Figgo
Florida
Emotionally Heavy With Endearing Characters
My 4 categories are Acting/Cast, Writing, Direction/SFX/Music, Entertainment Value.
I saw that this drama had won awards, so I thought “why not?” I was in the mood to cry.
Acting/Cast: Park Bo Young (박보영) is hit or miss for me, but in this drama, she is a hit. Portraying mental health issues must be difficult, but I think everyone did a great job. I really liked the male lead (the surgeon). He was an interesting character with a quirky personality. I don’t think I’ve seen a male lead quite like him before, so I enjoyed watching his character. I also liked the patient that the female lead befriends - Kim Seo Wan played by Noh Jae Won (노재원). His acting was amazing; he felt like a real person, which is vital in allowing the audience to really be able to connect with him. Without him and his performance, I think this drama would have received much lower ratings. 10/10
Writing: I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. I thought this drama was going to be a formulaic show that focuses on a new patient each episode. Nope. This drama focuses on the female lead and her own mental health. I was thrown off. It was a pleasant surprise because I can’t stand those formulaic shows. It was strange though, because this drama goes from quirky and goofy to extremely dark…some of the most depressing stuff I’ve seen in a Korean drama. I wasn’t complaining since I tend to enjoy darker themes with a focus on psychological aspects such as depression and suicide. Since the writers went in that direction, I think the story line of the female lead’s best friend - Song Yu Chan played by Jang Dong Yoon (장동윤) – was too much. I think it was a waste of time and unnecessary to the main plot. The character itself is fine, it’s just his storyline that I thought was weak. Instead of wasting time on his storyline, I think that they should have given more attention to the female lead’s storyline. Her storyline felt unresolved and even rushed at times. I felt the pacing was off and that, as a viewer, I was getting emotionally whipped around way too much. I think that giving more time to the female lead would have helped slow down the pacing a bit. I don't like how her storyline felt incomplete, as well, and left me unsatisfied with the ending. However, I think this drama portrayed the psychology of a depressed person very well. I was pleasantly surprised by that. 5.5/10
Direction/SFX/Music: I see that viewers have been comparing this drama to It’s Okay to Not Be Okay. I didn’t see a resemblance. I found myself comparing this drama to The Atypical Family (which has a mental health plot disguised as a superhero plot.) It had a similar quirky vibe that feels somewhat fantastical. The music, in particular, reminded me of The Atypical Family, which gives this drama a sort of eerie vibe, too. I didn’t know what to make of the plot because of these things; I was getting mixed messages. However, the uncertainty kept me engaged. Was it going to suddenly turn dark? Will it turn into a fantasy? Will it turn into a thriller? I think this confusion actually helped me identify with the female lead more though. I also have to say that the CGI is this drama is pretty impressive. 6.5/10
Entertainment Value: I was highly entertained while watching. The strangeness of the drama, although confusing, was entertaining to me. I liked the characters. I liked the darkness of the plot. However, I can say I was disappointed by the ending. Actually, I didn’t even realize it had ended. I though it was going to have 16 episodes. At the end of the last episode, I thought it was just segueing into the next episode. Maybe they did it that way to leave it open for a season 2? At any rate, I wasn’t ready for the drama to end - the fault of which lies with problems regarding the drama’s writing (pacing issues and not enough time spent on the female lead’s story). Unfortunately, unsatisfying endings can do quite a bit of damage to the lasting memorability of a drama. 6.5/10
Overall, I gave this drama a 7/10. A pretty solid rating for me (anything 6 and above is in the recommended zone). Not a perfect drama, but highly entertaining. I cried A LOT watching this drama. It is extremely emotionally heavy, so I wouldn’t recommend it if you aren’t prepared to get really sad. Man…I almost felt like I was experiencing what the female lead was going through. I can’t say anything more because I don’t want to spoil it.
I saw that this drama had won awards, so I thought “why not?” I was in the mood to cry.
Acting/Cast: Park Bo Young (박보영) is hit or miss for me, but in this drama, she is a hit. Portraying mental health issues must be difficult, but I think everyone did a great job. I really liked the male lead (the surgeon). He was an interesting character with a quirky personality. I don’t think I’ve seen a male lead quite like him before, so I enjoyed watching his character. I also liked the patient that the female lead befriends - Kim Seo Wan played by Noh Jae Won (노재원). His acting was amazing; he felt like a real person, which is vital in allowing the audience to really be able to connect with him. Without him and his performance, I think this drama would have received much lower ratings. 10/10
Writing: I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. I thought this drama was going to be a formulaic show that focuses on a new patient each episode. Nope. This drama focuses on the female lead and her own mental health. I was thrown off. It was a pleasant surprise because I can’t stand those formulaic shows. It was strange though, because this drama goes from quirky and goofy to extremely dark…some of the most depressing stuff I’ve seen in a Korean drama. I wasn’t complaining since I tend to enjoy darker themes with a focus on psychological aspects such as depression and suicide. Since the writers went in that direction, I think the story line of the female lead’s best friend - Song Yu Chan played by Jang Dong Yoon (장동윤) – was too much. I think it was a waste of time and unnecessary to the main plot. The character itself is fine, it’s just his storyline that I thought was weak. Instead of wasting time on his storyline, I think that they should have given more attention to the female lead’s storyline. Her storyline felt unresolved and even rushed at times. I felt the pacing was off and that, as a viewer, I was getting emotionally whipped around way too much. I think that giving more time to the female lead would have helped slow down the pacing a bit. I don't like how her storyline felt incomplete, as well, and left me unsatisfied with the ending. However, I think this drama portrayed the psychology of a depressed person very well. I was pleasantly surprised by that. 5.5/10
Direction/SFX/Music: I see that viewers have been comparing this drama to It’s Okay to Not Be Okay. I didn’t see a resemblance. I found myself comparing this drama to The Atypical Family (which has a mental health plot disguised as a superhero plot.) It had a similar quirky vibe that feels somewhat fantastical. The music, in particular, reminded me of The Atypical Family, which gives this drama a sort of eerie vibe, too. I didn’t know what to make of the plot because of these things; I was getting mixed messages. However, the uncertainty kept me engaged. Was it going to suddenly turn dark? Will it turn into a fantasy? Will it turn into a thriller? I think this confusion actually helped me identify with the female lead more though. I also have to say that the CGI is this drama is pretty impressive. 6.5/10
Entertainment Value: I was highly entertained while watching. The strangeness of the drama, although confusing, was entertaining to me. I liked the characters. I liked the darkness of the plot. However, I can say I was disappointed by the ending. Actually, I didn’t even realize it had ended. I though it was going to have 16 episodes. At the end of the last episode, I thought it was just segueing into the next episode. Maybe they did it that way to leave it open for a season 2? At any rate, I wasn’t ready for the drama to end - the fault of which lies with problems regarding the drama’s writing (pacing issues and not enough time spent on the female lead’s story). Unfortunately, unsatisfying endings can do quite a bit of damage to the lasting memorability of a drama. 6.5/10
Overall, I gave this drama a 7/10. A pretty solid rating for me (anything 6 and above is in the recommended zone). Not a perfect drama, but highly entertaining. I cried A LOT watching this drama. It is extremely emotionally heavy, so I wouldn’t recommend it if you aren’t prepared to get really sad. Man…I almost felt like I was experiencing what the female lead was going through. I can’t say anything more because I don’t want to spoil it.
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