Details

  • Last Online: 18 days ago
  • Gender: Female
  • Location:
  • Contribution Points: 4 LV1
  • Roles:
  • Join Date: February 13, 2020
Cheongdamdong Alice korean drama review
Completed
Cheongdamdong Alice
0 people found this review helpful
by Spring Flower
Dec 13, 2020
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed
Overall 8.0
Story 7.5
Acting/Cast 7.5
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 10.0

A drama that tried to make us feel bad for gold diggers. At times it worked and at times it didn't.

But it did make me think a lot.

I am glad I watched this drama, despite its many flaws. It was not a regrettable desicion. I will tell you the reasons for that in detail. I also binge watched it. And that can be blamed on the intriguing story, my curiosty for the ending, hero's cute smile, and the ost that people found ordinary. (Something ought to be wrong with me.)

STORY

This is a modern day Alice in a Wonderland. Wonderland is Cheongdamdong and Alice is Han Se Kyung. She is looking for a White Rabbit to take her into the world of Cheongdamdong.

Han se kyun is a middle class woman who cant afford fashionable clothes but aspires to be a designer. She always got good grades in school and college, won many contests, but because she couldnt afford to cover herself with expensive clothes and accessories, and lacked overseas education, she couldn't find a proper designer job and instead runs errands at her job. A series of incidents happen that makes her turn from a nice innocent 'Candy' girl to a woman who wants to marry a rich man and change her life: a gold digger, to be precise. Her hopelessness and disappointment in the world causes her to change.

Our hero, Seung Jo, is a guy who always has an (adorable) wide smile but he has some mental issues and seeks therapy. Mainly due to women in his life having only used him before, and his broken relation with his father. He sees heroine as a nice innocent woman.

WHAT I THINK

I think this drama said a lot of stuff that isn't said out loud. Or isn't supposed to be said out loud.

Is there a love in the world that is 100% pure? A person's personality, looks, family background etc. do we love only one among these or all of them, when loving a person?

Love isn't always enough. Or is it?

It also talked about how hard it is to succeed in life when you dont have your inborn (wealthy background) advantage. It talked about the discrimination against the poor background, and all the advantages the rich have, including the ones they don't even realise they have.

I understood a lot of this drama, agreed with somethings while disgreed with others.

CAST AND CHARACTERS

Han Se Kyung was not an easy person to like. I felt bad for her in the beginning, then hated her, then felt bad for her again, and then I didn't know what I felt anymore. Her character was not good or bad, it was what it was.

She didnt know exactly what she wanted. She want to be dark but she also felt bad for it. However she admitted all her darkness. It was hard to watch her. She was clever beyong words. If I met a person like her in real life, I would be very cautious. She even made Seung Jo feel as if he had been wrong or bad. But the guy had been nothing but nice? (Even if somewhat stupid at times.)

Moon Geun Young, the actress who played Han Se Kyung didn't have a variety of facial expressions, and her stylist really showed that Han Se Kyung was poor. But I was more focused on the story (and Seung Jo's, Park Shi Ho's adorable smile), so I didn't care much.

Coming to Seung Jo, I don't think I have seen a more cute character. Actor Park Shi Ho was perfect for this. He portrayed the immature character of Seung Jo brilliantly. He had this bright smile on and he ran to meet the heroine.

Seung Jo was immature, joked around nearly all the time, was one of the reason I kept watching this drama. However nice guys are the scariest when they are not 'nice' anymore. Seung Jo was like that too. I found him really scary when for just a few moments, he was a nice guy who had been hurt.

Seung Jo was naive in many matters of life. He let himself be played around with, let people use him, and even apologised to those who had hurt him. He changed as much as Han Se Kyung by the end of the drama, but not like Han Se Kyung. I believe he deserved better.

Coming to other characters, Soo Yoon Jo, the woman who had used Seung Jo before. I didn't really understand her character. What did she want and what was she doing? It seemed she had made a mistake she terribly regretted.

And Tommy Hong, I wished we could see more of him. His past and future. But we didn't. He was just a supporting character.

HUMOR

Yes, there is comedy in it, although not much. And it's HILARIOUS at times! All credits are attributed Park Shi Ho's character Seung Jo and his secretary with his weirdly dramatized comical expressions. I liked them.

MUSIC

The osts were another reasons I kept watching this. Daddy Long Legs (female version) and Love Like This were the best! Check out their translations too.

OVERALL

Looking at it, this drama was realistic in many ways and also addressed the stuff no drama ever talks about. Take for example the dialogue, "Why in a drama the heroine is interested in everything in a hero except his wealth?"

There were flaws. Many. Moon Geun Young's acting, the lack of a good chemistry, the hero's stupidity or naivety at times, heroine's frustrating character traits etc.

But there are other things too. It's definitely worth a watch, even when its frustrating and angsty and imperfect. Because it's thought-provoking. You will find yourself questioning many things and viewing the world a little differently.

I liked the ending too. I will rewatch this after a long time when I can see it with fresh eyes. Right now I can't bring myself to watch anything else, because my mind is still stuck on this drama.
Was this review helpful to you?