A heartbreaking journey

Reflection of you was a drama that I did not expect much from because it seemed very slow-paced, but something about the drama kept me hooked from the first episode. At first, I was curious as to the weird energy I felt between Gu Hae Won and Jung Hee, I must commend the mysterious element in the story that made the audience want to solve the puzzle, how it all made sense when Woo Jae was introduced and the role, he played in twisting the relationship between the two women. It was indeed an intense story of revenge, obsession, and infidelity. I loved the acting of all the cast especially the female leads, they really brought life into their characters making the unraveling of the story more exciting. The somber music and melancholic atmosphere were intriguing aspects of this drama. I also loved the chemistry between Jung Hee and Woo Jae despite the age gap, I literally felt goosebumps from their interactions.
The story seemed to center on the consequences of infidelity and the consequences it can bring, this is shown in Jung Hee's struggle to escape her past mistake and how it keeps haunting her no matter how hard she tries. It was also weird, from the story's point of view, I expected to pity Gu Hae Won since she was technically the victim having been cheated and betrayed by her husband and best friend, but I found myself understanding and supporting Jung Hee and her decisions. I could not understand Gu Hae won who wanted to not only hurt herself but everyone around her, I was weirdly relieved that she did not get her happy end either especially after she deliberately lied to Jung Hee's husband as to what had happened.
The person I pitied most was Jung Hee's husband who only loved her and wanted to protect his family at all costs, I felt he did not deserve the pain he experienced at the end and should have been told the truth. Though I found it odd that all the characters were punished in the end, butthere was no mention of how he had attempted to kill woo jae, it seemed to be buried.
But in summary, it was an enjoyable but heartbreaking experience, I perversely wanted it to go on, but it had to end. I may not have liked the ending, but I understand that a complex story such as this would not have a happy ending.

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its a fairytale worth telling

When I rewatched the show again, I thought I would love it less or would find something to nitpick about but I never expected to fall deeper in love. I found myself appreciating aspects of the show, I had not considered the first time.

There are many reasons to love the show, its cinematography, the music, the top-notch acting skills, and the gorgeous dresses Seo yeo Ji wore but I feel the true quality of this show was its writing. I loved how fairytales were used to depict the harsh realities of mental illness. It allowed the audience to picture what people with mental illness and healthcare workers endure through the innocent eyes of a child, a venture that though challenging, the writer was able to pull off. The ability to use innocent, child-like words to portray the insecurities and pain, most people go through is indeed something to admire.

The acting is also something that should be commended, the actors were really able to get into their characters allowing the audience to really experience how they felt and the reason why they lived in the way they chose to, especially the actor who played the autistic brother, he played the role to perfection. The interaction between the brothers was a beautiful aspect of the story, I felt it truly portrayed all that a family is supposed to be, the struggles, the sacrifice, the pain but yet the enduring love that kept them growing. I loved the progression in their relationship, a time to lean on each other and a time to let each other go to pursue what they wanted, and how love could be extended to people outside the family was indeed amazing.
The chemistry between the main characters was funny, deep, embarrassing but beautiful.

I also loved the interaction between the fairytale and the point they were trying to make in the episodes, I loved the symbolism as well e.g the butterfly, though very dark but apt, It gave a different perspective to what we think we know, it was indeed a fairytale worth telling.
P.S I wished the Manager got a better ending, he was hilarious but yet loyal, I had hoped his efforts would pay off.

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QUITE THE RIDE

Words cannot describe how amazing this show has been for me. I had heard about the penthouse, but I just thought it would just be another drama but this one took me for quite a ride.
PROS
The pros of this drama were the music/soundtrack, I loved the classical music background, I feel it added another element that defined the drama more and to be honest, I am still obsessed with it. I loved the mix of intense suspense with comedy, it made watching the drama feel like a rollercoaster. Also, while watching the drama, I had wondered if the writers were sadists since they loved to kill the good guys in the most horrible way possible, but I suppose that is what made the drama thrilling and unpredictable because there was no way to know when one of your favorite characters would be killed off. I like the Unpredictableness of the drama, there were characters like Oh Han Nee who became bad for a while in season one before changing, and many other characters which showed that ultimately most villains are not born but shaped to be one by their choices. I loved the actors/actresses, I felt that they gave this drama the notch, I loved Shim Rung for her classy acting, she really portrayed the character to root for, I loved crazy seo chin, she somehow reminded me of Disney villains with her evil but beautiful expressions and the others.
The cons for me were some plot twists which I feel were unnecessary and only served to elongate the drama. At some point, it felt like everybody had a twin somewhere especially when logan's twin brother suddenly appeared from nowhere. Also making shim Shim sheon yoon's adopted daughter, her real daughter for me did not fit into the story and seemed like an unnecessary evil deed by Joo Dan Tae. Min seo ah should have remained her only real daughter. While I loved the dead characters coming back to life, it essentially killed the drama a bit, because each time someone died, it felt like you just needed to wait patiently for the person to pop back up. The main actress dying as well as logan also made watching the three seasons pointless because everyone was rooting for them to finally live and not just jump into paradise in the afterlife.
Summary (Spoiler)
Overall, I really loved the drama despite the ridiculous storyline because somehow the drama still found a way to keep us glued to our seats till the end. I guess the writers killed everybody except the kids as a form of poetic justice. Oh Han Nee who killed Min Seol Ah ended up dying while redeeming herself by saving another person's child. Seo Jin ended up losing her money, voice, and her daughter Eun Byoel who meant everything to her and died miserably, Joo Dan Tae died at the place he had built after being abandoned by everyone and seen for who he really was, Han Chul died trying to be a father, it would appear that Shim Sheon Ryung got her revenge at the end of the day but paid the price for revenge.
As crazy as this drama is, its one of my best dramas and something i can highly recommend.

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