A story of youth and great love that gave you the best memories but it's not endless

So we have come to the very end of this drama.

It was a beautiful journey with a lot of lessons that we can bring into our everyday lives.

First of all, I want to say that this drama really found me in the right time. The crisis that these characters went through somehow parallels what we are going through right now which is the pandemic. I relate a lot with Heedo's first situation being the "prodigy" but not living the expectations that the others have for you and Yijin's having the time take away a lot of things from you. It was really a timely drama.

The drama portrays the struggle people go through in their lives and I loved it for that. It was so precious and I really really learned a lot from it.

With regards to the cast, hands down, they are the perfect cast for each of the characters. They really portrayed each character well. All of the actors did really well and because of that the drama was able to resonate with us more. Nam Joo Hyuk really did well in this drama, I am not his fan and haven't watched a lot of his works so I based my expectations on hearsay but because of this drama I think I will watch more of his works.

For the OSTs, this is one of the few dramas that I have watched where I love every single song that they used. Literally, every track is worth listening to. Also, I love how they involve the main characters' actors in the production of soundtrack. Kudos to all of the singers, songwriters, and all those involved in making it.

Now, for the ending. At first I wasn't really impressed or something as I've always rooted for the main couple to go through every struggle and end up together building a family, being each other's happiness. However, looking it without this lenses of someone rooting for them and seeing as a whole, it was a beautiful bittersweet ending. It was bittersweet because it is somehow sad that moments that makes you feel happy, the ones that made you who you are, is not meant to last. It will always be a memory. The love that you thought will last forever ended up being a heartbreaking moment. However, this also is a beautiful thing without these things you might not have come this far. Baek Yi Jin and Na Hee Do's break up is justifiable. Their love was a great and deep love and because of that, it hurts more. However, if ever they continued being together they might have hurt each other more and make the memories they once considered the sweetest being the most hurtful and a thing they want to forget. It was the right decision all along.

*I just want to add, I think their love was more than just first loves, they are each other's great love. They were meant to be but they were not meant stay.

I believe that BYJ and NHD have their own happy endings. HD having her own family(husband and kim min chae), achieving a lot of things(bringing honor to her country), and having a better relationship with her mother. YJ being on the top of the journalist's game as he became the anchor, he also brought back his family together again. It may not be the happy ending that almost all of us want(them being together at the end) however, we can say that they became happy in the end.

It was a story of youth. A beautiful youth that we all share. The youth that will lead us to the path we will take for the years to come. It was also a story of growth that we all need to undergone as we must always remember nothing lasts forever but at least you have it at one moment.

ps. there is stilll some lingering feelings that i want them to be together at the end

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I started watching this teleserye with no expectations whatsoever and I decided to watch this because I appreciate the cast's ensemble. This was one of the dramas that I looked forward to and enjoyed watching, despite the fact that it was far from perfect. There's something very heartwarming about it. This serye doesn't really change the way how teleseryes tells their story, there is the ‘other woman’ (in this case it is justifiable and actually was something considered morally right in their culture) the writer herself confirmed that they followed the template of other dramas because it is 'mabenta' or something that garners strong viewership, the melodramatic moments, and yes, the ending where they all seemingly lives and will always live a happy life. Though it might seem like this is a typical teleserye, I will not get tired of saying that there was really something that sets this drama apart. This drama shows all facets of love and how every kind of love can turn into. Love for the Creator of the World, love for family, romantic love, love for your friends, and love for your spouse. This drama really depicted various types of love. What this drama teaches us is that with love there comes responsibility, and you must be prepared to bear the full weight of the consequences of your decision to act on that responsibility. This was a very special teleserye for me because it reminded me of how important our faith is. Although I am not a Muslim, seeing how the characters submit their lives wholeheartedly to Allah(SWT) helped me reflect on how strong my faith is.

Overall, I enjoyed this drama as it taught me many valuable lessons that I can apply in my everyday life. It really helped me in opening my eyes and heart to what was unfamiliar to me. It helped me understand Islamic concepts, for which I am grateful. The ensemble of cast was perfect for me because they portrayed the characters so well that I wasn't seeing an actor/actress while watching, but rather the character that they portrayed. The story was one rollercoaster ride of emotions. I can say that among the lineup of dramas that this station released this year, this one was the best.



P.S. This was the first time I submitted a review so I hope you will bear with my writing.

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