julwa

In my opinion, this was an excellent drama. I got completely hooked and never once felt like it was dragging. A huge plus for me was that it portrayed the real problems Asian idols face — the ones that are often kept silent. Staying quiet about your struggles, being forced to smile when fans cross boundaries because otherwise a scandal breaks out. While watching, I didn’t feel like anything was particularly forced, although after cooling down and thinking about it a few hours later, a few issues did come to mind.

I’ll start with the murder case. Personally, I was deeply invested in it and watched each episode with genuine curiosity. I think it was mainly this storyline and everything connected to it that made me like the series so much. I’ll admit — I correctly guessed who the culprit was, although I was convinced that this person wasn’t acting alone, so that part surprised me. I also have to confess that at the very beginning I had Kang U Seong written down as a suspect (laughing through tears). And I’m still not over the fact that he died, because the flashbacks made him one of my favorite characters, and I wanted him to have a happy ending. However, I do have to nitpick something here. I’m not knowledgeable about law, yet even I was struck by this detail — though only after thinking about it later. How on earth did Se Na, supposedly one of the best lawyers, not check the evidence found at the crime scene from the very beginning and show it to Ra Ik? This is a crime drama. I understand that it would have solved the case immediately, but it just makes no sense. The iCloud issue is less glaring, though I still feel that the prosecution should have accessed it early in the investigation. So, in summary, there were at least two noticeable plot conveniences that could affect the overall perception of the drama — personally, they didn’t bother me too much, but I tend to overlook such things.

Now onto the main couple — Maeng Se Na and Do Ra Ik. For most of the time, I genuinely enjoyed watching their relationship. Almost every time (with a small exception when he found out she had been his fan), they stood firmly by each other’s side and were a huge support during difficult moments, protecting one another. It was also clear that they became better — and happier — people because of each other. He learned to show his true emotions, his real self, and that he too deserved love. She learned to slow down, to enjoy her life, and to stop running from her past. I also loved them individually as characters. They were different yet similar, and they complemented each other well. However, toward the end I had one reservation. With Ra Ik, we clearly saw that he fell in love with the real her. But with Se Na, I have mixed feelings. I think the core issue was that she was still his obsessive fan even when they were already in a relationship. Instead of supporting him more as a partner, it still felt like she was supporting him as a fan (his merch, the concert ticket). On one hand, it was funny; on the other, slightly uncomfortable, and those final scenes somewhat disturbed my perception of their relationship (though I’ll pretend that didn’t happen :D).

I’m also glad that in the end the boys reunited as a group, reconciled, and created an album with their late friend — that really moved me. I’m also grateful that none of them turned out to be guilty, because for a moment I was worried about Lee Yeong Bin — he was a bit too calm :D. I did miss further development of Do Ra Ik’s storyline with his mother, especially an apology from her. Although, judging by her behavior, I had the impression that she didn’t fully understand her mistakes, so maybe that’s why we didn’t get one.

Returning to the legal side of things, I’m glad it was shown that Se Na started fighting to restore her father’s name after he had been “wrongfully” convicted. It would have been even better if we had seen her actually win the case. I hope Kwak Jong Cheol rotted in prison :D. As for Kwak Byeong Gyun, I’m glad he cut ties with his father and started fighting for the truth. Despite his mistakes as a child, you could see from the beginning that there was goodness in him, worn down by his father’s manipulation, which made me feel a bit of sympathy for him. Though I did hope he would wise up sooner and work with Se Na to find the murderer. Cheon Gwang Su was also a truly wonderful character — like a second father to Se Na — and it was heartwarming to watch how he supported her in everything.

Lastly, I’ll briefly mention Hong Hye Ju, because I simply couldn’t stand her. She hurt Do Ra Ik, constantly shifted all the blame for her behavior onto him — even when she cheated on him. And later she had the audacity to come back and hide behind the excuse of love. Even at the very end, after everything, she tried again, as if she were the only one who had suffered in that situation. A toxic creature. I had to get that off my chest — because I also became his fan :D