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.