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labcat
This review may contain spoilers
Enjoyable although improvements could have been made to the plot
Because I enjoy this series quite a bit, my initial reaction to some comments I have seen was: “Why are people so harsh on it?” Yet, admittedly, it has a number of flaws.
The story spans three lifetimes, and the focus is on the third lifetime set in the contemporary era, but the flashbacks to the first two lifetimes seem somewhat inadequate. How did the two lovers fall in love in the first lifetime and, really, how deeply in love were they? I would be more convinced that Yeon Seok feels gratitude towards Ha Yeon in the first lifetime as she is kind to him and gives him a name. But romantic love? In the second lifetime, the two seem in love, but the story is a little thin.
I’m guessing that one reason for the lack of attention to the first two lifetimes is that there simply isn’t the space or budget for additional development given that this is a miniseries of only six episodes. Another reason could be that this is a series targeted at BL fans and paying too much attention to the first two lifetimes when one of the lovers was male and the other female might well backfire.
Still, one wonders if the story needs to be the way it is. [Spoilers ahead.]
For the third lifetime, is it necessary for Ha Yeon to look different now that he is a man BUT have a sister who looks exactly like his first two incarnations? What purpose does it serve? Also, the central obstacle to the relationship in the third lifetime is Ha Yeon’s uncertainty about whether Yeon Seok is really in love with him or in love with his previous incarnations. The complication of having a rival in love for Yeon Seok can simply be left out. In its place could be more space to explore the transition of Yeon Seok’s feelings so that the viewer is certain that he loves Ha Yeon for who he is in the third lifetime–even before Ha Yeon realizes that Yeon Seok has been in love with the same person for three lifetimes. There could also have been more attention on how Ha Yeon falls in love with Yeon Seok in the third lifetime, such as through scenes of the effect of Yeon Seok's books on him, etc. If the development of the affections of the couple had been done well, I would have felt more for the couple when Ha Yeon has a misunderstanding that Yeon Seok does not love him.
Despite the flaws, I did find watching the series quite enjoyable.There is some unevenness in the pacing, but it is still fairly acceptable given how short each episode is. The story is quite economically told, and while there may be constraints in budget, it doesn’t feel that much like a low-budget production. I might add that at least I feel involved enough to want to see the main characters end up together, unlike in some recent BLs I have watched (e.g. Gen Y 2, by which I would be more entertained in the couples are randomly paired up).
The story spans three lifetimes, and the focus is on the third lifetime set in the contemporary era, but the flashbacks to the first two lifetimes seem somewhat inadequate. How did the two lovers fall in love in the first lifetime and, really, how deeply in love were they? I would be more convinced that Yeon Seok feels gratitude towards Ha Yeon in the first lifetime as she is kind to him and gives him a name. But romantic love? In the second lifetime, the two seem in love, but the story is a little thin.
I’m guessing that one reason for the lack of attention to the first two lifetimes is that there simply isn’t the space or budget for additional development given that this is a miniseries of only six episodes. Another reason could be that this is a series targeted at BL fans and paying too much attention to the first two lifetimes when one of the lovers was male and the other female might well backfire.
Still, one wonders if the story needs to be the way it is. [Spoilers ahead.]
For the third lifetime, is it necessary for Ha Yeon to look different now that he is a man BUT have a sister who looks exactly like his first two incarnations? What purpose does it serve? Also, the central obstacle to the relationship in the third lifetime is Ha Yeon’s uncertainty about whether Yeon Seok is really in love with him or in love with his previous incarnations. The complication of having a rival in love for Yeon Seok can simply be left out. In its place could be more space to explore the transition of Yeon Seok’s feelings so that the viewer is certain that he loves Ha Yeon for who he is in the third lifetime–even before Ha Yeon realizes that Yeon Seok has been in love with the same person for three lifetimes. There could also have been more attention on how Ha Yeon falls in love with Yeon Seok in the third lifetime, such as through scenes of the effect of Yeon Seok's books on him, etc. If the development of the affections of the couple had been done well, I would have felt more for the couple when Ha Yeon has a misunderstanding that Yeon Seok does not love him.
Despite the flaws, I did find watching the series quite enjoyable.There is some unevenness in the pacing, but it is still fairly acceptable given how short each episode is. The story is quite economically told, and while there may be constraints in budget, it doesn’t feel that much like a low-budget production. I might add that at least I feel involved enough to want to see the main characters end up together, unlike in some recent BLs I have watched (e.g. Gen Y 2, by which I would be more entertained in the couples are randomly paired up).
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