It's like living a real life in a drama with very broken people.
I was reluctant to watch this drama for two reasons: The high rating here and the numerous average/below average reviews here (a very big contrast, i was like why?)Anyhow, I gave in and i'm glad I did. As someone who loves romantic dramas, this drama gave me butterflies in my stomach.
I thought maybe they wrote this drama based on real people, and the story was not exactly a story but a narration of real people and real events. I felt like i lived with the cast while watching. I felt their pain, their sorrows, their longing. it was just beautiful.
Story:
Set in the countryside, the story revolves around identical twin girls and a boy named Ho-Su. They all had hard upbringings with heavy baggage in their adulthood. There are lots of trauma-related and depression issues introduced too. The characters are all broken, which made this drama very realistic. Romance is not the major plot of this story but the development of the twins and their love lives is beautifully depicted.
Writing:
I initially thought this is based on real-life people or a novel, but whoever wrote this drama interestingly made it appealing and heartfelt. unless one is so lucky in life to have an easy life, we all suffer in different areas, and sometimes it's soothing to see how healing happens in a world full of chaos. The only issue with the writing was miscommunication. albeit minor, this could have been developed better.
OST:
As a sucker for bgm tracks in Korean dramas, this one had a marvelous choice of OSTs. The songs are all beautiful and memorable. The pieces sometimes gave me goosebumps as they matched the mood perfectly.
Acting:
PBY never disappoints. i haven't been a fan of hers and only watched a few of her dramas, but delivering the twins' characters and emotions was hard, and she did amazing.
PJY, well, he delivered a green forest guy who smiled with his eyes. I loved how gentle and kind his character was and he wasn't afraid to show his vulnerability. Kudos to both!
Romance is very important to me and this drama's romance was more like a subplot, but it felt like it was there from the beginning. The first-love trope existed from the first episode and the adult Miji-Hosu's relationship and chemistry was amazingly beautiful. wish they had more initmate/kiss scenes though lol.
Overall, a beautiful drama. i'm glad the negative reviews and the super high rating didn't sway me.
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Worth watching
i was sceptical about watching a melo drama but it turned out to be interesting. although its a bit on the slower side but thats what brings the genuinity. on top of it all amazing cast and acting.The storyline of mirae and strawberry farm owner, unexpectedly was very amusing and the chemistry was great, i wish they would do another drama with more romantic storyline.
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Nothing bad nor good
a drama that you can do with or without, but you can still watch it - its a slow paced drama and you can find warmth in it here and there. and as always, park bo young acting is great.P/S. i can't tell if mi rae and se jin is romantically involved or not...feel like they are, but doesn't feel like it at the same time. is it just me confused..?
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cute story about twins
I love the main actress , she is professional, her acting is touchable , she is perfect especially when she cries . She was really good in both characters , the quiet and the funny sisters . The hero was handsome . I love the ideas that were discussed in the drama like sharing our obstacles and troubles with our families, and the real mother who cares and sacrifices for her child not just gives birth . I like how the mother of the hero adopted him and was really nice to him despite his nervous behavior when he was a teenager .Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
So much better than expected!!!
I loved this drama!!!! I love how it portrays difficult family dynamics and how the certain behaviour of people comes from deep pain, sorrow, grief, or trauma.In general I love how things got resolved in the end, not in a fairytale, unrealistic way but it showed how you have to put in some effort in order to succeed. Things won’t change for the better just because you want to.
I want to go through each character that I liked or had certain thoughts of:
1. The twins Miji and Mirae:
I definitely liked Miji more and also could relate to her much more. She was bubbly, energetic and loud. She took care of her grandma and did all kinds of jobs and her dark past made me sad and I could also relate to her a bit.
Tbh Mirae seemed like a very pale character next to Miji, almost boring. Throughout the majority of the drama I really disliked her. When the harrassment happened at work, I tried to feel sorry for her but I was annoyed again!!! like WHYYYY did she suggest to forget about what he tried to do???? Idk but that was soooo strange and kinda unrealistic!!! as a woman, if my colleague starts to harrass me I would cancel every contact with that person, even consider leaving the company!!!! And she just wanted to move on like nothing happened??? I got SO mad at her!!!! The only thing I liked about Mirae was her relationship with Han Sejin, the strawberry farmer 😂
Which brings me to the next character!
2. Han Sejin aka the strawberry farmer:
I loved this guy!!! I already saw him in Lovestruck in the City where he plays an author and I already liked him a lot in that drama! He was actually one of my favorites 😂 And hos character in this drama was amazing too!!! Definitely one of my faves!!!
3. Lee Hosu:
I know he is the Male Lead but somehow I liked the Second Male Lead much more, again 😂 Le Hosu was just ok. I felt sorry for him at some parts especially when he was younger. I didn’t like how he treated his mom, so there were some scenes when I got really annoyed with him because I really liked his mom! She was my favorite character! So I was happy when I watched the scene when his mom comes to Seoul and hits him and then they hug and cry and I cried so much in that scene too!!!! 😭😭😭
which brings me to my next character:
4. Bon - Hong aka Hosu’a mom:
I LOVED this woman so much!!!! Everything she said and did was so touching and sweet and I loved her fighting with Ok-hui 😂😂😂 idk if I am biased or not because she is a Reply 1988 actress but I genuinely loved Bonhong so much!!! Her quotes were my favorite 😂
5. Ok-hui aka the twins’ mom:
At the beginning and throughout the whole drama I was SO annoyed with her!! Her talking aggressively ALL THE TIME put me so much on edge!!!! She is mean to everyone literally! To Bon-hong, Miji, her mother, just everyone!!! I got so fed up with her until the scene she cried on the floor with the real Miji and then cried at the hospital in her mother’s lap. Her story was maybe one of the most heartbreaking and although I still dislike her aggressive side, I got to like her in the end…
7. Kim Rosa aka Sangwol:
Her story was one of the most impressive! I cried so much! The way she protected her friend gave me goosebumps!!! When women love and help each other they can move mountains!!! Her story was such a story! I was so happy she got a happy end so quickly! 🥰 It was so heartwarming!
8. Tae-i and his sister:
I cant really say much about his sister, but I really loved Tae-i!!! As a very minor character he was very well done! I would have liked to see more of him!
9. The grandma:
Once again, a drama with a grandma plot can never disappoint!!! One of my favorite Korean words is the one for Grandma, (halmeoni) because some of my favoritr dramas are the ones that have a kind grandma starting (e.g. Start-up).
I would say this is it for the main characters!
I just love this drama and lowkey want a season 2 just to see Mirae get together with Sejin. Also I feel like the twins are both the main characters but it felt more focused on Miji. So I wonder whether there shouldn’t be a part 2 which focuses more on Mirae 😍
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Yin and Yang
This show is brilliant. I love how this show just hurts and heals. It was both painful yet heartwarming.This is the story of two sisters. A story of a culture that expects too much yet gives too little.
Park Bo-young is an amazing actress. No question about this. She played the part of twins like there were actually 2 actresses. You can tell which is which. She acts with such restraint and force, it just works. She's definitely one of my favorite K-actresses. I would watch anything she's in!
This series is 12-episodes short/long, it is engaging and the story is character-driven. The pacing of the story is seamless and does not drag.
If you want a story about empathy, healing, identity, family, and some intergenerational trauma mixed in, this is for you.
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This review may contain spoilers
Our Unwritten Seoul: Healing, Frustration, Repeat
At first, I was hesitant about whether or not I should start this drama, but in a moment of boredom I just went for it. To my surprise, the plot turned out really interesting. I liked the concept of twins switching lives, which is tricky to pull off, but Park Bo Young did a great job.🌸 POSITIVE ASPECTS:
-The acting during sad scenes was so good (I actually teared up more than once). It had a very great impact.
-The character development of the mother was slow but satisfying, which makes it realistic in my opinion.
-I liked how they encouraged taking a break when you're feeling hopeless and tired. Healing and self-care are more important than a job and that’s on period.
Overall the plot and execution was nice, not flawless but nice.
⚡ NEGATIVE ASPECTS:
-This is more of a personal statement rather than a critique. I just couldn’t get on board with Mirae’s character. I know she had suffered workplace bullying and was most likely depressed, which led her to attempt, but I just couldn’t understand why she stayed that long just to suffer. Also, she was very cold and strict at first so it just wasn’t for me, but I still respect the execution and her character development.
-Some aspects of the story felt unexplored and made me raise questions, like Lawyer Lee’s behavior. I still don’t know why he was so ruthless at first and then just randomly became better.
-Honestly i didn't feel chemistry between the main leads and just wasn't that interested in their love story.
Also, and I can’t stress this enough, I HATEEE the miscommunication trope and the “I’m a burden for you let’s break up” trope. It literally made me rage because the main leads were grown ass people who had already experienced something similar in high school and couldn’t even learn and move forward as fast as I wish they would have.
Overall these are the main aspects that ruined some of the drama, plus a few boring scenes here and there but nothing too major.
Our Unwritten Seoul tries to teach us to prioritize our health, both physical and mental, and that it’s never too late to start over and be who you wanna be.
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I believe this is the first series review where I can point out how excellent the production team did on creating this series. I remember in many past shows where the same actor/actress were performing two different characters in the same camera shot. These were incredibly done in this series. Best I have ever seen. So seamless that it is hard to believe it is the same actress doing both parts. Well done. A++++
There was not too much in-depth drama in this series. But the cast and crew performed outstandingly. It was a show I feel that made the viewer feel happy, hopeful, and supportive of all the characters in the series. Sometimes you just need a loving and feelgood show to watch. And this was it.
As usual, all the actor's/actress's performances were great. I did not note any outstanding soundtracks to add to my playlist.
I would recommend this series, and look forward to seeing these same actors/actress again in future projects.
I rate this series an 8 out of 10.
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I don't remember anything about the soundtrack, but the story is stuck in my head.
This drama is perfect for those who lost in life that might need a little push to do what you believe is true.
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Very good drama
This was really good but those expecting a lot of romance would be disappointed. For me this is more of a slice of life than a romance.All actors were awesome too. I already like the FL actress but she did so well here especially playing twins. I can really tell the difference between the two.
ML was good too IMO. His acting befits his character and I liked that he isn't the typical ML who is either dour and a bit of a a*hole or an eccentric one who's also a bit of an a*hole (lol). I liked he seems like an actual human being, a bit introverted but understandable given his life.
I also liked that all my questions about the story were answered at the end (maybe one that is not so clear). A bit too much cutesy stuff at the end but that's quite common with kdramas so that's ok.
Also Bun Hong is my bias. She's such a sweetheart and she maid me cry in one of the episodes. She wasn't even acting with overtly drama, just simple delivery but vuta through the bone.
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This wasn't bad at all...
The concept was really interesting and Park Bo Young played the dual role with honor. I liked how the past was gradually revealed in the episodes. Many topics were discussed: bullying at school and at work, sexual harassment, burnout after an accident, first loves, relationships between children and parents, stolen identities, dreams fulfilled... Some of the supporting characters were in my way at first, but over time they stopped being in my way and I started to root for them (I really enjoyed the final episodes - I applaud the director and the screenwriter!). If I had to characterize the series in one sentence, I would say that it is about the doors that people close in their life stories and then are afraid to open.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Healing
Wow, I really loved this one. The premise of a twin swap is already very promising, and the first episode was really strong. I was immediately captivated by the younger scenes of Miji/Hosu, and their friends-to-lovers romance went on to become one of my on-screen favorites.This show really did a fantastic job balancing romance with more serious, darker topics. Each character had their own struggles and their stories, and I really loved seeing everyone grow individually and together. But the most important theme in this show actually turned out to be motherhood; I loved seeing different mother-child relationships throughout the show, whether it was about the twins vying for their mother’s attention, or about the struggles of being adopted, or about generational trauma. I was really impressed with how much nuance this drama had towards each story.
Aside from motherhood, it’s just a really touching story about growing up, healing from trauma, and dealing with adulthood, and I found every plot point to be really relatable.
There are a few things that I’m not the biggest fan of, even if this show handled it okay. One of those is the very well-known final act break-up. While I think Hosu’s reasoning of not wanting to burden his loved ones with his disability is very realistic and aligned with his character, I’m just never going to enjoy the final act break-up trope in media because it feels like introducing a new conflict near the end; in this show, I would’ve preferred if we took some more time to confront the twin’s relationship with each other or with their mother.
The other thing is the second ship, Mirae and Sejin. I don’t have any particular criticism here; I just didn’t really connect to the romance as much.
I’m ultimately satisfied with the ending but it is a tad bit open-ended; my heart wants to see more Mirae confronting the office bullies but my brain knows that it’s actually healthier for her to just remove herself from the situation and have her legal representatives deal with it. Either way, the message the show left me with is very true to life — life goes on.
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