Seemingly cliché, but surprisingly addicting and insightful.

This drama is filled with classic K-Drama clichés. Multiple love triangles? Check. The female lead trips and gets caught by a man (I won’t tell you which man. ;))? Check—multiple times. Those clichés are so obvious that one cannot help but wince when they happen.

However, those clichés are easily overshadowed by the superb acting of every single actor and the skillful plot execution of the writers and producers.

There are plenty of moments when the main leads skillfully bring forth their “mature adult personas” in their everyday interactions. Even the support cast does well with adding depth to the character interaction and story development—especially Ma Jin Joo’s parents (played by Lee Byung Joon and Kim Mi Kyung). Combined with the writing, the characters do well in portraying the realistic challenges of a marriage.

Unlike many dramas, no one character makes the viewer fully hate them. Well, there may be one…but her reasons are justified. Throughout the episodes, one may root for two people, but at the same time, feel bad about the third person who gets left out. It gets to the point where you internally bicker with yourself to determine who to root for.

Another element that makes this drama special is the end of each episode when it reveals a relevant snippet of what really happened in the couple’s lives. Those ending snippets nicely ties each episode together, while showcasing a different side of the story. This makes the viewer empathize even more with each main character, and it makes them want to see more.

I’m glad that I gave this K-Drama a chance.

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