The fact that this drama got me off my lazy ass to write says a lot of things as to how I cherished this drama. As of writing, I have rewatched it four times, each time more enjoyable than the last.

This drama came to me one night when I had absolutely nothing to do and was still suffering from Goblin and Healer withdrawal syndrome. Perhaps because in my very young lifetime, I have been through company mergers & acquisitions twice: the first as a director of the company originally owned by the investment firm with majority stakes to the merger & acquisition, hence I was part of the integration team to ensure the other company we ate up seamlessly blended to our big picture, and second as part of the consultants that a global investment company (similar to Gold Partners!) brought in, later to be integrated as part of senior management, to make the recently-acquired company profitable for selling later on.

I think this background was primarily why this drama got me hooked. I loved how the writer kept upping the stakes so the business-side of the drama ended up riveting and actually complementary to the romance story line, not disjointed and unrealistic as that of, say, Doctors. I am glad the writer did not dumb us down (in fact, my cousin and I started having serious discussions about financial markets and financial instruments because of this drama!)

I have seen complaints about how Kim So Yeon's character, Kim Sun Jeong (KSJ), felt awkwardly flat and powerless, but I think the reaction stems from the perspective that this is a story about the two main leads, its hero and heroine. However, when you come to think of it, and if KSJ's internal monologue during the last few minutes of the final episode is any indication, this is Jung Kyung Ho's character, Kang Min Ho (KMH), story-- his evolution from being the best heartless corporate raider in the planet to being a competent and selfless CEO who also happens to find time to still love. Please view the story with this type of lens. It will make the entire series justified and enjoyable.

And then the star of the show, Jung Kyung Ho. I can totally see how his face and overall appearance made him perfect for his cruel and angtsy role in Cruel City but to take on the role of KMH showed his range. In his first incarnation, he was much like his role in Cruel City (although of course since this is also a rom-com, his sporadic childish outbursts in front of his trusted secretary Oh Woo Shik made his cruel side a touch lovable) and as the episodes progressed, the more I understood and empathized at why this man-child acted the way he acted. Towards the middle, we see Jung Kyung Ho act like a man “possessed”— keeping his character as KHM still true to character but resisting his changes every step of the way. By the time we get to his third incarnation, which I fondly call KMH 2.0, we see him channel his cruel intelligence into a more positive light while also making sure he has time for love. Jung Kyung Ho was so great, the alternative title should have been [Audience] Falling for Kang Min Ho (see what i did there).

Anyway, if you want an intelligent drama where the characters don’t fall out of character and the settings the characters were in were given due respect, take some time to watch this drama. The first couple of episodes may feel slow (really, things only started moving faster after the heart operation) but hold on to your horses cos this drama might just take you in for a surprising ride.

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