StilW
This review may contain spoilers
If you hate misunderstandings I would avoid this show
TLDR: Every issue in this show could be solved by someone saying one sentence at the right time but everyone refuses to open their mouths.
Disclaimer: I give average shows a 5 so everything above that is pretty good to excellent while everything below that is pretty bad to horrendous. Everything is also in reference to other shows. I am not an expert in film making so I cannot say how well the technical aspects were executed, but I can give my opinion on how they compare to other things I've watched and how much I enjoyed them relative to other shows even if I can't put into words the exact technique used that made it more/less enjoyable.
Overall: I would say this is a slightly above average drama with some fun elements and an interesting premise. Unfortunately it overstays its welcome and can't find a way to move things along which makes the middle of the show drag.
Story: The premise is interesting and entertaining at first. I has its own charm and its fun to see the FL try to navigate all the obstacles of her own making. But at some point it starts to go from fun to frustrating. Most K dramas have some element of misunderstanding/miscommunication that sparks the romantic plot and this one is no exception. However, it quickly becomes redundant as the character find themselves in the exact same situation over and over and over all while wondering how they're going to fix things when the answer is immediately obvious to anyone with a functioning brain. If the characters were reasonably intelligent for 30 seconds the episode count could have comfortably been cut from 16 to 10 without feeling rushed. Instead we are left with many episodes in the middle that feel like the the FL says "this time, I'll tell him the truth..." and then proceeds to not change or do anything. (side note: you know that whenever someone says they're doing something tomorrow that shit aint getting done). The only time the ongoing misunderstandings seem remotely organic is when the 2nd FL has a hand in it because it fits with her character. Outside of this, any cliche you've ever seen in a drama is present here (dead phone battery, ML protecting FL from car, tripping into close up, etc.) and it can get annoying.
The mystery elements of the story were interwoven throughout the story, but I never felt like they got the gravity they deserved. This is a pretty common theme in Kdramas but if someone is out to kill you that's not the time to brush it off and say that you're gonna be fine. The opposite is also true in that if there is a simple problem to fix its not the time to break out the sad violins and pretend like the world is ending. In this instance the tone falls into the former where there is some pretty serious stuff going on but the characters don't really seem to care which results in even more life threatening situations and makes it tough to know how to feel about it given the dichotomy between their reactions and what is actually going on. Spoiler: But like, if some guy has already tried to kill your boss, and he comes to your home with a weapon, saying your blind brother has trouble getting used to new places is not a valid reason to stay. Or imo if you use that reason then you kind of deserve to get killed the next time he comes. The mystery was also overall super predictable. It was pretty obvious who was going to be good and who was a red herring from the outset so some of the dramatic reveals felt more cringe than anything.
I would say my fundamental problem with the romance side of the story is that the emotional investment it tries to make you feel as the plot progresses don't feel earned. They try to make it seem like the characters are making tough decisions and grappling with lots of emotions, but then you realize that its a rerun of the previous 4 episodes so why should I care. Watching a character make the same mistakes over and over and over all while telling themselves and the audience how they are going to change requires fantastic writing/acting or a more comedic tone in order to keep the viewer invested. This show does not quite hit the mark on either of these leading to a frustrating rather than fun viewing experience at times. During every emotional or dramatic reveal instead of feeling sad/happy/whatever else they wanted me to feel, I just get annoyed that it didn't happen 3 episodes earlier when there was a perfect window and no good reason for it not to happen.
Characters: I liked all the lead characters. The FL is charming and charismatic in a bubbly kind of way that allowed me to still like the character despite the many questionable things she does throughout the show. She manages to play both versions of her character well and both were believable identities. The ML is ok, but I did feel like he was more of a passenger in the show being yanked around in whichever direction the plot needed him to go. He was supposedly instrumental in most of the plot threads but never seemed to actually have any agency in what was going on. Looking back, the only real things he does throughout the entire show is try to cure is illness so he can chase after a girl. (spoiler: perfect example but the secret org is scared that the ML is onto them as he reasonably should be, but we the viewers know that he hasn't given the file a second thought after finding it a few episodes prior and will only start to care about it once its convenient for that plot thread to wrap itself up) The second FL is probably the standout for me. The actress looked like she was having a blast playing the role and it definitely shows. She is over the top and quirky in the best way possible and I love her chemistry with the second ML. She steals most every scene she is in all while filling the comedic relief role in a show that could've used more lighthearted moments. The second ML is good as well. I think he is used by the story to add suspense and mystery to the show multiple times which actually worked initially because the actor can pull off the guilty without trying to be aura really well. Their chemistry was also great and I liked all the second leads scenes together.
My favorite side characters were probably the FLs family. Her sister was great as the mature kid trying to be the adult and the brother was funny while also being the voice of reason when the story needed to give the FL a push. The slow mo secretary scene is also goated. Most other side characters don't get much screen time so its hard to say much about them, but the second FLs mother was also quite funny.
Music: I'm not a huge music person and I also watch at faster speeds 1.5x so can't really comment on the music much but I assume it was good.
Rewatch: This would probably be on the lower end of the rewatch list for me, but not at the very bottom. The story is certainly not a reason to rewatch and the characters aren't good enough to justify rewatching this show over others.
Disclaimer: I give average shows a 5 so everything above that is pretty good to excellent while everything below that is pretty bad to horrendous. Everything is also in reference to other shows. I am not an expert in film making so I cannot say how well the technical aspects were executed, but I can give my opinion on how they compare to other things I've watched and how much I enjoyed them relative to other shows even if I can't put into words the exact technique used that made it more/less enjoyable.
Overall: I would say this is a slightly above average drama with some fun elements and an interesting premise. Unfortunately it overstays its welcome and can't find a way to move things along which makes the middle of the show drag.
Story: The premise is interesting and entertaining at first. I has its own charm and its fun to see the FL try to navigate all the obstacles of her own making. But at some point it starts to go from fun to frustrating. Most K dramas have some element of misunderstanding/miscommunication that sparks the romantic plot and this one is no exception. However, it quickly becomes redundant as the character find themselves in the exact same situation over and over and over all while wondering how they're going to fix things when the answer is immediately obvious to anyone with a functioning brain. If the characters were reasonably intelligent for 30 seconds the episode count could have comfortably been cut from 16 to 10 without feeling rushed. Instead we are left with many episodes in the middle that feel like the the FL says "this time, I'll tell him the truth..." and then proceeds to not change or do anything. (side note: you know that whenever someone says they're doing something tomorrow that shit aint getting done). The only time the ongoing misunderstandings seem remotely organic is when the 2nd FL has a hand in it because it fits with her character. Outside of this, any cliche you've ever seen in a drama is present here (dead phone battery, ML protecting FL from car, tripping into close up, etc.) and it can get annoying.
The mystery elements of the story were interwoven throughout the story, but I never felt like they got the gravity they deserved. This is a pretty common theme in Kdramas but if someone is out to kill you that's not the time to brush it off and say that you're gonna be fine. The opposite is also true in that if there is a simple problem to fix its not the time to break out the sad violins and pretend like the world is ending. In this instance the tone falls into the former where there is some pretty serious stuff going on but the characters don't really seem to care which results in even more life threatening situations and makes it tough to know how to feel about it given the dichotomy between their reactions and what is actually going on. Spoiler: But like, if some guy has already tried to kill your boss, and he comes to your home with a weapon, saying your blind brother has trouble getting used to new places is not a valid reason to stay. Or imo if you use that reason then you kind of deserve to get killed the next time he comes. The mystery was also overall super predictable. It was pretty obvious who was going to be good and who was a red herring from the outset so some of the dramatic reveals felt more cringe than anything.
I would say my fundamental problem with the romance side of the story is that the emotional investment it tries to make you feel as the plot progresses don't feel earned. They try to make it seem like the characters are making tough decisions and grappling with lots of emotions, but then you realize that its a rerun of the previous 4 episodes so why should I care. Watching a character make the same mistakes over and over and over all while telling themselves and the audience how they are going to change requires fantastic writing/acting or a more comedic tone in order to keep the viewer invested. This show does not quite hit the mark on either of these leading to a frustrating rather than fun viewing experience at times. During every emotional or dramatic reveal instead of feeling sad/happy/whatever else they wanted me to feel, I just get annoyed that it didn't happen 3 episodes earlier when there was a perfect window and no good reason for it not to happen.
Characters: I liked all the lead characters. The FL is charming and charismatic in a bubbly kind of way that allowed me to still like the character despite the many questionable things she does throughout the show. She manages to play both versions of her character well and both were believable identities. The ML is ok, but I did feel like he was more of a passenger in the show being yanked around in whichever direction the plot needed him to go. He was supposedly instrumental in most of the plot threads but never seemed to actually have any agency in what was going on. Looking back, the only real things he does throughout the entire show is try to cure is illness so he can chase after a girl. (spoiler: perfect example but the secret org is scared that the ML is onto them as he reasonably should be, but we the viewers know that he hasn't given the file a second thought after finding it a few episodes prior and will only start to care about it once its convenient for that plot thread to wrap itself up) The second FL is probably the standout for me. The actress looked like she was having a blast playing the role and it definitely shows. She is over the top and quirky in the best way possible and I love her chemistry with the second ML. She steals most every scene she is in all while filling the comedic relief role in a show that could've used more lighthearted moments. The second ML is good as well. I think he is used by the story to add suspense and mystery to the show multiple times which actually worked initially because the actor can pull off the guilty without trying to be aura really well. Their chemistry was also great and I liked all the second leads scenes together.
My favorite side characters were probably the FLs family. Her sister was great as the mature kid trying to be the adult and the brother was funny while also being the voice of reason when the story needed to give the FL a push. The slow mo secretary scene is also goated. Most other side characters don't get much screen time so its hard to say much about them, but the second FLs mother was also quite funny.
Music: I'm not a huge music person and I also watch at faster speeds 1.5x so can't really comment on the music much but I assume it was good.
Rewatch: This would probably be on the lower end of the rewatch list for me, but not at the very bottom. The story is certainly not a reason to rewatch and the characters aren't good enough to justify rewatching this show over others.
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