Last updated on at 05:37 am
So I Married an Anti-Fan is the latest Korean drama I just finished watching. I picked it out of the many on my watch list because I was in the mood for a simple, no-nonsense romance that was easy to watch and had that old drama vibe (straightforward storytelling without many bells and whistles). Many said it was those.
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So, was it? Below is my take.
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Plot
Hoo Joon is a famous singer, while Lee Geun Young is a reporter. The two started on the wrong foot due to some misunderstandings. A publicized altercation between them went viral which led to Geun Young being dubbed Joon’s anti-fan. Then Geun Young got dismissed from her job, which prompted her to accept an offer to star in a reality television show with Joon. They hated, and bickered with, each other at the start, but soon fell in love.
What I Liked About So I Married an Anti-Fan
- Easy watch. It was indeed an easy watch. A feel-good romance that was entertaining and not stressful. The kind you go to when you want something light to calm your nerves after watching a heavy melodrama, or, really, when you just want to unplug your brain.
- Likeable actors. Both of the actors who played Hoo Joon and Lee Geun Young, respectively, were not difficult to like. The actress who played Geun Young, especially, acted capably and was perfect for the role. She was able to capture Geun Young’s strength and kindness. By the end, I’d grown to really like her and would be checking out some of her works.
- Even pacing. It didn’t feel like the story dragged in some parts. While I would have preferred some of the scenes (especially those of the second couple—more on this later) to have been shortened, I felt that the drama had good pacing all around. The chronological sequence of the events that took place just made sense.
- Good writing. Having just finished a badly written K-Drama (that made my head spin most of the time) before watching this, I was quite glad to see that the writing was better in this one. Except for a bit with those in the last episodes, the writing was, basically, to the point; there were no useless or irrelevant lines.
- Colorful side characters. While the side characters in this drama are your regular K-Drama side characters, still they did a good job of supporting the main leads. And while not perfect overall, they provided additional laughs. One couple even had a cute love story going on the side as well.
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- Lovely cinematography. Just like most of the Korean dramas aired in recent years, So I Married an Anti-Fan had a lovely cinematography. Most of the scenes were beautifully shot it will make you feel good just looking at them.
- Memorable music. The songs played were delightful. There were several, ranging from the upbeat to the mellow type, that were all catchy and would have you humming along in no time.
- Good chemistry. And now going to one of my favorite parts when watching a romance drama: chemistry. Hoo Joon and Lee Geun Young shared good chemistry, I’m happy to say. They were believable as lovers and were lovely together. Their love-to-hate relationship was entertaining to see; their back and forth at the start were funny and their dynamics as a couple in love were sweet. While it wasn’t as passionate as I would have liked it to be, still it delivered according to how light this drama is.
- Skinship and ending. Another thing I liked about So I Married an Anti-Fan is the good number of skinship or intimacy. Affection between Joon and Geun Young was shown in a good number of hugs and kisses. Again, not as passionate as is the norm in most Korean dramas, but better than some. And then there’s the sweet and cute ending. While short and, you could say, a bit rushed, it was still heart-fluttering.
- Love and trust. It’s a given that the main leads love each other—it’s a romance drama, after all—but what I really appreciate about this drama is the level of trust they had for each other when they became a couple. There was a scene later in the drama that the writer could have spun into a source of misunderstanding between the two, but was instead used as a way to show how much one trusted the other, and I like that; it was refreshing to see.
Now, off to what I didn’t like about So I Married an Anti-Fan. They aren’t that many, but still worth discussing because they really irked me, heh.
What I Didn’t Like
- Second couple. First and foremost, I really didn’t like the second couple, Choi Jae Joon and Oh In Hyung, who shared such a toxic relationship. Jae Joon was insecure and he carried some unhealthy grudges that affected his relationship with In Hyung. It wasn’t the best sight to see. Their screen times would have you gritting your teeth, which screen times, by the way, were quite many. They were so tiresome that I was seriously tempted to fast-forward through them. Maybe they were there to provide a bit of drama to the show, but… oh well, I wasn’t a fan.
- Love to hate. Okay, so here’s the thing: I, for the life of me, cannot understand how the main leads fell in love with each other. I mean, how they shifted from hate to love was quite vague. I guess there weren’t enough scenes that showed how they did. In some of my favorite dramas, you get to see those moments where they’re slowly developing feelings for each other, which is great for those moments would give you the feels. Nothing of that in this drama, though, so maybe that’s why I wasn’t fully swooning over their romance.
- Plot holes. I didn’t like the fact that some events in the story weren’t given clear explanations on how they came to be. To avoid giving spoilers, I won’t specify them, but they just suddenly became resolved over time. I wish the writer could have taken the time to clarify those parts.
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Final Thoughts
In conclusion, So I Married an Anti-Fan isn’t the best Korean drama out there and it won’t be claiming a spot in my list of favorite K-Dramas. However, it’s good enough if you’re looking for a light romance that would help you take a rest from heavy melodramas or you just want something fun to watch. It did meet my need for an easy watch at that time, so I was just glad it delivered.
So, I hope this piece of mine about So I Married an Anti-Fan helped you decide whether or not to watch it. Happy watching!
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I’ve never looked at Korean drama. I’ll have to look into it now!! Thanks for sharing!
A lot are really good, so do give them a try. You’re welcome 🙂