I really wanted to enjoy Trot Lovers more, but what made this drama so special and different at first - the actors, the focus on the music industry, and the quirky characters - was overshadowed by endless drama cliches and mediocre writing. it had the potential to be so much more than your standard kdrama, and this is where the majority of my disappointment lies.

In the beginning, I liked that they provided a fresh musical spin on the Candy/Jerk pairing trope, and gave their second leads their own distinct personalities. But all of that seemed to break down somewhere around episode 10 or so, when the drama started focusing on one frustrating trope after another, rather than playing to its strengths: the acting, the music, and the lighthearted comedic tone of the show in general. I would have preferred better character development of the second leads, emphasizing more comedy rather than drama, and of course, more music.

I would only recommend watching if you are a fan of any of the main or second leads or interested just in the music, because the actors did an excellent job with the material they were given. Eun Ji was perfect as Chun Hee (and to be honest, should be required to sing in all of her future dramas, because her voice is just amazing), and Ji Hyun Woo did a great job fleshing out his character in a way that felt more three-dimensional, in spite of his actions early in the drama.

I don't have any plans to rewatch this, as it was frustrating enough the first time. Watch at your own risk, but fast forward through the angsty scenes.

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Attic Cat is one of those dramas which, had I watched very early on in my drama watching career, probably would have enjoyed more. At first glance, It has the perfect setup for a developing romance: cohabitation hijinks, an opposites attract pair who tries and fails to deny their attraction for each other, and a female lead who is surprisingly vocal about her wants and needs. As an older beloved drama, I figured it had to be good for a reason, and at first, I was hooked.  

But Attic Cat went wrong when it broke kdrama romcom rule #1:  the drama should make you want the main couple to be together, in spite of their flaws. As I watched each progressive episode, I realized just how toxic Kyung Min and Jung Eun are for each other. I didn't want to root for them to be together; I wanted them to stay as far away from each other as humanly possible. Every shouting match, misunderstanding, and petty catflight took a promising show and pairing and nosedived them both to the point where this this show made me frustrated, angry, and annoyed.

That being said, the emotional immaturity of the leads and the imbalance in the KyungJung relationship are my biggest issues with this show.  Kyung Min frequently takes advantage of Jung Eun's kindness, hospitality, and feelings and puts her through the wringer.  He is selfish, inconsiderate, and just an all-around jerk whose character growth comes too little, too late to be worthy of Jung Eun's or anyone's affection.  He shows inklings at being a decent human being, but will take four giant steps back the minute he does something nice. The climax of his character arc doesn't really come in until the last two or three episodes, at a time where the story should be tying up loose ends and promising us the happy (and healthy) ending we all need. His awful treatment isn't just reserved for Jung Eun alone, but she certainly takes the brunt of it in a way that's both confusing and disappointing.

Jung Eun is just as culpable, with the way she enables Kyung Min's horrible behavior and rewards him with her affection, which is a waste of her potential.  She isn't exactly a doormat,  but her frequent slapfights witih her rival, Hye Ryun, and shouting matches with Kyung Min  prove this relationship is not healthy or worthwhile for either of them. Jung Eun spends most of the drama pining and pouting over Kyung Min's well-documented feelings for Hye Ryun, fighting with Kyung Min about Hye Ryun, or fighting with Hye Ryun outright.  KyungJung's relationship is steeped in pettiness and jealousy in a way that is not a productive use of either person's growth as a character and a couple, or a productive use of our time as viewers.

The second leads are not exempt from similar foolishness, especially on Hye Ryun's part - there's a particular force kissing scene that will go down as one of the grossest scenes in kdrama history.  Dong Jun, the second male lead and Jung Eun's boss, provides a bit of emotional stability and maturity to the show, but there are times where he goads Kyung Min into jealous fits which do not help the situation at all.

As much as I want to blame this parasitic and unbalanced relationship on the pair being college-aged, I've seen dramas with younger, equally problematic protagonists who actually experience development and growth and end up in more deserving relationships.  All throughout the drama, I couldn't help but compare this to Boys Over Flowers, as Kyung Min and Jung Eun share the same general personalities and temperament as Goo Jun Pyo and Geum Jan Di, respectively; but their trajectories as individuals and as a couple are starkly different, as Jun Pyo and Jan Di's climax is much more emotionally fulfilling and they both change to ensure they're together.

Plot wise, Attic Cat does nothing new, and is filled with the same standard tropes that come with cohabitating dramas.  If you've seen Full House, you've seen Attic Cat, but with more tolerable leads and a relationship that's actually endearing to watch.  The music soundtrack saves this drama from being unwatchable and often distracts from the awful toxic arguments occuring each episode.

Ultimately, Attic Cat is missing the emotional payoff and the maturity needed to make this the cohabitation drama everyone deserves.

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