Controversial from the very title, but an overall interesting premise. This drama was something I stumbled upon while browsing through choices on Netflix. Its main themes were love, music and the social hierarchy, and it had great reviews. That seemed like a recipe for a successful show, or rather one I would enjoy. Let's examine why it didn't fully reach my expectations.

STORY
The controversial concept of an older lady falling in love and having an affair with a young man (and a student at that) is a taboo topic that is rarely approached in movies and shows. This drama approaches it very well and I have no complaints there. With that said, it starts off really interesting but by the time you reach the end of this drama, you might feel like you've aged ten years. Everything was really dragged from a certain point. The whole corporate storyline was confusing (but I'm sure it's just because the Netflix subtitles were awful) and a whole lot boring towards the end. The suspense of the forbidden love is what kept me going until the end.

ACTING/CAST
The casting choice was very interesting. Though the supporting roles lacked the ability to capture my interest, the main actors stole the show for me. Yoo Ah In is a fan favorite and I absolutely loved his acting. It was superb and exhilarating. He managed to capture the essence of a young and passionate pianist who falls deeply in love with an older woman who finds him as astonishing as he finds her. Kim Hee Ae was a bombshell in this drama. Swept me off the feet with her charismatic elegance. She portrays a strong female character who is a slave to the corporate system and manages to correct her errors by finding herself in the arms of a young student. Hye Won is in a loveless marriage when she meets Sun Jae. The actors have incredible chemistry and for a moment you seem to forget they aren't supposed to be catching feelings. But as I said, everyone else seemed stiff in comparison to them.

MUSIC
Everything in the drama revolves around the art of music. Hye Won and Sun Jae fall in love by their mutual love of piano. Those were my favorite parts of the drama. Whenever there were scenes of Sun Jae playing the piano, I gushed so hard. Yoo Ah In manages to pull off being a virtuoso pianist so well. You could feel the energy emanating from the screen. It might be boring to those who perhaps don't enjoy classical music, but it was a breath of fresh air in my opinion.

OVERALL
I will not rewatch this, simply because I think it could have been shorter thus more enjoyable. Those who like realistic portrayal of love, the struggles of meeting your own expectations and those of the society, will enjoy this drama. And those who like Yoo Ah In too, I guess. (He was great in Chicago Typewriter, but he is on a whole different level here.) It is mostly worth it for those who study music. For me, it's a tad bit nerve-wracking and slow paced.