Incontrolablemente Enamorados (2016)

Uncontrollably Fond me ha decepcionado un poco. Pero aclaremos: una vez más es culpa mía y no de la serie, ni de la calidad de su producción (que dicho sea de paso ha sido muy acertada). El drama no es malo, para nada. De hecho, fue quizá uno de los mejores que hubo en su momento. Me ha costado un poco de esfuerzo adaptarme al ritmo, y la línea de tiempo al inicio también tuvo sus pegas, pero no por eso me atrevería a juzgarlo de manera precipitada, o peor aun, decir que no me gustó.

El peso de la historia no se basa ni siquiera en la agonía de Joon Young sino en un evento del pasado —como casi siempre sucede en los dramas— que involucra a un reconocido fiscal, que casualmente es el padre de él, pero el señor no lo sabe porque la madre soltera jamás se lo dijo y crió al hijo en su soledad y en su pobreza. El fiscal en cuestión se ensució las manos de corrupción cuando la hija de un poderoso arrolló con su auto al papá de No Eul y este falleció días después en el hospital (su muerte me supo a poco, la verdad; le faltó feeling) y No Eul al enterarse de esa sucia maniobra decide sabotear la campaña del fiscal a toda costa, cosa que pone en alerta a Joon Young y a su medio hermano Choi Ji Tae (al que no conoce, ni es tampoco su medio hermano), y cada quien por su lado stalkea a la chica para evitar que revele información comprometedora sobre el padre de ambos.

En medio de este forcejeo invisible Joon Young hace una maniobra arriesgada al robarle a ella el material que amenaza con divulgar y No Eul termina golpeada por otro auto, sufriendo casi el mismo destino que su padre, pero logrando sobrevivir (incluso tuvo un paro cardiaco en el quirófano y tal, muy fuerte todo). En ese punto de la historia se separan, y cada quien hace con su vida lo que le viene en gana: ella se convierte en una directora de documentales que ansía cualquier cosa que destile dinero para pagar a los usureros que prestaron dinero a su papá. Él abandona su idea de convertirse en fiscal y consigue ser un afamado artista Hallyu. Y el medio hermano, el tercero en discordia, lleva una doble vida donde vela por la estabilidad de No Eul haciéndose pasar por alguien tan económicamente pobre como ella, mientras que por otro lado maneja, junto con su madre, una empresa de renombre y su padre le arregló un matrimonio con la chica que mató al papá de No Eul (el matrimonio estaba arreglado desde antes del accidente, por supuesto).

Vaya drama, ¿no? Vaya lío. Lo de Uncontrollable Fond sí que es un triángulo amoroso marcadisimo desde el principio: Joon Young está enamorado de No Eul, pero a ella le gusta Ji Tae porque siempre ha estado ahí para apoyarse en él, además cuida de ella y de su hermano menor, pero Ji Tae siente que no merece a No Eul, tanto por lo sucedido en el pasado como por el hecho de tener esa doble vida que ella desconoce totalmente en la que ya está comprometido en matrimonio con una chica a la que no ama. A Jung Eun no la meto aquí, porque pobrecita, como personaje me ha dado muchísima pena. Creo que un maniquí o un títere nos habría sido de más utilidad a pesar de la tarea tan marcada que traía desde el principio. No deja de ser la niña mimada de papá que lo tuvo todo siendo jóven y exige todo siendo adulta, aunque no tiene ni un pelo de tonta y para ser sincera es bastante astuta. También sabe cómo utilizar esa astucia para su propio beneficio, ya sea picándole las costillas a Ji Tae con verdades amargas que le carcome la conciencia o poniendo cara de nuera ideal ante sus suegros a la primera oportunidad. Se agradece que la hermana-fanática, aun en su locura, tenga esos aires de sentido común para darse cuenta que una cuñada tan perfecta no puede ser normal.

Una vez expuestos esos tres o cuatro asuntos que tienen sus repercusiones en la actualidad, el panorama se limpia un poco y la estructura narrativa mejora.

También me la he pasado rechinando los dientes la primera mitad de la serie porque me enerva un poco la sangre ver cómo le caían insultos por parte del fandom a Shin Young Ok, la madre de Joon Young, a la que no bajaban de ser una mujer despreciable y egoísta, mientras se quedaban taaaan anchos con las palabras dichas; sólo para después darle una lluvia de elogios al chico, porque él es perfecto, y tierno, y ama a No Eul desde su juventud; y su propuesta durante la filmación del documental fue muy romántica: ¡Ah! Eso de vivir un romance apasionado durante tres meses es tan precio... ¡STOP! Detengan el auto porque así no va la cosa. No defenderé a la madre de Joon Young sólo porque sí, la mujer está tan cegada por la rabia que toma como escudo a su hijo para convertirlo en fiscal —nada más porque le nace de las entrañas— y para poder pararse frente al padre del muchacho y restregarle en la cara que ella sola pudo criar a un ser humano hecho, derecho y leal. Un ciudadano digno producto de una madre soltera que se partió el lomo y la vida para que su futuro fuera brillante y prometedor. Sí, es una actitud sumamente egoísta, pero eso no la hace ser una mala persona. También ella se siente traicionada porque el chico le prometió que sí, que sería el fiscal ideal que lograría defender a los que no tenían recursos y ponerse del lado de los que nadie miraba, y él, al final, se pasó todo por el forro sin decirle nada a ella e hizo lo que quiso. Eso también es sumamente egoísta. Pero más egoísta aún es querer montar una apasionante relación sentimental por tres meses con una chica que no sabes si todavía te quiere y sin decirle en ningún momento que te estás muriendo.

La peculiar relación de Joon Young con su madre ha sido la que más he disfrutado. Sí, incluso más que la relación tan accidentada con No Eul. Y ve tú a saber por qué. Para ser sincera, a mi me fascina muchísimo ver a la actriz Jin Kyung en pantalla, sobre todo en papeles como este, donde toma la imagen de una mujer con muchos matices, más de los que se podrían intuir en un principio, y convierte su cuerpo y su mente en un templo donde convergen infinidad de experiencias difíciles o sensaciones asfixiantes, pero que ella siempre calla con rectitud.

Joon Young no es imbécil y la paciencia hacia su madre es infinita: entiende que ella está molesta por su actitud en su juventud y que al pasar los años aquel rencor se añeja y se refuerza ante cada situación donde él hace acto de presencia. Es un sabor amargo que aspira a la perpetuidad y que siempre viene mal disimulado en una negativa a servirle su plato favorito, gritarle tres tonos más arriba que a los demás, colgarle el teléfono cuando le llama, ignorarlo como si todo el mundo existiera menos él, negarlo tres veces antes de que cante el gallo al amanecer, etc. Pero creo que no necesitamos leer entre líneas para saber como espectadores lo que Joon Young sabe como hijo: Ella lo quiere —aunque se repita mil veces la mentira de que no—, y nunca ha dejado de hacerlo. Porque, podría ponerse seria cuando lo ve y tragarse la bilis acumulada durante lustros, pero entiende que el chico sigue siendo una persona buena en esencia, quizá demasiado absorbido por su profesión y por su fama, oculto entre la presunción y la riqueza, pero jamás sería capaz de dañar a nadie y ella siempre lo ha entendido, a pesar de las constantes decepciones a lo largo de los años. (De hecho, la escena final que compartieron me ha dejado lloriqueando como nenaza).

No Eul me quedó debiendo madurez. Creí que la muerte de su padre le daría un golpe en la conciencia que le ayudaría a espabilar un poco y la obligaría a poner los pies en la tierra de una vez. Pero no. Vamos, ni siquiera el accidente que casi le cuesta la vida le sacudió la mente adormilada. No le negaré el derecho sobrehumano que hace para poner un plato de comida decente en su mesa, ni tampoco el amor que siente hacía su hermano, pero esa actitud aniñada que tiene de nacimiento le sigue como una sombra incluso en la actualidad y eso le resta una seriedad necesaria como personaje protagónico. De vez en cuando hasta la sentí muy plana, sin tridimensionalidad, casi absorbida por el ambiente. Quizá es una exigencia mía exagerada, culpa de mis altas expectativas, pero a ella, únicamente por las circunstancias vividas, se le pudieron exprimir miles de posibilidades. Sobre todo como documentalista, la deuda con los usureros y esa inestabilidad emocional que le sigue desde que quedó huérfana y tuvo que aprender a ganarse cada migaja de pan con el sudor de su frente. Todo eso se obtiene a base de experiencia, pero también de sacrificio. Sí que es muy bonito que se preocupe por la alimentación de su hermano o por tratar de limpiar su reputación a las nueve de la mañana después de que Joon Young hizo con ella lo que quiso arriba del escenario (y una horda de fanáticas casi la queman en leña verde), pero a pesar de eso su pasividad me resultaba abrumadora y no la he terminado de entender en lo absoluto. Además, el triángulo amoroso que se traen a cuestas la primera mitad del drama puso mi paciencia hasta el límite entre tanto andar en glorieta, terminando en el mismo lugar donde comenzaron y sin ver a dónde conducirá todo eso.

Al que me costó mucho entenderle su estrategia de juego fue a Ji Tae. Entiendo que le tenga gran estima a su papá, aunque éste no sea biológico, y cargue con el resentimiento de sus deslices en el pasado, pero estuvo al lado de No Eul desde hace varios años mintiendo deliberadamente sin detenerse a pensar cinco minutos que tanta atención hacia ella podía derivar en un interés más personal que el de la mera amistad. Quizás eran mentiras piadosas, creadas con el remordimiento de saber que su padre no era una paloma de la paz, justa y honesta, cuando se trataba de proteger a un político. Pero esta doble vida que llevó durante tanto tiempo me ha resultado un poco pretenciosa, juzgando desde la perspectiva de saberlo heredero absoluto del imperio de sus padres, y entendiendo que sus relaciones amorosas a veces estaban dictadas por el destino, el bienestar y la perpetuidad de la familia y no por lo que a él le naciera del corazón. De hecho, él es muy parecido a su madre. Ésta mujer sí que tiene cola que le pisen. A pesar de ser chantajeada por el cuñado como si fuera una atracción mecánica, Lee Eun Soo sabe que varios errores cometidos antes han sido culpa suya. Y sus silencios, la manía absurda que tiene de callar cuanta información le caiga en las manos, es la que la tiene en ese perpetuo estado de alerta del que le cuesta mucho reponerse. Y la verdad es que se lo merece, por soberbia. Pretendiendo retener algo que sabe bien que no le pertenece. A eso hay que agregarle el hecho de que el fiscal Choi Hyun Joon no tiene la menor idea de que tuvo un hijo con Shin Young Ok, en parte porque Eun Soo no se lo quiso decir. Por eso no entiendo el motivo de su enojo cuando él acompaña a su hija al concierto del muchacho o cuando la lleva a la alfombra roja de la premiación.

Y aunque la mitad del drama mejora en cuanto a argumentación, no puedo decir lo mismo de la pareja principal, que me quedó debiendo tres leguas de romance y dos toneladas de escenas cuquis al por mayor. De verdad hubiera deseado que la relación sentimental entre Joon Young y No Eul fuera más profunda y más extensa. Digo, detengámonos a pensar un momento y miremos en retrospectiva: la serie se llama Uncontrollably Fond ¿y qué? ¿Cuándo le vimos a estos dos esa cualidad? De hecho, ¿cuántos momentos tiernos compartieron juntos? ¿cuántos fueron sólo la imaginación de No Eul? ¿En cuántos de esos momentos uno de los dos no estaba dormido? ¿o cuántos de ellos no se vieron afectados por los desplantes de él, los sufrimientos de ella o por la demencia que le empezó a invadir en sus últimos días? Esta pareja me recuerda a la de City Hunter, sobre todo en el arco final, donde el protagonista hacía hasta lo vomitable para alejar a la chica de él para no herirla más de lo debido; pero por inercia pasó justo lo contrario y la prepotencia y la frialdad de Joon Young no la he podido digerir en lo absoluto. Pero terminó siendo aún más grotesco ver a No Eul hundida en un dolor absurdo, victimizada por todos lados y atontada por la falta de comprensión de los que la rodeaban. La mujer apenas podía mantenerse de pie cuando era vapuleada por los cuatro costados, oye, eso es masoquismo. Si a eso le agregamos el romance ficticio que se montó Joon Young con Jung Eun para exprimirle la confesión del crimen cometido en su juventud pues vaya truño, ¿eh? Hay mil maneras diversas de consumir el valioso tiempo en un drama sin necesidad de dañar sentimentalmente a la protagonista principal de una manera tan barata y triste. Salvo el último episodio el resto de su tiempo juntos me ha parecido muy poco memorable. Y eso es lamentable.

La trama ajena a ellos ha brillado aún más y eso lo agradezco, sino hubiera sido por ella no me hubiera atascado los dos meses de visionado que han caído sobre mi. Las cosas se resolvieron de manera justa y coherente, aunque no puedo dejar de pensar que la mamá de Ji Tae se merecía un final más perverso, sólo porque sí (por ser tan perra). En un mundo utópico, en un mundo de colores y piruletas, los años pasarían y Ji Tae iría tras No Eul y dejaría de lamerle las botas a Jung Eun junto con toda su corrupta miseria. Es un autosacrificio que me sabe rancio y falso, porque ni siquiera en ese escueto flashback que vemos en el último episodio la química entre ellos se asomó con timidez. La hermana de Ji Tae y el hermano de No Eul harían bonita pareja también. La relación entre No Jik y Choi Ha Roo fue peculiar, pero el esfuerzo para que brillaran pudo ser mayor para que éste no quedara tan seco. Al final habría sido un tanto absurdo que ambas parejas de hermanos terminaran juntos, claro, pero también tuvieron su encanto a pesar de los malentendidos y el humor ensimismado de los dos. En fin, si les gustan esas series donde la pareja principal casi nunca está junta, o cuando lo están la pasan fatal, esta es definitivamente la serie que les gustaría visualizar... ¿Saben qué? A estas alturas agradezco que no hayan profundizado aún más en su relación porque entonces sí, ese final me hubiera obligado a votar los tres litros de lágrimas que se me atascaron en los ojos hace unas horas.

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Hay doramas que saben como romperte el corazon.

Si estoy triste este es uno de los doramas que vuelvo a ver. La producción, la historia, la música y los actores saben como sacarte un buen numero de lagrimas. Cada vez que lo miro y avanzo en capítulos espero un final diferente pero no sucede... Kim Woo Bin supero mis expectativas en este drama, dio todo de si y ame y amo lo bien que actuó. Im Joo Hwan en mi villano predilecto pero en este drama me mostró otra versión de el que me hizo querer verle en mas dramas en un papel romántico. Y mi adorada Suzy, no tengo ni que decir de ella. Espero verlos actuar en mas dramas.

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Historia triste muy bien contada

Acabo de terminar de ver este drama, pero estaba decidida a ver algo con Woo Bin. Aunque ando un poco cansada de ver dramas románticos, Los Herederos me saturo. Pero me dije, dale una oportunidad a este ya que el último de KWB, Bueno señores, les aclaro que es muy triste, realmente triste y como su actuación es tan buena, Te involucras con el personaje totalmente. Ahora si Kim Woo Bin se gano mi corazón totalmente.

Para mi la historia esta bien contada, no es una historia típica, por eso me gusto. Los personajes principales estan muy bien, el antagonista era un gran tipo, realmente me caía bien siempre que aparecía. Su desarrollo me gusto mucho, sobre todo su última escena con KWB.
El papel de la mamá de él me encanto ya que es un una madre con un montón de defectos, y como tengo una madre que amo y no es perfecta, me parecía tan real, tan especial como mujer. El papá, me gusto como se desarrollo el personaje, tenia profundidad, me pareció cariñosa la relación con sus otros hijos.
El resto de los personajes estuvieron bien, nada a destacar, cumplieron su rol, no me quejo.

Suzy, es una chica que ame en Mientras dormías, aqui su personaje no es tan entrañable, igual no me desagrado, creo que lo hizo bien. Me costaba entenderla en sus acciones, poco a poco fuí viendo como esas locuras que hacia, mostraban su más profundo quiebre interno. Que solo los hombres que la amaban lo podían ver. Es muy desgarrador ver como una persona puede transformarse por tanto dolor, frustración y decepción acumulado. No me pareció irreal. Lo he visto en carne propia.

Lo mejor para el final, de verdad la actuación de Kim Woo Bin, me encanto, no pude parar de ver esta serie especialmente por él. Sabia el final desde el primer capítulo pero no lo podía aceptar, sus caras tratando de ocultar su dolor o tristeza, eran el personaje encarnado. Pase toda la serie preguntándome, tiene esto que ver con su enfermedad? Me daba dolor sabes que un año más tarde le dio cáncer, revise los síntomas y tenían cosas parecidas. Su última serie antes de retirarse para curarse, Creo que por eso sufrí más. No llore al final final, eso significa que lograron nivelar la tristeza. Claro que lloré con el último encuentro con la mamá, aunque tengo que reconocer que cuando mas me la lloraba es cuando la mamá estaba en la cocina, llorando, sufriendo, peliando, etc. Esa incapacidad de expresar los sentimiento, que le heredo a su hijo, que fue la causa principal del desarrollo de toda la historia.
En resumen, no la voy a volver a ver, la recomiendo, sobre todo los que aman a Kim Woo Bin como yo. Se lleva todos los elogios de actuación. Seguro van a llorar, llorar hace bien, aprovechen estos dramas para hacerlo.
ACTUALIZACIÓN
La volví a ver después de 2 años y medio, me gusto mucho mas, disfrute mas los dialogos, los personajes. 100% recomendada.

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Tenía unas expectativas súper altas y me siento decepcionada. Para ser mi genero favorito, me dejó un sabor amargo.
Es un drama clásico de esos que todo el mundo ha visto. Kim Woo Bin y Bae Suzy puede que sean el cast soñado pero sus personajes me parecieron demasiado exagerados en varios momentos. Pensé que iba a haber más romance y eso también fue decepcionante. Siento que como tiene bastantes años este drama es algo que era común en esos momentos pero en fin, sabor a poco.
Creo que la cinematica y el OST fueron mis cosas preferidas y lo salvan bastante.
No, no lo volvería a ver. Tristemente no ha sido un drama memorable para mí.

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I’ll cut to the chase. Uncontrollably fond is melodrama 101 and while I can see how this translates into “this sucks” for some people, for others this initially means “this is daebak”. The drama features a lot of one dimensional characters who don’t think rationally most of the time, a lot of nerve-wrecking and heart-wrenching situations, while the direction of the whole thing can be easily seen as unnecessarily overdramatic. But as I told you, this is melodrama 101, all those are to be expected so people who cannot tolerate heavily overdramatic melodrama it’s time you left.

Story
Introduction to melodrama. One character is a self-hating guy with mommy and daddy issues who is dying from a terminal illness, one character is seemingly the knight in the shining armor who is a coward and makes the wrong choices for noble reasons, one is a bad raging bitch who things she owns the world, and lastly one is a fighting hero who tries her best to stay sane and survive but fails miserably furthering the overdramatic nature of the whole thing.

The backstory and plot here is probably the best thing this drama has to offer but will probably be appreciated only by the melo fans; others will find it rather stretched and too fake and I won’t say it isn’t. However, in all its greatness it is nothing new. It gathers all the clichés, car crashes, illegitimate children, hit and runs, terminal illnesses, rich vs poor people, and lastly the legendary –at this point- cycle of the leads chasing each other. Female lead wants male lead but he’s a bastard and 5 episodes later male lead wants female lead but she’s a bitch while they love each other like crazy and they have barely any reasons to act this way. This is probably the worst part of the drama imo but then again it takes a special viewer to appreciate it.

The story has nothing new to offer, and the plot gets heavily dragged midway due to the chasing around, but does this mean this is the worst drama ever? No. Does this mean this is totally unwatchable? No. It is just addressed to a certain type of viewer who will love it and its flaws completely. That’s all. If you like usual melodrama you’ll like this, there is no funny side character, there is no comedic relief, there is scarcely any rationality in the writing, and the whole plot is over the top, but to be honest that is melodrama’s charm. Take it or leave it.

Acting
Stellar performances by everyone; however Kim Woo Bin is probably the only memorable actor in this one. His acting was very emotional and he was very pleasant to look at.

Syzy won’t be winning any awards for her performance but her acting was way better than expected and didn’t bring the show down at all.

Recommend/rewatch
We all know what melodrama means. If you like overly emotional and depressing stories, you want to cry and watch a doomed romance then go ahead. This not the best melodrama i've ever watched but it isn’t bad at all, on the contrary i'd say. However if you expect smiles, fluffiness, butterflies and funny cute situations give this a pass. I will never rewatch this.

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I will start by saying that although its clear where the story is eventually heading in the first few episodes, I think the title and synopsis are extremely misleading. If you are not prepared to watch a melodrama about star-crossed lovers, you will start to feel betrayed by this drama early on. This is from the writer of "Sorry, I love you", still one of the most epically melodramatic dramas I've ever seen, and knowing that helped me enjoy this drama more than I would have if I was expecting just a love story about two people who can't help but like each other.

For me, the MVP of this drama is Kim Woo Bin. He's the reason I wanted to keep watching no matter what. He mastered the charming jerk persona as Joon Yeong, and I was impressed by his range in this drama (from confident smirk to ugly tears). The story is so over the top, so It would've been easy to over act, but his character felt natural and real the entire time, which makes this crazy story work. I definitely became uncontrollably fond of him (sorry, i couldn't resist), and not just because of his shirtlessness. I missed out on Heirs, so this is my first time watching him, but certainly not my last.

He is paired with Suzy, who I think is a pretty good actress (even in one of my least favorite dramas ever "Big"), but she had her work cut out for her playing Noh Eul. Noh Eul is an interesting character, but also a frustrating one to watch. She also has a lot of weird wide eyed moments in turtlenecks, that kept reminding me of Shelley Duvall in "The Shining". Suzy has great chemistry with Woo Bin, but I think his charm deserves most of the credit for that. Suzy makes Noh Eul likable, and easy to empathize with, but there are moments where her actions are pretty ridiculous. That's a reoccurring theme for most of the characters in this show. They do things that make no sense, but the actors are good so it's ok.

That brings me to the rest of the cast. I think they all did a really great job considering how completely unbelievable most of the characters are. Jin Kyung is stellar as Joon Yeong's mom, but the way the character was written annoyed the hell out of me. Im Joo Hwan played his duality well, but the more melodramatic the story got, the less I liked his character. The junior romance subplot was also pretty cute. All the characters were memorable to me only because of the performances, but the characters themselves were often contrived, and lacked any real depth.

Speaking of lack of depth, I think that is what stopped me from really getting into this drama. In the beginning I was drawn in by the flirting, but then story turned into a revenge plot filled with greed, and betrayal, and everything you've already seen in other melodramas. Soon I found myself just watching the boring revenge plot just so i could see what would happen to Joon Yeong. I think that was the one redeeming thing about the plot. The cast's performances in the last 2 episodes got me in the feels so bad I was emotionally exhausted by the end, and was definitely underprepared in the tissue department. I finished the drama satisfied, though not impressed, which sums up this drama pretty well.

Overall, this was a great display of Kim Woo Bin's talent, but a pretty forgettable drama. The soundtrack is forgettable, the plot is forgettable, and even the title is forgettable. Still, I was entertained enough to want to keep watching, and It also didn't feel too long at 20 episodes. It was certainly cliché, but there are enough unexpected elements to keep things interesting. Interesting enough to watch again? No.

If you like melodrama, and tragic romances, there are a lot of things to like about "Uncontrollably Fond". There is not enough actual romance to satisfy true romance fans, or comedy to even justify having that listed as a genre for this drama. You also have to completely suspend disbelief, be able to empathize with horrible people, and be willing to believe the unbelievable... which is not a crazy request in dramaland. I can only recommend this drama with the disclaimer "Buyer Beware".

They also totally missed an opportunity to promote tissue boxes with Woo Bin's smiling face on them.

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A Problematic Tearjerker...

If you ask for a drama watcher’s recommendations of “ saddest dramas they’ve ever seen”, it is probably likely that you’ll hear or see “ Uncontrollably Fond” ranked somewhere on that list.

The series focuses upon successful superstar Sin Joon Young ( Kim Woo Bin) who awkwardly meets his old flame from his youth, No Eul ( Bae Suzy), a producer of documentaries. When their respected careers awkwardly make their paths cross once again, No Eul is surprised to learn how much Joon Young has changed into a shallow and materialistic individual, rather than the kind-hearted person she once fell in love with, however, Joon Young also begins to stumble upon a life-changing truth which may finally ruin his relationship with his former love...

Undeniably, Uncontrollably Fond isn’t the type of drama to watch if you’re looking for something” fun and fluffy” ; the focal point of the series centralises upon terminal illness, tragic love and angst with Lee Kyung Hee’s ( The Innocent Man, Chocolate) screenwriting hoping to tug at heartstrings of viewers , rather than relish in a sweet romance tale (as shown in his more light-hearted works). The show is certainly effective within inflicting heartache onto viewers towards the particular fate of our characters, however, it is still certainly problematic when it comes to characterisation, as well as clearing up the evident inconsistencies which arose in this angst-ridden ride as well.It is important to note that the acting in the show is certainly quite good. Kim Woo Bin and Bae Suzy are undeniably brilliant actors, however, it is fair to say that their characters are tackled interestingly, to say the least.

Bae Suzy’s character, No Eul is undeniably a kind-hearted soul who is passionate about her work and desperately tries to make amends with Joon Young over the course of the series . On the other hand, No Eul often felt too dormant within her actual role and presence as a fleshed-out individual onscreen. Whilst it is important to stress that a show doesn’t necessarily need to go into a whole life story upon a character in order for viewers to “ get to know them personally”, it’s hard to really distinguish or get a grip upon No Eul as a character outside of her “ necessary flashbacks “ and past relationship with Joon Young. Even minor details such as her interests, interactions outside of her workplace and reactions to prominent obstacles over the course of the story , often felt passive and lacking in emotional depth to truly portray her as a well-written female lead.

Then of course there is Kim Woo Bin’s role as Joon Young. Undeniably Joon Young goes through several terrible ordeals even before the main events of the series, which fundamentally shapes his certain outlook upon life, relationships and characters (No Eul, being the evident subject of Joon Young’s changed interactions and feelings). No Eul’s entry into Joon Young’s life again comes nearly simultaneously with his life-changing news. This consequently causes him to try pushing No Eul away, as she becomes his saddening and haunting reminder of a past that he’s tried to reject, and he can never return to.

This of course leads us down two routes of “ problematic” characterisation; the first within Joon Young’s behaviour, and secondly towards this behaviour is inflicted towards the female lead No Eul . It’s important to say that Joon Young’s reactions and attempts to drive No Eul away by flirting with other women, did add a slightly realistic reaction towards the male lead’s scenario. Joon Young is supposed to be only human and naturally intrinsically driven like most people towards rash decision-making.

However, Joon Young’s often anger-driven emotions and reactions towards his situation by throwing things or beginning a screaming match, soon became both frustrating when he began to lash out at times upon No Eul. A lot of fans of Uncontrollably Fond’s pairing often seem to gloss over the fact that ,for the majority of the series, Joon Young was emotionally abusive and physically harassed the female lead upon several occasions ( not least throwing her out of the car in the middle of nowhere, grabbing her arm often without consent and often manipulating her feelings rather than merely being honest).

Again, this is not saying it was “ wrong” for Joon Young to have feelings anger or for the show to touch upon emotional abuse or physical harassment, but it was concerning that the drama neither raised this up prominently as a terrible issue or relationships, and suddenly tried to “ sweeten” this by Joon Young and No Eul’s more “ romantic” feelings before the finale. This sudden transition from Joon Young tossing No Eul out of a car to hugging her several episodes later, wasn’t just nonsensical, but ridiculous in terms of character and relationship progression.Nevertheless, despite the questionable relationship between the two characters, the finale did leave a sucker- punch for viewers’ feelings. Without spoiling too much, it is fair to say that upon reflection the ending isn’t “ sad” per say because of the fate of our characters, but rather the blinded acceptance towards what is happening in their present, rather than their pasts or futures.

Overall Uncontrollably Fond wasn’t a bad show with some well-written qualities of the psychological complexity of coming to grasps with terminal illness, relationships, love and an emotional ending. On the other hand, Uncontrollably Fond had little greater character depth, straying away from cliches and explanations ( not least the “ unexplained illness”) ,a healthily progressive portrayal of relationships and problems of sugarcoating issues of emotional abuse and physical harassment within the main couple as well. As a drama to pass the time and as a tearjerker , Uncontrollably Fond is undeniably a good-binge watch, however, if you’re looking for a show with genuine depth and a well-written relationship between our leads, then look elsewhere because Uncontrollably Fond certainly isn’t the one that you’re looking for.

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Now I'm just more concerned that people just rates this show poorly because it had low viewership ratings. 1st of all, viewership ratings shouldn't be included when it comes to rating a tv show by its quality. I am not a robot and tomorrow with you are just two examples from a long list of shows that had low viewership ratings, but are really good shows.

Story
This a fucking melodrama for god's sake. If you're complaining about the shallowness of the characters, or the never-ending cat-dog chasing between the two leads, well then you must not be familiar with melodramas. Melodramas are usually very slow paced, filled with one-dimensional characters, and everything is exaggerated. In terms of the story, I was fine with it. Nothing spectacular, but I liked the backstory and how the story progressed (especially the ending). Gave everyone proper closure (yes including Shin Joon Young), and reminded us of a sense of realness.

Acting
Kim Woo Bin literally carried this show. If you were to compare his acting to a boxing match, it's a straight up beat down. Every time I think of a bad boy stereotype, I always remember Kim Woo Bin. He just portrays it the very best for me; signature smirk, douchey tone, always looks angry. Idk... it gets the job done for me. Suzy was ok for me, like the rest of the cast. Not good, but not bad as well. (For all Suzy haters by the way, her acting has improved drastically in while you were sleeping)

OST
This is the bomb!!!! I have only given a perfect 10 to music to 1 other show, and that's Goblin. Trust me, even if you don't know the show, you'll love the OST. It fits the scenes in the show perfectly, and the blending of the music made it so much better for us to hear. Even the english song was good. The tune and melody are happy and bubbly and full of energy, but when you actually listen to the words, it's actually bitter-sweet cause it kinda foreshadows a lot about the show. I loved every song in the show.

Rewatch value
I'm not really a fan of Melodramas, but even if I was, I'd still not rate the rewatch value of this enough. The heartbreak was good, but it lacked enough 'romance' and proper build up for me to remember.

Overall
This drama received so much hate and criticism because of it performing badly, and people started to say that it is a bad drama when it's actually decent. Let's be honest, how can you expect this drama to be viewed a lot when it competed with Doctors (Park Shin Hye and Kim Rae Won) and later on, W (Lee Jong Suk and Han Hyo Joo). That's just plain injustice

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Forgett all the bad reviews you've seen and go watch this. Yes. Now! NOW! But be prepared and bring tissues cus this is one hell of an emotional ride!

The acting felt very real and the story along with it was touching to the point where you cry very loudly! And the music. OMG!! The soundtrack was epic in many proportions.

From the first episode on I became curious, interested and wanted to know how things would play out in the end. But one thing i was certain from episode 1 is: This would not get a happy ending...

Even though it was a sad ending, the good guys won the battle. Everything was resolved before the minute was up! But ignore bad reviews and go watch this, my low expectations for this changed after first episode. So go watch it, and make your own opinion! Don't let anyone keep you from watching such an underrated drama!

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Well!Before UF's broadcast I expected it to be a feel-good romcom or something like that..Aigoo little did I know.As soon as the first episode started I realized-in the plainest way possible,cough cough-that it wasn't what I had signed up for lol As soon as it ended though,I realized that I wanted to..re-sign up for it and I never regret it.Now,I'm not going to analyze/criticize the script,plot or the characters because one has to see for themselves,I'm only going to give you a general idea.UF is a simplistic slow-paced melodrama,combining a tragic doomed love story with family drama,which destroys you emotionally from start to finish,and gives you a couple of lessons on human nature.The last two episodes were just the cherry on top as you can't help but cry your heart out non-stop.But exactly in that UF's..beauty lies.All the constant sadness,tears and heartbreak that this drama offers you..in huge amounts make it beautiful and precious.Even its light and cute moments are bittersweet.The sadness is present all the time even low key.Despite all that,peeps shouldn't be scared or biased to watch UF because it's a journey that is totally worth it.Sure,it's not the best k-drama out there,but the sadness it makes you feel is addicting as odd or absurd as this may sound.On the acting front: All the actors did a very good job but I feel like saying a few words about Suzy and Kim Woo Bin in particular.Suzy's acting was very decent even though she came off as somewhat annoying in the scenes where she was drunk and in the scenes where she was yelling.Fortunately,she delivered her emotional scenes pretty well.To be honest,I had no issues with her acting whatsoever.As for Kim Woo Bin..He was actually Joon Young,wasn't he?I mean,by the end of the series I felt like it was not a fictional character that left us but an actual person.I believe that says it all.Throughout the series his character's sorrow,pain and angst were written all over his face even when he was smiling or when he had happy moments or when he was hiding the truth or when he was pretending to be okay and calm ; his eyes,smile and the tone of his voice would always give him away.You could feel what he was feeling,you couldn't help but sympathize with him and love him.A special mention to his acting in the finale because it was amazing,so hearfelt and realistic.Kudos to Woo Bin for bringing Joon Young to life.On the music front: I believe UF has one of the best if not the best soundtrack I've ever heard in a k-drama.All the songs were very fitting to the whole concept.Also: The cinematography and the locations/landscapes were amazing and the grey cold weather added up to UF's..heaviness.Rewatch value: Well,I never re-watch dramas ;) All in all,I 100% recommend UF if melodramas is your cup of tea or even if they aren't but still you want to experience a melodrama.Btw,I'm not a big fan of melodramas myself :p UF made me feel things,that's why I liked it so much.So..Farewell,Uncontrollably Fond,thank you for the FEELS!

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No matter how I look at this, this drama dragged.

I am really disappointed seeing the great cast and potential, but already at episode 8 or so I was tempted to drop it.

There are some nice, funny and romantic scenes, but overall it was a feeling of lacking a stringent plot development and of course, the whole "I won't tell anyone that I am about to die" thing dragged unbelievably until almost the last episode - which concluded almost hastily. (Couldn't they show a tiny bit more of the aftermath?)

I really like the main actor, but unfortunately I felt that this was not the best role for him. I applaude him for his ability to let himself cry, because this is difficult to do, but it just didn't fit him.

Somehow, I feel like this drama managed to get all the K-drama clichés together, but in a weird, unsatisfying way.

My rating is still generous considering that I wouldn't advise watching this unless you are a fan of the actors or don't have anything else to watch. But in singular scenes it was good, putting it altogether though, failed.

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Kim Woo Bin and Suzy Bae’s romantic melodrama ‘Uncontrollably Fond’ was one of the most awaited dramas of 2016. I personally couldn’t wait to see the drama from the moment I saw its trailer with Woo Bin asking Bae Suzy out in the most quirky way possible. I must mention that the marketing team behind this show did a great job in creating all the hype around it that generated a lot of curiosity in the minds of the viewers. However, four episodes into the show and I started feeling the gradual loss of interest. And after 14 episodes I practically I gave up on the show. And it’s not even the depressing feel of the show but its slow progression. But I somehow coerced myself to come back to it only because it was listed in the ‘Upcoming Show Review’ section of AlphaGirl and I did not want to disappoint my readers who were waiting for this review. So here it is.

Good Weights
Kim Woo Bin’s Acting: Honestly, when I saw Kim Woo Bin in The Heirs, I got scared. He looks a little intimidating with those bushy eyebrows and glaring eyes. But when I saw the trailer of this show. I started to see him in a completely different light. And despite the show’s disappointing script, Woo Bin managed to carry it gracefully to its climax.  His acting was simply stupendous! He gave more than a 100% to make Joon Young convincing and managed to shine even in a dull show like this. Be it the flirty Joon Young or the sick and dying Joon Young or the jerk Joon Young he did it all with ease. I wouldn’t be wrong in saying that the show was bearable only because of him.      

Unexpected Chemistry: Joon Young and Noh Eul’s chemistry was rather bland but there was a couple that brought a smile to my face. Noh Eul’s brother, Noh Jik’s pairing with Ji Tae’s sister Ha Ru was simply adorable. Their chemistry is evident from their first scene together. And their little love story gets better and better with each episode. I used to actually look forward to seeing them on the show.  Their puppy love definitely stood out and brought some liveliness to the drama. Sadly, this cute pair hardly has any screen time. I wish the makers could give these lovebirds some more role.

Music: Whoever selected the background scores for the show must be applauded. The soundtracks suited the show’s melancholy theme and gave life to scenes.


Bad Weights
Snoozy Suzy: I have never seen any of her previous shows so I wasn’t aware of her acting skills. Sadly, she was the show killer for me. Being the show’s lead, with two men fighting for her, she looked terribly clueless as an actor. I realised her lack of acting skills in the first episode itself when Joon Young asks her if she remembers him and she says that she does and abuses him. Such a well-written scene and well performed by Woo Bin but Suzy managed to ruin the classic cliffhanger with her blank expression and shallow dialogue delivery. Actually, I should have understood from the much exciting promo itself when Joon Young asks if she was willing to date him for three months and she gives him a blank look. The show could have been much better had she put more efforts in her acting. Though she started acting better in the last 4 episodes where her character experiences major ups and downs in life and she changes as a person, but the improvement came too late. She’s cute but pales before Kim Woo Bin’s strong screen presence.

Sad Script: The show is about a dying person’s past and his last few days of life. So the general theme of the drama is ought to be sad but more than that the show was confusing for me. Joon Young was perpetually temperamental. He kept going back and forth with his love for Noh Eul each time for a different reason. One day he is flirting with her, wooing her and then the next day he treats her like trash. And it’s not even because of his sickness. His character was so capricious that I found it difficult to keep up with the story. OK! He has a plan and is working according to it but this only makes the female lead look utterly pathetic. His actions make her look too needy and weak as the main character.
Characters on the show seemed to have no other work than mess with Noh Eul’s life. Everyone seemed to be doing something that directly or indirectly affected her. It’s funny how both the sons of Assemblyman Choi were madly in love with the same girl. What’s surprising is that both the guys are super successful but are still fighting for the attention of a miserable girl who has absolutely no zeal in life. The drama was so slow-paced that only those with great patience or great love for Woo Bin could manage to follow it dedicatedly.    


Though the show’s beam balance has tilted with good weights, it’s bad weights still weigh it down on the negative side. Apart from the OST and Kim Woo Bin, there is nothing great about this show.

Uncontrollably Fond is strictly for those who love Kim Woo Bin. It is one of his best performances and he shines like the brightest star in this drama. Others can ignore this one. There are better shows to watch in 2016.

Originally posted on www.alphagirl.in

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