1% of Anything (also known as Something About 1 Percent) tells the story of a rich chaebol (Ha Suk Jin) who finds out his grandfather has given away his inheritance to a teacher (Jeon So Min), and the only way for him to get it back is to marry her.
1% of Anything is a remake of the classic 2003 drama of the same name. It’s a pretty standard romantic comedy. The first half is light and breezy with a fun couple who bicker adorably.
We have Ha Suk Jin as as our spoiled chaebol heir Lee Jae In. He wants nothing to do with the woman his grandfather has set him up with, but he does want his inheritance. Ha Suk Jin played all sides of this character wonderfully. He was the spoiled jerk in the beginning, but he develops into a fun, adorable, and heartfelt man.
Jeon So Min plays our teacher Kim Da Hyun. She is also less than thrilled to suddenly be involved in these rich people’s business. But in order to settle things, she agrees to a six month contract to date Jae In, and then the two can go their separate ways. Jeon So Min was lively and sweet and brought us a very fun character.
The main strength of 1% of Anything was our main couple. Ha Suk Jin and Jeon So Min have great chemistry. They are entertaining when bickering, adorably awkward, and pretty swoon worthy. They also have plenty of heart fluttering moments with lots of great kisses that should keep most fans pretty happy. They definitely make the drama.
Sadly, I found the rest of the drama elements a bit lacking. Both the business side of things as well as the teaching side didn’t feel that developed. Also, none of the other characters really stand out or feel very important. The second leads felt flat and weren’t that well developed. Jae In’s grandfather and Da Hyun’s friend were decent characters, but still a bit flat and cookie cutter.
But the main conflict was possibly the drama’s biggest downfall. I’ve seen my fair share of weak reasons that a couple couldn’t be together, but I just couldn’t get on board with their reason in this one. The idea that “we can’t be together even though we love each other because we said we would break up after six months” is pretty flimsy.
If they wanted to be together, they could just be together! It made it very difficult to take them seriously and even more difficult to feel their pain as they “had” to separate. And things get a bit draggy in the latter third, especially as couple goes through the inevitable separation period. Them being together is what makes this drama fun, so when they’re apart, the best element is gone.
1% of Anything has plenty of good to offer though. Overall, it is a pretty quick and easy watch. The main couple made the drama with both Ha Suk Jin and Jeon So Min being fun and charming. So even though the elements surrounding them were lacking for me, they made the drama a worthwhile watch.
My Rating: 6.5/10
Click here for more Kdrama Reviews.
Sign Up to receive email updates of kdrama reviews, casting news, trailers, and more.
Yes…one I don’t have to add to my “to watch book” 😂 (Well at least for now). Honestly though, I did like the premise you described for this one, and it doesn’t hurt that the two leads have great chemistry. That is something that can help turn even the most mediocre shows into a worthwhile watch. This seems like one of those shows that doesn’t do anything really surprising, but isn’t too bad a watch either. Oh well, maybe one day 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
It really is a good premise, and the leads are seriously fantastic. Yes, nothing remarkable here, but I’m glad I checked it out since the main couple was so much fun.
I also like how you’ve upgraded your “watch list” to a “watch book”. I think I may need to consider doing that too 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Haha…yep, I had to upgrade it 😂😂😂 Book just did not seem appropriate anymore lol 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pingback: Best Korean Dramas of 2016 | Kdrama Kisses
Pingback: Korean Drama Update for December 2016 | Kdrama Kisses
Pingback: Ha Suk Jin to Star in Korean Drama Radiant Office With Go Ah Sung | Kdrama Kisses
I am currently watching them and yes you are right about the couple, they are so adorably cute and fun to watch, I like Ha Suk Jin character, he’s so mean yet so adorable. Still in the middle and I hope it will have a good ending. Rooting for them to be together
LikeLike
Glad you’re enjoying it! They are super cute together 🙂 And Ha Suk Jin is perfect for roles like this because he is that wonderful mixture of being able to be rude and jerkish yet still completely adorable 🙂
LikeLike
Finished this one at 3AM and absolutely loved it! I normally don’t quibble with any of your reviews but I rate this one closer to an 8 than 6.5 because I enjoyed the couple so much, their chemistry and the cliches all worked for me ‘cuz let’s face it, that’s why I watch this stuff 😉 I like that the sub plots took a back seat so we could focus on the leads since they really made this one and although on the surface the reason they had to break up was the end of the contract there is a point where Jae In tells his friend the real reason he broke up was that he didn’t want her to suffer in his world. The episodes were short enough to keep the drama moving and I didn’t feel any of the drag that I find happens towards the end of most kdramas. I personally found this one flawless for my tastes and plan to re-watch – which is a huge deal for me since I have so many others to watch!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oooh, it does sound like you loved this one! You know you found something good if you make plans for a rewatch in the midst of so many other dramas 🙂 I too loved the couple in this one. They are adorable and make all the cliches work. Some of the other stuff didn’t work for me, but thankfully it was an easy watch, and I’m more than glad I tuned in for it Ha Suk Jin and Jeon So Min 🙂
LikeLike