Since this is my very first review I apologize if it's a bit out of order and while I try to remain spoiler free in the beginning as good as I can as I'll continue I'd also like to add spoiler for those of you who watched the drama or want to go back to this review and know why I ranked it so highly.

[SPOILER FREE PART] I watched "Longing Heart" first some years ago (I think around 2019) and I absolutely loved it from the beginning. It became one of my favorites and let me just say: it never gets boring and every episode is absolute perfection. To me this is how a drama should be. From the cast (or most of them, although many are not that well-known which is a shame imo) to the OST which is absolutely amazing! (Especially "엇갈린 사랑" by Lim Ha Young is so inspiring and beautiful, everytime it played I was captivated ♥).

The story is about a 28-year old teacher Kang Shin Woo who never got to confess to his first love Jisoo but he also could never forget her. When he meets her 10 years later it doesn't go quite well. He soon finds himself back in the past 10 years ago in the year 2007 where he meets his younger self to whom I simply refer as Shin Woo from now on to avoid confusion while I'll refer to his older version as Kang Shin Woo. But of course time travel always involves much confusion and everything is turned upside down when he becomes his own enemy and he has to compete against himself?

Simply the idea of it fascinated me back then. I went into this with zero expectations after stumbling across some recommendations. I had never heard about it before and I couldn't find out much bout it except for the synopsis and some negative reviews. But since it sounded interesting I wanted to give it a try and I didn't regret it! It was different from any time travel drama I have heard of before in the sense it was unique Kang Shin Woo was send back in time as his present-self, being confronted with his younger version. This is not the approach I was used to from other series, movies or books because it would not only mean he could change his own actions but rather have an impact on them by the way he acted (which he wouldn't have done if he didn't go back in time but I will get there). It seemed to be a rather simple drama in terms of production and setting but it was perfect for its purpose and it caught the atmosphere perfectly. And can I just mention how much I love the vibe it gave of the year 2007? I'd have loved to visit South Korea during that time!

As for the cast I was sceptical about Lee Jung Shin as Kang Shin Woo. I didn't know the actor but I though he looked a bit strange but this changed as I kept watching and he is such a great actor that he really managed to win me over. From beginning to the end he did a perfect job and that's all I can say about him. And I know this might be an unpopular opinion but I really don't know why they choose Seo Ji Hoon as his younger version. don't get me wrong, he is a great actor but they could have found someone who resembled him more imo. That's the only kind of criticism I have on this drama if it could be called this at all. Because his acting made totally up for this little discrepancy in terms of looks and I appreciate they didn't cast one actor for both versions since then it really would have messed up this whole story (and others around him not noticing). There wa,s however, a very questionable choice among one of the students who looked even older than Kang Shin Woo and I kow he was supposed to look a little bit more rough but the way he even looked older than Kang Shin Woo made it even more unbeliveable he was in High School. And now to Jisoo who to me stood out as a female lead. I can't explain why but maybe it's because we got to know her more as Kang Shin Woo returned to the past.

From beginning to the end this drama was well written. Was I confused at times? Yes! Did it take me longer to figure out how complex it is and it what sense the events and time line added up? of course but that what makes every good time travel story. Did I find plot holes at my first watch? Yes, but I do have to take this back after my last re-watch and if you finished watching I can also explain why so just return to my comment then. Because I'd definitely recommend this sweet and yet dramatic love story to anyone who is a hopeless romantic and who doesn't like love triangles since this drama is the counteract (at least in my opinion). And now to the SPOILERS!!!!!:

[SPOILER FROM HERE] Some people take issues with the fact it's kind of a romance between a student and her teacher but it's not. Keep in mind that Kang Shin Woo (while a teacher and even becoming her teacher) experienced this time already and he fell in love with her as a teenager. And I know this might be another unpopular opinion but I can't even blame her for falling for him. Think about it: she had fallen for him the first time when both of them didn't know any better but the second time he did and all he wanted was to try to help his younger self and Jisoo to make it better. Not even once did he think about the time he would miss out with her, being aware it would be him and their experiences together. And while Kang Shin Woo and Shin Woo BOTH (or rather one) got jealous of each other at times they are still the same person and Kang Shin Woo was aware of that and therefore when thinking about returning to the present he didn't take any issue with it since it was what he wanted to begin with. Jisoo's feelings complicated things. The way he acted was not to blame because he hold back himself a lot. And remember: for him they were both aroung the same age so now try to imagine you'd suddenly consider your friend or even your first love as so much younger than you. Even the way he turned out her confession when it was the least thing he wanted to do and as he said in the end... for him it has always been her. He waited for her for ten years and then again when he knew it wasn't his time and even more complicated due to his position. There were moment of affections they shared but I think they were on a deeper level and while yes, it wouldn't be normal between a teacher and his student, it never went too far.

I could probably write tons of stuff about each and every episode and analyze it but I don't want this to be to long so I will stick to the parts that could considered to be a plot hole. One main issue I had after watching it for the first time was: why did his mom go on the ferry although she knew she would be going to die? And I'm still certain she knew the moment she found out who Kang Shin Woo really was. She could have simply got the ticket from Jisoo but not entering the ferry. Well, when Kang Shin Woo asked her not to visit her sister when she would call her his mother didn't know what would happen. If it would be a ferry sinking or maybe any other accident that could happen on her way or even while being with her sister. It could have been anything (even choking on somehing). Of course the fact she took Jisoo's ticket kind of goes to show that she at least figured it had to do with the ferry or leaving the island and maybe it was her intuition wanting to keep Jisoo from being there and maybe dying (both times but the second time she knew because of Kang Shin Woo). Now remember she had met Kang Shin Woo as her son's teacher and all the events prior to it, how he proved Shin Woo's innocence over the fire (which happend in his past too except for he took the blame - we could argue about the reason but he was self-aware but even then capable of doing of what he thought was right). If his mother figured he came into the past and it had to do with her and now even Jisoo came into the play maybe she thoght her not dying could have an impact on their future or Kang Shin Woo never coming to the past because it would change his future too. I'm not sure about the reason she had the first time but given the fact it's a time travel story and how Shin Woo changed some thing later on we don't know what parallel it was or if his mother had experienced something similar in her past, maybe connected with her husband. Because while she was surprised when she found out she then took it as natural. She would not have expected it but she also didn't deny it which every other person could have done. Leading me to the conclusion maybe she knew more. And she also was aware of what kind of man he had grown up to be and thought since it had already happened to him she had to let it happen again. Which would be sad and not necessarily true but the more I thought about it the more I was convinced there was more to his mother and her figuring out.

Now to the anti love-triangle which is the part I love most about this series. I'm usually very irritated when a female lead acts as if she doesn't know her feelings and is torn between two men (really, I dislike love triangles and to me they are not romantic at all). Except this isn't one and Jisoo was never confused about her feelings. She didn't know who Kang Shin Woo was when she fell in love with her teacher and also she didn't know Shin Woo when he came into the future/presence. Yet it was as if her heart would always tell her the right thing too. And maybe Kang Shin Woo changed the way she fell for him because he met her first and he didn't (recalling the cliche bus scene :D). But it never really mattered: because they were the same. Shin Woo complained about how she would always fall for Kang Shin Woo and he did the other way around once they were together. Looking back it might not only be a time travel story but also a story about people loving each other in different phases of their lifes and simply knowing them well enough to always recognize them deep down even if it leads to confusion. Once Kang Shin Woo retunred to his time Jisoo was aware he was the one she loved but she also never stopped to love her teacher. They are the same person, there's no difference except for the phase they are in. It was mind-blowing the first time but the second time even more because I realized... when Kang Shin Woo and Jisoo were locked in the school at night and she asked him about his first love and he said he couldn't tell her now (which he did at the end) it was the same when Shin Woo revealed his real name before leaving back to 2007 but mirrored. Which means Kag Shi Woo from the future fordeshadowed in the past how she would be his first love. Also the way she could not be with him until the final truth about what had happened to his mom was revealed and she felt guilty... although even if his mother didn't know I think it wouldn't have been her fault and I'm sure Kang Shin Woo realized it too but he didn't want to burden her. He never blamed it on her. And he was always kind and loving to her from start until the end.

As I said there might be more to say about this amazing drama but I will leave it at that. In my opinionit's an underrated drama and it deserves so much more love ♥. When I first watched it I gave it a 9.5/10 but I think it's a 10/10 for being a masterpiece and so complex you can still think about the events and they all make sense. It's a drama that could give you a headache thinking about it. But it's so well-done you can overlook this because it's simply beautiful. It had suuch an impact on me to see this strong love that endured time and trauma. And on top of that both protagonists were not perfect and you could really understand the reasons why they fell for each other and even how difficult relationships can be at times. It was full of cliches and sometimes even cheesy. But it fitted in there so perfectly and was so well done. I'd recommend, I'd rewatch and while it used to be my second favorite drama of all time I think it deserves a special place in my heart too, catching up with my other number 1 spot (which is more or less there because of nostalgia). I love "Longing Heart" and I'm grateful someone came up with this amazing idea. And I'm happy they casted it so perfectly ♥

Edit: Another additional thought I had on why Jisoo fell for Kang Shin Woo the second time but the teacher. We know why in the future she uses these harsh words on him, telling him that if they were supposed to meet it was for a bad reason which would naturally lead to conclude she doesn't have feelings for him anymore (until we learn the truth about her ring) but the fact Kang Shin Woo could not let go of her for 10 years is then reflected on young Jisoo who without knowing falls for him as he would be in the future. I was thinking it would make their love story full circle because if not she would have fallen for Shin Woo with the same outcome and the reason why Hang Shin Woo travelled back in time. It also amazes me every time how strong her feelings are in all cases.