Review of Pinocchio

Pinocchio (2014–2015)
7/10
Very good theme and fresh idea, too much emphasis on romance
20 May 2020
First what attracts me to this drama is Lee Jung Sok, how can you not be with that pretty face? and of course, his good acting skills.

The casting is OK, however the chemistry between the leads are of average, but both have good acting skills, surprisingly even the supporting cast performs really well. Both Kim Young-Kwang (as Seo Beom-jo) & Yoon Kyun-Sang (as Ki Jae-myung) are both impressive, specially Yoon. BTW, they do look a bit alike, even the actors who played the younger version of the brothers are outstanding. There are a lot of characters but audience won't get confused as it was presented really well. Kudos to that!

I think the title Pinocchio is novel. Don't think I ever watched a show about how one has to stay honest all the time. Kind of a fresh idea. The theme of this series is serious, actually a very serious topic we need to ponder and rethink how it affects us. The ethical issue of reporting and the ethics of being a reporter, which unfortunately is not being explore enough.

It has 20 episodes which I think can be shortened to maybe 16 or 18. Some episodes are rather boring with all the spread and emphasis on the romance scene of the leads. The story has a couple of holes which I think is not consistent or sensible.

1. Why did In-ha insist on calling Ki Ha-myung "Choi Dal-po"? Choi represents her uncle, a family member. Since she is in love with Ha-myung, isn't she be more welcoming to the idea of having a romantic relationship with a person outside of her family? Moreover, she loves Ki Ha-myung and is trying her best to help him have his revenge, addressing him of his true identity and name should be the very first step of his healing and regaining what he had lost for 13 years

2. Song Cha-ok has so many spare phones but In -ha just happened to pick the right one? What is the probability of that luck?

This series is entertaining, with all the main ingredients available - love, family, friendships, comedy, loyalty & a glimpse of Korean business culture. The only downside I feel is it puts too much emphasis on the romantic aspect of the leads. On the personal level, Ki Ha-myung decided not to use the materials (the retrieved texts) because of his love for In-ha, seriously, your Mom committed suicide & your brother is in jail (for life) because of the setup, and here you will give everything up because of your love for a girl. It is not like it will cost her life. It exaggerated the whistle blower consequences.

On a professional level, Ki Ha-myung decided to forego his motto of what a true reporter should be - divulge and report only the truth to the world. I doubt someone so emotional can be an impartial reporter and carry out his job. In real life scenario, you don't get a second chance or opportunity to let go of the explosive material and wait for another chance which in all possibility may never come as the bad guys will be prepared. But this is Kdrama, so of course, there is drama...
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