I wasn’t sure what to expect in terms of quality when going into this drama considering its age and the fact that I’d never heard anyone talk about it before, but I’m really glad I gave it a try because it turns out it’s fantastic! Sure, some aspects are undeniably dated, like the cell phones, fashion, and moments of obvious overacting for comedic effect (which thankfully don’t happen too often), but the story honestly feels like something that could’ve come out nowadays. The female lead isn’t a helpless doormat, the male lead isn’t a domineering jerk, and overall they handle the various problems thrown at them with remarkable maturity.

The general tone of the drama is lighthearted and manages to avoid getting excessively angsty or sappy even in its more serious moments, and while the plot itself isn’t particularly complex the strong writing and acting make the story engaging. One impressive aspect of the writing is how it plays around with expected gender roles and various tropes, with perhaps the biggest example being how the female lead contributes more to her and the male lead’s shared income and is therefore the boss of any business ventures between the two, while the male lead continually acts as her rock. It’s also shown that the male lead isn’t conveniently an expert fighter, and in the relationship between a couple of the supporting characters, it’s the girl who happens to own a car and therefore drives the guy home after work.

Most of the characters feel like real, nuanced people as well, but the two leads in particular kept me hooked. The female lead isn’t afraid to stand up for herself and call people out on their bullcrap, and she’s resilient in the face of all the problems that beset her while still showing how much she’s struggling to keep herself together. She’s also remarkably perceptive, unless it involves noticing people’s emotions. The male lead, for his part, doesn’t wallow in self-pity when he’s suddenly hit with major financial problems and instead throws himself into earning money however he can, motivated by his devotion to his mother and desire to keep her in the family home she’s emotionally tied to. He’s an unapologetic player, but he’s also goofy and softhearted. The two characters have a sometimes teasing, sometimes testy relationship with one another, but they develop a mutual reliance and respect for each other. The secondary leads have a somewhat unusual dynamic to their relationship that made it interesting to watch unfold, too.

Of the supporting characters, the standout to me is the male lead’s mother. Most of the time she comes across as sweet but kinda spacey, but every now and then her reaction to a situation was wonderfully surprising. The loan shark who regularly tries and fails to be suave and his silent yet loyal right-hand man were constant sources of entertainment, as well.

As far as the music goes, it isn’t my favorite but it did grow on me after a bit and it does compliment the show nicely.

Overall the drama never felt draggy to me and I really enjoyed the entire thing. The endearing characters, excellent writing, and fun tone kept me absorbed throughout, and I can definitely see myself revisiting this sometime down the line.