I had my expectations and think the drama fulfilled them.
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Sweet and funny!
This was a super light, sweet and funny watch. There was no particular flow to the story except for Jamie and Se-Wan's romance. It was sweet, short and enjoyable.I enjoyed everyone's character and acting. The laughtertrack may seem annoying to some but I'm used to hearing it from all those 90's sitcoms so it didn't bother me.
Jamie and Se Wan are the main point of this story and their characters are sweet. Specially Jamie is your shy and adorable type whome you just know you will fall in love with!
Apart from them the characters I most enjoyed were of Hyun Min and Carson. Carson's philosophy on love was unique and beautiful and the way she brought Terry and his love interest together was also very sweet.
Overall this sweet and fluffy.... a feel good kind of drama. There are literally no twists and turns ( Jamie's scandal could be considered one) and everything is quite predictable.
I would recommend it to someone who is looking for a casual and fluffy sitcom. Its nice and short and pretty easy to watch!
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I really don't like laugh tracks so that made it very hard to watch
I initially dropped the show, but decided to "get over myself" and finish it off anyway, thinking that I was just having this sentiment due to the laugh track and I should still give it a chance. Unfortunately, it turned out to be just as the title suggests—so not worth it.The series, set in an international dormitory sounded really intriguing, it had a lot of potential with its diverse cast and comedic premise. However, the execution fell short, leading to a rather frustrating viewing experience. The humor often felt forced, making me roll my eyes lol, although I need to mention that I probably missed a lot of the inside jokes that other reviewers are talking about. After a while I finally managed to blend out the constant use of the laugh track, but still it was distracting and only highlighted the lack of genuine comedy in many scenes. The character development was inconsistent.
Despite some actually funny moments and a few likable characters, the overall narrative was disjointed and lacked depth. The show’s attempts at addressing cultural differences and friendships often came off as superficial.
In the end, while "So Not Worth It" had some redeeming qualities, the annoying aspects, including the overused laugh track and lack of coherence, made it a disappointing watch. The music was not bad ◡̈
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many assumptions of others differents cultures
for someone who have cultural informations about ( swedish , american , arabic , thailand ) i would like to say that there is many scenes giving many assumptions about others countries and also the love stories between all differents charecters from all over the countries are korean love style this is not developped despite there are some good actors . i didn't also liked the laugh song it can't make you laugh naturally when u want .. and it felt like they are trying hard to make funny scene it s not natural .. the undevelopped scenario and the non knowledge about other countries make it hard to watchWas this review helpful to you?
Loved it! Rewatched several times :)
Honestly when I first found this show last year, I was like 'Finally! A Korean sitcom!' I really enjoyed that it was a sitcom about university students, on top of that a mix of Korean and international students. I'd really love to see more South Korean series like this one, about a group of young friends or about uni students.There are just so many dramas and thrillers and romantic series coming from South Korea but really very few sitcoms :( so this show was such a pleasant surprise. I really hope we'll get Season 2 and I also hope we'll get more sitcoms like this from South Korea!
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a sitcom worth watching
I seriously don't understand why many don't like this.. like if y'all want a good "romance" or a lot of a more serious drama watch something else?? this drama is clearly a sitcom, light-hearted, and comedic kind of drama that i personally would watch just to feel comforted and to laugh? but istg some critic watchers try to judge this drama when it's supposed to be not so deep and for fun.. i personally don't think it's the most well-written plot but i clearly started this knowing its a sitcom so i'm not disappointed. maybe for those who are planning to watch, lessen your expectations and expect it to be funny and entertaining. i like how it has more probability of having a few more seasons, i can see myself watching the next seasons (if ever there is). really though, as someone who loves sitcoms this is one entertaining show.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
UNEXPECTEDLY GOOD
June 20, 2021From reading all the reviews, I thought that this series would be really bad but I LOVE THIS SERIES SO MUCH. Sure its trashy but its good. Like it’s those trashy good sit coms. Sure the laughing track can be annoying but it really didn’t bother me. I love the references that they put through and kinda making fun of delulu kdrama watchers!!! Also damn, I just everything ahout this drama funny as hell. I am kinda sad on the poor low reviews but it is what is. Now u see all their pov and it’s clearly different than mine. Definitely be rewatching this again since I found another comfort drama to add to my list. I feel like a lot of the kdramas lately have been way too melodramatic or just those tragic love stories and I have been feeling suffocated so I keep dropping those series. But this drama is a breather and I love it even though people consider it trashy. I guess I an fighting everyone else here as I am one of the few who loved this drama.
ANYWAY CARSON IS THE BEST GIRL FOR BEING THE CUPID TO SAILING THE SHIPS. I REALLY HOPE SHE FIND SOMEONE BETTER FOR SEASON 2!
MANIFESTING FOR SEASON 2 CAUSE I NEED RIGHT NOW 😭✋
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It was better than I expected.
I initially wanted to watch this for Choi Young Jae and Kim Kang Min. It wasn't as hilarious as other sitcoms but it was decent. It wasn't boring at all, and that's probably why I was able to finish it in less than a day. The storyline is also kind of simple but not corny. I'd also like to commend the acting of Sewan, Hyunseung (Jamie), Carson, and Youngjae (Sam). The others' acting were kind of so-so but it's understandable and didn't really affect much the overall acting. I also loved the cameos.I love that it also covered different issues in the societies like same gender romance, parenting, scams, etc.
I wish this will have a season 2 soon.
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Light and a decent watch, but could've been better.
while i enjoyed it as a light sitcom myself, i was genuinly confused as to how so many people disliked it, but i understand why this drama couldn't exactly capture what it was aiming for. first of all, it's great to see a drama featuring good international actors. The acting was really great, it was the script that lacked. maybe if the writers would've researched a little bit more and if we were given good character development, then this drama would've been a bit more enjoyable. the concept was nice and refreshing, sadly the script didn't do it justice with the unnecessary (average/bad) humour that could've been done away with. second, i was scared that it may have some racist dialogues, but i believe there weren't any dialogues/scenes as such (i may be wrong tho pls do let me know if i missed anything with racist undertones). oh and also, the laughing track was unpleasant but it faded to the background after a few episodes and it didn't bother me as much as others are commenting. i have to add, the show was very aesthetic and colourful!overall, it's a decent watch, you can give it a go if you want a break from typical kdramas and wish to see a different format. this show is a good step towards promoting more diversity in kdramas, hopefully future dramas like this work on characters development more! :)
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Grows on you
I haven't really watched many Korean sitcoms, so I don't know what they are generally like. Best way I would describe this is feeling very much like a Disney channel sitcom, but with a bit more mature or racy themes at times. Just in the way some of the silly comedy lands with misplaced laugh tracks gives off a bit of that Disney channel vibe. Despite this some of the comedy can still be quite funny and it grew on me as I enjoyed each of the characters personalities.I really appreciate the show in trying to break a lot of racial stereotypes, as it's something Korea has a long ways to go in. It's just nice seeing Korean speaking foreigners playing main roles, as they are generally reduced to just 5 second guest roles in other dramas who only speak English.
Overall, while often silly, it's a fun simple watch that doesn't get too heavy. It's a refreshing show you probably don't get out of Korea much.
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