A wonderful "slice of life" drama that isn't for everyone's taste
I rarely write reviews for dramas since I consider that everyone's taste is different and we don't have to and can't like the same things.However, this drama made me write my first review here.
I'll start by saying that this (as I've seen in the comments) is a "love it" or "hate it" drama, with no in-between.
I, for one, adored it.
It's rare to see such true depiction of real relationships and real human emotions with all their pettiness, frustration, sadness, joy and all that comes when loving another.
It's such a fresh drama that shows the viewer what happens in all stages of a relationship and isn't stopping just at "they lived happily ever after" or "they broke up and that's it".
In my opinion, the viewer has to be in a proper state of mind to watch this drama. Also, a certain amount of life experience might be of help in order to understand it, maybe.
A well made "slice is life" drama with good, bad, funny and sad moments that was really well acted and made me admire Seo Kang Joon even more (his portrayal of Junyoung was amazing) and love and understand Esom's Youngjae and all the other characters.
Life doesn't have a liniar flow. There's always something that will shake us to our core and either make us or breake us and this drama shows this in a very human way.
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Different does not mean good.This was one of the most discussed and controversial dramas this year. Many viewers felt cheated, angry because result totally differs from synopsis and marketing materials (hard to say it is even about romance). On other hand it had most intense discussions I ever saw. It was very fun to watch it live and later join in the comments. Though this drama has zero value to binge watch it. If you missed some episodes, I do not recommend to continue.
As writers tried to achieve ratings, create turmoil between viewers they forgot whole purpose of the drama, what message they want to convey. Seems all unprofessional work was covered up under "art", like you cannot criticize art though it has obvious flaws. Producers chose wrong methods to deliver wrong message. They had all the talent (actors, cinematography) to do right way.
Producers described drama as "poem about love during four different seasons". Usually artful dramas conveys strong emotional message and at the end leave you baffled, reminiscing what and why it happened. Here it is not the case. Chosen actors are really great and drama had many emotional turning points, Cinematography is artful too, there are many symbolic and hidden messages. But as story goes, felt like you were played around. Episode after episode you get really unexpected things but it became unimportant as story goes nowhere. In the end feels like everything returns to very first episodes. What was in the middle actually did not matter. There was no meaning behind those emotions. I felt less and less caring about character's ending. It feels tiring to watch it.
Story begins great. Feels very modern drama there main characters are very realistic and has obvious flaws. SKJ plays dorky geeky student with low EQ. What catches the eye, that SKJ does not try to be laughable or pitiful, but having friends, loving parents though very lost in social world. LS plays uneducated down to earth hairdresser. She is early matured, street smart, strong, willful but emotionally underdeveloped - she cannot express emotions freely, holds everything inside her because of dark past. These both socially awkward people unexpectedly blossom into love. Feels like one fits another, they both are outcasts, but combined together they are much better than other couples. This early love symbolizes spring - pure, naive etc. Personally such unique and realistic beginning rose huge expectations from this drama.
Sadly then came time jump into summer. They meet again and fall in love again. This time their love is free, head spinning but also burning and full of conflicts. Leads chemistry was amazing. Here are introduced 2ML and 2FL. These characters are very vague and only bring contrast to leads and source to their insecurities. They have no background or actual connection to the story or leads. They were so unimportant that I double checked whether they are on "main" or "support" cast. This was first very huge mistake from writers.
It was really hard to understand which secondary characters are important which are not, because many of them from first charm disappeared and many new were introduced. Who knows which ones will be left at third charm. Most importantly they had different purposes or if had any purpose at all.
Secondary stories were really boring and actually do not add anything to main story. Interactions with secondary characters brings more chaos than direction. Due to lack of direction many viewers started to search for hidden meanings between these dialogues, purpose of these characters. I call it "rise of conspiracy creators". This created huge contradiction - is this drama is artful or actually realistic? I lost what I am watching and what I should expect.
But what actually happened that producers created diffraction between two sides - one is ML, his friends, family and other is FL, accordingly. Between these sides there is no interaction. This automatically caused discussion, comments from viewers, which side they support, who was right and who was wrong during couple conflicts. Also viewers could not communicate among-selves because some saw drama as "art" and discussed hidden meanings of love, fate. Other saw it as realistic drama and what should actually happen in similar life situation.
Then came autumn (third charm) and everything fell apart. Drama did not had good ratings of viewership because of unimpressive first episode and sloppy work of writers. It attracted by its uniqueness, but plot was not engaging and consistent enough. Writers needed to save this drama somehow. The only strong point was that it caused discussions. Then producers created seesaw. One episode causes hate for FL and support for 2FL, then next episode causes pity and support for FL and uncovers hidden facts. Cycle repeats. Discussions and conspiracy theories ("child was his", "she was forced to marry", "he should chose comfortable realistic love") reached peak.
It was fun to discuss, read comments, but something important was lost - reason to continue to watch this drama (except "I will finish only because I like actor or actress"). Suddenly drama became very dark, sad and worthy of tag "tragedy". Drama became kinda a joke - "I will see how will writers clean this mess". I felt, that I was promised to see character development, growth, maturity from students to thirties. I thought third part should bring towards closure, not create additional mess. It had zero connection to first two charms. Most importantly I did not expect that writers will make FL character hateful and same time pitiful, just in order to create more discussions. It was very cheap move from writers. None of the promises were delivered.
Character development is not "crying while eating bread in Lisbon" or "losing everyone, and when none left asking for a help". Maturity is not talking less or looking at each other without words. There was none of character development or maturity displayed, only depression of growing old and coping with that.
And ending oh my... This is not even open ending. They did not define their happiness, it is even open for interpretation that makes them happy. What values left unchanged or changed during these third charms? After 16 episodes actually I do not know nothing about main characters for certain. Such ending made viewer further away from main characters rather than closer.
Second charm conflicts raised so many serious questions and none of them were answered till the end.
Second and Third charm discarded every possible meaning of romantic happiness:
-not a kiss (they both were together, no need to clear misunderstandings)
-not engagement (YJ was married)
-not married life with children, (YJ and HC had that)
-not mature comfortable love, (JY and SE had that)
-not passionate love, (JY and YJ had that)
-not supporting, extended love, (YJ do not meet JY parents, both friends)
-not healing love (who heals JY pain from being dumped, they never talk about it)
-not friends (still in love)
-not separation and moving on (neither is a bad person)
Writers shot themselves in the leg, not leaving any possible way to end the romance. The very worst way to end drama. Ending was not about romance at all. All four main characters ended in misery, not able to move on and not able to fight for.
It had huge potential. It had moments with very deep emotions. But it was totally wasted by direction. It has mix of styles (hidden messages+reality) (romance+majkang). It has no message, no core of the story that follows, connects these three charms. Feels like it was three different stories with very open interpretation. Zero consistency and definitely not a poem. Actually it is hard to describe as a drama, because story goes nowhere.
Each episode was great in quality, acting amazing, each episode was enjoying to watch even if it was very sad. But overall at the end I feel it was waste of the time, because producers cheated me.
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The Third Charm wasn't that bad. In fact I find this genuinely refreshing and an eye opener at some instances. This drama is easy to be misunderstood because you'll need to take a closer look to the characters and the messages it want to convey before totally understanding them. What separates Young Jae and Joon Young was their differences. During each other's absense, that's when they started understanding each other, they met again everytime they've come to that realization. The ending was left open and that was one of the kind of endings viewers hate but if we'll take a wider look, that's actually how "The Third Charm" works. Young Jae and Joon Young finally understand each other, them walking the same paths at the ending represents it. This drama had many symbolisms and if ignored, will cause more misunderstanding of its intention. I find the ending amusing, because Joon Young ends up being successful in his career (which is Young Jae's dream) and Young Jae ends up working on a local salon near her loved ones (representing how Joon Young originally wanted to live a normal and quiet life).I also find the representation of the four seasons in our leads' life very effective. SPRING which is the beginning, SUMMER, a joyous and active season, AUTUMN, the transition and closer approach to end, and WINTER, the season where it's the coldest and we seek comfort and warmth to others, also where we prepare to start again.
There are some instances where the characters' motives and decisions were questionable and confusing, particularly Young Jae. That's one of the downhills of the drama, you'll have to sit through and wait a week after feeling frustrated and confused. This drama is probably better to binge-watch. The music pieces were also brilliant and the songs were catchy. Mature and outstanding performances to all the casts, especially our leads Seo Kang Joon and Esom. Overall, I believe this is a well-thought and well-written drama, but is very easy to misunderstood given that the setting and ending is quite different from your typical Kdramas.
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As the title speaks for itself, I watched and was charmed by this drama three times before finally arriving at my final score, and that is a perfect 10. I first skim watched it because I was so surprised by the very strong mixed reaction to this drama (on MDL or the streaming website) and skipped to most of the lead actors' scenes to gauge whether their acting makes this drama redeemable. The answer is an absolute yes. The second time I watched this I still skipped a lot of scenes just to pay more attention to the main storyline itself, and to see whether I belong to the group of people who find the writing ridiculous OR realistic and charming. The third time I watched this is when I finally immersed myself fully into the side characters that I found really elevated this drama, and teach us many lessons about life. Believe me, if you come to this drama with a more matured mindset, you will really love this drama.I feel many of the reviews that condemn the writing of this drama do not understand the complex nature of life and relationships itself or simply refuse to come to terms with the intention of this story. This drama started off as a rom-com but progressed more towards a melo, and though many people were irritated by this, this is exactly the charm of this drama and I believe only how the writers have intended it to be. Joon Young and Young Jae are two characters who are quite literally the polar opposite, but that's what makes it tick in a young couple: the excitement of dating with a different personality. But as their relationship deepens, problems start to arise because of their conflicting nature, and so it's becoming more important for them to understand what it means to find and love their own identities first before loving another person. The story unfolds this progression and slice-of-life very nicely in my opinion. I can guarantee your acceptance of the writing of this drama will highly depend on how tolerant you are of the decisions made by the lead actors at three stages of their relationships (20 y/o, 27 y/o and finally 32 y/o).
Spoiler: There's a scene after her 27th birthday where Young Jae's best friend cooked her spicy stir-fried octopus, and it made her remember Joon Young. There was only three of them there, her brother included. Yet she went to the bathroom to cry, instead of letting out her tears in front of the two people who obviously care for her. This scene speaks a lot about her real personality and mirrors how she deals with her own relationships. At this point, you have two choices as to how you view Young Jae for the rest of the drama (and which greatly affect your level of enjoyment as story unfolds): 1) see her heartbreak as self-imposed out of selfishness or 2) see her heartbreak as really a result of being timid and afraid of showing her vulnerabilities.
As for the acting, I am absolutely in love of how well Seo Kang Joon portrays the three different faces in this drama: an awkward nerd, a competent police officer and a meticulous chef so well (I love how he chose to become more of a chef than a restaurateur). His quirky expressions say a lot, and he's really amazing! Lee Som also provided enough nuances to her character as the strong and opinionated career lady, especially in the latter part when her role turned more mellow. Other supporting casts add interesting dynamics to their relationship as well, except the Doctor who I disliked for being such an opportunistic jerk.
I really love the slow BGMs that play in the sad scenes especially in episode 15 when Young Jae and Joon Young were crying on each other's faces. Your true feeling is something you have no control over and one you can't possibly run away from, so I was so touched when it's expressed so beautifully by the skilled actors. He's self-aware enough not to embrace her in a hug but still couldn't stop himself from showing how much his heart was aching for her. If he had hugged her, it'd be lust but since he didn't, it was obviously true love. Damn, talk about really poignant acting!
Rewatch value is very high especially depending on how much you love Seo Kang Joon. I believe this is one of his best dramas to-date that really showcases his wide range as an actor just in one single sitting. Those who say you're better off skipping this and just watch Are You Human Too instead, I disagree. There's a reason why he took up this role (I absolutely love his choices so far), and I feel this one on my bones. Young Jae is incredibly lucky because Joon Young's love for her is incredibly powerful and unwavering even after all those years. Trust me, it's a treat to watch and re-watch his astounding portrayal of true love that took questionable turns, but is far from being cheesy.
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I hardly write reviews but I think this drama needs a chance. Some reviews and many comments don't do justice to this drama.
I'm sure most of you read the comments and think this will be a waste of time but if you overlook the regular drama lines you will find something different, something fresh. Actually I wanted to watch the drama to see why it had all these bad reviews and comments and understood something. People expectation where off and didn't understood what the drama is really about. I believed people are caught up on the comedy, romance and forgot the melodrama part of it. There is no fluffy or extremely cute scenes. There is no evil mastermind. There are no evil parents/family in the way. There is just people learning to love and surviving while they grow old. It is a simple drama about LIFE & LOVE. Yes there is a lot of emotional baggage and pain but that is what makes it more believable for me.
The Third Charm is an excellent drama about relationships and love. The main couple start their love relationship when they are 20, then they meet again at age 27 and finally at 32. During this 12yrs they try to understand what is love and what really means to love somebody. A lot of things happen to all the characters and this dramas shows how those moments affect their lives and they way they choose to express their love.
The writers did an excellent job showing us that love can be painful, destructive but also be beautiful and give you hope. They stripped the blindfold that KDramaland has established for romantic dramas where couples always find happiness and everything has a solution. No. That is not real life and the writers made sure to show that in this drama. They set up a psychological challenge to the viewer to expand and change our perspective and ask us.. What would you do? How do you feel about this? I wonder if the actors have been through such emotional moments cause they did wonderfully portraying their characters. I applaud the main leads for choosing this complicated characters. To love somebody it takes understanding, empathy and willingness. You can't force it.
Even thou I loved and enjoyed the drama way too much I wouldn't watch it again cause it was emotionally draining for me on a very personal level. I felt very connected with the main characters at many times mostly with Joon Young. I remember feeling like them sometimes at those ages. Love in real life hurts and makes us do things that others don't understand... some call that childish. While watching I looked back into my life and saw so many flaws and mistakes I made at those ages and yeah... I laughed, got hurt, felt pain but I remembered that even with all the "bad things" I got good memories and I learned and I'm still learning to love.
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I fancy Seo Kang-joon a lot. I am not sure if it is his acting or his handsome face but I like watching him. So I had been very curious about 'Third Charm' during the waiting stage. I was looking forward to watching it. However since I've hardly had time in recent weeks, I was unable to begin it right away.
Meanwhile I read a couple of comments that made me presume that it's an old- fashioned melodrama packed with many painful events, unnecessary misunderstandings, crappy secrets, stupid coincidences (like 'that man is actually the father of the boy'/ 'this girl is the missing or unknown sister of the other one'/ 'the enemies are close relatives but they learn it accidentally' and so on) , Felt sad and I temporarily gave up beginning. What a wrong decision! As soon as I met with the drama, I found more than I hoped for.
1- How is the frequent pattern of romantic dramas: "Boy and girl are in their thirties but they haven't had any lover yet, they haven't experienced even any first kiss. We buy it, moreover we find it very positive, very innocent":... Not to mention considering it as unrealistic, this pattern is something I find really dangerous, really puritanical.
In 'Third Charm' you see young people who have healthy relationships. They touch their loved ones, they kiss them (here I don't mean that they touch their lips and stay like that, I mean real kisses) they spend nights together.
2. There are tons of dramas that tell us that women are obsessed with marriage. They always passively wait for a proposal. Even a simple wedding ring makes them die of happiness.
In 'Third Charm' women are not crazy about marrying someone. And they don't wait for the other party initiating the relationship. They chose, they say, they act, they start or they terminate when they feel like it.
3- In any relationship the one who is afraid of losing the other, the one who is dependent on the other unconsciously cause a decay in that relationship. Because the other party feels uneasy, and continuously indebted. Because the one who loves too much steals the role of his/her lover by not leaving a space for showing love, winning heart etc. It kills excitement. So the other party wants to be out of that relationship. This is not tragic, not ridiculous, not silly. Just normal.
In 'Third Charm' you see that kind of imbalance and besides in spite of this you still see a very warm relationship.
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Defending The Third Charm, One of my fav drama this years.
I just want to say it out loud, God, Finally, Seo Kang Joon has good drama under his resume. Finally, there is another a good and solid production who are not see him only as a mere eye candy and rely only on his looks.Finally, there is writers who believe in him to carry a good and layer character.He might be not one of the best actor. But a young and dedicate actor like him need this kind of experience. He has been trapped in eye candy / fancy roles for years, and unable him to expand his range. Well played, show, well played. (Now if Only my fav writers like Park Yeon Seon or Jung Ha Yeon cast him as a lead or only supporting haha) I should believe in you writers. After all, this is a writers who is responsible to penned a brilliant short melodrama Like A Fairy tale.At times. Just because you want it, You will get it. you will not always got what you have been planning to. Just because you don't want how the story flow, it's make the drama bad. It's audience problem, who can't accept different execution. The vision between marketing and writers/ production often times is not the same. So you just can enjoy what writers want to present and convey, and don't judge drama based on what's been promoted.
Finding love is not about trying hard, like we always do when we are in school. In school, You get good grades and result when you try hard. Finding love is not only involving one person, but involving the other party. If one person is not in the same footing with you, you can't force them to be in the same shoes, neither you can force yourself to someone to fit idealism of your surrounding.
At times Love is come when we didn't expect coming. You are trying hard to hook to the other person, but end up with the one person you didn't expected.
People mistakenly label this drama as a romance drama between Joon Young and Young Jae. THe reason is the tittle It's self. The third charm. Just like which has been promoted, The audiences expecting It means the third time they are meet, it somehow will make their love story eventually work. But It's not . It's not about them overcome their difference.
It's also not about fate love , true love, or whatever. The tittle is misleading. The poster is misleading. It's not about their love story. It's about Joon Young's journey, or every character in this drama about find the meaning about love. I indicate that, the third charm means Is the third party as the charm. I realize how the third party always playing a big part into character turning point. Make they eventually realize about something.
People is just doesn't get used to unusual execution romance drama. Because romance drama in korean drama in general is formulaic. Only a few select drama try something different. So when some writers want to makes something different, They aren't get used to it. In SHort, I think I should warn first and foremost, this drama is not for a casual viewers who has a faint heart. Because let's admit it, It's not pure rom com. Don't fool into thinking this drama will be light from start to finish due to the silliness in earlier Episode (God, that silliness is so silly it makes me cringe. I almost drop it because of that). Because it's a actually MELODRAMA, done right. It needs for attention detail to understand the meaning behind character action, and looking for what it is. I think you should stay away with this drama if you aren't get used to a character who take unlikeable decision. WHich explain the low rating this drama gets.
This drama is well written. The character is well written and well played. Especially Joon Young's character. His character emotion is layer, has emotional depth, which is one of the reason Seo Kang Joon shine in this roles. Any good actor will shine through a good roles.
There is some flaws here and there, like the reason and background of why Joon Young love Young Jae so much. I think I agree with some people, the motivation Joon Young love to Young Jae should be more explore by the writers. . And Young Jae story should be more explore and get more emphasis. But Those element never a crucial part in the narrative, so I think that's okay.
About production, Pyo Min Soo is surprisingly doing a good job here for me. I didn't expect it, given how annoyed I was when he directed The producers. Though, at times he can manage to ruin athmosphere and like he is trying to ruin the writers intend to do. He is surpisingly can grasp the subtlety writers want to convey. Some scene is very memorable of how the way they shot and directed, and acted. THe overall performances is good. too.. Seriously, we are blessed that the actor commited to their character. It makes the drama it'self alive.
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Out of all the dramas I've seen this one was by far the most furiously debated over. People either loved it or hated, and then there were people on the fence. I found The Third Charm pleasantly fulfilling. Often times dramas shy away from sad endings and pull plot twists, hidden elements, or any other deus ex machina things they could do to avoid a sad ending.I was hooked by the premise liked many others, but unlike others, I stayed hooked and was not off-put by the sudden dark turn it took. At first glance, it would seem very dark and "edgy," but these are easily thrown around without very much thought. Is the story dark? Yes, but does that means it's automatically "edgy" and "emo?" No.
In regards to the story, I found the ending satisfactory which I could say far more fulfilling than other dramas which seemed to focus on avoiding a sad ending no matter what. In The Third Charm, however, it's one of the few dramas that had me on edge wondering if the ending will be a happy or sad one. Taking into account the whole story, and how OJY LYG progressed throughout the story, the ending was far better than I thought. I could see why some people felt disappointed with the ending, but I didn't mind it's was left open for interpretation what happened afterward. It's different than the bland conflict being resolved and the main characters live happily afterward. In TTC the conflict never really does get resolved, it never was really dealt with and took the form of a figurative scar which would stick with the main characters for the rest of their lives. There's no romantic finale where the male, after a thematic victory over the conflict, kiss, marry or stays with the female. There's just realism here.
The acting was superb. I have to give it to the leads even though I might be a little biased since I'm a fan of Seo Kang Joon, but I can confidently say with the script they were given they did an amazing job. SKJ played the role of the naive, shy and awkward lover, and Lee Som did amazingly with the over realistic, burdened, and tragic female lover. The supporting role also did an amazing job, namely Yang Dong Geun. Was all their acting perfect? No, but that goes for every actor there's always room for improvement.
In conclusion, it's up to personal taste whether this show is gold or dirt. This show doesn't shy away from tragedy, and sad endings, and I think that's where most people's complaints and frustration come from. The ending is even worse and where the arguments peaked since the ending was "controversial" to some. However, I did not mind it at all, I've watched too many dramas with deus ex machina happy endings, and there's nothing wrong with that, but it's good to have something different. If you want a good tragic drama look no further because TTC delivers on that.
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I don't know if the manhwa is that bad, but this drama's story was. It was boring and had nothing new to offer. The love story in the first episodes was really promising and cute. The drama in the last episodes was interesting and thrilling. However, the middle part and the very last episodes were disappointing. I really wish that the plot matched the great performances from the actors. So, four out of ten, because from one point on it was pointless to keep watching it, and it left us with an "open" (?) ending. Was this review helpful to you?
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You know the feeling when you buy a new cake, it tastes good and you enjoy every bite of it at the beginning, but then you slowly understand that this cake contains something you are allergic to? That was The Third Charm for me. It was such a funny ride in the beginning, it made my heart flutter many times. But then, I slowly start to realise that the plot was going nowhere but in a way that leads to a toxic relationship. There were so many things that went wrong. Did the writers forget the messege this drama was supposed to deliver? Or did they decide to change the purpose of that messege?
As I already mentioned, the beginning aka 'the first charm' was great. There was romance, many realistic and complicated at first glance characters, beautiful cinematography - everything you probably expect for such a great cast and promising synopsis. 'The second charm' was less interesting when it comes to the plot, but the chemistry between the two main leads was great.
When 'the second charm' ended, everything went downhill. Not just the fact that the plot became pointless and unbearable to watch, but the romance completely disappeared. I stopped supporting Young Jae and Joon Young relationship, it became too toxic and unhealthy for both of them. I wanted YJ to leave JY's life so they can be both happy.
Wow, surprise, there was no 'third charm'. Or at least I didn't see it. This also shows that the writers just forgot what was the point of this drama. But, if I have to be honest, the second charm was enough. It was already too much.
As for the supporting characters, I couldn't care less for them, Well, maybe Soo Jae, Young Jae's brother, was an exception. I really loved him, but there were some things he said that completely annoyed me. The second couple didn't have much screen time for me to care about them.
I'm closing my eyes, giving this a 6, when it's obvious that it doesn't deserve it. It had some good sayings, the actors and actresses did their jobs, the music was refreshing. But the main reason I'm overrating it a bit is because I feel sad that it had so much potential to become one of my faves this year. It's sad, really, but I don't recommend it.
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It could have been a beautiful touching story capturing the life's hardships, the struggles to adapt and learn, to overcome one's flaws. Instead, I think it only captures people unable or unwilling to learn from their mistakes, and an assumption that all romantic relationships are doomed to be unhealthy.*
I think I see what they were trying to do, but imho, it did not work out. But first, here are some aspects I enjoyed:
• From all of their storylines, FL's brother's one was the most interesting to watch to me, as he went through several stages of character development. It was genuinely engaging! We first met him when his life was quite good, but then he faced truly hard moments, he reached very very low points. Through outside help, his determination, and a bit of luck, things turned around. Then he faced new obstacles but kept on learning from it. I did not really like him as a person, but I enjoyed following his journey.
• I was also initially invested in FL's boss, but then they changed her course in a deus-ex-machina way instead of allowing her to learn from her mistakes. It honestly felt like she was being punished by fate for wanting a relationship and being unable to love herself. I was looking forward to one of her breakdowns leading to a realization, but she was not allowed that. In the very end, her character had some interesting growth too.
• My favorite episode is when ML leaves the country and pursues his dreams. The episode had a different vibe, he got into a loving relationship and worked on his career; he was making progress. Of course, though, they couldn't let him have it. I still don't fully understand why the writers were so determined to destroy his relationship with the second FL, their breakup looked unnatural and forced. People can fall out of love, but this felt... wrong, like they both suddenly stopped caring for each other. It usually happens for a reason, and it could have been interesting to explore, but that didn't happen. We only got a few awkward moments of tense silence and teary-eyed calls, out of nowhere.
Now for the parts that did not sit right with me:
• FL started out as a manic pixie girl. I don't think I need to elaborate on that.
• Even during the fun "spring" part, ML and FL had an uncomfortable dynamic: FL left him guessing, withdrawing her attention ("I might arrive, I might not. You'll see!") and forced him into activities he wasn't comfortable with (but it was played off as comedic), and then left him, completely wasted, alone on a night bus. He was drunk and asleep and she just left him there. But the writers did not address any of this, and she never realized she treated him poorly; no, there's just a cut scene and he's, SOMEHOW, safely home. Okay. Clearly, they did not want to address it, it did not need any character development despite being glaring flaws.
• There is just not enough growth on either of their sides for the relationship to work in the future. FL is busy dealing with trauma, but she's STILL emotionally distant and detached. Perhaps understandably so, but it does not say anything good about their future if – through her whole life – she did not make much progress.
• ML still copes with difficult situations by lying through his teeth and not being able to draw his boundaries (though he made some small progress in that, the tragedy of FL's life makes him unable to stand his ground anyways). On that note, I honestly suspect ML is a pathological liar. It's definitely a pattern in his romantic relationships and he never learns from that, either.
• When the second FL asked ML why he loves her, he said, among other things, that he is comfortable around her. Some people in comments thought that's the proof he doesn't love her. But to be honest? That's exactly how a long-term, loving relationship feels like: you are a comfort for each other, the familiarity is grounding. It's not the initial passion or the attraction to the forbidden (like one-sided love or painful crushes), but it's good, it feels good. I feel like this sends the wrong message.
• As for ML's sister, I guess it was a fun concept for them: a reversed trope! Emotionally distant wife, clingy stay-at-home husband! But their relationship was just painful to watch, it did not feel fun, it did not feel like a creative reversal, it felt like she was treating him like trash, making him work hard for a hint of affection as if it were a gift, giving him just enough to make him want more (that's controlling and abusive btw). And they knew from the beginning that they weren't compatible at all. What even IS the message of their relationship? I know that people like this exist, but ML's sister's partner was called out on his mistakes. Her mistakes go on, unchallenged.
In general, I think they could have handled many things better, I never saw the "OTP" as romantic or compatible (in fact, they seemed really bad for each other), and if they wanted realism, there should have been their friends, telling them it's a really bad idea to re-enter a dysfunctional relationship, or shaking ML by his shoulders to make him realize that being concerned for a person he loved for a long time before is NOT a reason to start lying to his fiancée or to break up. Caring for more people is not wrong. Lying about it and hiding that they dated in past and then, when he was called out on it, leaving instead of apologizing? That's just messed up and so, so emotionally immature, that I don't know why we were supposed to get invested in his "growth" at all. :/
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