This review may contain spoilers
LIfe Is Choice
This is a wonderful character-study series that demonstrates one of Life’s great truths: Life is choice and you determine how you react to what goes on around your and the experiences that you have. We are given two characters with very polarizing ways of living. One embraces what happens, no matter what it is, and learns how to let go. The other plays the role of the victim and is constantly running away from life and the problems that inevitably come. By the end of the series, the viewer should be left with one question to answer: which path do you prefer?Mok Hae Won is a very lonely woman who flees her job and life in Seoul for the small town in the countryside. Her upbringing is filled with unhappiness, from a father who abused her mother, a mother who is so cold and distant that she rarely sees her. And when she does, her mom barely says anything at all. There are no loving words or even the hint of a smile. The same is true of Hae Won’s aunt, who is just as cold as Hae Won and her mother. In short, we find very quickly that this is not a pleasant family to be a part of. They keep their distance from others, mostly because they are so content in their own bitterness and unhappiness, that they don’t even want to take a chance on something better. These are three very miserable women who hardly have anything appealing about them at all.
Im Eun Seob is a young man who is quiet but steadfast in how he lives his life. He’s loving and never hesitates to help someone who is in trouble. He gives no thought to his own safety, nor does he ever ask for anything in return. His own family abandoned him, and he was left with a family who took him in and raised him as their own. This family is warm and good-hearted, and they aren’t afraid of trials and tribulations. In fact, they face things head-on.
This is especially true of Eun Seob’s little sister, Im Hwi, who is a young high school girl full of life and zest! She may be a bit conceited, but she also never fears expressing herself, no matter how it may offend others around her. Despite not being popular, Im Hwi never allows that to affect her. She’s a very strong, young woman who’s already mastered one of Life’s great lessons: it doesn’t matter what other people think of you. One might wonder how Hae Won might have grown if she’d had a friend like Im Hwi when she was in high school.
It's easy to blame our parents for our shortcomings and even problems and failings. But the truth is that we never need to look further than ourselves when things don’t work out. Hae Won is a weak woman who enjoys playing the role of the victim. And people who play the role of the victim are always cowards because they are intent on blaming everyone else for their problems. What is even worse about Hae Won is that she has no forgiveness or tolerance for the imperfections of others. She fails to realize that nobody is perfect, not even our parents, but we must learn to forgive and look past the flaws and imperfections that everyone has.
Hae Won holds a grudge against her high school friend, Kim Bo Young because of a mistake that Bo Young made. Yes, it was a mistake, and even Bo Young acknowledges it, but toward the end of the series Bo Young points out to Hae Won that most people have cracks and problems that make them imperfect. Still, Hae Won cannot see past her own pain.
Of course, a romance brews between Eun Seob and Hae Won—who Eun Seob has loved since high school, unbeknownst to her. He runs a small bookstore in the small town, and it’s clear that he loves his life, despite living a life that seems boring and ordinary. Eun Seob loves Hae Won completely, despite her flaws and imperfections, and he also realizes that as soon as winter is over, she will leave. Some people are fair-weathered people. They only stay until real problems arise, and then they flee. Hae Won is such a person, which is why the viewer already knows the inevitable.
The romance is sweet and touching, and the chemistry between Hae Won (Park Min Young) and Eun Seob (Seo Kang Joon) is real. But the romance runs together with the mystery of who killed Hae Won’s father, and how she will deal with the truth of the past. We already know that Eun Seob is a man who can deal with pretty much anything. He has a mountain cabin where he can go to collect himself and be with his feelings. He’s also quick to forgive as well as express himself to others without fear or reservation. He knows that Hae Won is not built like that. While both characters endure much suffering, especially in their childhood, we see how each character has chosen to deal with their adversity. One deals with it, and the other finds a way to run away from it. Eun Seob already realizes one of life’s truths: the quickest way out is always through.
Eun Seob also knows that true love is not about holding on, but about letting go, which is why –despite how painful it is—he lets Hae Won go because he also knows that she has to learn to deal with the past as well as find herself.
The world is full of Eun Seobs and Hae Wons, and it’s up to us to decide which one we want to be. We can embrace and endure what comes, or we can play the role of the victim and wallow in pain and misery like Hae Won, her mother, and her aunt.
I loved the simplicity and beauty of the piano music that went with this series. I felt it really added to the atmosphere and enhanced the story.
Performances were first-rate all around. I have to say that one of the standout performances for me was Kim Hwan Hee (Im Hwi) as Eun Seob’s sister. She had such a command of the role as the tenacious and loving Im Hwi. The best scene of the series for me is when Im Hwi tearfully begs Eun Seob not to leave when she believes he’s going to leave with his uncle, and never return. It was such a touching scene, especially as Eun Seob—being the loving man that he is—buys and replaces Im Hwi’s bike seat with the one she’s been wanting. She also pretty much stole every scene she was in. I hope to see more of this talented young lady!
Some people hate winter (analogous to difficult times) and can’t wait until spring arrives. Others embrace the cold and find a way to navigate it. Such is the path of human lives in dealing with life. This series was one of the best character studies that I have seen when it comes to how to deal with life. Remember, life is choice. So, which do you choose?
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This review may contain spoilers
i have complicated feelings towards this drama
for me the only good thing about this drama is eunsil and jangho and the beautiful place where they shot the drama.trigger warning : domestic abuse
i hated two things about this drama.
one is the ml's behaviour at the very first few episodes. like why cant he just say something?? its not like i wanted him to pour his heart out all at once because i understand that he had a rough life and everybody processes their trauma differently but he can atleast give a simple reason for his actions or i dont know complete one freaking sentence. he was extremely frustrating to watch at the start of the story.
the second one is way more infuriating. as someone who has an abusive father like haewon, i cannot understand how could she get seriously mad with her mom and aunt but not with her criminal of a father. i would be very happy for my mom if she can get her freedom, not that i want her to commit murder or something but the point is i will never blame her if she does something to protect herself and i would never side and pity an abusive man.
and as if those werent stressful enough, kim boyeong gave me head-splitting headaches. she was extremely annoying and arrogant. she completely disregards haewon's feelings. she's the perfect example of a character who wants to be a victim so bad up until the very end she was very prideful and even tried to gaslight haewon into thinking that she hurt her more and that she deserved a second chance. kim boyeong made haewon's highschool life miserable but she still thinks she doesnt deserve how haewon treated her after.
also, they didnt explain why eunseop was calling haewon "irene" until the very end??! what the hell was that all about??
it took me 3 or probably 4 times until i was finally able to finish watching this drama. i did consider completely dropping it after haewon started getting mad at her mom and aunt for protecting themselves against her abusive father. it was a very slow and quiet drama at first. it was like reading a book. there werent a lot of rousing dialogues. most of the time the characters just convey their feelings through their eyes or through the books they read and/or share to each other. i needed to be in a particular mood to watch this drama. for some reason i only craved to watch this when it was raining outside or when the day feels very gloomy and cold. another thing i found entertaining besides eunsil and jangho's story is haewon's mom and aunt. the casting director knew what they were doing, like the actresses can actually pass as sisters even in real life. this drama also made me realize that you shouldnt really judge someone based on their looks especially when it comes to romantic relationships. like i was so confused when the flashbacks of haewon's mom and dad started because i cannot believe that kid would end up abusing haewon's mom. it was very disturbing to me.
surprisingly, i also liked oh yeong woo. normally when there is already an established love interest for the fl i dont really like when they bring out an ex or just someone from the past who has/had feelings for the fl/ml but oh yeongwoo kind of made it work for me.
anyways, the drama was fine but if i can go back to the past i think i wouldnt try this much just to finish watching it.
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Soak up the atmosphere and breath
It is a lovely, well made drama but it has issues. The mood is generally mellow, slow and contemplative. The acting all round is good and some stands out more than others. While the OTP is lovely together and Park Min Young can just stand still and be beautiful anytime and I won't complain, it is a slow burn. There was almost more chemistry with the 2nd OTP and they certainly had more fun with them. ML's sister is a scene stealer. I do wish they let her develop a bit more. Now on to the elephant in the room . . . Like so many k-dramas, they have to add a dark twist or two. Unfortunately, it was telegraphed very early in the show but the writer insisted on recounting the events again and again but with a slight change of angle or a bit more voice over or an added scene. I suppose the idea is to reveal the "true" event over time as you get deeper into the story but there are no surprises so the recounts just feels draggy. I'm glad that they did wrap up the story nicely so you do feel satisfied. It is well worth the watch but you have to be in the right mood.Was this review helpful to you?
The story was not exaggerated. The plot twists were also placed amazingly in the series. Give it a try!
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one word: HEALING
At first, the story might be slow and I admit I felt frustrated when I started it. That was one and only downside of this drama. But it started to gets interesting around episode 3 and since then I am hooked. This drama covers almost every issues out there. Mental health, suicide, violence, abuse, betrayal, disease, bully, isolation, family, friendship, love, relationship, etc. Everytime they had a book club meeting, I really enjoy it and it gives ton of life lessons. I like all the characters here but my personal favorite will be the Sim sisters. Their bond and story is really impactful and it made me cried the most in the drama. Honorable mention to Lim Hwi and Lee Jang Woo for making the drama bright and made me laugh a lot. Overall, this drama gives me warm feeling and it is my all-time favorite healing kdrama.Was this review helpful to you?
Slice of Life
This was a slice of life drama. And it was really lovely. It always filled me with calm when I watched it. The way it was filmed, the music, the slow pace... it was very calming, peaceful, indeed. I also loved how the whole story and background of both Eun Seop and Hae Won were revealed bit by bit throughout the series.Some of the character reactions irked me - both the leads’ in certain moments - and a few of the characters rankled a bit - Eun Seop’s little sister was too much for me, just like Ji Eun Shil - but overall, I fell in love with all the people living in that village. And with Hae Won’s mother and aunt, too, once I got to know them better and found out why they behaved the way they did, how much they both suffered. I think that the one character that I felt truly sorry for at the end was Crybaby because he never stopped loving Hae Won’s aunt.
If you like slow dramas with little action/suspense that focus on character development and relationships more than anything else, then I highly recommend this drama to you. But I need to stress the word ‘slow’ here. Because everything happens slowly in this. And that might not be everyone’s cuppa.
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This took a long time for me to complete.
Not because it was a bad show but because it covered a lot of difficult topics against a backdrop of relaxing mountains and forests.It's deceptive as there is this relaxing classical music and picturesque landscapes. You can get lulled into thinking that this is a sweet romance. However these are characters who are carrying a lot of burdens. Their actions and feelings are understandable but sometimes difficult to watch. There is a lot of awkward silences, and long slow looks. It can be a very sweet story but I would also say it is very bitter.
If I could critique anything I would say because they retell the story from each character's perspective, there are sometimes too many redundant scenes. I think there could have been more trimming of the scenes or flashbacks.
Overall I thought the drama was good. The leads really matured in their acting. The other characters were also really interesting and sometimes gave us a nice humorous break from all of the trauma.
I couldn't binge this show, because the story ran a little too deep for me, but it was worth watching.
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The setting was perfect, with the winter scenery, the rural area, the forest and the small town with the cozy bookstore. The drama worked with the light really well and kept that rustic, authentic appeal till the very ending. The pace was relaxing, as well, slow and perfect, even though the family drama was intense. The latter was introduced slowly too, with a few scenes here and there to keep things interesting till the ultimate climax. The portray of the emotions of the characters then was just spot on, as they didn't overdo it with the understanding and their reactions. Rather, they were ordinary humans who react selfishly, awkwardly and disappointingly. The drama also followed not only the two main leads, but their families and friends' stories as well. Especially the story of the aunt was pretty great. Finally, the romance was good, not too intense and just right for the mood of the drama.
However, the drama had some boring moments, especially towards the ending, when it felt like they were trying to fill in the gaps between the actual action. Still, the performances were great from everyone, as it is expected from a stellar cast (at a point it felt like a Extraordinary you reunion ha ha), and the drama did feel like it is a book adaption.
So, overall, seven out of ten.
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This review may contain spoilers
After having watched the first 2 episodes I feel that this drama has a lot of potential. The show has a great vibe, there was a lot of wholesomeness in these two hours. I came in expecting something along the lines of WWWSK and Her Private Life, but this is a way more realistic story, with more down to earth characters. In my opinion Park Min Young's best performance was in Healer and in this drama she plays a similar, but somewhat darker character. About that melodrama tag, yes it makes sense, but it's pretty chill for melo, kind of like how it was in Encounter.
To sum it up it's an easy 10/10 based on 2 episodes, I have high hopes for this one.
And here are my (spoilery) thoughts after seeing the rest of the show:
The things that I wrote about the first two episodes hold up pretty well up to about episode 12-13. From there things do go downhill some. The story shifts focus to the main mystery & in all seriousness I was not all that interested about that whole situation & they could have gotten the explanations over with in 20 minutes, if they really wanted to. From this show I wanted wholesomeness and warmth, but we got some real Melo in episodes 14-15 and I did not feel the emotional impact all that much, nor did things get resolved in a satisfactory ending in the final episode. Make no mistake episode 16 was pretty nice, but it led to the kind of mildly hopeful unending that I don't particularly like. It's possible that the subtitles contributed too, the last sentence that EunSop said slowly over the course of the last 3 minutes felt strange..(VIU) Also I'm curious about how the original novel ended, I have a suspicion that it was not like this.
The low rewatch score is the result of the ending, I don't like rewatching shows that don't offer a reasonable closure.
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This review may contain spoilers
This drama is definitely one of my all time favorites of the many dramas I have watched and I strongly recommend you to watch this if you haven't yet. I really enjoyed this story because they have such a long history together without the female lead even realizing it. The female lead went through many tragic things making her a cold female lead, and the male lead is someone who ends up being one of her strongest supports in her life. I love how long the male lead has had feelings for her, and has done many things for her without her knowing. It's very amazing how their love was made in some time with her realizing that she ended up liking him too. He was so warm to her and that touched her heart. Although she went through many hardships in her family and were too hard to handle at times, he was always there for her and stood by her side. But besides the main couple, I really liked the male leads sisters love history with the guy she likes in her school. It is literally my favorite support role relationship ever. I was so fascinated with everything, and everything about the story was so amazing and unique. It's not like other dramas where the female lead has something with the male leads family, backstabbing from her closest friends, or family problems in general. It was all a mix, it was mainly the female lead who went through many difficulties. She suffered a ton throughout her life, that the warm male lead was all she needed to regain her happiness she once had when she was very young. If I continue any further, I will spoil the whole drama lmao. But overall, this is my favorite Korean drama of all time. Everything was just perfect and how everything was planned out was just brilliant. I hope that there will be continuation to this or even a sequel. I may have spoiled a lot, but this is definitely worth praising and binge watching. Was this review helpful to you?
Soothing to Watch
This drama is something else entirely. It was beautiful and even though a slice of life and very slow paced, it used every second to further develop the characters to make them even more loveable.The story is one you wish your self in sometimes, it reminded me of a fairytale yet still very realistic and even dark at times. this variant of topics discussed in this drama is what keeps you hooked onto it. It is set in a lovely little place and i wish everywhere was like that, so caring for other townsfolk, all the characters introduced had their own little story and none were dropped halfway through once it was finished, they kept all the cast on till the end. When the weather is fine does have characters with traumatic backgrounds and the usual sad story, but it does not override the warm fuzzy feeling this drama gave me whilst I watched it.
The acting was phenomenal. From the youngest to the oldest you could tell they enjoyed being there and gave it their all. The cast was well picked for this drama and I enjoyed everyones screen time.
Music and rewatch value are low as I do not really rate music or rewatch dramas.
I would recommend this to anyone that can cope with a very slow slice of life. Its definitely worth it!
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