I started this drama purely because of Eric Mun, because I know his acting is top-notch, and I'm filling time before his next drama comes out. I didn't know if I'd like this drama, due to what I saw from the mixed reviews, but as I've reached the halfway point and have not had any major complaints, I thought I'd voice my opinion based on the primary issues I've seen people voice.

1) Ha Jin not wanting to tell the truth about his past. I saw several people who commented they couldn't understand why he was so reluctant to reveal to Yeo Reum that he was an orphan, why his mother was also so against him revealing it, and why he didn't just tell Ah Rim about his real identity. From what I've read, there is actually a huge amount of stigma against adoption in Korea, so people who do adopt often are very secretive about it, thus I wasn't very surprised or bothered by this plot point because it's due to a cultural difference that I was already aware of.

2) Yeo Reum's bitchiness. Yes, she is a bitch for much of the drama, and she even admits openly to Tae Ha that she is an "evil wench". But even that I understand, because despite of how in control and calm she appears to be, she is actually an incredibly insecure individual when it comes to relationships, because of how badly her relationship with Tae Ha ended. She feels that because she had no power in her relationship with Tae Ha, she needs to have all of the power in her relationship with Ha Jin. Yeo Reum is manipulative, deceptive, and cruel because she feels that is the only way to keep Ha Jin close, and Tae Ha at arm's length.

3) The souring of Yeo Reum's relationship with Ha Jin, and her going back to Tae Ha in the end. I think this is one of those things that bothers other people, but not me. As I've watched, I get the impression that despite herself, Yeo Reum still "clicks" with Tae Ha, and she hates it because she thinks it's weakness. I also think a large part of the reason she was with Ha Jin in the first place is because he was safe and certain, but also because he was willing to be the "weak" one in the relationship. Sure, she liked him, but she definitely manipulated him to do what she wanted, and as Ha Jin points out later he's definitely the one who likes her more. The original reason for Yeo Reum and Tae Ha's break up was because of a failure on both sides to communicate (and in Tae Ha's case, to choose what was truly important), a mistake that they both recognized in hindsight. Plus, they both acknowledged that they could have saved their relationship if they had really tried. I think that's why I have no problem with them getting back together in the end. My parents broke up multiple times before they got married, even during their engagement; it's not like it doesn't happen.

Also, as I've neared the end, there were other things about Yeo Reum's and Ha Jin's relationship that were not healthy or sustainable, compared to when Tae Ha and Yeo Reum were together. Ha Jin grows more and more controlling as he feels he is losing her, to the point of trying to discourage Yeo Reum in her pursuits of her dream. Meanwhile Tae Ha pushes her and challenges her, forcing her out of her comfort zone, both when they were together and in the present when he believes that she won't choose him. For some people (myself included), that outside push to improve oneself is necessary. Ha Jin does not challenge Yeo Reum to improve herself, he wants her to stay exactly where she is. And even when he tries to learn more about her passions, it's too late and the damage is done.

So in conclusion, I like this drama a lot. It's an excellent narrative that did a good job of showing how relationships really function. They're messy, they hurt, they don't always work out the way we want or expect, and sometimes the person you need is not the one that just gives you good feelings, it's the person who pushes you to be better.