Very addictive rom-com/dramedy

lyntonadam

Phew, the first few episodes in particular are beautifully done so you absolutely have to keep watching till the end. The premise is intriguing yet it's the chemistry between the leads that is compelling ( yes, a truism regardless of the language ). Seung-Ho Yoo is goofily cute yet heartfelt as the recluse, while Soo-Bin Chae as the robot is SO adorable, you just really want the best for her. Both actors also handle the emotional stuff well ( & it's gruelling for the viewer when the drama and tears kick in ! ).
Now, though I do love the show ( & desperately want to marry Ms Chae ), there are some gripes : the humour of the early eps tends to reduce somewhat, despite a plethora of opportunities right through. Most of the other characters could do with some personality ( the butler could be a football fan, or the 2 assistants to the robot scientist could fantasise about the "kissing"expert, who is underutilised anyway ); While the production values are solid, I'd add some visual oomph ( eg slo-mo, dissolves, ECU's, funky editing etc ). The final scene is, hmm, frustrating ! if you've been waiting 2 years for the love of your life to return to you, surely you'd be jumping into their arms & smothering them with kisses ?
That said, there were regular examples of a scene or a line surprising me, which is always a good thing ( eg the relationship between the head scientist & his female assistant ).
And finally, the elephant in the room : the S word. Apart from one extended kissing scene which should've been broken up with some humour, we have a fit young man ( despite the allergy ) who seems to have NO sexual interest in his gorgeous GF. Please ! Is all Korean TV so chaste and unrealistic ? And no, I'm not proposing a full-on HBO approach. It'd be so easy to be subtle and just SUGGEST things in a funny way ( "hey Mr Chairman, there seems to be a bulge in your pocket" ). So, memo to Korean Govt : sex is here to stay & is very enjoyable, as you seem to realise per the sexy babes in every 2nd K Pop video. With Hallyu in mind, the rest of the world will embrace KTV better if you inject a bit more realism into the TV content.

score 8/10

lyntonadam 14 October 2018

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw4395792/