Healing portrayal of mental health

I didn’t expect this drama to be so healing. The portrayal of mental health was incredibly realistic. I especially liked that the female lead had high functioning depression, as it gives a different view of what depression can look like. I liked how they helped each other heal as well. Thw script was great and incredibly touching. As someone who has experienced depression, I really appreciated and related to this drama. Thank you.

Some criticisms I have are:

It was too long, should have been 12 episodes, you could tell at one point the story had ended and they just kept adding more and more unnecessary stuff which watered down the amazing content they had.
Some people say the acting was over the top at times - it was but I think that’s more the style the director was going for rather than the decision of the actors. It’s a stylised piece almost comic book like, not 100% realism, so whilst I think if they had kept it more realistic it would have been better, I respect the stylistic choice of the director.

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THE REAL REASON WHY THIS FAILED

I know a lot of people blame the love triangle as to why this drama failed. However, I would argue that it actually loses its viewers through the storytelling rather than anything else.

The drama makes rookie mistakes when it comes to storytelling. The most vital one comes only a few minutes into the first episode, and happens twice. The 5 year skip. This was a terrible idea because it means we don’t get to see precious memories which make us care about the relationship between the leads. Had the drama actually showed us a wholesome friendship between the leads that lasted more than 1 episode, I would connect more to the events that came later. But problems between Inha and Taeho came about too early on. So when the twist that Inha was a bad guy came, I didn’t really care as much. The only thing that made me believe in this friendship, was Lee Jae Wook’s acting. LJW really stands out as an incredibly strong actor in this series. Contrasting with the female lead who made unclear choices with her acting. And this I would also blame the director for, as it is their job to guide the actors to make a clearer story.

The other thing that was a vital mistake in the storytelling, was the fact that it wasn’t specific enough. What exactly was the reason as to why Taeho and Hyewon were putting themselves through all of this. Was it power? Money? Ok, why? To do what exactly? Did he want power so he could protect his mum from his dad’s thugs? Did he want to send someone to kill his dad in prison? These things needed to be more specific so that the viewer can empathise more with the motive behind the actions that follow.

Overall, the main thing is that this drama felt too vague. The lack of specificity in relationship dynamics and character building meant that the drama couldn’t hit the beats it needed to in order to make us care. Had the relationship between Hyewon and Taeho been built more so we could have rooted for them, then when he takes drugs and allows himself to be bullied by Inju, we would be feeling more for him.

Honestly, the idea was good but executed terribly. Inha becoming a baddie could have hit so hard but instead fell flat. The only thing that saved this drama was Lee Jae Wook’s incredible acting. He made me feel for him despite not believing in the story, which is a really hard job. I have to also give props to the supporting actors, as I found their performances pretty good as well, namely Kangmoo’s.

This drama could have been great, instead it was below average.

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WORTH THE WATCH DESPITE THE ENDING!!!

This is my favourite C-dramas and one of my favourite dramas ever. The writing and story is unparalleled (until the last third of the drama). It is a subtle and intense game of go between the main characters and the actors pull it off to absolute perfection! The best thing about this drama is the chemistry between the leads. The female lead is strong and can hold her own intellectually against the male lead. It is a relationship of equals and mutual respect despite the many plot points which make it a complicated relationship. I read somewhere that they changed directors through the drama, I think this was a terrible idea, the director they had at first was really great at capturing the intense atmosphere and making intentional decisions of where to put our focus.
The ending is terrible, I cursed and cursed and cried a lot, and really the problem started about the last third into the drama (I assume when they changed directors). They also chose to deviate from the book source material - WHY? - if the story is already great, why change it? Anyways, despite such an ending, this drama is still worth the watch and rewatch. I guarantee you won’t find another drama which holds you so tightly and makes you hold your breath during the tense moments, like this one does. I’m a huge fan of historical political dramas, but I think they’re very hard to pull off to a high degree. I find that many writers, directors and actors can’t hold the tension in a way that fully satisfies the story. But this drama does. I highly, highly recommend it. Yes, be prepared for the ending, but let it take you on this unforgettable ride that will burn itself permanently in your mind as one of the best dramas you will ever see.

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A drama that is like a friend you want to walk beside for life

I started watching this since my friend said it was a women centred story. At first I stopped at episode 2 and thought maybe the style wasn’t for me, but I gave it another chance because of the great reviews and I’m so glad I did! The writing was phenomenal and the story was so relatable and dealt with difficult life moments. The style was great as well! Although not something I’m used to, it really aided the drama in storytelling. This series felt like a companion; whilst you’re going through your every day life, this drama is there, letting you know you’re not alone.
Thank you for giving us this drama.

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