Amanda T – Google

Discovered So Ji Sub in "Oh my Venus" and I was keen to explore his previous works. "I'm sorry, I love you" is one of his earlierst works and certainly verifies his talent. It is a tear-jerking drama and I would highly recommend it. I would rate it 9/10 because of the script and good casting. The only thing that put me off was that some of the scenes were a little too draggy for my liking. The genre of this series would be similar to Son Ye Jin and Jung Woo Sung's "A moment to remember" except that that was a movie. **Please do not read pass this point as it contains spoilers** The character played by So Ji Sub is a character that you cannot help but feel sorry for. His life was extremely tragic from the moment he was born to the day he died. He did have his moments of happiness but they were short-lived. Despite the sad ending, I felt that it was realistic given the circumstance. The only thing that bothered me is the fact that I don't believe his mother ever knew that he was her son. I don't really know what to make of that. For him to take that secret to his grave to prevent her from the agony of a situation that was not her fault demonstrates a love so great that many of us would not be capable of. This series also made my heart extremely heavy because as far as a sad and touching script goes, the thought that there are individuals out there who may be experiencing an ill-fated life similar to this series is simply heart-wrenching.

I have watched my fair share of k-dramas but have not been able to compile my top 10 of what I consider excellent and time worthy — the only two on my list at this moment are Mr Sunshine and Crash Landing on You. "Oh My Venus" is the third addition to my list and certainly makes the cut. This series is a romantic comedy with depth, substance and meaning. Without giving too much away, this series is about the crossing of paths between a man who is heir to a conglomerate but does not really want the role due to his difficult past and a woman who was once in her prime in terms of "beauty'' during her younger days but work and reality caught up with her. What I love most about this show is the overall meaning that it portrayed. Far too often, we seek happiness yet many fail to distinguish that there is a distinct difference between happiness and responsibilities — life is not all about pursuing happiness, there are many things in life that we must do even if we do not enjoy it and if we cannot avoid it — this is responsibility. Secondly, this drama also showed that we as humans often take things for granted. There are people who have been diagnosed with illnesses and yet we who are healthy do not always prioritise our health. I like that the core message of this series is that being healthy is the sexiest thing. Thirdly, this series also potrayed compassion and forgiveness to those who have done wrong by you. Overall, this series is a must watch! The script is excellent, and the chemistry between So Ji Sub and Shin Min-A was amazing.

Finally caved watching the series after months of publicity. I enjoyed the series as the concept was interesting, elevated the heart levels at times, and enabled me to ponder the series from a psychological perspective. As gruesome as some parts of it were, I would not dare say that it was totally unrealistic. After all, gladiatorial games were certainly very real and enjoyed by many in the Roman period. While the majority of gladiators were slaves and did not have a choice, the individuals in the series knew the consequences and voluntarily participated — just stating a fact, not that it makes it any better. Perhaps it is a little difficult to visualise and accept the inhumanity and selfishness of the individuals from our warm beds and comforts. I suppose desperate times call for desperate measures... I would hope however that in relation to this series, this was pure fiction. Overall, I did enjoy the series although I did feel some parts were a little bit dull. The ending was also very disappointing. It sort of hints at a continuation but it didn't leave the impression that made me excited to look forward to it. Although I enjoyed the series, I would not disagree with those who strongly urge parents to not allow their children to watch it. To be honest, it really should not be just children but also society in general and individuals with no ability to distinguish between reality and pure fiction —unfortunately, this would be impossible to control. Would I recommend it? Probably not. Simply because it is not healthy for society in general. Why the 4 stars? Simply because I cannot control who views it. Similar to the fact that I would not recommend anyone to consume alcohol but personally, I do enjoy and appreciate a good single malt. But if all single malts were to be pulled off the market, I would not complain either.

Two words - "Absolutely brilliant!" The plot appears complex at the beginning as it slowly unravels itself into a masterpiece. As much as I do enjoy k-dramas, there aren't too many that I find worth my time. If you are one who enjoys a series that has depth, substance and not your typical "cheesy" love story, then please watch this show. Also, if you are of those individuals who enjoyed crash landing on you and felt that the series set the bar too high... then Mr Sunshine will not disappoint.