The thing is, I expected to love it as much as I love Jo In Sung but... it wasn't LOVE love that I felt for this drama. I loved it but I wish I loved it more. There were a few issues with the characters and the storyline at times. Some parts were dragged on while others felt too easily handled. It's hard to explain the issues without spoiling it so I won't go into the details.
For me the weakest part of the drama was its execution of psychological problem of the main heroine. She is broken is what we understand but her struggle seems poorly handled after half the drama was done. They should have devoted equal amounts of time for the male and female leads instead of focusing entirely on the male. However, since Gong Hyo Jin played her character well I cannot complain any further. Guess who else shined in this drama? None other than D.O.!! I love Exo and I was thrilled to see him as a cute fan of Jo In Sung but after a few episodes- just wow. He was so important to the entire story!
The relationships between all the characters are handled well in the drama. I loved them all staying as roomies and what happens while they inhabit the same place. The sunbae, the two brothers, the guy pining for a young girl, the family relations- were all wonderful to watch plus the cast did justice to their roles.
The OST of the drama is a must-listen. The songs are so wonderful to listen to. I highly recommend listening to the tracks by Davichi and Chen even if you want to pass up this drama. In the recent times it is the most memorable soundtrack so far.
When it comes to rewatching, I believe this drama is fine. Not the best for a rewatch but maybe a few years down the line I won't mind watching it again. This drama is recommend for fans of psychological dramas.
Was this review helpful to you?
First major thing I noticed is that while this is a somewhat-medical drama, it focuses on a branch of medicine that is rarely covered anywhere - Psychiatry. Dealing with a range of characters that have a variety of different challenges to face in their lives, getting help is a key part of the message. You're never alone, no matter what, you can always ask for help, and the amazing people in Psychiatry are the ones to provide it.
The pacing on this one is absolutely perfect. The main lead couple is amazing, the chemistry between them is spot on. They have their disagreements and even misunderstandings - but there's not a stupid breakup in sight. They solve their problems by talking to each other, being straight forward and honest. On the one or two occasions they don't, a character is nearby to smack them upside the head and get them to deal with it right away and be honest. It was refreshing and allowed the author time to go into other more interesting areas.
One of the second couples - which had Lee Sung Kyung (whom I seem to be watching an awful lot of lately) was really good too, showed some good development in both the characters particularly hers as she moves from school girl to young woman and decides what she wants out of life.
Various mental issues are covered but primarily the topic of the show is the highly misunderstood Schizophrenia (which is NOT the same as Multiple Personality Disorder). Much like any medical drama, various patients will come by our characters and their stories will unfold over two or three episodes as the doctors help them to work through problems and open up their emotions.
There's a large message throughout this story about clearing up misunderstandings about mental illness and how Psychiatrists can help. One of the characters has Tourette's Syndrome and there's an exceptionally touching moment when Lee Sung Kyoung's character kisses him first - something that always triggers an attack - and where you're expecting the youthful and barely mature girl to freak out at what looks like a "eww" type response, she places her headphones on his head with some soft music and holds him - and he calms down in no time.
Haven't listened to the OST yet but the music throughout sounded great so I'm looking forward to having a proper listen.
Overall, I can only recommend this as something that must be on your "must watch" list somewhere near the top.
Was this review helpful to you?
First of all the cast is fantastic. The leads play their roles perfectly and every bit of emotion can be felt. They also have amazing chemistry(which tends to fail in many romantic dramas). The supporting cast is also very good. Each of their individual side plots are just as interesting and it's easy to grow fond of each and every one of them.
The plot is amazing. Each episode brought something new. There was a perfect balance between comedy, romance, and drama. In many romantic comedies, the drama can lack specific aspects and leave the watcher feeling empty in specific areas, but this did not. One moment you could be the happiest and laughing at the great moments, but then in tears in a matter of seconds. There are also plot twists that keep you on your toes and keep you guessing. It was hard to predict where the writers would go and what they'd throw at the audience, which is very refreshing because many dramas follow the same flow.
I cannot say enough about the fact that this drama brings mental illness to the forefront. This drama does a great job in showing that an illness doesn't define or make a person. That even people with illnesses can live daily lives, just like the rest of us and that people are there to help when you need it. I just love that they took a difficult plot line and made it work flawlessly.
Ten out of ten for this one.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Spoiler involved, sorry.This drama didn't get addictive for me till about episode 10. Throughout the first couple of episodes, I wasn't hooked until (spoiler approaching) Jae-yeol's mental illness was hinted at, that's when things got juicy. It changed the whole perspective! Some may say that you should have seen it coming but the plot twist was amazing. It's a great story because it prioritises and validates the importance of mental health which is not something you see too often in media. Therefore, I'm giving it a solid 9.0/10.
Was this review helpful to you?
The Ost's? oh boy... are amazing and perfect for the time! "Best Luck" by Chen (from EXO) and "Ifeel you" by Hong Dae Kwang are so addicting... it makes you sing even if you don't know what the hell are you singing!
Was this review helpful to you?
The story was nice, and I really like the way that it went. It went smoothly, even if at some points it was a little bit slow for me. I felt that for a few episodes, nothing happened, and I even thought of cheating and skipping some episodes, because I thought that I had nothing to miss out. But I managed to watch every episode, and I don't regret it. The story wasn't unnecessarily complicated, and I came to love every character.
I liked the main couple, even if in the beginning I was really confused whether I like it or not. At first, I thought that the actors had a great chemistry, but the plot wasn't helping them that much. It felt rushed between them, and I didn't really see why they fell for each other. Later on, I found out what actually happened, so if you feel the same thing as I did, don't give up, just keep watching, because it gets better!
The cast was amazing, I really liked Gong Hyo Jin in The Greatest Love. It was my first time watching Jo In Sung, and I liked him a lot, and I look forward to watch another dramas with him. As I said, I felt that they really have had chemistry.
The OST was great, and I really enjoyed the music.
If I will rewatch it? Hmmm, maybe, but not in the near future, because I intend to watch other dramas first,
Overall, it was a really nice drama, with a nice twist and story. I gave it an 8.
So, if you want to watch something fun, with a lot of hilarious moments, but also with some serious moments, you should give it a try.
Was this review helpful to you?
What I like about the drama: Firstly, the plot, the concept. This drama is absolutely different from other dramas because it is realistic. What do I mean by realistic is that there are many mental patients in this world, and this show is trying to interpret how these patients feel for their loved ones and how their loved ones wanted to help the patients to not feel outcasted in their worlds. In conclusion, it deliberately shows that love is the best cure to patients, the strongest motivation that drives their will to recover. (':
Secondly, the acting skills! Homaigawd I totally didn't expect that Jo In Sung and Gong Hyojin's acting skills are totally daebakkkkk, no joke. Okay I have been admiring their acting skills from their previous dramas, but this drama really showed them their best acting among their other dramas. I can totally feel their pain, their sadness, their joy, their feelings to each other especially those crying scenes. I can't believe I cried for the last five episodes straight. The other casts were good too, and I am loving their friendship and bromance too! I felt comforted whenever Soo Kwang gave a comfort hug to his Hye Soo noona. (':
Thirdly, their OSTS. Like wow seriously, every single soundtrack is damn perfect and it really suits the scene whenever it is played. Their music soundtracks were one of the biggest reasons to this moving drama.
What I didn't like about the drama: To be honest, I kept dozing off when watching the first few episodes. Initially, I was really looking forward to the show because of the perfect casts, but everything was so confusing and in a mess from the start. But it was cool of how the writer managed to solve each jigsaw piece one by one as the drama goes on, so I guess this is the concept of how the writer wanted to amaze us.
I wasn't really impressed by D.O's acting also. He is my biased in EXO so which was why I was really expecting much of him when he is debuted as a singer and not an actor. His acting in the first few episodes was quite awkward though. But during the last episode, he really pulled off very well so I guess it wasn't bad after all.
Overall, this is a must-watch-drama and I should say it will be one of my best dramas. Really learnt much about this inspiring love story. Hats off to the production crew and the casts for making this drama perfect and inspiring! (:
Was this review helpful to you?
I like that neither of the two leads is "perfect". They are both broken people, and yet they find a way to love each other in spite of their internal struggles and pasts. Because GHJ's character is a psychiatrist, we get to see a little bit of her treating patients. While you may think this bit doesn't add to the story, each diagnosis we see helps her character understand a bit more about either herself or JIS's character and furthers their relationship. There will be some tears shed, but I think this was an enjoyable drama.
Sung Dong Il can be annoyingly loud at times, but he still acts his scenes well. There is a bit of a secondary romance that goes on in this, but you'll have to be your own judge about how you feel about it. The relationships between the housemates and friends is a bit confusing at first, but sort of sorts itself out shortly. This story focuses a lot on mental health and humanizes people with mental health issues. This is a subject that I feel is very misunderstood by most people, so I like the way they handled this aspect of the show.
Was this review helpful to you?
True gem of Kdrama!
This is one drama that you have to rewatch every year! That's what I do in fact. The drama deals with mental health so delicately which shows that even normal person have their own mental issue. Zo In-Sung's acting is 10/10 and Gong Hyo-Jin's performance is over the top! Her fiesty temper is so funny and she's so caring at the same time, her chemistry with Zo In-Sung is so lovely.. Jae-Yeol (In-Sung's character) dealing with his young illusion and getting beat up by his brother is just sooo sad. This drama is really a true gem! OST makes me happy :)Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Not bad but not good either
It's okay that's lovel 2014 drama is based on mental health issues which depicts mental health illness very realistically but it fails to show the recovery/treatment properly obviously except for the ml's Compare to that everything else seems pretty lackluster.Things i didn't like:
1... The first few episodes were pretty hard to watch and the banter btwn ml\fl appeared forced to me.
2....fl overcome her trauma of 30 years overnight.She didn't sleep with her ex even though they for almost a year but within a week she was able to do that with the ml OUTSIDE?
3.....fl is a psychiatrist but she is taking "insight" from the ml to treat her patients as if she is a quake doctor and ml knows everything frickin sh!t better than the actual psychiatrists.this drama displays most of the female partners always less than\lacking\ not perfect than their male partners.
4.....didnt like the camera work that much as they would zoomed on the face too much. I personally don't like that.
5..... the older brother never asked for forgiveness. Like ml his brother and their mother all need to have an emotional scene, you can't just shove it under the rug and think that there's no conflict left btwn the bros.older brother literally assaulted him in every scenes he needs to apologize and also deserves a apology.
6.... Fl's mother is just shameless and full of audacity. But even though she is unapologetic to her husband and her daughters. I wouldn't complain about it if it was shown that she at least felt bad while cheating on her paralyzed husband.Makes one wonder where the fl got her annoying personality.
7..... The dialogues and bad most for the soo kwang&so nyeo(teenage-adult) couple. Why they show this couple in the first place.it was uncomfortable to watch them together.
8... This cursed drama has 16th episode break up, scene. And it was a rushed ending.
Things liked:
1.. the hospital patients scenes and their realistic presentation.
2. Ml's story line is very solid and well written Even though he was kinda annoying, forceful and toxic but so was the fl but she deserved better storyline. That's why everyone says they didn't like the fl. I honestly couldn't connect to any of the characters and it's really sad i had high expectations from the drama because everyone praises it so much but it's such a shame that i couldn't like it whole heartedly.
3.is there anything else to like?i can't remember.ah. the acting is pretty good liked most of their acting and casting was good.
4.this drama tried to very different and controversial but watching it in 2024 didn't make much of an impact on me as it would if i had watched it in 2014. So i think this drama couldn't transcend Time and obviously a product of it's time.
Nevertheless it was a good watch and learned many things.
Was this review helpful to you?
The most compelling part of this show is what Jo In Sung did with his role. Very emotional and credible performance of a character with a pretty dark past. I do wish the show had a better focus on his character's story because it was really what kept me watching the show in the second half.
There were certain aspects of the story that left me pretty irritated. Perhaps the characters' quirks, frustating behaviour and decisions can be excused by the fact that this drama is celebrating how everyone has their own skeletons and "mental issues". Another thing is that there was so much talk of sex, especially in the first half of the show. I had a "whoa back off a bit" feeling towards that part of the story. Even then, I did appreciate some of the frank talk about sex in this show.
However, I did appreciate how the drama tries to explain mental illnesses to the layman viewer. It's a small but important step towards better treatment and understanding of mental illness.
Kudos to the music team for choosing non-Korean songs for the OST though.
Was this review helpful to you?
It's Okay, I didn't love it
This show tries to reconcile two ideas: Being a lighthearted romcom while dealing with the topic of mental illness. It ends up being mediocre at both.Starting with the romcom aspect: The actors are doing a good job and the story flows well, although there are a lot of story points that go nowhere. Some of the subplots I found uninteresting and the characters sometimes annoying. The soundtrack is good, untypically for kdramas there is actually western pop mixed in. The main story relies heavily on the before mentioned mental illness theme.
And this brings me to the second aspect: the mental illness. And this has multiple issues.
First, it is ubiquitous taking away from the impact: almost all characters either suffer from mental illness or are psychiatrists or both.
Second, a lot of those afflictions go nowhere and feel like a gimmick.
And the third and most problematic point: the show is staying incredibly lighthearted. People will talk about the issues and will cry a lot. But only once in the show I actually felt an impact from them. And that was from a short episode of a side character couple.
So in the end the drama fails at what it wants to do, but overall I still enjoyed watching it.
Was this review helpful to you?
