Thirty-Nine starts as a peek into the lives of 3 middle-aged women who have been inseparable for nearly 30 years, when suddenly one of them receives a terminal cancer diagnosis. What follows is an emotional and often heart-wrenching story about how the bonds you form with others are stronger than the ones you are expected to have, and about the sacrifices and hardships that go into caring for someone so deeply.

The story and acting are often supported by Jeon Mi Do (playing Jeon Chan Young) and Lee Moo Saeng (playing Kim Jin Seok), who are both excellent and often have the most emotional scenes in the drama. The rest of the cast are relatively boring or bland, and often have short story arcs that only serve to wrap up into a happy ending where every character is satisfied.

The marketing for this drama will ultimately be its downfall and why it won't be rated higher. Son Ye Jin (playing Cha Mi Jo) turns out to be the main actress in this drama, despite the descriptions and summaries promoting it as a story about three friends. Cha Mi Jo's story arc is predictable and drags on through the middle of the drama. The other actresses showed interest in Son Ye Jin taking a larger role in this drama since they are both relatively new to the acting scene, but it only takes away from the story. Kim Ji Hyun (playing Jang Joo Hee) took the backseat in this drama, which is a shame because her acting has been great, and her character's story of continuing to live from home into your thirties and working a unsatisfactory job could have been a relatable tone to strike with viewers.

Is this the best drama about friendship? Certainly not. But it is not as bad or poorly written as others make it seem, as long as you do not read or watch anything about the drama before starting it.