Do you like watching people walk?

Walking in the rain? On a sunny day? At night? To the store? To work? Home from work? Down hallways between apartments?

Or maybe you prefer people standing... On rooftops, contemplating. At elevators, waiting. At curbsides, flagging taxis.

THEN THIS IS THE SHOW FOR YOU!

And none of that walking is marred by any dialogue! You simply have lots of time to embrace the visual of walking and standing, often with uninterrupted camera shots void of any close-ups to capture facial expressions.

I saw an interview where HB and SYJ were asked what they did to prepare for CLOY. He had to bulk up at the gym, work with a dialect coach, and learn piano. She said she had to learn to be funny so she watched a lot of comedies. At the time, I thought she had it easier, but now I can see that might not have been the case. There are maybe 2 amusing scenes in all 16 episodes. This is truly a MELODRAMA.

The show takes itself very seriously. It addresses age-difference dating, sexual harassment in the workplace, infidelity, stalking, and persisting discrimination between families of different social status. I wish it were compressed to 8 or 12 episodes. Or if some of the subplots were dropped, it could have been an enjoyable movie.

The first half is slightly better paced, and the chemistry between the leads is strong. Jung Have In is adorable. The acting from the entire cast is really superb. Jang So Yeon (who you may recognize as the wire tapper's wife from CLOY) won Best Supporting for her role at a number of award ceremonies. If you want to skip the second half, I've provided spoilers below.

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The ex-boyfriend never returns after they successfully do the cell phone exchange. FL goes on blind date to appease her mother without telling ML. Her BFF sees her on the blind date and they fight. ML pretty upset about it too when he learns but not as much as his sister. Meanwhile, mom kicks FL out of the family house. She is trying to find a place but they are all scuzzy (unclear how ML and the BFF can have such nice apartments but FL, whose home gave her back all the rent she's paid over the last decade cannot). ML decides it is best for them to move in together; FL rejects that. Then, given the sexual harassment lawsuit, he decides they should up and leave and go to USA -- and gets his boss to reassign him. She's pissed at that, plus she just finally signed for an apartment, and they break up.
Meanwhile, at work, FL gets threatened by corporate lawyer that they will drag her through the mud if she persists with sexual harassment claim. She blackmails her boss with telling him she will go to his family with the video and an audio recording of him admitting he did wrong. He agrees to post a letter of apology on the company bulletin board. The more senior boss gets away with it all. When the promotion list comes out, the other women get real promotions and she gets a lateral assignment to a new position outside of the corporate office at the logistics warehouse.
Skip ahead a few years... FL still working at the warehouse and living solo in her apartment. Her closest friend from work has quit CoffeeBAY and has opened a restaurant on Jeju island. The FL's younger brother is getting married and ML returns from USA for the wedding. FL has new boyfriend that mom approves of but he leaves wedding to attend business deal and she sees ML and gets all flustered. He is still pining for her.
FL tries talking with her old BFF but she will not forgive her. FL decides to break it off with new boyfriend and to quit job and move to JeJu island to help with her colleague's restaurant there. ML is packing to return to USA and hears the recording he made on his phone. He tracks her down to JeJu island and they hug in the rain. Presumably she will go to USA with him this time but really the future is left wide open.

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Pretty people and great clothes... Story & acting, meh.

I watched this series bc of the reported drama with Kim Jung Hyun involving his controlling ex-girlfriend and her demanding "no skinship" and him making the writers rework scenes, then quitting before filming was completed. (He did go get MH treatment and returned in one form for CLOY and Mr. Queen -- a testimony to seeking MH care!)

You can see how his acting worsens over series, particularly as his character is supposed to soften and instead seems even more stilted in posture, not matching the words in the script. Killing him off from the GBM when he quit was probably a better story line in the end. (Note: Medical info on brain tumor was accurate.) FL's drastic personality change is not believable and makes her unlikeable; she's awful when she whines to her BFF that ML was the last person she could trust... um, what about this friend who moved in with you and has done nothing but support you?? 2nd ML is only truly complex character and I watched to the end to see what would happen with him (but I'm not sure that was worth the time invested TBH).

Underutilization of secondary cast. Noting amusing. No heartstrings pulled. However- costumer did well.

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