Heavenly Ever After

Why?

I really don't get it. There was a time when one fantastic K-drama followed another, and these days, all I get is really good starts for the first few episodes, only to find myself annoyed and disappointed at around episodes 5 and after.
Same here.

This started promising, with rather nice and heartwarming storytelling, an idea of what might happen after death, and it had some great takes on what might come.
I first liked the idea that the writers acknowledged that pets might go to heaven too. I started to be bothered though as they only ever showed dogs, just once or twice a cat too for 30 seconds but there was never a follow-up. When they showed the rainbow bridge there was also only dogs, no cats, no other loved pets either.

Now having watched up to episode 7, it gets nonsensical for me. So, as there is talk about heaven and hell, and in that heaven there is only what seems to be a Christian church with a priest ( but nothing for any other faiths like Buddhism (which would make sense particularly for a Korean heaven) or any other possible faiths people might have followed while alive). Yet now we hear something about reincarnation doors. Not only does that not make any sense for the Christian faith, it also doesn't make sense to me that pure souls like those of dogs or cats would have to reincarnate , and they are told that they have to do so to one day become humans on earth themselves. In my personal opinon that would be a regression actually.

I also didn't like the fact that the dogs and cats in heaven had adult human form. If at all in human form it would suit the spirit of dogs much better to be shown as little, carefree childen, if at all in human form. So while there were some few good messages to actual pet owners watching this drama about their responsibilities, it just didn't ad up for me where they lead that part of the story meanwhile. And why would dogs have to go to human therapy sessions to be taught that natural dog behaviour is a bad and wrong thing?

Now for the humans: I get that this boss in heaven says that heaven is just a stage (which again contradicts that solely showing of this heaven being a Christian heaven) But our main FL having to meet her terrible mother-in-law again? How did an abusive mother-in-law get into heaven at all in the first place? Doesn't make sense to me. Also in the beginning they say that for meeting someone in heaven both parties have to consent to meeting each other prior, and our FL is now not asked and confronted with her terror-mother-in-law again even in that so called heaven and gets treated awful again? That is not heaven for sure. Also it totally contradicts the sequence in hell, where some schoolbully boys, (at least youngsters in their teens who, at least having the excuse of being very young and immature) go straight to hell for their bullying and burn in the everlasting fires, while a long adult, nasty bullying mother-in-law, who bullied her daughter-in-law all her adult life and enjoyed it, goes to heaven? Ok then ...Oo

Also the part of the story with Som-I? They drag it for way too long and now even start making it a potential cheating/affair story with the FL's husband? While before they say there is a special hell for adulterers? Also, how did Som-I get into heaven at all with no memory? How did she actually pass through that first office round where they ask everything (your name, your date of birth, and how old you want to appear in heaven) How did she get past that without answering anything? Who set her age for her if she didn't go through the first office? And she must have arrived there as the FL's husband was with her on the train, so she arrived at the very same spot all arrivals from the trains arrive. Some suggested Som-I is just a younger version of the FL - well, if so, why would her husband not have recognised her face in the train? Why would Sonya, the cat not have known immediately that Som-I is the very same person as the FL ? And so on... really sloppy writing from there already.

All in all though what I miss basically is the idea that in heaven (if there is such thing no matter for which faith) the souls, or spirits (or whatever you might call them) who go there should actually exist in some kind of elevated spiritual realm, where there is a higher conscience that frees them of human weaknesses and the miseries those weaknesses cause in humans' earthly lives.

But the way they show it there now is just no difference to earth at all, except for actual disadvantages in many aspects. Again, that would not be any kind of heaven I would imagine in any faith.
To me it seems they had some good initial ideas and started with those, maybe for the first few episodes, and then they started to just write along whatever came to them, maybe under time pressure, and not thinking about if it makes at all sense to what they set as frame in the first good few episodes.

I'll watch episode 8 tomorrow to see if they at least try to get back on any track with the storyline. If it gets even worse than episode 7 it'll be yet another drop for me.


Update: I drop this after episode 8. The storyline is totally ridiculous now. Christian churches and priests in heaven and then a boss of heaven who babbles about many lifetimes and reincarnation.

Not only that, the idea of reincarnation is showed so simplified and actually blames victims of any crime instead of the perpetrators. Following the logic of this show, it simply means (for example) that a 2-year-old girl who gets raped and brutally murdered by her own father is to blame herself because she did something bad in a prior life and so deserves this fate. I'm quite at a loss of words about this logic. Also this idea that blood-related families will have to meet over and over again in new life cycles - what a horrible thought for those children who have to endure careless, cruel, violent abusive and murdering parents. What a horrible thought that in this depicted 'heaven' they get only told that they have to meet these deranged foul souls over and over again, and there is no chance for them being reborn into good surroundings with DIFFERENT family member souls around them, an absolute, never-ending nightmare vision, that lacks any logic on top by the way. How should there be any possibility of progress in several life cycles, if a tortured child is reborn to the be the torturer instead? Which would mean, in the next life cycle the same soul would have to suffer terribly again for sinning in the last life and there would never be a possibility to break this negative cycle for anyone included.

This show should even have a severe trigger warning for people with PTSD, traumatic family histories and depression caused by family matters. What a load of....!

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In Life or Afterlife, Love Remains

This drama explores a powerful message: to sacrifice is to endure the pain of the world in hopes of peace and bliss in the afterlife. While that theme resonates deeply, it's important to note that the portrayal of heaven and hell here doesn't follow the typical modern interpretation of those realms. Instead, it takes a more abstract, emotional approach, focusing less on religious structure and more on personal reflection

One notable flaw is in the world-building, especially the depiction of heaven. While the hell setting is more grounded and understandable, heaven feels vague and underdeveloped. The system, rules, or even small details about how things work in this version of heaven are barely touched on. Some viewers, myself included, felt the concept lacked depth. Surprisingly, the narrative gives more focus to animals’ stories than human ones in heaven, which might be intriguing to some but feels unbalanced overall

Despite that, the story and character arcs are the drama’s true strength. I could follow and appreciate each character’s journey. Haesook and Nakjoon’s path—marked by hardship, sacrifice, and emotional growth—felt especially impactful. Eunho, along with the supporting characters, each added emotional weight, revealing how interconnected their stories were. The character development was consistent and touching, even if the setting surrounding them wasn’t always as clear or complete

What truly stays with you after watching is the emotional truth it leaves behind. It's painful to face reality—loss, regret, sacrifice—but the drama gently reminds us that love, when genuine, lives on. Whether in life or the afterlife, to be remembered by someone you love, to continue existing in their thoughts and heart—that's a quiet, eternal serenity that transcends even death

In conclusion, while the setting could use more detail and balance (especially in its depiction of heaven), the drama succeeds in delivering an emotional, character-driven narrative. It captures the beauty in imperfection, and the idea that true love isn’t flawless—it endures, embraces, and stays, even beyond time. That message, wrapped in sorrow and hope, is what gives this drama its soul

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a heavenly ever after featuring hell and other confusing elements

This drama starts with a promising premise: a married couple dies and goes to heaven. Once there, they’re given the chance to choose how old they’d like to appear. The wife decides to remain as she is—80 years old, for some reason—while the husband chooses his 30s. This creates a mismatched pairing as they begin a new chapter of life in heaven, adjusting to its quirks and daily adventures.

The show presents a fictional take on what heaven might be like, but some parts felt a bit strange to me. In this version of heaven, there are rules you have to follow, and if you keep breaking them, you can actually be sent to hell. When you misbehave in heaven, you can repent by going to church or doing volunteer work to atone for it. Beings from hell can even sneak into heaven and live there until they’re caught. People who aren't clearly “heaven material” might be transferred to hell later. I mean… what?!

The story not only focuses on heaven but also dives into grim territory in hell. Maybe the creators wanted to highlight the contrast between heaven and hell, or maybe they just want to stretch out the series. Honestly, I’m not sure where this drama is headed, but since I’ve been so starved for good content lately, I’ll stick with it—for now.

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IDK about the bashing

First time writing a serious drama review here, but I could not resist the urge to defend this drama. The story was emotional and attention-grabbing. The ending was meh, but I liked it. I don't understand why people are dropping it or rating it 1 or 4 out of 10. I've seen worse dramas. And this one made me cry like a baby. The idea of a real haven and the possibility of meeting your loved ones after death gives comfort. Do not let me start on reincarnation. As someone who is scared of death, this drama positively touched me, and people should look into it on a more serious note. The acting was super.

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Interesting concepts but not quite well executed.

At first, I was really enjoying the story. I was not quite sure where it was going or even where I wanted it to go, but it was interesting. It had a great side story condemning animal abuse and neglect, and emphasizing how pets can be our saviors. It also had some powerful themes of redemption and love that made this story very enjoyable. Then it took a weird turn. I was getting concerned that I was going to hate this series, but then the story started to make sense, and the turn was ok. There was a lot of potential for an amazing conclusion with this turn, and it was clear to me what kind of ending I wanted. Somehow, the writer and/or director missed the mark, and the ending was very underwhelming.

This series had an amazing cast, and it was great seeing Son Su Ku in this fun and cute character, but I just wished the story had been more at his acting level. Hopefully, he does not end up regretting taking on this character.

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Review: Disappointed by the Ethics of Heaven

I never thought I would find myself writing this, but the experience in Heaven has left me deeply unsettled. While I expected a realm of pure compassion and moral perfection, I was alarmed to discover that meat is still consumed there. This means that sentient beings — creatures capable of feeling pain and fear — must still be killed to satisfy appetite.The idea that such harm persists even in a supposed paradise feels profoundly contradictory. How can a place claim to embody ultimate love and kindness while permitting the suffering and slaughter of innocent life? If Heaven truly represents the highest moral standard, surely it should have transcended the needless taking of lives for food.For anyone who values empathy toward all sentient beings, this aspect of Heaven is not just surprising — it’s heartbreaking. I cannot help but question whether such a place is as enlightened as it claims to be.

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Cool concept at first, got a bit boring in the end

I started this show after finding out its plot from TikTok, it seemed to be interesting and a really cool never done before plot before.
I mean you don’t often get kdramas based in Heaven lol

It was pretty entertaining in the beginning and I looked forward to new episodes until somewhere around ep8/9 things just started to be a bit repetitive and boring.

The flashbacks they would give about the characters’ lore was so confusing and all over the place and it just seemed to create misunderstandings more than answers.

And it felt like they sorta left some plotholes here and there but they weren’t so big for me to nitpick about, but overall it wasn’t that hard of a watch even though I sorta forced myself to finish the last ep 😭

It was cute and good enough…still can’t lie it got boring towards the end.

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Great concept, less than great execution

This show had such a funny and different concept that I was immediately drawn to it, and the beginning of the drama had a great balance of humor and sadness that it was interesting. But then the quality really dropped, not on a technical level but just in their storytelling. It seemed like, and I do understand this, in order for the story to reach its conclusion, some time needed to pass between episode 1 and 12. Because the passage of time is very much a part of the message of this narrative. But then, the show didn't really have enough plot for the in-between time, or at least not an interesting plot for it so a lot of the show was just wasted on repeatedly showing sad parts of heaven with pets and animal-centric jokes that were not funny, and then alternating that with the serious plot that involved the main characters. It became exhausting. I'm sorry, I get that animals are cute and people love their pets but can we give it a rest?! I would have much preferred some funny shenanigans that actually built up the relationship between the main couple to show us their love instead of just showing their exasperation with each other, and maybe some plots involving the residents of heaven...you know, like the human residents, not the animals! Like, why were there two separate cases of the "rainbow path" opening?! Why did we get therapy sessions for mistreated pets? It felt like a cheap way to get tears out of viewers, and also it felt like they were forcing PSA messages in the middle of the show...I don't know but maybe we could do an episode on not mistreating children or ...god forbid people of other races?! *gasp*

Besides the pandering, the plot wasn't bad at all. It had a very meticulous web of connections. Everything connected so neatly to each other (I even appreciate the attempt to connect the animals to the whole thing), and the blending of reincarnation into the heaven/hell realm was very neat. I just wish we had gotten to that sooner. The story felt slightly aimless when it came to its belief system. Sometimes, it was too preachy that it lost the thread of the plot, other times it felt like they were just too excited to show off the heavenly gimmicks of their show. Seemed like they wanted to offend no one, but also they wanted to represent Korea's beliefs, so I guess this was only a heaven for Korean people?! The world-building was a bit flimsy, maybe...but if you stopped thinking too hard about it and just went with the flow, it was a small town with a few Korean people who reincarnated, but also there was a church?...and only a church! lol
Lore-wise, this was a cross between Howl's Moving Castle and the good place! And now that I'm saying it like that, it makes more sense, actually! Anyways, so after a strong start, a below average middle, the show finally makes its arguments on the philosophy of life, and the ending is better. At least, once I started fast-forwarding the animal subplots, it was interesting! And a real tear-jerker. I feel like I never stopped crying while watching this and maybe that's something to applaud this show for because the kind of jeong that is displayed in the relationships between the characters is truly beautiful, heartwarming and touching. How the show displays the essence of reincarnation and lingering regrets is thoughtful and emotionally devastating. And trauma naturally has to rear its ugly head too because (and I really appreciate Korea for doing this) Korean writers truly understand what trauma does to a person and they are always looking for more and more interesting ways to visualize that. I hope this helps their people come to terms with their issues. I hope they're healing.
Last but not least, this drama felt like old-school Kdramas in its homely setup of characters and its focus on nurturing human emotions while honoring human connections. Although, it still felt almost sterile in comparison to something like Hotel De Luna which was so similar to this but actually had more obvious elements of Korean mythology.

Acting: The cast here are stacked! This was an A-list drama as far as I'm concerned; they had strong, professional actors who were the main draw of the show. Even though I was disappointed that certified stud, Son Suk Ku, was portraying a man-child in this one, I think his character grows on you a bit as the show goes on. Kim Hye Ja and Han Ji Min, on the other hand, are a golden duo who really need to stop meeting like this in dramas (lol), and them being in the show was my main reason to watch this. But then again, I didn't love Han Ji Min's character or her portrayal of the character in this. She was incredibly annoying, both for her posture (I know that sounds weird but once you see how she stood, you'll get it) and for the ridiculous outfit she was wearing THE WHOLE TIME. Neither of which are her fault...well, the posture is, actually...but still, I think the cast was very strong. The cast was great, their characters weren't always written well, is what I want to say, I guess.

Music and Production: I don't know about the music, I guess it was fine, but the production was very acceptable. Everything looked as it was supposed to and all things operated as they should. I especially loved female lead's outfits while I HATED Han Ji Min's! lol

Rewatch: No.

Overall: Strong start, weak middle, okay ending. A real tearjerker. Subplots were bad but main plot was touching. I wouldn't go back and watch it, though. It was a bit of a chore to end it. I feel like this would have been better as a movie rather than a TV show.

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a dizzying carousel I wouldn't ride again even if it came with a free lunch

I kind of see what the writers are trying to do here but the wild swings between watching one million hours of humanised abandoned dogs (but not cats, disappointingly, seems like a missed opportunity) and an entire episode of nauseating but also kind of funny hell tortures was already too much.

I hatewatched to the end only for the pastor, a relatively unknown actor to most of us, because despite having four literal behemoths of Kdramas in there (husband and wife, random third wheel whose presence is eventually explained and it doesn't help, and the twin bosses of heaven and hell), their performances and the underlying message were overshadowed by the heavyhandedness with which everything was handled.

however, if you like maximalist dramas with a side of evangelism, this might well be appealing.

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Heavenly Ever Disaster

Heavenly Ever After starts with an intriguing concept—exploring love, regret, and choices in an afterlife where people can relive moments and interact across time. Unfortunately, the execution falls far short of its potential. The story is cluttered with confusing and inconsistent rules about the afterlife, making it difficult to understand what’s at stake or how the characters’ decisions truly matter.

The pacing is uneven: the drama drags in some episodes with endless side plots, while rushing through moments that should carry emotional weight. Subplots that could have been compelling, like the storylines of supporting characters, feel underdeveloped or abandoned entirely, leaving the viewer frustrated rather than invested. The narrative also leans heavily on predictable twists and clichés, which further diminishes any sense of surprise or tension.

While the premise is ambitious and occasionally hints at something profound about love, loss, and human choices, these ideas are buried under convoluted storytelling. Instead of feeling poignant or moving, many key moments feel hollow, leaving the drama forgettable despite its imaginative setup.

Overall, A Heavenly Ever After is a disappointing watch—a concept with promise weighed down by poor execution, predictable plotlines, and nonsense subplots. It’s a drama that could have been emotionally resonant but ends up muddled and underwhelming.

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Life tragedy, anyone?

This drama had me in a chokehold no lie. For those who get to binge the entire series in one go, thou art truly blessed.

I cried, laughed, cringed
This show took me through the full spectrum of emotions. Its greatest strength is undoubtedly the acting. While the story has its fair share of plot holes and raises more mysteries than it resolves, the cast brings such sincerity and intensity that the drama stands firm. Even in its moments of absurdity, there’s a strange wisdom at work, gently preparing us for the darker turns.

Could it have done better without certain scenes? Probably. But to be fair, nearly every K-drama carries a few moments that could’ve been trimmed. That said, one thing this drama handled especially well was the relationship dynamic between the older woman and younger man. It was portrayed with so much care, maturity, and tenderness—it felt genuine rather than gimmicky.

I’d say it’s worth rewatching. On a second viewing, so many little details click into place, making the experience even more meaningful.

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