MustSayGoodBye
Earthling
This review may contain spoilers
Conquering your Past, Moving Towards your Future
When I first heard about this show, I was disinterested in the plot. I have viewed many Memory related dramas and movies, contemplating whether it is WORTH THE TIME. I am a person who studies and examines a broad array of topics, and Hyperthymesia (HSAM) piqued my interest. Superhuman intelligence or unique, supernatural powers is a common thread among Asian dramas. HSAM is unlike Eidetic Memory (Photographic Memory) because people with HSAM (less than 10 in the world) can remember and recall specific events in their life vividly like it was yesterday. Find Me in Your Memory is an appropriate title as the synopsis described the Main Leads' predicament.
The plot is full of clichés and things you have not seen a million times before except adding HSAM to the script that I have witnessed before Remember: War of the Son (2015) and other dramas. It is unique, but I found some of the subplots a bit boring and repetitive that does not add anything substantive to the main story. It did not take away from the story as a whole, but I thought it bogged down the story just a tad in the middle and towards the end of the drama. It has romance, a little mystery, steady character buildup, and fantastic chemistry between the ML and FL that kept the drama from sinking. You might be like me and feel the sparks whenever the ML and FL smiles, cries, or even look at each other. There were no cringe-worthy moments for me.
Lee Jung Hoon is an admirable character as the story progresses, and we learn about his condition and his job. A few people hated KDW because of his age, but age had nothing to do with the character. No matter the person who depicted Lee Jung Hoon, he would have to act as a person who has HSAM. KDW did a terrific job, especially considering what his character goes through daily, except I am a little disappointed the script did not go far enough regarding living with HSAM. I mentioned above, the few people who are living or have lived with HSAM can recall specific events in their life vividly. The first few episodes do a marvelous job regarding HSAM condition, but then it gets off track from the HSAM standpoint only for a couple of episodes.
Some people mentioned his character memorizes news articles and scripts, but it does not necessarily depict HSAM. They are partially right and wrong as people living with HSAM can memorize information in bulk but to some degree. Their brain takes information in rapidly like a running film of a movie, but it is nonstop. In the drama, we would see him gazing off in the past, reliving a memory like it was yesterday.
Moon Ga Young is a great actress. The character she portrays is beautiful and loveable, not without flaws, though. It is difficult to pull off a memory loss role (Amnesic), especially in this drama. Some people will criticize her because memory roles are repetitive and overused, but if you are like me, who the bleep cares, whether it is a memory, disability, scheming, hidden identity role. She is an interesting character as we understand her background and personality little by little. She is tall and well-built. Some people may find her personality off-putting at times, but do not let it influence your decision to watch this great show.
I have not watched all of the screenwriter's works, but she delivered on a couple of decent dramas like Duel (2017) and Nine: Nine Times Time Travel (2013) that gave me pause to consider Find Me In Your Memory. Screenwriting is a tough job as they have to research and do several revisions before the final draft. I was pleased with the performances of the supporting cast except for Yoo Tae Eun's father, a professor, and a few episodes scattered here and there as expected. I never anticipate polished acting with no flaws. I was annoyed with Yoo Tae Eun's father for questionable decisions because he is a Professor of Psychology/Neurology Department, but it is not called a drama for anything.
The OST is catchy; it may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it works nonetheless. Some scenes the music was uncalled for, yet oddly I am drawn to it. I especially like the song "Here We Are" by Jooyoung. For the most part, the cinematography was not bad. You will fall in love with the main leads stories. Some dramas you binge-watch, while other dramas not so much. Do it at your discretion. Here is a tip if you like the first 30 minutes, watch the next 30 minutes, and so on—little at a time. The Last scene gave me butterflies of the film Notting Hill (1999) - Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant, but Korean Style.
Final Rating: 8.33/10 stars
Story: 7.93/10 stars
My rewatch value varies on any given day, but I will come back to this drama in the future.
The plot is full of clichés and things you have not seen a million times before except adding HSAM to the script that I have witnessed before Remember: War of the Son (2015) and other dramas. It is unique, but I found some of the subplots a bit boring and repetitive that does not add anything substantive to the main story. It did not take away from the story as a whole, but I thought it bogged down the story just a tad in the middle and towards the end of the drama. It has romance, a little mystery, steady character buildup, and fantastic chemistry between the ML and FL that kept the drama from sinking. You might be like me and feel the sparks whenever the ML and FL smiles, cries, or even look at each other. There were no cringe-worthy moments for me.
Lee Jung Hoon is an admirable character as the story progresses, and we learn about his condition and his job. A few people hated KDW because of his age, but age had nothing to do with the character. No matter the person who depicted Lee Jung Hoon, he would have to act as a person who has HSAM. KDW did a terrific job, especially considering what his character goes through daily, except I am a little disappointed the script did not go far enough regarding living with HSAM. I mentioned above, the few people who are living or have lived with HSAM can recall specific events in their life vividly. The first few episodes do a marvelous job regarding HSAM condition, but then it gets off track from the HSAM standpoint only for a couple of episodes.
Some people mentioned his character memorizes news articles and scripts, but it does not necessarily depict HSAM. They are partially right and wrong as people living with HSAM can memorize information in bulk but to some degree. Their brain takes information in rapidly like a running film of a movie, but it is nonstop. In the drama, we would see him gazing off in the past, reliving a memory like it was yesterday.
Moon Ga Young is a great actress. The character she portrays is beautiful and loveable, not without flaws, though. It is difficult to pull off a memory loss role (Amnesic), especially in this drama. Some people will criticize her because memory roles are repetitive and overused, but if you are like me, who the bleep cares, whether it is a memory, disability, scheming, hidden identity role. She is an interesting character as we understand her background and personality little by little. She is tall and well-built. Some people may find her personality off-putting at times, but do not let it influence your decision to watch this great show.
I have not watched all of the screenwriter's works, but she delivered on a couple of decent dramas like Duel (2017) and Nine: Nine Times Time Travel (2013) that gave me pause to consider Find Me In Your Memory. Screenwriting is a tough job as they have to research and do several revisions before the final draft. I was pleased with the performances of the supporting cast except for Yoo Tae Eun's father, a professor, and a few episodes scattered here and there as expected. I never anticipate polished acting with no flaws. I was annoyed with Yoo Tae Eun's father for questionable decisions because he is a Professor of Psychology/Neurology Department, but it is not called a drama for anything.
The OST is catchy; it may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it works nonetheless. Some scenes the music was uncalled for, yet oddly I am drawn to it. I especially like the song "Here We Are" by Jooyoung. For the most part, the cinematography was not bad. You will fall in love with the main leads stories. Some dramas you binge-watch, while other dramas not so much. Do it at your discretion. Here is a tip if you like the first 30 minutes, watch the next 30 minutes, and so on—little at a time. The Last scene gave me butterflies of the film Notting Hill (1999) - Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant, but Korean Style.
Final Rating: 8.33/10 stars
Story: 7.93/10 stars
My rewatch value varies on any given day, but I will come back to this drama in the future.
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