Something about it stays with you

This 3-episode series is wonderfully shot, the storyline is captivating, and the acting is great. I loved so many things about it and it's definitely worth watching. There's just something about their love that failed to capture my heart and immerse me in the feeling that their love had to trump all else. I think I'd have liked to see more pivotal moments where their love grew, and them really fighting against the odds for each other - so that the ending would have had its full impact. Still, like I said, I loved so many things about it - the poetry; the letters; the feeling of needing to fight for something when the battle is much bigger than one can truly win; and the struggle between what one desires for oneself and external expectations. It's the kind of drama that would mean different things to different people, and I would wholeheartedly recommend it.

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This drama was great ... until it wasn't! As far as light, cute romance dramas go, this one was a 9 for me ... until around ep. 14, where it became a 5. I'll be honest - I'm not really into stories about ghosts or other supernaturals so I went into this drama expecting not to like it. However, less than one episode in, it was clear that the ghosts were a tool for relationship development between the leads and I warmed up to that subtext, alot :). All of a sudden though, at around ep. 14, the script writers threw in an excessive distancing between the main leads and a drastic change in the female lead's character - none of which we weren't gently led up to. I'm conflicted about how to write this review, because it started out well and maintained that tempo for the better part of the drama, and I wouldn't want to downplay that. So I'll say - It was light and funny, but took a downward spiral towards the end.

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This drama made me think a lot about humanity and how our interests ultimately define what we see as right and wrong/just and unjust. It does such a good job of showcasing the characters' lives and motivations in a way that makes it difficult to root for any one person singularly. I'd give it a 10/10 for portraying its characters in such a nuanced way, but a 9/10 on the whole because while I found it well-acted and remarkably written, I did not experience a sense of deep and lasting emotional connection with any of the characters (as I typically would after a 50-episode drama). I did connect with some of the characters at varying points in the drama (Gil Tae Mi in his final speech, Lee Bang Ji in his shame and solitude, Lee Bang Won in his lonely choices, Sambong in his resolve, Moo Hyul in his conflict between self and loyalty); but I just didn't care for any of them throughout the drama. But again, its a testament to great character development that I cared for each of them (hero and villain alike) at different points. I'm now watching Tree with Deep Roots (which is a follow-up of this with a different cast) and can't help but have fond flashbacks of the SFD characters. Only in retrospect have I realised how much I liked SFD. Definitely give it a go!

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