I just finished watching this show and I feel still overwhelmed by feelings... Exhausted by the intense emotions felt and by the tears I cried. I can say, one of the (few) actual masterpieces I had the luck to watch so far in my life.
"It's ok, ıt's no big deal." "it's okay to fail. It's nothing really. Even if you fail you can still be happy."
Even though the atmosphere of this show may appear full-filled with sadness, melancholy, depression, and pain, actually the story is an hymn to the Life, the real life, the life whoever lives day after day, which may appear miserable sometimes, but which must be lived, because "Even if you fail you can still be happy".
I watched the show, well knowing how Lee Sun-kyun ended his life's journey, the root-causes which led to his irrevocable, heart-breaking decision and this made even more emotional the vision of this show.
The story: terrific. What you can see in this show is a delicate portrait of the Life. The life as it is lived at the workplace, at home, in a family, in the deepest solitude, in the darkest desperation, in the loyal and noisy community of the neighbourhood, by the rich, by the poor, by the honest, by the dishonest... The characters in this story are all defined by their passions, their vices, their miseries, their weaknesses, their distresses, in a so moving and compelling way, that each of them will leave an indelible trace in your heart. None of the stories is predictable. And this made them even more realistic and compelling.
The cast: I think this is one of the most well sorted and assembled ones I watched. Each of the roles was played in an impeccably way. The two leads, the support roles, are an amazing ensemble, which keeps the spectator compelled to and captivated by the story. You live with them, you cry and you laugh with them, you suffer and you enjoy with them, till the last emotion. Lee Sun-kyun and IU led the entire story, rendering their not so simple characters in an awesome way. Despite the difference in age (and experience) between the two, their acting was well blended, credible and flawless. Around them there is a colorful and amazing world of characters, each one well developed, well casted and very well played. I don't want to list all of them, because they are really a lot, but you can be sure that none will disappoint you.
The music: moving, touching your feelings, well suited for the story told by this show.
The direction and the photography: awesome. I cannot explain: you have to watch to understand that even the way the scenes were shot is able to compel even more to the story, making you feeling part of it.
You need to watch without any kind of doubts or hesitation.