Well-acted, beautifully directed story that fell apart due to poor writing execution

SUMMARY:

Strengths:
- There are some really subtly romantic scenes and moments + some really spicy scenes that had emotional weight
- Despite all the mental illness, the ML/FL/2FL/2ML dynamic was more refreshing and mature in its presentation than you'd fine in other dramas
- Gong Yoo.
- Stunning visual storytelling -- beautiful framing, colors, sets, lighting.
- The background and groundwork of the emotional arcs of the characters were interesting and well thought-out
- Explored the ideas of marriage and what it means to society in a thoughtful way
- Music was PERFECT

Weaknesses:
- Plot fell apart by the end, characters emotional journeys were rushed or sloppily handled and in the end unsatisfactory
- Some uneven acting at times (though not anything truly awful)
- Some use of silly cliche tropes that had no place in a mature drama like this
- The romance ended up feeling somewhat flat overall, and inconsistent, as sometimes I felt little chemistry and other times a lot
- The thriller plotline was not well integrated, and didn't really hold interest or have a strong place in the story

Watch if:
- You can easily get lost in visuals and ascetics (cinematography/directing/music/sets)
- Have a fat crush on Gong Yoo,
- Are interested in the topic of marriage and what it means to society today
- Enjoy romance with a slight thriller element
- Aren't as picky about the plots or character arcs being perfect, you're in it for some entertainment and to enjoy the ride
- Enjoy merely exploring emotions and what is underneath various mental illnesses or addictions or personality types

Skip if:
- A realistic emotional journey of a character is really important to you in a story
- You feel unsatisfied if the plot doesn't come together well in the end
- Don't like open endings
- You are looking for a squees and butterflies crack drama type of romance
- Not really into thriller or depressing themes like abuse -- OR really into thriller elements (as I don't think they were well executed here)
- You don't wanna see boobies on screen (there is one nude scene, though I feel it was used well as a way to highlight the mindset and emotional state of one of the main characters. Did not feel egregious).

DETAILED BREAKDOWN:

--Story: 5/10

This drama fell prey to a fatal flaw common to k drama romance/thrillers. Despite the writer framing the story as if they were tied together, the thriller/murder plotline was almost wholly unrelated to the relationship and characters emotional plot arcs. But the writer played out the drama as if they were inexorably intertwined. In fact, the writer could have taken the entire thriller plotline out, and not only would it not AT ALL have changed that main relationship or character plot-lines, it would have actually made the story BETTER.

What does this mean for the show? It means that when the plot-lines for the character arcs (for the FL it's fully grieving her fiance abandoning her, for the ML its coming to terms with his mother's suicide) naturally progress and resolve, instead of being able to move forward with their new emotional states and understanding the world, and move their relationship to some sort of new place because of it, the characters revert back and get stuck in the very same emotional states they should be past now. All because the thriller plot arc has not yet resolved, even though the tie to their emotional arcs is flimsy at best.

So we get silly tropes like noble idiocy and a FL who suddenly throws her entire emotional journey out the window to act exactly like she had at the very beginning of the show, before any growth had happened. And we get one of the main side characters going to prison instead of getting any sort of satisfactory emotional end to his character, all because SOMEONE needed to have killed the stalker. And that's where the show ends.

This all played out as a final third that fell so emotionally flat I stopped really caring about the characters. I was gonna write this review immediately after but genuinely forgot the show even existed for a week. It didn't leave an impact on me because of the way the writer mishandled the story. Which is truly a shame.



--Acting: 9/10

Gong Yoo's Jeong Won was so human, and I loved how he did not try and overplay him as an unrealistic suave ML character to make him appealing, but instead he tried to show the parts of JW that made him lovable, even if those parts were also what contributed to his weaknesses and flaws. Gong Yoo always brings such a great vulnerability and groundedness to his characters. He really was the heart of this show.

Seo Hyun Jin had some great moments, and is clearly talented, but I often found her portrayal too robotic in trying to show the withdrawn, coldness of No In Ji. I wanted to see more subtle moments of the fire and pain just underneath the surface, which we got sometimes but were blaringly absent at others. Without those I felt detached from her character, and really only felt her show her underlying humanity in scenes with Gong Yoo, I think because he brought out more warmth in her from his acting style. And really, their chemistry works mostly because Gong Yoo completely sold being madly in love w her. She often seemed indifferent to him, and again, without those little micro-expressions and tells that show she actually cares deeply but is hiding it. She also never seemed to really get a handle on her character, but I chalk that up in a big part to the inconsistent writing. By the end of the story she has not grown at all, which derailed the impact of the whole show. And I can't help. but think a different actress may have been able to bring it all together better despite the flawed writing.

Jung Yun Ha did a good job of keeping ex-wife Lee Seo Yeon from becoming a cliche psychopath crazy bitch character, she always kept the character grounded in deeply buried pain and sadness. I fully bought that she believed everything she was saying, and was deluding herself as much as everyone else. I felt enough sympathy for her to be able to enjoy her story arc, even if I still did not like her or approve of what she did. I also felt she was too ignored in the last few eps (because of the boring stalker plotline) and they wrapped her character up too quickly and sloppily. But the actress managed it well and her performance also stood out to me.

The other actors did fine in their roles, though no one stood out to me as going above and beyond. But no one was bad enough that it took me out of the drama. Overall the ensemble was well cast and performed well.

--Visual/Directing: 10/10

Truly gorgeous sets, framing, lighting, etc. I am glad I watched this show just for the beauty of the visual storytelling. I think it elevated the writing well above where it could have been in less deft hands. Truly a talented team working on this aspect of the show.

--Music: 10/10

Love the OST, really love the score and use of horror/industrial music. Flawless soundtrack overall.

Leia Mais

How much you like this drama really is dependent on what is important for you in a drama experience . For me, strong characters, visuals, chemistry, direction and editing can trump any weakness in plot.

The writer excelled in characters and moments. So many gripping scenes and beautiful lines. But I'd say she was not as strong in overall plot points or pacing. There were plot threads that didn't come together seamlessly or at all. There were times characters seemed to service the plot rather than the other way around. There were re-used plot turns. The final climax, especially looking at it with some distance from the emotional overload when I first watched, was cliched. It was a slow, subtle show and should have had a more subtle final act.

That said, those are smaller points for me. These characters will live with me for a long time. This was so gorgeously shot and expertly put together. The soundtrack was perfect. And the healing theme is refreshing and uplifting.

Leia Mais

Flawed premise makes this a watered down and forgettable addition to the lovely OG romance

What I thought it did well:

- The first ep was SO funny, legit this writer knows how to do comedy.
- The writing of the scenes on a micro scale was good--fun and funny and romantic dialogue, moments that were moving, etc
- The FL is GREAT in this, she goes all in on the ridiculous and it works so well

What didn't work:

- It's just too flawed of a premise to have a couple from another show who already got together, fall in love again in a short show like this. Here is why it didn't work:
----We already got a very moving and 12 episode long romance between these two characters, and it didn't really change anything from the OG. So it just cannot compare for those who saw NGNL and it will seem weird and rushed for those who didn't.
----In NGNL I adored Lee Sang Yi as Bok Gyu Hyun the 2ML in that story, but as a lead in this story he plays essentially the same character, but without the weird quirks and human flaws that made him interesting in NGNL. So he is very bland here. And he HAS to be, because it would be weird for JaYeon to fall in love with someone who wasn't essentially Bok Gyu. This is all only made worse by...
---- Having en extended opening (like 20 mins!) with HJH and LSY (who played another 2ML who was a friend of HJH in NGNL) as the MCs of the OG webnovel was such a mistake, cause man they had great chemistry AND it was so fun to see them both as completely new characters. Much more fun than seeing the same characters that already fell in love in another story.

This would have been much better as:
- 2 episodes showing us the web novel story with HJH and LSY as the MCs
- A 12 ep drama with brand new characters

It was short so I don't really regret watching it but I would have been fine having never seen it.

Leia Mais

A heartfelt, fun, moving drama.

There are shows that have the golden trifecta of excellent writing*, directing and acting. A show can still be good with two of the three, but the best shows will always stand out in all three areas. And this show not only excelled at all three but brought so much more to the table.

Here are some of the things that make this show even a step above the rest--

1. Characters that have so much depth and have real emotional arcs. Each of the three main characters has real depth and real growth throughout the series. (Sang Tae is an absolute stand out, one of my favorite characters and performances in years.) The characters are imperfect--at times good and bad, at times kind and cruel, at times cold and vulnerable. They slowly learn and grow from their interactions with each other and with others around them, and at the end of the show you almost can't believe how far they've come since the first episode. And this isn't just for the main characters, there is growth and arcs for almost every side character as well.

2. The timely focus on mental illness. All our main characters struggle with mental issues and trauma. Also the show explores a variety of mental illnesses in many wonderful side characters who also have growth and attention. It doesn't shy away from the scary and ugly side of mental illness, but also handles each character with a lot of understanding and compassion.

3. The unique tone and color of the show . So many dramas have good storylines and directing and acting, but they lack a certain cohesion in the visual storytelling. This show had such a distinct and unique flavor. I wish more k dramas would put in the extra effort to establish that.

4. Romance that enhances rather than dominates the story. Something I really loved about this show that you don't see in romantic shows is how the characters grew from and interacted with so many of the other side characters. It wasn't just the main couple having all of the dramatic moments or always being the one to help or rescue the other, each of our main trio had a whole cadre of people they opened up to, learned from and got help and support from. It was really wonderful and realistic, and made the sweet romance all the more beautiful. I would argue that the relationship between all three of the leads was the real main romance of this show, and it makes it so much more meaningful.

5. Great balance of light and dark. There were times each episode I laughed out loud. Times I sighed. And times I wept. The pacing was perfect--they were able to seamlessly switch from lighthearted and fun to serious and deep. You really get a little bit of everything with this show.

This show really felt like a breath of fresh air in what's becoming a somewhat stale K drama scene lately, especially in romantic dramas. One of the best shows of the year, by far. Will remember this one for a long while.

*There was one storyline that was very sloppily resolved. I knocked a half point from the story for that, but it almost seems like there's something there (actor scheduling conflict, etc) that messed that up because the writing for the rest of the drama is near perfect. It's also not really that important to the main character arcs. It's just strange and confusing, though, and I'm still scratching my head about what lead the writing to go so wrong there. I only affects maybe half to one episode and not even all that much. It's just a weird blip in an otherwise really wonderful show.

Leia Mais

An addictive, super-romantic drama with a superb OTP

There is a lot of hype for this show. As a romantic comedy/drama this show hits out of the park and deserves that hype. It's addicting, fun, hilarious, melodramatic, romantic, and has writing that if inconsistent still attempts to be somewhat thought-provoking and character-driven. And the main pairing is one for drama history.

If you're expecting anything other than that, this will fall very flat for you.

Watch this immediately if you are looking for:
- Painfully dreamy ML
- Heart-fluttering romance, high chemistry, sweet and touching love story
- Humor, fun, something to binge/be addicted to

Skip this or save it for a slump if prefer stories that have:
- Plots that are super coherent/tight
- Engrossing/realistic character arcs
- Though-provoking explorations of ideas/ themes

Here are the elements broken down:

SUPERB----

MALE LEAD: The absolute highlight of this show. Sun Jae is the ultimate "lovable loser." On the outside he pretends to be cool, logical, and independent, but on the inside he is a clingy, cringy, dork. He will steal your entire heart. Played pitch perfectly by Byeon Woo Seok.

SECOND MALE LEAD: Tae Sung re-invents the definition of second male lead syndrome. In any other drama I would have been rooting for him over the ML. I expect to see Song Geon-lee leading a drama soon, he stood out in every single scene he was in.

ROMANCE/CHEMISTRY: The main couple oozed chemistry out of every pore. The longing looks, the cute interactions, the sexual tension. Your heart will flutter, then it will break. you'll scream, you'll cry, you'll jump for joy and throw things at the screen for them.

BROMANCE: The ML with is various homies (including Tae Sung) had such natural, fun chemistry. Just as engaging as the main couple romance. I loved every scene he had with his bros.

HUMOR: 10/10: I laughed out loud more times than I can count. The writer put them all in such ridiculous situations, played by a cast of actors who all had fantastic comedic timing. So many memorably funny moments.

MUSIC: The sountrack is top notch, including the songs sung from the band in the show.

GOOD---

FEMALE LEAD: For most of the drama she is funny, quirky, cute, fiesty and compassionate. But there are a few eps where she is so frustratingly stubborn and clueless in service of a poorly executed plotline that I came to dislike her for a while. I adore the actress on the whole and think she captures the soul of Im Sol well, she has to cry almost every episodes and cries so convincingly and with such heart. But there were times when she pulled the same facial expression over and over (she had a very overused wide-eyed look of clueless surprise quite often, for example).

MEH---

SIDE CHARACTERS/PLOTS: There were some funny moments involving the MCs families, but for the most part they had nothing to do with the main plot and seemed like filler, I had no real connection to any of the family. I started fast-forwarding through most of them by the end. The acting was serviceable but none of them stood out especially.

CHARACTER ARCS: While they went through a lot, I didn't see that the characters actually grew or changed much in any particular way. 2ML had a small arc, but it was glossed over and he was not used as much as he could have been. The characters have the same exact personalities and tendencies in the beginning as in the end, although there were many touching moments of realization and character moments throughout. Just no strong overall arcs.

MIXED---

PLOT
- EPS 1-8 (9/10) - The first 8 eps are full of intriguing twists and turns and raise a host of questions about the meaning of memory and fate.
- EPS 9-13 (5/10) - The middle episodes are dominated by an unnecessary and repetitive almost wholly unrelated crime storyline that drags and makes the characters act in uncharacteristic and frustrating ways. There are some cute and funny moments, but the romantic plotline became fluffy filler and the story completely loses its thematic center and meanders sloppily along.
- EPS 14-16 (7/10) - The story finds its footing again towards the end, but never really pays off the questions or ideas raised in the theme at the beginning of the show, even if it does somewhat try and close that loop. The romance tension fires back up at this point as well, and the ending is satisfying if nothing spectacular.

100% worth a watch if romantic comedies are your jam.

Leia Mais