ramen2011
This review may contain spoilers
The 1930s storyline overshadowed the mediocre present narrative
Was it worth enduring 14 episodes? I'm not sure. The middle was so bad. This is a time travel drama that went on for much longer than necessary. If it shaved off maybe 8 episodes, it would have been much better. They took a really good plotline, the 1930s narrative and weave elements of it into the present. That's where it failed. I was more invested in the past storyline than the present.
In terms of rewatch value, I wouldn't be able to do it. I found the first two or three episodes strong and consistent, but then the female lead stops being the badass shooter she is, just so she can became a damsal in distress, which makes no logical or narrative sense at all. She should be carrying guns in her pocket like she does in the beginning.
This starts off as your typical romcom with a famous writer who experiences writer's slump. He receives an old typewriter from the 1930s in Chicago and from there meets two people, a fangirl and a guy who becomes his ghostwriter. They both end up starting a novel about freedom fighters who fought for independence from Japan in the 1930s. When all three meet, they remember their past lives as freedom fighters. It's a romance, fantasy, and historical drama. If you love strong narratives that's rooted in history and stories about friendships that transcend time, then I highly recommend this. I wasn't really hooked on the story until the final two episodes. That really sealed it for me, hence why the highly rated reviews. It really had the best ending, which is rare in kdramas and tv in general. Not even Sky Castle had a good finale. I was about to drop it around episode 10. I wish I had skipped all the way to episodes 15 and 16 instead of enduring the terrible present subplot. It was that bad.
I had no interest from the melodrama of Han Se Joo's adopted family. It was honestly hard to relate to the characters midpoint.
There was the concrete narrative of our gang's lives from the 1930's, but too much was spent meandering in the present.Tonally it was pretty all over the place. It tried to be serious, then jumped to being funny.
It should have been 8-10 episodes shorter. Pacing was horrendous until the final two episodes. That's where the praise is coming from.
In terms of rewatch value, I wouldn't be able to do it. I found the first two or three episodes strong and consistent, but then the female lead stops being the badass shooter she is, just so she can became a damsal in distress, which makes no logical or narrative sense at all. She should be carrying guns in her pocket like she does in the beginning.
This starts off as your typical romcom with a famous writer who experiences writer's slump. He receives an old typewriter from the 1930s in Chicago and from there meets two people, a fangirl and a guy who becomes his ghostwriter. They both end up starting a novel about freedom fighters who fought for independence from Japan in the 1930s. When all three meet, they remember their past lives as freedom fighters. It's a romance, fantasy, and historical drama. If you love strong narratives that's rooted in history and stories about friendships that transcend time, then I highly recommend this. I wasn't really hooked on the story until the final two episodes. That really sealed it for me, hence why the highly rated reviews. It really had the best ending, which is rare in kdramas and tv in general. Not even Sky Castle had a good finale. I was about to drop it around episode 10. I wish I had skipped all the way to episodes 15 and 16 instead of enduring the terrible present subplot. It was that bad.
I had no interest from the melodrama of Han Se Joo's adopted family. It was honestly hard to relate to the characters midpoint.
There was the concrete narrative of our gang's lives from the 1930's, but too much was spent meandering in the present.Tonally it was pretty all over the place. It tried to be serious, then jumped to being funny.
It should have been 8-10 episodes shorter. Pacing was horrendous until the final two episodes. That's where the praise is coming from.
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