Not yet ready to let Jeong-u go, Geu-ru runs away from home. As their cohabitation comes to an end, Sang-gu’s qualification as a guardian is determined. (Source: Netflix)
This episode gave us Geu-ru’s history and the loving couple that both found him and kept him as theirs. It was very touching how they found out about his autism and how he inspired them with his interesting point of view. At first, I thought Jeong-u was careless and hadn’t prepared for his son when he died unexpectedly. But this episode proved he looked out for every detail and the only thing that delayed it for so long was Geu-ru’s reluctance to let go. Sang-gu’s determination to do what was best for his nephew even pretending to be glad his trial period guardianship was over was touching tho misguided. The tears in his eyes when his nephew specifically requested him to remain told him and the lawyer that it was a good match in spite of how it came about. I am really glad they did not use manager as a possible hook for season 2. With her ear out the window at the detective I was waiting for her to still have his paperwork. I am not sure if this ending indicated a part 2, but this girl seems as interesting as Geu-ru. This was an excellent drama. I enjoyed the story and the acting. I was not really even aware of the music much in this drama compared to others, but the classical choices were soothing when I did hear it. The production staff did a wonderful job of making this come to life. It will have you weeping often, but it will leave your heart full with good feelings.
Move to Heaven is at its strongest when the runtime focuses on the main characters past and relationships. It's at it's weakest when the runtime focuses on the deceased clients, especially the few episodes which felt almost full-length in dedication (gay couple as example). I think this series could spend less time on the deceased clients as noted above, which would have allowed more time to develop Na Mu's character, who felt quite 'left out'. There seemed to be some hints of a romantic subplot with Sang Gu and the social worker but it never went anywhere at all. It would have also been great to see Sang Gu and Geu Roo spend more time together outside of trauma cleaning tasks. Overall this series presented missed opportunities in developing its main characters further whilst generating a number of subplots to weave throughout the episodic structure. it simply dedicated too much time to one-off stories.
I never write reviews... but seriously this is one of the most heart-warming, special and life changing dramas you will watch. I laughed, cried and felt all kinds of emotions I haven't in a long time. The acting and stories within the drama are beautifully written and executed. The series touched on so many important, undermined stories and did a brilliant job doing so. This is a very special drama.
As we reached the end of the series, finally we would have to face the inevitable; the moment when Geuru had to finally face the very thing that he has been avoiding for the last few months, Jeongu's death. After so many different deaths that we have seen Geuru and Sanggu have to see and dealt with regards to the belongings that was left, finally we get to see them deal with the death of the person closest to them. This episode was really thoughtful and much more personal, because this time Geuru wasn't just handling the request for someone who needed their service but they were dealing with someone who was family. We got to see a bit of this a few episodes earlier with Sanggu, as we see him dealing with Sucheol's death and finding out more about Jeongu's side of the story we saw how he started to let go of the grudge and sadness caused by their deaths. Yet we never really saw it from Geuru's side and it was really moving to see him try to overcame his sadness and open up to the people who loved him. It was nice to see how Sanggu and Geuru's relationship with each other evolved throughout the episodes as we see them starting to grow closer as family. It was really a great happy end.
A very unconventional description of death -- as it should be
It made me ponder a lot about the beauty and inevitability of death. You know how when the people you love died and you tend to search for their last remains. The last thing they touched. Their last message. What were the thoughts of people whom they have interacted with? You smell the fresh sheets and clothes they left. What kind of legacy did they have when they departed. This show perfectly describes that feeling. It defined death and the feeling of losing someone in such a beautiful way.Apart from the aforementioned, on the technical things in this series, the one who played Geu-ru was phenomenal. It seems that he really studied his role for this as well as Sang gu for being a slightly sluggish personality. It made me cry especially on the third and final episode. The OST was also well-picked EXCEPT on grieving parts about their client's death. However, Geu-ru's taste in classical music is still nice. This drama may not be one of my most favorite but you will definitely learn a thing or two from it. Everything about Move to Heaven is wonderful and honest. I heard that this is rated as 19+ in Korea, but it's quite understandable since death remains a taboo in their country (or in any country, I guess). But again, that's the beauty of it, it tackles death in the most unconventional yet frank way of its nature.