Summer Strike (2022)

Making time for the important.

Nowadays the urgent doesn't leave time for the important and that's Summer Strike's entire premise. A young woman deciding to make time for what is important for her own mental health and happiness. This is not a perfect drama but it's something I would recommend for its message.

I think any warning should be that this drama is not a fun romance but a slice of life portraying sensitive issues as mental, emotional and physical pain and health. I found some of these characters so annoying because of the accuracy in which sexism, ignorance, selfishness and closed-mindedness is portrayed in the show. We all want this world to be different, but most of the time Summer Strike shows it like it is. Changes are gradual and slow. Trust the healing process because it's very satisfying. Thankfully the frustrating characters and moments are well balanced with wholesome scenes, which will have to squealing and laughing with excitement.

All these characters, who were alienated, abused and depressed were able to find each other and create a family. It's not a perfect family but it fills the house with laughter, kindness and warmth. That's what matters and I love it.

I have read comments about how Yeo-reum didn't get any development because she never "stood up for herself". I would say that she didn't need to: she was perfectly fine as she was and if anything her softness was actually the catalyst for change in others. Yeo-reum's "development", in my opinion, was about accepting herself for who she is, wants and needs; not changing and becoming tougher. I would even go as far as to argue, her softness are what makes her strong. Because she keeps putting herself out there and living her life the best she can, knowing full well she might get hurt but that there's also the chance for something magical happening. She has a rich inner life and at the end it's reflected on the outside as well. If anything, Yeo-reum "stood up for herself" in the very first episodes when she quitted her job and moved away. That decision wasn't about her running away, but about her running towards something. She just didn't know what yet.

Another important message in Summer Strike is that being soft is not a bad thing. Leaving toxic environments and relationships, it's okay. You don't have to be an ambitious person just because society expects you to be due to your intellect, gender or any other reason they come up with. Learn to know what is it that you need.

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Ordinary show about ordinary people suffering extraordinarily

Sea change and tree change are popular themes of recent dramas. Lying flat is now popular amongst the young as a way of escaping the rat race. I assume the writer-nim wanted to explore these themes and Summer Strike was born.

The combination of those two themes can lead to some interesting scenarios but the writer/director tried too hard to break from the clichés by making the Show gritty and true to life. It meant that we are presented with a parade of difficult, belligerent characters who lives in a dull and rundown seaside village. Add physical/domestic violence, bullying, murders and all manners of societal ills and we have a place that tourists will choose to avoid. Yes, as the show progresses, some of the locals will show their true colours and they are not a bad bunch but most of them are still taciturn.

So rather than the show hooking us with fun in the sun, we ended up with a morbid fascination on how low can the FL go. Of course, it will not hit rock bottom, this is not Eve after all, but the first few episodes are not recommended viewing for anyone suffering from depressions. Even after the FL’s life start to turn around and she made new friends in the village, the focus simply moved to the complicated lives of the villagers. There are not a lot of unicorns frolicking around that village, that's for sure. There are certainly progress amongst the melodramas, but it is a mixed bag of pros and cons.

Typical of this type of shows, there is a turning point where the writer-nim realised that they have gone far enough with the pain and suffering and needs a way out. While she did a decent job turning the ship around, the resolution seems contrived and expeditious. The FL is once again the key to unravelling a years old mystery.

The last episode is pure fan service with the writer-nim regaling us with the theme of the show. The unicorns are finally let out and they milled around uncertainly for quite awhile. This is because the way the Show handles relationship is very ambiguous. The OTP is obviously attracted to each other, but we get the BFF vibe most of the time. It was literally in the dying minute of the Show when we get the confirmation that they have finally move up a pay grade. Even then, there is next to no skinship. The relationship between the librarian and the shopkeeper with the cute son is even more muddled. The SFL pointedly asked him several times whether she should move to Seoul, and he kept deflecting it or resorted to the “Go! Go! See if I care” cliché replies. Why? It was painful to watch the poor man suffer. Surprisingly, it is the senior high schooler couple who is much more forthright with their relationship. It isn’t smooth sailing for them neither (nothing in this show is ever easy) but at least we know where they stand.

There are some high impact and emotional scenes which the actors did well enough. It is the more mundane scenes that I find lack energy. Both the leads are trying to keep a low profile in the community which didn’t help the energy level whatsoever. The ML is very handsome, and he can certainly act cute but I find him a bit stiff when it comes to really emotional scenes.
The OST is unobtrusive to the point that I can’t recall any of the tunes. It is a one-time watch for me.

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Do I think this show is perfect? No. But regardless, it is one of the first shows in a while that I have truly loved. So, here's my disorganized attempt to explain why.
The show starts out very strongly by introducing our female lead, Yeo Reum. I find the description here on MDL and viki inaccurate; Yeo Reum's life is not going well from the very start of the show. The first episode is a bit tough to watch, although not terribly so. I think a lot of people can relate to Yeo Reum's life, the feelings of repetitive nothingness going to work every day, being talked down to and disrespected, and not having the confidence to speak up for oneself. Seeing Yeo Reum's very relatable life and problems really made me sympathize with her and root for her, so it was a great relief when she decided to completely change her life and move to Angok. I think there's a relief the viewer experiences in seeing someone break free of the expectations that society puts on us and deciding to go "on strike" from life. I really loved how the whole theme of the show was essentially that societal expectations don't dictate what will truly make us happy or fulfilled.
I loved Yeo Reum's relationships that developed over the course of the show, both romantic and platonic. Her friendship with Bom was super heartwarming, and I loved the two of them acting like sisters and becoming their own little family. Yeo Reum was able to provide support, comfort, and joy into Bom's life, and in turn I think she was able to finally have a family that loved her the same way she loved them. Yeo Reum and Dae Beom's relationship was absolutely delightful to see unfold. It's a love story between two quiet, shy people, and they are so sweet together. I don't think I've ever squealed over seeing two characters texting each other for the first time, but I sure did when watching this show. I liked that Dae Beom also had his own issues to work out, and that he was able to do so over the course of the story. Both Yeo Reum and Dae Beom played important roles in each other's growth and healing.
While there are many heartwarming elements, it's not a universally happy show. There are some heavy issues that are dealt with, including Bom's alcoholic father, Dae Beom's traumatic past, among others. I can't say I love how characters acted in regards to some of these plot points, nor in how the writers resolved them. I wasn't a huge fan of the "graffiti" subplot (dunno what else to call it, especially without spoiling anything), but it served its own purpose in the story. Some people really didn't like episodes 10/11, but I surprisingly did, because it felt like the culmination of plot points that had been building throughout the show. I wouldn't call this show "realistic," but I liked how parts of it didn't give you the happy ending that you might have wanted. I also liked that characters' relationships were allowed to be messy, such as Jae Hoon and Bom's. They're young and immature, so of course it's not going to be flawless. You don't like all the characters in this show, but they had their good moments, and many of them were somewhat better by the end of the show. For example, Ji Young got on my nerves, but she had a character arc of sorts, and so I liked that.
I don't know if this show just happened to touch my heart in ways that are personal, and thus this show may not be objectively that amazing. But I loved it so very much.

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Nicely Balanced Slice of Life Murder -Mystery with a Dash of Romance

This is a story about a girl who got tired of exchanging her time and self respect for money and honestly just needed a break... So she sold pretty much all she owned and decided to take a much needed break acting pro actively before it would have been to late and she would have hit a wall...

Having pretty much 0 obligations (ok one annoying older brother), she could basically go wherever her very tight budget let her and ended up in a town by the sea with a library and a mystery to solve... It was of course not her job to solve that mystery but living in a murder house for the sake of being able to live on her budget kind of put her in the middle of things.

On her way to figure out just how little she wanted to have in her life she found a family, friendship a running partner and some slight romance.

So if you are looking for a bubbly, steamy romance you may want to look pretty much anywhere else with the genre romance... as the most intense romance is probably provided but the teens in this show and not by the leads. However if you are looking for some really good friendships, growth and life is neither black or white and definitely not always easy... truths can change, trust is complicated and domestic violence is also complicated. And a slight murder mystery that is highly predictable but will keep you on your toes... This is a good place to find it.

I must warn you thought that there are a bunch of cringey monologs, annoying elements here and there, loud crying and drunken scenes that are just off... There is however also a really cute dog, Im Siwan running, a lot of running as well as him in a wet t-shirt, as well as great umbrella and rain scenes all around it.

There is also a decent message telling viewers that what is good for you may not be good for the next so stop judging people by your own standards... The drama has a pretty good balance between entertainment and quality so it is an easy binge with lots of lovable characters.

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A reflective slice of small town life

Summer Strike is what I would call a mood slice of life drama. It's a story about Yeo Reum "Summer" whose hectic life is falling apart when she decides to pack a backpack with a few belongings and go on strike from the life she's known. She winds up in a strange small town full of interesting characters and makes the choice to lead an unconventional life without any responsibilities or plans. The concept is pretty inspiring except for one thing... Yeo Reum is a frustrating mess. Good thing for her, the entire town is full of messy characters.

Although Yeo Reum is the main character the true star of the show is Yim Si Wan as An Dae Beom. He is so awkwardly adorable and endearing, and honestly the most interesting character even while barely saying a word. He has cute chemistry with Yeo Reum from the very beginning, and their connection is super sweet, but if you are looking for a conventional romance be warned that this is NOT it. Think more slow-burn kindred spirits who like to run a lot and you will be far less likely to be disappointed. Many of their interactions happen in the library which should give you an idea of how adorkable and wholesome these moments are.

The rest of the ensemble is great too, but full of frustrating characters, from Grandmas to single dads, HS students, and ex-cons. I don't want to speak too much about them all in detail since the interesting part of the story is learning about these characters as Yeo Reum does. The town is full of sadness and tragedy and is haunted by a mysterious murder from years ago. Of course, Yeo Reum's presence changes things in the town mostly for the better, but not the mood. This drama is still mostly melancholy, frustrating, and sad. Still, this isn;t quite the "fish out of water" trope that I expected. It's more about the town adapting to and at times blatantly rejecting a stranger's presence.

Would I watch this again? Probably not. Although I like the simple concept of the drama, I do think the plot isn't as interesting as the characters. There also aren't many scenes that I would necessarily want to rewatch. If I were a bigger fan of slice-of-life dramas then maybe just the small-town atmosphere would be enough to make me want to rewatch/revisit Angok. I thought it was nice to escape to Angok each week, but since many of the characters were frustrating, I was more than ready to say goodbye to them by episode 12... the perfect length for this drama.


Overall, this drama feels a little like reading someone's diary. Or rather, listening to someone's diary since there is a lot of narration. There isn't a major character transformation but watching feels intimate and definitely piqued my curiosity throughout. The romance and mystery parts of the story were a little disappointing because they were so played down. However, it's certainly an eventful summer, no matter how slow paced the drama feels at times. If you ever had a fantasy of running away from your life this will either inspire you or scare you. By the end, I did feel comforted by the sense of community, I was touched by Yeo Reum's imperfect pursuit of happiness, and there's an emotionally healing feeling even if it left me dry eyed throughout, so I would recommend binging this it if you're in a introspective and reflective mood, and I appreciate this simple drama reminding me to appreciate the simple things.

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Summer Strike highlight the importance of small daily happiness, beyond the hustle culture

"Summer Strike" follows a young woman who quits her office job and moves to the countryside after her mother's sudden death. Then, she meets a mysterious librarian and develop an interesting relationship.

I was interested on the premise set upon criticizing the hustle culture while highlighting the importance of various types of relationships and daily happiness. However, I would have prefer more discussion touching on the hustle culture and more conclusion on them.

From the production and acting, it was great. Visually, Summer Strike is beautiful, they used the environment they were filming in to its full potential. Kim Seol Hyun improved greatly since her debut, and Yim Si Wan is one of the best idol turned actors. I enjoyed was their romance from their hilarious firsts encounter and the natural and slow-burn development. There was no culminating intimate skinship, but they’re so peaceful to watch.

I wasn’t a fan when the plot became muddled with a mystery murder storyline, even though it did serve a purpose for our lead’s character arc. Who likes a healing show about a timid female lead who moves away from the toxic environment to end up in another toxic environment? Not me. So in the end, the show is not really relaxing and warm, and I can’t feel myself learning anything from it.

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The Beauty of Found Family

Summer Strike is a heart-warming drama that beautifully portrays emotions and captures a realistic approach to how one might feel about life. This drama follows multiple characters on their journey of self-discovery and happiness, but we’re first introduced to the lovely female lead Lee Yeoreum (Kim Seolhyun). Unsatisfied with her life in the city, she seeks comfort in a small town. There, she finds peace within herself, makes friends, and finds love along the way.

Yeoreum’s character was enjoyable. Her gentleness and sincerity were felt in every episode, with every character she encountered, which was nice. The male lead is An Daebeom (Im Siwan), a shy introvert with unresolved childhood trauma. Daebeom and Yeoreum’s relationship was executed nicely, for the most part, because I enjoy slow-paced dramas. I was satisfied with their ending, although a part of me still feels like something was lacking. They have no kiss scenes or anything obviously romantic like a declaration of love, but even without this you can feel how much they care for each other, and that is why I watched until the end.

The side couple Kim Bom (Shin Eunsoo) and Heo Jaehoon (Bang Jaemin) made up for what the main couple lacked. Jaehoon was such a bright light in Bom’s life and exactly what she needed. I wasn’t always happy with the way she treated him but Bom suffered so much, I literally couldn’t stay mad at her. Jaehoon was so expressive with his feelings and cared for Bom despite her complexity. Even with his own issues and eventual growing jealousy, his focus was always on her.

I think this drama would’ve been even better with 14 or 16 episodes instead of 12. I would’ve loved to see more of the relationship between the main leads and less of characters I didn’t care about, like Jo Jiyoung. I would have also liked at least a few scenes from the perspective of Bom’s brother Kim Hanuel (Shin Ki-Joon). Hanuel went through the same family struggles as Bom so I think it would’ve been super interesting to see more of him, but that one might just be me! Also, whatever happened to Yeoreum’s brother? We never heard from him again, which didn’t really matter in regards to the main story, but I thought he would’ve popped up once more.

The found family trope isn’t necessarily a favorite of mine but I grew to love and appreciate it way more because of Summer Strike. It wasn’t perfect but the message it carries leaves a lasting impression, one I won’t forget. The music was pretty, and the actors and actresses did their job wonderfully. I can see myself rewatching again if I ever need comfort. I’ll miss it!

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So Much Potential But No Follow Through

This drama seemed to not know which direction it wanted to go. It set up many different things while never fully expanding on the ideas presented leading to a rather disappointing and underwhelming show.

The first episode had me sobbing and so ready to watch a show about a woman in her 20's dealing with grief and finally finding herself outside of the oppressive society she had been a part of. Then episode 2 happened and all my hopes and dreams for this show were washed away. The grieving and growing process in a small seaside town would be more then enough to fill a show, but this show decided to completely throw away this idea to instead show everyone and their mother being rude to our main character for seemingly no reason, to act like our main characters grief and growing process never existed, and add in an unnecessary murder plot. Sure, there were cute moments, I especially liked the scenes when the four main characters would be hanging out together, like when they went on a trip together or had meals together. I also did like the more "romantic" scenes between the two main couples as well, but these things didn't have much to do with a plot and the plot is what was really lacking in this show.

Overall, this was not the worst thing I have ever watched and despite my low rating I don't fully feel like my time was wasted with this show, but what it's advertising and what it actually is, is two very different things and what it actually is, isn't very good.

I guess if I want to watch a show similar to Hometown Cha-cha-cha I should probably just go and watch Hometown Cha-cha-cha again.

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Loved it, Untill Episode 9

Sometimes I wonder if Kdramas have an allergy to happy endings, the element of loss can be very powerful in a drama, however when overused or implemented in a way that creates unnecessary forceful emotions for the audience --I find it frustrating.

What I enjoyed about the drama, up until episode 9, was the balance they had between loss and self-discovery, how loss can lead you to rethink the trajectory of your life and then also to use grief as a measure of satisfaction or dissatisfaction in one’s life.

For me, the main character Yeo Reum was perfect for this depiction of loss and discovery. The drama begins with a loss of a mother, which starts an emotional, but healing journey, for Yeo Reum. This loss leads Yeo Reum to head to the countryside, where we are introduced to a new set of characters that will later influence each other's lives. The townspeople have also experienced loss and are forced to cope with it differently. We have Dae Bom, Dae Bom, and Jae-Hoon who each have a different form of loss within their lives. It's these well-written characters who, without the need for the audience to know immense details, are able to connect with each other on an emotional level.

To me, the cope with loss, and self-healing, began to pick up and continue to help the characters grow through her new friendships (dae bum, Bom, yeo ream, and Jea Hoo) where they found happiness within each other, with their healing at the climax, and the most fun in the show, the death of Bom’s grandma occurs, which I found unnecessary and a plot element that really didn’t need to be there.

The drama did very well to move away from unnecessary drama, giving a fresh outlook on healing and love. There was never any misunderstanding, like you see in many other dramas, between the main relationships. To me, my love for the show stems from each character’s ability to, not forget about their loss but to, live intentionally in the present moment. I enjoyed that, after a major loss from Yeo Reum, the show took a tonal shift towards happiness, especially through friendship. These friendships are central to the show: Yeo-Reum & Bom’s sisterly bond, Bom’s Grandma & Yeo Reum’s motherly bond, and Dae Boms & Yeo Reum’s romantic bond. It’s these friendships that, throughout each episode, increase in strength. As each character opens up to each other as they all begin to heal. That’s why, the death in episode 10 took me by surprise, in a negative sense; all the healing, through bonds of friendship, backtrack because of another loss, therefore, clouding the well-established theme of moving forward.

The drama itself is built upon growth and open communication between characters and yet these established growth patterns seem to disappear in light of Bom’s Grandma’s death. The characters, instead of coming together to heal, begin to separate and lack the open and caring communication that held them together before.

I felt that the show tried to take on too many subplots and got lost within the subplot of the mystery of the billiard hall. I enjoyed this subplot--only in the beginning, as it was an anchor for Dae Beum’s trauma. Initially, it was well-balanced because it didn’t take over the show and set up a means of understanding Dae-Beum’s past and connection to the town. However, with the death of Bom’s Grandma, the mystery takes the spotlight and put the themes of self-discovery and friendship into the shadows. I personally didn’t like this tonal shift and ideally, I would’ve wanted the drama to continue towards a happy tone, where the grandma doesn’t die and the growth of each friendship is delved into further. I decided to stop watching after this point, even though I’m sure the drama does get back on track, later on, about the friendships, however to me the unnecessary death was a frustrating factor that I couldn’t get past.

Despite my gripe with the death of Bom’s Grandma, I still loved the former episodes and wanted to touch on a few other factors that made this drama stand out. The unspoken dialogue between Yeo Reum and Dae Bom is so well written that their relationship is a perfect example of how to efficiently display chemistry without an excess of physical display. They have an unspoken love, that translates into deliberate actions, such as doing hobbies together, and sharing loving glances and smiles; they both know they love each other, without any drama or unnecessary elements to get in the way of their emotions. They both pursue each other in such cute and subtle ways that make their delicate relationship so fun to watch.

I also loved how the drama took a lens that focused on a woman’s perspective, that of Yeo Reom. She didn’t go to the country to find love, rather she begins her adventure for herself and to better understand her present needs. Yeo Reum doesn’t set any expectations, for her self-discovery, but rather allows herself to indulge in her individual happiness. The Yeo Reum in episode one and the Yeo Reum in episode nine are starkly different. In episode one we see how she doesn’t stand up for herself and clings to an emotionally abusive boyfriend. We see a tragic version of Yeo Reum who has sacrificed her “I” to the point of transparency. She can barely distinguish her wants and needs, from that of those around her. In the beginning, she lives for others, rather than living for herself. Yeo Reum, in episode one, is a burnout woman that is a product of her toxic environment,

A part of self-discovery is when a person begins to understand that they no longer need to live as a ‘we’, such as being in a relationship or appeasing a boss, but rather when one lives to uphold and stay true to their ‘I’ while also making room, when needed, for the ‘we’. In this way Yeo Ream discovers herself first, then after she is adamant on focusing on being herself, she naturally attracts friendships along the way. By staying true to herself she is not selfish, but solidifies that whether, her coming to Angok, she finds connections or not, she won’t sacrifice self-discovery and understanding of her desires.

We see Yeo Reum change from a woman who initially lived on the validation of others to one who is able to validate her own self-worth. When she decided that she no longer needed the acceptance of others, and puts herself first, she then lends herself to different forms of love. The drama represents the common motto: for others to love you, you must love yourself. By the end, Yeo Reum has learned to love and accept herself unconditionally. I truly loved Yeo Reum’s character, because, although she is in a relationship with Dae Bum, she makes it clear through her actions that she does not need a romantic relationship to survive and that she is completely capable on her own. The opportunity for a healthy romantic relationship presented itself after Yeo Reum’s acceptance of her self-worth. The relationship was an added bonus, not a crutch.

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Your classic case of a Romcom turned Murder Mystery

So I’m not even gonna lie, I found out about this drama through tiktok edits titled as the most wholesome drama of the season and saw some scenes that literally blew me away with how cute they were. So naturally I pick up the show and start watching.

The first episode is awesome, it’s amazing, it’s everything I wanted and expected. Our FL, weighed down by the harsh daily life of the city decides to move to the country side. Great! Everything is settled and arrangements are made and there she was at the beach of Angok basking in the sun. Watching that scene was the most liberating thing ever and you could literally feel your stress being washed away as she runs towards the water and dives in.

Episode 2 rolls around. Now we’re being introduced to the town and the dynamics of the people living there adding dimensions and depth to the story. We love to see it.

The FL meets the ML and instantly they are hooked on one another. Their feelings slowly develop and in each and every scene between them I could literally feel the butterflies.

And so I was hooked. It didn’t require much and I didn’t expect more. Things are slowly unfolding as they should.

As the FL is staying there, she decides she’ll starts journaling so we are baited with this plot point of her developing an interest in writing and all things are going as expected in this tranquil country side. You got your usual nosy kids, angry locals and small town secrets but nothing that can’t be conquered by the power of love and friendship.

Only problem is, as the story progresses, they decide that complicating the plot is the way to go. First of, they introduce the ML’s “dark past” which is alright. Nothing out of the ordinary. But only they decide that no, that’s not enough we need a convoluted murder case and an unnecessary plot twist and that’s where the show completely lost me.

Dae Bum, the ML, had enough of a “layered” backstory and a lot on his plate in the right-now to worry about. But they decided to bring up the past in the most ridiculous, unnecessarily complicated manner. There was no need for a second murder to happen for the first one to be “solved”. In fact, the first plot they went with was more than good enough. Why keep on adding on more and more plot points?

Especially when they dismissed and quickly went over his current present problems. Glossing over everything and quickly resolving it.

As for Yeo Reum who ran away from the toxic city life only to be chucked into this mysterious village of horrors. People complained about how much of a doormat she was but I thought to myself nothing wrong with a meek FL. Not everyone in life is a fighter. But nothing developed at all.

Everything they prepared us for regarding her character “arc” never unfolded. She did a magazine interview and that went nowhere I don’t even know why they bothered adding that in. In the end they teased how she’ll start writing a webtoon. Like, why couldn’t this just be the plot? Why did she have to be this detective Conan all of a sudden?

Her morals were questionable at times, and while I tried giving her the benefit of the doubt, her inconsistency at times confused me. E.g. yelling at Kim Bom for not wanting to be associated with her abusive alcoholic father and then getting annoyed at that mom for wanting to protect her DISABLED son who was falsely convicted for murder?! Make it make sense. All whilst completely forgetting about her brother who was unreasonably villainized and then completely erased from existence never to be mentioned again.

I tried to brush some things off as being part of the “culture” and nature of a small town village but I couldn’t at times. Especially when she, as the main lead, was supposed to represent the opposite of those traditional expectations.

Many of the plot points were left undiscovered. Kim Bom’s childhood friend, her father and his alcoholism (and apparently gambling addiction, too now). Speaking of Kim Bom, she had the most tragic and dramatic plot out of everyone in that show which was poorly executed.

Whenever the writer was at loss on how to mobilize the plot, boom! they threw a tragedy at Kim Bom and that’s how it went. And DON’T get me started on how simply Jae Hun just went and came back from The States. Ridiculous!

Sung Min being a single dad. Like, where’s the mom? In this gossipy small town no mention of her at all?
Ji Young absolutely hating the country side only to decide on a whim that, no! She actually doesn’t. Like, what?

The billiards club and how Sung Min’s dad became the owner. Dae Bum’s family position in Angok and just Dae Bum in general. How he grew up without his parents and what actually happened between him and that professor. He remained an enigma to the very last moment.

And the god damn pacing. How much time went by? Between the multiple time leaps and Yeo Reum packing her bags to leave every other day it was impossible to discern. At times it felt like days other times it felt like months.

And the romance! Where did it go? We never went past the awkward infatuation stage which was cute until the show approached its end and I grew frustrated. The most we got was some hand holding UGH! On the other hand, Kim Bom got a dramatic passionate kiss under the rain. Absolute clownery.

And the beach! You’d think now that she lives by it she’ll be there every other day but, no! I mean, I can’t blame her she was too busy solving crimes.

I was never set up for this amount of disappointment in my life. The last thing I expected was for this to turn into a murder mystery show. Other than the cute moments between the two leads, their chemistry and endearing conversations, everything else seemed to go wrong. It was a shame to see this go to waste especially with how exceptional everyone’s performance was.

I’m convinced something went wrong with either the budget, ratings or writers because to have this easy of a plot then f’ it up this bad made zero sense.

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Solid but not without its share of problems

Pros

- overall soothing atmosphere
- focus on self-care and healing
- focus on shy, introverted characters (after Liberation Notes and others this seems a recent trend in K-Dramas, which I love)
- found family theme
- the character of Dae Beom (Im Si Wan has such a knack for creating unique, weird, intriguing characters from scratch who truly come to life)
- many characters I instantly disliked have grown on me, e.g. Ji Young, Sung Min
- chemistry between ML & FL which is great without even so much as a kiss
- acting for the most part (Kim Seol Hyun managed a lengthy drunk scene without ever being over the top, annoying or silly, you can't take your eyes off of her, great physical acting)


Cons

- Yeo Reum falling back into her little-girl-routine gets tedious and feels insincere after some time, it is a way of denying responsibility (which is understandable, she is there to overcome trauma and not find more trauma, but being there and living her life and being part of ongoing issues is still a responsibility she can not possibly escape)
- Yeo Reum being a little self-righteous at times, which would be fine, except I gather we are supposed to root for her
- toxicity here and there (how dare you scream at your family/grandma), a recurring feature of this director, familiar from Coffee Prince and Cheese in the Trap
- cramming a crime plot into the last episodes that is resolved as fast as it pops up, which is laughable

A solid 4/5.

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