Pinocchio

                                      

Episodes: 20 

Given Synopsis (viki.com):

Can 20-something rookie broadcast reporters make their mark covering the bustling news of a busy metropolitan city? The idealistic Choi In Ha (Park Shin Hye) has her work cut out for her when she becomes a broadcast journalist, especially when she suffers from a condition known as “Pinocchio syndrome,” which makes her break out into hiccups whenever she tells a lie. Her rookie colleagues include Choi Dal Po (Lee Jong Suk), whose shabby appearance masks his true eloquence and sharp memory; Seo Bum Jo (Kim Young Kwang), a wealthy heir who has had everything handed to him in life; and Cha Hye Seung (Lee Yoo Bi), whose fangirl knowledge comes in handy in covering the news. Can the 20-something newbie reporters pursue justice as they try to discover themselves in the process? “Pinocchio” is a 2014 South Korean drama series directed by Jo Soo Won.

Review:

    This drama reminded me of I Hear Your Voice. I don't know if it's because of the similarities in Lee Jong Suk's character in Pinocchio and his character in I Hear Your Voice or if it was the fact that his characters in both dramas were seeking justice. This drama was really appealing. In many ways,  I feel as though this drama might be better than I Hear Your Voice. I genuinely enjoyed this drama. 

       The characters were likable and the acting was satisfying. The characters were very 3-dimensional. You could see many sides of the characters. It was hard to truly dislike anyone in this drama. I'll begin with the minor characters. To start things off, Gi Ha Myeong's brother was an absolute favorite among my friends who watched this. It helped that he was good looking and it also helped because he had this sort of action-packed revenge mindset. To be honest, if he was the main character, this would be a revenge-oriented action film. However, he was well-liked because the reasons behind him doing what he did were understandable and kind of sad. As for In Ha's mother, she played a rather dislikable role in the beginning. You kind of sit there wondering how one person could be so cold. However, over time, I warmed up to her. You could see how human this character was and when you learn the backstory, she becomes a more relatable character. I understood where she was coming from and I enjoyed her character. The grandfather and dad of In Ha were absolutely adorable. They were so supporting in their own ways and loved both In Ha and Gi Ha Myeong (more commonly known as Choi Dal Po) equally. There were a lot of smart characters and good characters. Ahn Chan Soo's character was absolutely endearing because not only did he help with the reporters and went through hell, he also brought back a lot of high school memories for Choi Dal Po and Choi In Ha. The reporter trainees were hilarious and fun to watch. Especially Yoon Yoo Rae. She was originally a sasaeng fan who joined the blind auditions to be a reporter. Throughout the entire drama, you could see her stalking skills as she learned details about new reports. She was such a comedic character and absolutely adorable. Seo Beom Jo liked Choi In Ha but his character was so upright and good. I loved him for who he was but I did not ship him with Choi In Ha. This was why I really liked how the writers didn't make him that big of a threat. 

         Now for our main leads, Choi In Ha and Choi Dal Po (originally was called Gi Ha Myeong). Their chemistry was amazing. Their kisses were so loving and natural. They did so much acting with their eyes. I swooned at Lee Jong Suk's eyes over and over again while Park Shin Hye's eyes were filled with trust as she stared up at his loving eyes. It was just amazing chemistry. So amazing that some of their most loving/touching/intense scenes didn't even need words. That was how strong their body language was. Also, because Choi In Ha is a Pinocchio, it made life so much easier. They understood each other and communicated well with one another. There were no misunderstandings or lies since Choi In Ha couldn't hide anything. It just eliminated mistrust in each other. It also allowed them to solve everything by working together. They became my ultimate OTP after this drama. They made such a cute couple (especially when  I saw them holding Ahn Chan Soo's kid...it looked like a legit family photo). 

         The storyline also flowed nicely. I loved the concept of being a Pinocchio and how it tied to Gi Ha Myeong's childhood and how it later on became a part of his future as he got his revenge by seeking justice and only speaking the truth. The concept of Pinocchio also fitted well with the whole "reporters only tell the truth" idea. Reporter Song, Choi In Ha's mother, played an amazing role in hiding the corruption at first and then slowly regaining her true self as she revealed everything one at a time. It was admirable to watch the characters rebuild their respect for her and also to work together to get this revenge for the defamation of Gi  Ha Myeong's father. The Chairwoman was so corrupt and I felt bad for Seo Beom Joo because he was the good son. He had watch his mother go from this angel that he always saw her as to this scheming woman that would stop at nothing. I really liked how the chairwoman faced the reporter's questions at the end. It was dramatic and the best way to let her experience what she did to Gi Ha Myeong's family back then. 

All in all, I absolutely adored this drama.