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Flawed writing doesn't spoil a beautiful journey right?

I almost hesitated to start this drama because of the wild rumors about its frustrating ending. Seeing that nearly half of MDL users still leave it collecting dust in their "Plan to Watch" list, paham banget kenapa pada kena mental duluan. Watching this show is a certified emotional rollercoaster: awalnya dibikin berbunga-bunga, di pertengahan sirna, trus sembuh dikit karena indahnya EP08, eeeh malah dibikin engap mendekati ending, sebab-sebab aneh yang kayak dibuat-buat

Still, while the writing has glaring issues (especially in the second half), calling the entire show unwatchable or pure "character assassination" feels completely unfair. If you step into each character’s shoes, their choices reflect the messy, desperate survival reality of working-class youth in the 1980s rather than plain malice. Bukan jahat tanpa alasan, tapi hidup zaman segitu emang sesulit itu, guys

Where the writing fell short?
- Jong-hui's backstory butuh ruang lebih. Labeling her purely "villainous" misses the mark entirely. Her actions are defensive survival instincts shaped by heavy trauma. The real issue is that the drama barely showed her life after fleeing her job as a bus conductor. We only got brief glimpses, padahal penonton butuh lihat seberapa hancurnya dia biar nggak gampang ngecap dia playing victim.
- Karakter pendukung terabaikan. The sudden shift in Jong-hui’s brother felt abrupt because his character was barely established. Kayak maksa penonton berasumsi, "Oh, naluri abang kandung kali ya." Similarly, Sang-cheol’s background, Jeong-hyeon’s deep affection, and Yeong-sik’s inner thoughts about his family remained too elusive. Withholding these backstories made some characters look overly saintly, while others ended up looking unfairly bitter.
- The romance butuh penyelesaian. First loves don’t always last, but Sang-cheol deserved a much clearer transition and proper moving-on closure. As for Jeong-hyeon, if his one-sided devotion was meant to stay unrequited, we needed to see why he fell so deeply in the first place. Kedua mas-mas ini spek tulus yang gaperlu "belajar mencintai", karna dari awal emang udah sayang

Why Jae-pil actually matters? Claiming Jae-pil was useless is just ignoring basic plot mechanics. Kalian kalau kesel jangan sampai amnesia sama fungsi karakter, ya. Without him, Sang-cheol would never have entered the circle, Yeong-rye wouldn’t have survived the bus fare confrontation, and Se-ri wouldn’t have found a childhood companion through Yeong-sik's tutoring. He is the narrative bridge that connects everyone.

Why it still deserves a solid rating? Kim Da-mi and the entire cast carried this show with raw, phenomenal performances. The direction, nostalgic 1980s atmosphere, soundtrack, and full spectrum of emotions (from the fluttering spark of youth to the gut-wrenching ache of betrayal and shame) hit every single mark. The life lessons on family, friendship, and ambition are deeply grounded in real life.

It is far from a flawless script, and the emotional exhaustion toward the end is 100% real. Capek batin? Jelas, karena realita kehidupan memang begini kan? But the emotional resonance and acting make it an unforgettable ride that is well worth finishing. Worth watching!

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