I have watched dramas for years, and I thought it fit that this would be my first review on here.
This drama and the emotions it evoked are the product of beautiful story telling, acting and vision. It can only be achieved when the screenwriter and director work to make an audience fall in love with a couples love rather than aim to simply tell us about their love.
Every single decision, from the writers, to the crew to directors to the actors had such beautiful synergy that you could not help but love their love. It is easy to take a short cut: try and make the leads as blameless and faultless as possible so that the audience believes they deserve love, but that wasn't the case here. The goal wasn't to convince us to support their love because they deserved it but because it was love; it was hard, messy and trying but it was love. The end was fitting but painful but I honestly wouldn't change a thing; not just because it sticks true to real life but because it rings true of the characters we grew to know and care for. We got to watch them both grow up into adults in a world where love cannot be the only answer, where there are rules, laws and responsibilities. I know I grew frustrated with them both at times but every time, I was also given the opportunity to understand them; not guess at their reasoning or be straight up told but truly understand who they were and what mattered to them. It was refreshing and artistic and brought the story to new heights. I felt for San but I understood Deok Im and vice versa. it was just as fun as it was frustrating lol.
Overall, I dont think I will ever feel the same way about a similar story again; it was familiar and as I said earlier, I honestly would not change a thing.