Hot take, but I agree. I don't think every hot, modern drama needs to be shortened down to 12 episodes. I've seen this specific number so many times, with this being what people often say they ought to be. And that everything would be better if it were shortened.
I've seen several shorter dramas that felt like they dragged on forever and longer dramas where I wished I had more. I've seen some "mini" dramas I've loved, and longer ones that had me cringing.
It really does depend on the quality of the drama (IMO). And the story you're looking to tell. I don't think we should be looking for a one size fits all number, as an indicator of a good drama. Shorter episodes doesn't mean you'll get a good drama.
It's all about knowing what content to show. You can get short dramas where they focus on uninteresting content without knowing what to skip. And sometimes they do the same in longer ones. In either one, you can have it where the audience would have loved to see more depth delved into on a particular element of the story (even if it meant more episodes), for things that only got to be shown on a surface level.
So many times, when there is an obvious issue, the problem is the overall pacing (and/or focus) of the drama. With the middle being too slow, and the ending being too rushed or abrupt feeling (and potentially leaving many loose ends). Or there can be an interesting part of the story to be told that's right there, but which isn't acknowledged, with too much repetition in other areas of the drama.
I think well-paced and focused, versus specifically sized dramas should what we look for and applaud, if we're going for generalized "rules" I don't think you can go wrong with this. A drama like this would know when the story had appropriately and satisfyingly been told.
I'm watching this with growing mixed feelings. But one doubt, can anyone clear? If I'm Sol can stop time, why…
Speaking from personal experience in certain intensely stressful and/or fearful situations I sometimes lose my sense of logic. I don't always have the ability to remember and think through helpful details and can only can rely on my instinct. Also I have had times where my body just freezes at such times. When you are so paralyzed by shock and fear sometimes it's like you can't even control your mouth to let out a shout (let alone do anything else) and it is like you are trapped with no control.
First love hits differently. It's been 15 years since my first love ended, but if he turned up tomorrow in front…
I don't think it has to be the first relationship for you to consider it your first love.
If it was the first person I had given my heart to so fully, trusted and been vulnerable with as much, and loved so deeply then I might consider that my first love. Versus say, a potential "first crush" type of relationship. One where one could say they liked the person, it hurt to be broken up with but not that they were losing someone they loved.
lol... There is no healing in this drama. The main characters are not healed. They just end up living together…
I found it healing, but not because it showed some perfect healing process for the characters. Rather it helped me not to feel alone in pain that I have experienced.
A lot of sad things make me sad myself, but a type of sadness that helps me heal is one where I see a character and can go, "ah, so I am not the only one who's experiences, grief, trauma, thoughts and so on and have been like this".
Of course logically I know that that would be the case anyway. However, sometimes its hard not to listen to your brain when it tells you that you're the only one who is messed up like this, there is something wrong with you, everyone else is mostly happy. And you're so dreadfully sad. Everyone's lives around you feel like they are moving forward around you and you feel trapped and isolated in a time when your world stopped.
I specifically remember one scene where the FL is crying in bed trying to comfort herself and it touched me so much. I watched this after going through many difficult things in my life in a way that was utterly overwhelming for me because I'd never experienced such intense pain before.
I saw myself in her character. To see right before my eyes, such a moment, which could have not been made without some people who understood it, gave me a reminder in a way that really let it sink in well. I wasn't the only one who'd had those nights of being awake in bed crying instead of sleeping. Alone there and trying to comfort myself through the pain.
Others who brought that character to life, contributing to the moment in all their various ways must have experienced that too. The colors, the music, the acting, whatever those things were they brought that moment to life in a way that felt so real to me, and my experiences. That scene the they portrayed with their work, felt like such art of the human experience to me.
Thankfully I am in a better place now, but this drama will always be special to me. For the way it made me feel so seen and showed me that I was not alone, but rather living a shared part of life.
I didn't need to see an accurate portrayal of a healed person. I certainly wasn't taking this as a blue-print, and it's fairytale feeling style if anything wouldn't make me think that that it was going for realism anyway. I think it was simply there to be entertaining, a fun distraction but with small snippets, partial truths of life.
Yes having people you love/who love you (in whatever of love's various forms) is an important part of the healing journey. I also think it's obvious that this isn't a replacement for therapy, but the idea that healing doesn't happen alone, yeah I think that's true.
Just seeing others going through it similarly was enough. The cause of my pain is very different than what was created for this drama, but just seeing reflection of those emotions was enough enough to give me the message that others have been there too, and I needed that at time when my brain couldn't easily interpret things in a way that allowed me to feel like others understood my suffering. It didn't cure me of my suffering, but it reminded me that I wasn't alone. This did not heal me, but it was healing for me.
Sorry, this was a lot. All this, I guess, to say that I respectfully disagree that this drama has nothing to do with healing.
I agree with what JulySnow2 said in that there are many forms of healing. Art reflects life and all that. I believe this is because we pour our lives and experiences into our art. I think there is a reason there are various therapy treatments one can do which can involve various forms of creating art. I am sure that not everyone sees this show as art. However, I am sure that the people who put their work, passion and hearts into making it believe that it is.
All the recommendations I want to give you off the bat, that have the most similar vibes, are all ones you've…
Yay! I'm happy I could help! I hope you can watch them and find something you love. 😊 You sent me back such a lovely reply. I'm grateful to have been sent such a sweet and thankful response, ha ha 😂.
I surrender 😭this is like my first rewatch drama in a long time. I didn't do rewatch anymore because I was…
All the recommendations I want to give you off the bat, that have the most similar vibes, are all ones you've watched.
I'll give you some more random recommendations, for ones you seem not to have watched (unless I missed seeing them) that you may or may not enjoy.
Twinkling Watermelon, Flex X Cop, Will Love In Spring, It's Okay Not To Be Okay, Flower Of Evil, My Perfect Stranger, While You Were Sleeping, True To Love, Destined With You, Someday or One Day/A Time Called You, Crash Landing On You, Bright Eyes In The Dark.
Honestly I loved the side characters in hometown cha cha more than the main leads however in this show the main…
Right? I was wondering if I remembered wrong because it's like that wasn't a part of their break up. He cheated on her so why is he acting like he's innocent and she acting like he did nothing wrong. It's frustrating!
Last 2 episodes. I hope the little girl in the photo which Hong-joo said she wished her daughter to look like…
Ha ha yeah. It would be funny if she got with him, and their daughter ended up really taking after his genetics. And then she got a daughter just like in the picture as she wished.
I've seen several shorter dramas that felt like they dragged on forever and longer dramas where I wished I had more. I've seen some "mini" dramas I've loved, and longer ones that had me cringing.
It really does depend on the quality of the drama (IMO). And the story you're looking to tell. I don't think we should be looking for a one size fits all number, as an indicator of a good drama. Shorter episodes doesn't mean you'll get a good drama.
It's all about knowing what content to show. You can get short dramas where they focus on uninteresting content without knowing what to skip. And sometimes they do the same in longer ones. In either one, you can have it where the audience would have loved to see more depth delved into on a particular element of the story (even if it meant more episodes), for things that only got to be shown on a surface level.
So many times, when there is an obvious issue, the problem is the overall pacing (and/or focus) of the drama. With the middle being too slow, and the ending being too rushed or abrupt feeling (and potentially leaving many loose ends). Or there can be an interesting part of the story to be told that's right there, but which isn't acknowledged, with too much repetition in other areas of the drama.
I think well-paced and focused, versus specifically sized dramas should what we look for and applaud, if we're going for generalized "rules" I don't think you can go wrong with this. A drama like this would know when the story had appropriately and satisfyingly been told.
If it was the first person I had given my heart to so fully, trusted and been vulnerable with as much, and loved so deeply then I might consider that my first love. Versus say, a potential "first crush" type of relationship. One where one could say they liked the person, it hurt to be broken up with but not that they were losing someone they loved.
A lot of sad things make me sad myself, but a type of sadness that helps me heal is one where I see a character and can go, "ah, so I am not the only one who's experiences, grief, trauma, thoughts and so on and have been like this".
Of course logically I know that that would be the case anyway. However, sometimes its hard not to listen to your brain when it tells you that you're the only one who is messed up like this, there is something wrong with you, everyone else is mostly happy. And you're so dreadfully sad. Everyone's lives around you feel like they are moving forward around you and you feel trapped and isolated in a time when your world stopped.
I specifically remember one scene where the FL is crying in bed trying to comfort herself and it touched me so much. I watched this after going through many difficult things in my life in a way that was utterly overwhelming for me because I'd never experienced such intense pain before.
I saw myself in her character. To see right before my eyes, such a moment, which could have not been made without some people who understood it, gave me a reminder in a way that really let it sink in well. I wasn't the only one who'd had those nights of being awake in bed crying instead of sleeping. Alone there and trying to comfort myself through the pain.
Others who brought that character to life, contributing to the moment in all their various ways must have experienced that too. The colors, the music, the acting, whatever those things were they brought that moment to life in a way that felt so real to me, and my experiences. That scene the they portrayed with their work, felt like such art of the human experience to me.
Thankfully I am in a better place now, but this drama will always be special to me. For the way it made me feel so seen and showed me that I was not alone, but rather living a shared part of life.
I didn't need to see an accurate portrayal of a healed person. I certainly wasn't taking this as a blue-print, and it's fairytale feeling style if anything wouldn't make me think that that it was going for realism anyway. I think it was simply there to be entertaining, a fun distraction but with small snippets, partial truths of life.
Yes having people you love/who love you (in whatever of love's various forms) is an important part of the healing journey. I also think it's obvious that this isn't a replacement for therapy, but the idea that healing doesn't happen alone, yeah I think that's true.
Just seeing others going through it similarly was enough. The cause of my pain is very different than what was created for this drama, but just seeing reflection of those emotions was enough enough to give me the message that others have been there too, and I needed that at time when my brain couldn't easily interpret things in a way that allowed me to feel like others understood my suffering. It didn't cure me of my suffering, but it reminded me that I wasn't alone. This did not heal me, but it was healing for me.
Sorry, this was a lot. All this, I guess, to say that I respectfully disagree that this drama has nothing to do with healing.
I agree with what JulySnow2 said in that there are many forms of healing. Art reflects life and all that. I believe this is because we pour our lives and experiences into our art. I think there is a reason there are various therapy treatments one can do which can involve various forms of creating art. I am sure that not everyone sees this show as art. However, I am sure that the people who put their work, passion and hearts into making it believe that it is.
I'll give you some more random recommendations, for ones you seem not to have watched (unless I missed seeing them) that you may or may not enjoy.
Twinkling Watermelon, Flex X Cop, Will Love In Spring, It's Okay Not To Be Okay, Flower Of Evil, My Perfect Stranger, While You Were Sleeping, True To Love, Destined With You, Someday or One Day/A Time Called You, Crash Landing On You, Bright Eyes In The Dark.
It's been I while since I've watched these so I don't know if they are up to my current standard or not.
And the other commenter's recommendations too. :)