Like many, I'm sure, this show was difficult to rate. The first half was so swoony and perfect, but the characters at the end were infuriating. I read all the warnings ahead of time, so I knew it wouldn't get better. I would've endured if Jin-Ah and Joon-Hee remained steadfast in their convictions. I hate to admit it, but I fully skipped episodes 13-15 and just read some recaps about them. Even then, the last episode closed things off too little, too late.

This is a story about Jin-ah's journey, but I wish she had a bit more growth. Joon Hee is as great as they come, and I would love nothing more than to have my own Jung Hae In (seriously, this character warped my expectations for love like crazy!).

Perhaps I don't fully understand all the cultural implications and taboos here, although I suppose I could put in some proxies. I wish Jin-ah stood up to her parents more, and communicated better during crucial times, but I suppose this story was heartbreaking because of its realism (especially re: the workplace resolution). The ending was lukewarm though, and that was the unsatisfying part. If it were more definitive in either direction (happy or sad, forever or never), I would've possibly come around to the message that the writer was trying to convey. Instead, I'm left wondering: does love really conquer all, or do we have to come to accept the consequences of our actions? To be honest, it makes me feel a little empty inside. I'll surely come to revisit some of the cute scenes from episodes 3-6 sometime though. Episode 5 was probably the most deliriously happy episode I've ever seen in a kdrdama.