This is a (literal) sneak peek of the music industry in South Korea. It showed the "niceties" of the field. Still, I liked the fact that the drama focused and delved into the lives of only a handful of people, with their relationships well intertwined. The simplicity of the story is another plus for me. The conflicts that arose were highly relatable and resolutions were mature and rational. It (surprisingly) got me watching nonstop.
12 Reviews
Its okk
iannamandrut17 January 2022
It was ok thats all i can Say i only watched it bc Song kang and joy are in it bshsjsjdjsnsjsjsndjdjdjdndnndjdndjdjdndndndndndnndndnndndndndndZnnznznndsnnsnsndndndnxnxxnnxnnxnxnxnxnxnxnndnddndnndndndndndndndndndndnddnndndndndndndnndndndndndndnnd its cute and funny bbdbdjdjsjrjrjdjjdkkcmfmmdmdmd.
Delightful
samantha-mcewan-774-97146312 August 2018
Absolutely adorable show, sad it is finished but the growth of all the characters throughout made this utterly believable and the couples were just so sweet together. Songs were great too.
A brilliant all-round drama.
Unexpectedly Psychological and Touching Manga Adaptation
nishera1 November 2019
Manga adaptations are often disappointing, but I liked the original manga (Kanojo wa uso wo Aishisugiteiru) enough to give this drama a chance. And to my pleasant surprise, although it did take a lot of liberties with the original story, I still totally loved it!
As with most manga, the story's premise is a bit unrealistic and does require some suspension of disbelief (though less than the original, I thought). In addition, while most of the characters still have their original personalities, the flow of events and character histories in the story have been significantly altered or rearranged.
Normally, these kinds of changes would annoy me, but in this case, I thought they added a great deal of depth, realism and humanity which helped to flesh out the original characters. Unlike the manga which focused primarily on simply moving the characters through various situations/events, the show looks at how those situations/events impact the characters internally and highlights their resulting development. There is a great deal of psychology and commentary on personal motives, which I found totally riveting.
This approach also helped me make sense of some things that I couldn't fully understand in the original work (such as Shinya/ChanYoung's bitterness toward Aki/HanKyul or Director Takagi/Choi's true intentions as their boss). Then again, if psychology isn't your cup of tea, you may find the storytelling pretty dull.
On top of a well directed story, the script, acting and soundtrack were all very polished. If you like manga (especially Josei), k-pop, k-dramas, and don't mind treating this show as a stand alone product, you might be pleasantly surprised! Recommended.
ROMANCE RATING: 7/10 There are only a few kiss scenes, but I thought they were beautiful, emotional, and I completely bought the main characters' chemistry. Though I will say I was a teeny bit disappointed that, unlike the manga (which has some extremely heated kisses), the k-drama keeps the romance strictly light and fun. But it's ok for what it is.
As with most manga, the story's premise is a bit unrealistic and does require some suspension of disbelief (though less than the original, I thought). In addition, while most of the characters still have their original personalities, the flow of events and character histories in the story have been significantly altered or rearranged.
Normally, these kinds of changes would annoy me, but in this case, I thought they added a great deal of depth, realism and humanity which helped to flesh out the original characters. Unlike the manga which focused primarily on simply moving the characters through various situations/events, the show looks at how those situations/events impact the characters internally and highlights their resulting development. There is a great deal of psychology and commentary on personal motives, which I found totally riveting.
This approach also helped me make sense of some things that I couldn't fully understand in the original work (such as Shinya/ChanYoung's bitterness toward Aki/HanKyul or Director Takagi/Choi's true intentions as their boss). Then again, if psychology isn't your cup of tea, you may find the storytelling pretty dull.
On top of a well directed story, the script, acting and soundtrack were all very polished. If you like manga (especially Josei), k-pop, k-dramas, and don't mind treating this show as a stand alone product, you might be pleasantly surprised! Recommended.
ROMANCE RATING: 7/10 There are only a few kiss scenes, but I thought they were beautiful, emotional, and I completely bought the main characters' chemistry. Though I will say I was a teeny bit disappointed that, unlike the manga (which has some extremely heated kisses), the k-drama keeps the romance strictly light and fun. But it's ok for what it is.
Just okay
cin_janssens8 April 2021
Warning: Spoilers
It's okay. Kind of entertaining. Okay music. The part that really made me disinterested is the sad excuse for conflict where she gets mad at him for not telling her he is the famous producer of the band she likes? Why would this make her mad? Because he didn't tell her something that would make her fan out on him instead of seeing him as a real person? Yea what a horrible lie.. wtf? When actually before this she had not told him she got signed to a label. It's really not well thought out. Pretty boring.
Happy series!
shreyachugh24 October 2019
Bit of a mess, unfortunately...
Nikkdramafan19 July 2021
Let's be honest, I watched this because of Jang Ki-young and Song Kang, who are both having a year right now... I kept seeing this title pop up, and when I realized they were both in it, I figured, Why not? Could be fun to see them together in some of their early work, right? Well...
I am halfway through at this point, and...perplexed... I am not a quitter, but I am finding very little to keep me watching this mess... The story (assuming there is one) is terribly disjointed... it can't seem to figure out where to focus... it's murky and lacks commitment, which is unfortunate, because there are some actors in here who are committed to their roles...
The most important thing for me in watching a drama or movie is the performance...are the actors intimately familiar with the characters they are playing, and committed to their truth... the story comes second... So, for that reason only, I have been hanging in... That said, some of the actors are not pulling their weight... I realize that a lot of these actors are young, and many lack experience, but...some of them are just clearly doing a better job than others... The male lead is doing a reasonable job...although I often don't understand what he is doing (or thinking), I blame the writer and director for that (also, choppy editing doesn't help)... the female lead is...not great... some of this may be blamed on the director... I realize she is young, and I guess this is her first role, so... I understand she has a new drama coming soon, so it will be interesting to see how she's grown as an actress... I find no fault with the work of Lee Jung-Jin, who I have only seen a couple of times, but who is solid here... the female CEO/whatever is a bit over-the-top in my opinion, not sure if that is the actress or the director's fault...
The actors who have impressed me the most are actually Jang Ki-young, who, while not having a lot of screen time so far, is fully embodying his character, and Kim Sung-joo, with whom I am completely unfamiliar, but who certainly seems to know what he's doing here...I will check out his later work... This is also Song Kang's very first outing (Jang Ki-young had already put away several dramas at this point), so...he has clearly picked up a lot of skills in the last four years, as his recent work will attest...
The biggest problem is the writing/direction... but I will hang to the end, and if things improve, I will change my rating...
I am halfway through at this point, and...perplexed... I am not a quitter, but I am finding very little to keep me watching this mess... The story (assuming there is one) is terribly disjointed... it can't seem to figure out where to focus... it's murky and lacks commitment, which is unfortunate, because there are some actors in here who are committed to their roles...
The most important thing for me in watching a drama or movie is the performance...are the actors intimately familiar with the characters they are playing, and committed to their truth... the story comes second... So, for that reason only, I have been hanging in... That said, some of the actors are not pulling their weight... I realize that a lot of these actors are young, and many lack experience, but...some of them are just clearly doing a better job than others... The male lead is doing a reasonable job...although I often don't understand what he is doing (or thinking), I blame the writer and director for that (also, choppy editing doesn't help)... the female lead is...not great... some of this may be blamed on the director... I realize she is young, and I guess this is her first role, so... I understand she has a new drama coming soon, so it will be interesting to see how she's grown as an actress... I find no fault with the work of Lee Jung-Jin, who I have only seen a couple of times, but who is solid here... the female CEO/whatever is a bit over-the-top in my opinion, not sure if that is the actress or the director's fault...
The actors who have impressed me the most are actually Jang Ki-young, who, while not having a lot of screen time so far, is fully embodying his character, and Kim Sung-joo, with whom I am completely unfamiliar, but who certainly seems to know what he's doing here...I will check out his later work... This is also Song Kang's very first outing (Jang Ki-young had already put away several dramas at this point), so...he has clearly picked up a lot of skills in the last four years, as his recent work will attest...
The biggest problem is the writing/direction... but I will hang to the end, and if things improve, I will change my rating...
The recording industry and the process of making music
jmirandakimimdb19 June 2020
Warning: Spoilers
I always love dramas where I learn something I didn't know.
We are all consumers of music (it's easy a la Apple iTunes, Spotify) but how does this all happen?
This drama series takes an in-depth look at the scenes and stories behind the packaged product; from the preproduction (composer/producer), practices, and performance; and also what happens when inexperienced artists blindly follow the money/managers(?) without morals, and the consequences thereof.
With high production value I've come to expect from South Korea, this series was very enjoyable, especially the singing talent from Joy (of Red Velvet) as the main lead as the innocent yet principled voice talent that grips everyone who hears her sing.
Ironically, I enjoyed the male lead early on but not necessarily towards the end, as his character became too two dimensional. Maybe it was the script but the complex and brooding aspect of this male lead seemed to fade completely.
All that said, I really enjoyed this series and it ended too quickly but decently.
Good enough
PennyReviews10 May 2017
Warning: Spoilers
I was looking forward to this drama, as it is based on a good manga and the lead actor is one of my favourites. However, it didn't progress as good as expected. The first episodes were really good, with the romance developing in slow tempo and the drama being highlighted with the struggles of the inspiring students who want to debut as a band. However, the drama started falling apart after the first half. The romance was not as strong, as the guy constantly made the girl cry, and the girl simply and very idiotically, for me at least, kept coming back. There as a nice love triangle, that, again, couldn't be developed because clearly the girl was obsessed over her first love interest. The performances were okay, but not as good as they could have been, and the songs were nice. So, 4 out of 10.
Rather slow tbh...
Irishchatter16 February 2019
Sorry, but kindergarten mess
eli-stuttgart17 August 2020
Warning: Spoilers
I really wanted to like this K-drama because I like shows that portray the problems of celebrities. Nevertheless, this did not go to my heart. The beginning, which was adorned by the random encounters between the main characters, created tension. I found the first encounter original and the scene in the phone booth. I would probably have enjoyed it a lot more if the phase where they fell in love had been longer.
The focus has changed again and again over the course of the series, clearly the subject was music, but the people it was about changed the weight of importance every time. The band Crude Play was hardly present at the beginning, although it was actually about the member of this. In the end, however, the band of the female protagonist went into hiding. A bit disappointing that this wasn't just kept in one level.
Now to the previous relationship between the songwriter and the famous singer, which came off a bit grotesque. She had just replaced him with someone else because he sucked her. He reacted far too sharply because he wanted to pose as a victim. She, on the other hand, was after him for far too long after their breakup. No point, since she was with the director. So why be jealous? Or was the jealousy actually directed at the main feamle character because she was young and her career and life are just beginning? If so, then indistinctly highlighted. Besides, the relationship between the director and her is just as vague.
Now to the secondary main character (who looks damn good) who I couldn't tell whether he was one of the good guys or the bad guys. Because he worked hard for the new band and contributed a lot to their development. But this only worked as a sham to get the singer out of the way and to wipe out his competitor because he is more sought after than himself, pressed him on the psyche with hurtful words. That made him unsympathetic, so that he wasn't shipped with the main character. His relationship with the band was also flat, sometimes they were good with each other, the team spirit could be felt, but on the other you hardly saw him with the group because he was apparently so much better.
The father and the president of the label had an attraction that led to something more or was it hallucinations? I liked the relationship between the band leader and the Sunbae the most. The other two members are completely submerged.
The naive girl with the dreams, who wanted to come true with her friends, was very often portrayed as stupid, even though she was simply wearing rose-colored glasses because she had seen the good in the world.
Everything was portrayed far too dramatically, far too often the genius was portrayed as a victim and in the center, where I thought "Does everything have to be about him?" A band has the responsibility to move together, but apparently team spirit is only partly important here. And when did the bands debut? Both at the same time? Then it was too early for some and too late for others. (depending on the time when that was)
The focus has changed again and again over the course of the series, clearly the subject was music, but the people it was about changed the weight of importance every time. The band Crude Play was hardly present at the beginning, although it was actually about the member of this. In the end, however, the band of the female protagonist went into hiding. A bit disappointing that this wasn't just kept in one level.
Now to the previous relationship between the songwriter and the famous singer, which came off a bit grotesque. She had just replaced him with someone else because he sucked her. He reacted far too sharply because he wanted to pose as a victim. She, on the other hand, was after him for far too long after their breakup. No point, since she was with the director. So why be jealous? Or was the jealousy actually directed at the main feamle character because she was young and her career and life are just beginning? If so, then indistinctly highlighted. Besides, the relationship between the director and her is just as vague.
Now to the secondary main character (who looks damn good) who I couldn't tell whether he was one of the good guys or the bad guys. Because he worked hard for the new band and contributed a lot to their development. But this only worked as a sham to get the singer out of the way and to wipe out his competitor because he is more sought after than himself, pressed him on the psyche with hurtful words. That made him unsympathetic, so that he wasn't shipped with the main character. His relationship with the band was also flat, sometimes they were good with each other, the team spirit could be felt, but on the other you hardly saw him with the group because he was apparently so much better.
The father and the president of the label had an attraction that led to something more or was it hallucinations? I liked the relationship between the band leader and the Sunbae the most. The other two members are completely submerged.
The naive girl with the dreams, who wanted to come true with her friends, was very often portrayed as stupid, even though she was simply wearing rose-colored glasses because she had seen the good in the world.
Everything was portrayed far too dramatically, far too often the genius was portrayed as a victim and in the center, where I thought "Does everything have to be about him?" A band has the responsibility to move together, but apparently team spirit is only partly important here. And when did the bands debut? Both at the same time? Then it was too early for some and too late for others. (depending on the time when that was)
See also
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