Heard it through the Grapevine Ep 21 - 30 Final Review

Heard it through the Grapevine A.K.A Heard it as a Rumor A.K.A I heard a Rumor [HITTG]

Finally, I managed to finish this drama! :)

It took way too long despite it only having 30 one hour episodes... 

About 3/4 of a year to be exact, my gosh. Sorry for delaying and procrastinating about watching this show, there just wasn't anyone who I could really share my joy of watching this drama with, and the motivation to finish the drama review just dropped to an all time low after school started. ><

So, I guess if you are all the way here at the final review, you must have finished watching this drama too, and I must say I thoroughly enjoyed this series. :) Hopefully you did too. Except for the slower development of storyline in the mid of the series (which I've come to appreciate actually), everything else was really interesting and fun to watch. I especially love the cast. All of them were really good actors/actresses and the bad guys seemed really hate-able (haha that isn't even a word but you get what I mean) but had a human side too and I really liked the dynamics of the whole team! Daebak! I can't even begin to name who my favourite actor in this drama is. (Yes, they are that good, aren't they?) 

The story line for me was also a very engaging and thought-provoking one. Loved the conflicts and motives that the characters had with one another, and in a way, the scenarios reflected real life. 

The ending for the series was pretty nice, it picked up speed as it neared the end, and saw people draw their lines and whose team they were under. The people who were motivated by greed, by love, by self preservation etc and how their thoughts influenced their actions. 

For the last episode, I was really anxious to see the big fight go down. It didn't really happen like a crazy act that broke out but in fact, the closing was to show how the "villains" were tearing apart slowly. Torturous. The contrast at the very end between the smaller crowded house filled with lovely people and the big empty house filled with strangers was absolutely brilliant. How they showed the distinction between warmth and loneliness was a really great (open ended) ending to this show! 

So, this has been the only Korean drama I watched this year, and I must say I didn't regret picking this up. True, I did take such a long time to watch them all, but I am a 100% recommending this to anyone who wants to watch a korean drama from 2015. Heard it through the Grapevine has truly been a rewarding drama. This shouldn't disappoint anyone who is interested in black comedy/drama genres. 

Lastly, a big CONGRATULATIONS to all the awards and recognition this drama, cast and crew have received! ❤︎❤︎❤︎ 

With that, thank you all for reading! Have a great year ahead! :)

Find me on twitter @raycherr ^^

P.S. Below are some more goodies for you guys. Enjoy!

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Heard it through the Grapevine Ep 17 - 20 Review

Heard it through the Grapevine A.K.A Heard it as a Rumor A.K.A I heard a Rumor [HITTG]

A sincere apology for how my reviews are turning out... :/ I ought to dive into the issues that were touched on in each episodes, after all this is a complex drama. However, this is more like penning down my (random) thoughts... :( Hey, I should buck up.
Erm. :/ maybe its because I'm so behind on the series that I don't feel any motivation to write in depth. Forgive me...

Ep 17
Okay, I'm sorry, I take back all my words from my previous post on this show. I am finally starting to understand the lack of development in a drama. Its not always a simple affair with the story revolving around a few main characters, after all in such a complex show about secrets and power, it is only right that the viewers get a more in depth look into other characters that might make an impact. Hence, with the need of telling the backstory of the other characters, they had to sacrifice the pace of development. However, in return we do get a better understanding of a bigger picture, which I think is essential in such a show.

Ep 18
Pace started picking up again, I found the progress rather smooth and enjoyed this episode. Who would have known that some older episodes would have left me disappointed, but for these few to arouse my interest again. Here are some possible reasons:
a) Exposing the secrets of Han Song and Han Jeong Ho gets more intense
b) More In Sang!!! More Lee Joon!!! ;)
c) I started to get used to the kind of development, and can't get over this drama

Ep19
Things heat up. Han Jeong Ho wants his kids to beg for forgiveness for going against him, but too bad he doesn't pay for the house that they live in. In Sang and Bom gets to stay and not back down. Finally, Bom's parents get around to understanding the complex situation. This was a great episode built upon nightmares and how the world's falling apart for the characters. ;)

Ep20
This episode was pretty good. It was slightly ridiculous which played on the black comedic effects. Let me throw ice cubes! and make my servants wear ridiculous outfits! Sounds fun right? It was also slightly emotional and thought provoking. My Brother or my Daughter? My Family or Others? More Money or Justice? To Ruse or to Expose? Also, a lawsuit against Han Song from Seo Chul Sik is boiling. I wonder how that's going to turn out... Is Han Song really the ultimate puppet master controlling everything? So intriguing! The drama is starting to feel so intellectual.

I recently found this video as well:

To be honest, i should really brush up on my knowledge of directors and writers... oh man haha
Ahn Pan Suk is really a director to look out for, the actors totally trusted him and I'm really impressed. I should definitely watch some other dramas by him after I finish Heard it through the Grapevine.

catch me on twitter @raycherr
might be going on a hiatus and hopefully come back with quality pieces of reviews.

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Heard it through the Grapevine Ep 13, 14, 15, 16 Review

Heard it through the Grapevine A.K.A Heard it as a Rumor A.K.A I heard a Rumor [HITTG]

This will be one of the shortest review because honestly I don't have much to critic about, except that the spark that made this show so interesting in the first few episodes is dying down... Or maybe the drama is a little different from what I imagined it would be.
Many things are happening and there is certainly progress in the story but they aren't what I feel are that interesting, or fast paced enough to keep my attention.
I will touch on the affair bit. Is a love affair romantic? Can an affair be romantic? Wouldn't the parties involved feel guilt? Or is the thrill and satisfaction in the moment overpowering everything else? I am not expressing my stand here but I just feel that its such a tiring affair.
Also, power makes people do crazy things. I mean crazy as in wow that's unexpected and its awesome; I also mean crazy as in hmm, look at the moral dilemma that you are tempting the others with.

To compensate for the short review, here's a short recap of what happened
Seo Noo Ri(Bom's sister) is jealous of Bom? There was a rumor going on about Noo Ri and someone rich. Info sure flowed fast yea. Then Bom helped Noo Ri with her amazing manipulation of power and connections, so everything's good and now Noo Ri is dating a good guy, Yoon Je Hoon (?).
Young Ra and Han Jeong Ho are now together? The stupid things that Han goes through to up the affair are bewildering, haha. Also, Hansong has way too much power, way more than In Sang imagined. (which I think will be further developed on in later episodes).
...

Alright, I will be back with another 4 episodes review again soon! Let's hope the drama picks up and that I find it entertaining to watch again! :)
Meanwhile, you can find me on twitter @raycherr cheers!
[P.S. I'm too excited for season 4 of The Genius to start, you can read my cast analysis here.]

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Heard it through the Grapevine Ep 9, 10, 11, 12 Review

Heard it through the Grapevine A.K.A Heard it as a Rumor A.K.A I heard a Rumor [HITTG]

I'm back with a multiple episodes review! Woohoo!
Alright, to be honest, I felt that episode 9 & 10 didn't have that much going on and decided to watch another 2 episodes before writing about my thoughts. I did a bit of digging around and found out that episode 9&10 had the highest rating thus far in the series?! I'm very surprised! To me, this was not the kind of development that I enjoy as much so to reach an even greater audience in these 2 episodes airing week really bewildered me a little...
Not to say I do not like this drama anymore, but I'm wasn't too impressed hey. I did like the emotional part near the end of episode 9 though. *thumbs up* for the scene where Bom's mum had a conversation with her over the phone after delivering red bean rice cake.

However, the next week's eps (11, 12) were definitely better in my opinion! :) There were way more character development, from Seo Noo Ri (Bom's sister) to Lee Sun Sook (Yeon Hee's secretary). The change in attitude from the Han family was also a game changer in terms of how the story was going to continue. How on earth did the Seo family get connected to others with power? In the meantime, Bom is starting to feel like an outsider to her birth family as she starts to grasp on to Power. :/

Also, something did catch my attention in these episodes. Or should I say someone did?
Yep, Min Joo Young.
Who on earth are you?



Name: Min Joo Young
Specialty: Stalking
Job: Secretary for the 8th level of Hansong
Secret mission: Clear her brother's name + Find dirt on Hansong (?)
Notable Skill: Speaks Mandarin fluently!!! *impressed!

O.O Side note, she looks really young for her real age too!
Her character development in this few episodes was really a huge jump and had a really good edit in my opinion. So curious as to what is going on, as I'm not 100% sure what is her relationship with Hansong and the backstory. I realised I really like her when her colleagues started to doubt her, I was like Noooooo don't get caught! She's not doing nothing! Haha, and her poker face was superb too! :| Looking forward to see her character move forward and make an impact on all their lives.
... I am predicting that In Sang's father will lose the battle in the end... But maybe not? ): (Oh man, I am almost always rooting for the underdog to win, so perhaps I am bias. :/)

Ok, that's all for now, I will be back next week with another review! :)
In the meantime, you can read my previous reviews here.
And feel free to tweet me @raycherr.

P.S Sorry I'm so behind on this drama... *still decides to watch another show, oops

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Heard it through the Grapevine Episode 7 & 8 Review

Heard it through the Grapevine A.K.A Heard it as a Rumor A.K.A I heard a Rumor [HITTG]

Global Perspective! Everything's complicated! This is the truth and nothing can be simple! Or can it? At least In Sang believes that the complicated issues can be tossed aside, life is too short just thinking about the positive things.
\\(◕ฺ ▿ฺ ◕ฺ)// #hero
While I do understand where Bom's coming from when she expressed her frustration of being different and "outcasted" from the rich and powerful, I love how In Sang still has this vision about everything working out. It didn't feel like a fantasy vision that was impossible to me when he said it. Or is it just me, am I becoming too optimistic like him? ); omg Lee Joon is such a good idol actor.

Bom is portrayed as a pretty smart kid (and i use kid here because that is exactly how most people are treating her). She is turning tables around and probably even on her way to fulfilling her dad's dream of her becoming at least a Minister of Justice. However, things are complicated, aren't they? The spider web unravels in these 2 episodes, giving us a look into how different characters are related and what they struggle with/care about most. The episodes also took a turn in storytelling and focused more on the characters and emotions than moving forward in the timeline. So, it was more like branching out than progressing in the story. Pretty refreshing.

The episodes also revolved around generations, virtue, self control and traditions. So basically, they were what some deem as important while others might deem as old fashioned values. However, pride was also another issue brought up and hinted throughout the episode, which I thought held greater significance than the others mention above. Pride was what led to wanting to hold on to what are "good and valuable"; pride was what was stopping some from being "real". Notice how I used quotation marks? While some might think that they are "XXX", it is not exactly Black and White. Yep, haha and this brings us back to complexity. Wow.

Black comedy is all about complexity yea. Looking forward to the next episodes!
Just so I don't back out, I will write here that I will continue to watch and write about my thoughts asap soon (after I finish rewatching Orphan Black! ><)
Tweet me @raycherr, or... read my other posts on Heard it through the Grapevine here ヾ(๑╹◡╹)ﾉ” 감사합니다!

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Heard it through the Grapevine Episode 5 & 6 Review

Heard it through the Grapevine A.K.A Heard it as a Rumor A.K.A I heard a Rumor [HITTG]

Wow, after a few weeks haitus, I am finally back with a short review of Ep 5 and 6... I believe I'm about 10+ episodes behind, ohno!!! ): I really should find time to just binge watch and catchup, shouldn't I? ;)

So... I am so sorry, I became lazy [read: writer's block] and I didn't take any notes for these two episodes. I feel super guilty about it as I don't remember that much details... :/
Actually, it has been a few days since I watched, but I decided that I will still write about what happened since I would love to continue to write about the show, there should be more of a continuity.

Alright, enough of me emoing and giving dumb excuses, back to super cute Han In Sang!!! XD This is actually one of the few korean dramas that I remember the main characters' names well: Seo Bom, Han In Sang and their baby Han Jin Young. The writers must be doing something right. *claps* Now, the next level would be to remember the parents' names.
Now to the story, yes! The young couple registered their marriage officially and practically the whole world knows about it! What?!? That was pretty unexpected, especially with the twitches that the rich parents had for the next few days after the shocking news arrived. Hence, this is a step forward for the young family, congratz! In Sang's female friend(aka his mum's friend's daughter) wasn't too good at hiding her jealously too, and was quite interesting to watch, I wonder if she will start to get in the way of the new couple to break them up somehow, to stir up some trouble? Sounds like a plausible story development to me! :/ Plus there were so many jealous characters after news of the marriage were announced too, its funny! For example, the pregnant lady in the office, she was quite pissed about not having the best nanny in town.
Following, the families had their own worries too. Like rich father and his politics. Bom's sister and her job... :/
Soon after, the couple's parents FINALLY met!!! Having the upper hand, the rich family tried to exert their authority by putting out terms and conditions on the table, trying to force Bom's parents into a corner with money and prospects again. Luckily, In Sang overheard the conversation, ok the entire house heard it hahahahhaha, and he was embarrassed by his parents' lack of real empathy. Justice!
And there you have it, a fight in the big beautiful house as episode 6 came to an end.

Cheers, in the meantime, you can find me on twitter @raycherr as I try to find time to binge watch the drama!

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Heard it through the Grapevine Episode 3 & 4 Review

Heard it through the Grapevine A.K.A Heard it as a Rumor A.K.A I heard a Rumor [HITTG]

This is Black Comedy at its finest.

In these two episodes, things picked up. While I thought ep 3 was slower paced, ep 4 was really well done. Plus, the comedic element was multiplied in these 2 episodes, haha. The background music were especially hilarious, and they matched the atmosphere more so than in the first two episodes.

I really like all their acting too. So good. Not too over dramatic, just slightly. A perfect amount, I dare say even. Character development for all the main characters are done just right and I am super impressed.
I felt really engaged and was super engrossed throughout ep 4. Bravo, well done! I can't wait to catch up on this drama. :)

Rough recap
Han In Sang escaped from his new study room, at least for a few hours, and bonded with Seo Bom over Manhwas (?).
Bom's father found where the Rich live.
In Sang's mother's friends get really suspicious.
In Sang's sister help fast forward the discovery of the mystery of the rich family weirdness by posting baby related photos on SNS.
Too bad, In Sang sucks at playing hide and seek, and he freaks out his mother from under the dinning table.
Rich parents pretended to accept the young couple's love.
However, they had other plans and sent a separate proposal to Bom's family, tempting them with lots of money.
Not 100% convinced by money, Bom's parents thought hard about Bom's choice.
Bom's mother successfully invaded rich family's house, and screamed like a mad woman.
The two kids then found out about the separate proposal, and want to make their own decisions away from rich parents.
Marriage, so it is, and they stomped right over to register their marriage.

The preview for Episode 5 gets me so excited!
What's happening to the marriage? Is the rich really going to "destroy" their "perfect" life? What kind of internal conflicts do they have?

Thank you so much for reading! :)
Do you guys think that I should include screen captions? Tell me in the comments section below or tweet me @raycherr.
Click Here to read more about what I thought of the pilot + first impressions.
Click Here for my review on the second episode.
Cheers and see you guys soon! :)

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Heard it through the Grapevine Episode 2 Review

Heard it through the Grapevine A.K.A Heard it as a Rumor A.K.A I heard a Rumor [HITTG]

Thoughts
very very interesting show...
This is actually the first korean black comedy I'm watching, and I am enjoying every single second of it thus far.
Once again, i felt uncomfortable throughout most of the episode. but I keep coming back for more. Its a very fun ride to be be on, with the dynamics and quirks of the different characters.
This episode we saw more of In Sang's family and environment.
Also, the two main characters are "isolated from the world" in different ways which I think is a sign that the show is more character-driven than plot-driven (I really hope so!). Bom is separated from her baby while In Sang is separated from his family(both biological and newly added ones) to focus on his studies. It is very funny how at this time the rich family wants to juggle being humane and caring to the baby/mother while still getting In Sang to become a lawyer and to "maintain" their status, haha. Well, I guess they hold enough power to do whatever they want.
I am quite curious and wonder if this situation happens in real life, how would the people involved react. :/ Why is the dad Jung Ho so concerned with saving and caring for the baby? I'm almost certain it isn't just his kindness nor conscious that is leading him to do such a good act. If they wanted to get rid of Bom and the kid, I'm sure they could have done that pretty easily with money and power... but the fact that they didn't, means that there's something deeper than what we are seeing as of now, and I can't wait to find out his motivation in doing so. I am thinking that it could be that he wants to respect his son's decision to a certain extent given so much restrictions he had already imposed on In Sang, but I am doubtful. #curious

Preview of Episode 3
Would In Sang be able to escape from his new room?
Why is Bom so shocked?
I think that next episode will be more focused on Bom's family? Hopefully this coming episode or the next. ^^

While I catchup on the drama, why not follow and tweet me @raycherr? :) I tweet about various different kind of entertainment.
Or read my review of Episode 1 here?
Review of Episode 3 and 4 here too!

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Heard it through the Grapevine Episode 1 Review

Heard it through the Grapevine A.K.A Heard it as a Rumor A.K.A I heard a Rumor [HITTG]

Main Thoughts
Finally I found a drama that looked interesting and is currently ongoing so I decided to try it out. I would say that HITTG did a very good job for the first episode.
Spoilers ahead so please do watch the episode first! :)

In a drama, the opening scene/sequence usually make or break my experience and interest in watching the show. I thought that the opening scene was slightly disjoined as an international audience and I didn't quite understand what was happening with the golf reference. However, things picked up as they went on to introduce the family members, bringing in relatable themes like teenage issues: academic performance in schools, expectations from the family and pregnancy (clarification: I am not/never pregnant but I watched about 2 seasons of The Secret Life of the American Teenager) and my interests rose.

Following, they introduced the other family involved, who had a different set of issues altogether. Main actor Han In Sang was from a rich family with power. Great thing was that he didn't exactly looked like he belonged. Something was bothering him, he was also just doing what was expected out of him in front of his family. Almost like he dreamed of another world where he didn't had to be stuck with inheritance of power and restrictions, though he still went on with such 'orders' from his family. So, no stuck up jerk who thinks that he is the center of the universe. Yeah! Also, they did a fantastic job in showing the environment that In Sang was in while showing his cool personality.

This was told with a backtrack in the time period, to explain how Seo Bom got pregnant, which i really liked. The flashback was subtle and nicely executed.
As the story progressed, I started to make sense of what happened to result in the first scene in which the father was thorn between love and expectations. ←  and this is likely to be the main theme of the drama.

This episode was really well done in my opinion. I was pretty uncomfortable throughout the whole episode, and I think that this was what they wanted to achieve, thus great job! No perfect family, just really TWISTED (haha remember In Sang's mother's friend said it in this episode?) issues that they have to deal with. All while letting the audience already figure out what is about to happen next, but still look forward to the progression. The one hour show passed really quickly and I was not bored at any point.

Side Notes
This is a black comedy, which I do enjoy most of the time! Really looking forward to future episodes.
Lee Joon looks really good hehe ;) I really want to root for him. I totally looked past In Sang's internal conflicts and how he is so unlike a stereotypical wealthy kid who is super sure that he is in love with Bom. He even wants to take responsibility, which is unlike what a stereotypical rich kid will do: Let his parent clean up his shit with $$. Might sound really immature and clueless, but I still hope his current personality and feelings don't change too much! (totally developing a crush on him omg)

I also keep comparing this show to the Secret Life (see above mentioned show) just because of the teenage pregnancy issue... :/ while Shailene Woodley is an awesome actress, the show was pretty ridiculous with a new pregnancy every new season? haha, HITTG keep it classy ok? ^^

Preview of episode 2
Waaaa her water broke???
The rich family is definitely upset.
Will In Sang and Bom still get married?

Alright, will try to watch episode 2 asap before I forget everything from this episode...
In the meantime, you can follow & tweet me @raycherr with your opinions about the show. (I reply most of the time!)
No spoilers pleaseee, cheers!

Edit: I have finished watching this drama! :D I highly recommend this drama and do read these reviews as a companion piece if you want to.

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