A riveting romantic story between Hardy and Ramanujan
Initially I went into this drama for the stacked cast and out-of-the box premise. What I got in return was something so mind-blowingly beautiful that exceeded all my ever-imaginable expectations. From the 150+ dramas and 50+ movies I have watched thus far, many of them highly rated on MDL, “Melancholia” which currently sits at a mere 8.0 has just comfortably took the top spot as my all-time favorite, has become the only drama I’m leaving as a 10/10 and that position will most likely hardly change in the future. Here are the reasons why I consider “Melancholia” to be such a special drama:
Yoon Su’s nickname when posing a quiz in the train was Hardy. Hardy, just like Yoon Su, had mathematicians as parents. Just like Hardy who meets Ramanujan after coming from a taxi with the number 1729 which turned into Ramanujan’s biggest discovery, Yoon Su crashes into Seung Yoo who is wearing a cap with the number 1729 while they are inside of a train facing each other, with both becoming their biggest discovery and incident with whom they feel an instant connection. Having experienced both rejection and illness from a young age despite his talent, Ramanujan, just like Seung Yoo, lived under great hardships before meeting Hardy. Hardy takes Ramanujan under his wing to become his disciple and partner, just like Yoon Su does to Seung Yoo. Thanks to Hardy, Ramanujan becomes one of the best mathematicians. The same happens to Seung Yoo because of Yoon Su. Seung Yoo never forgets his roots and returns to the side of his mentor, who is everything to him. Yoon Su likes Seung Yoo’s perspective of Math and wishes to nurture and protect it while Seung Yoo enjoys Yoon Su’s passion and the smile she carries when she thinks and talks about Math and wishes to preserve it.
When Hardy was asked what his contribution to mathematics would be, without hesitating, he said it was Ramanujan. He called the partnership they had “the only romantic incident in his life”
Luxurious Main Cast of well-reputed actors – Lim Soo Jung (I’m Sorry, I love You, Chicago Typewriter, Search: WWW), Lee Do Hyun (18 Again, Sweet Home, Youth of May), Choi Dae Hoon (CLOY, Flower of Evil, Beyond Evil) and Jin Kyung (It’s Okay That’s Love, Pinnochio, Romantic Doctor Kim 1 & 2). All 4 of them gave outstanding performances.
Directing/Cinematography – “Melancholia” is very beautiful and a pleasant drama to look at. Director Kim Sang Hyub in the past was responsible for works such as “True Beauty” and “Extraordinary You”, that despite having somewhat poor writing (from what I heard), are very gorgeous in terms of cinematography.
Original Script with a unique premise and great worldbuilding. The screenwriter has an history of previously having portrayed a teacher-student relationship successfully with “Doctor John”. This time, however, it was not an easy premise to go over as it needed to be dealt with carefully, especially with now being under a more controversial academic setting, but I believe it was very well executed as the boundaries were not broken beyond what they should while they were in school. The way the show blended math into dialogues, visual representation and plot/character specifics is also something worth lauding.
Slow-burn pure love. While there is not much “romance” per say, their interactions are very romantic, there is a lot of tension and chemistry and their relationship or the way they think about it sees small but exciting positive developments with each episode that are worth looking forward to, and it feels hard earned. Rather than the typical romance this is an intellectual romance, it’s also about the blossoming of a bond and relationship between 2 individuals who share the same passion that gradually develops into unconditional love despite all odds. The two of them wind up changing each other lifes forever, healing each other in the process and instigating change in themselves for the better. The feelings they have for each other build up as the links that tie them together increase. Their relationship far transcends the usual lovers. You may end up questioning what can considered romance. To me this ended up being the most romantic drama I have ever seen. The age gap of 16 years between the lead actors is actually not that noticeable as they match each other perfectly and Lim Soo Jung looks so young to the point that sometimes she looks the same age or even younger than LDH.
Inspiring core message: to never give up, that there is always hope even in times of despair and how passion for something beats everything else
This drama is much more than a love story. It also has an engaging and well-paced storyline with high stakes that brings out a rollercoaster of emotions, tackling relevant topics such as education, corruption, mental health and depression, parenting, high class privilege and inequality, and love of many kinds. There are also many life lessons given from the perspective of a mathematician.
Very good OST’s that blend well with the drama and leave you emotional
Hidden/double-meaning dialogues, symbolisms and interactions open to interpretation
Satisfaction of seeing the antagonists slowly driving themselves to their doom. It is ironic that the ones that make the most damage to the antagonists are not the leads, but the antagonists themselves. Those who end up belittling the fruits of effort and passion, will end being consumed by their own greed in the end.
Character arcs and how they were neatly closed and treated as humans by the end, be it the good or bad ones
Geometrical plot structure (6+6+2+2):
1-6: Episodes 1 and 2 – Getting acquainted; Episodes 3 and 4 – Healing Seung Yoo and becoming closer; Episodes 5 – Seung Yoo’s Feelings; Episode 6 – Error in the premise
7-12: Episodes 7 and 8 – Getting acquainted; Episodes 9 and 10 – Healing Yoon Su and becoming closer; Episode 11 – Yoon Su’s Feelings; Episode 12 – Error in the premise
13-16: Episode 13 – Yoon Su’s resolve; Episode 14 – Seung Yoo’s resolve; Episode 15- The old sun descends; Episode 16 – The new sun rises
Last but not least, Choi Shi An aka SY and YS’s adopted daughter (the drama makes it so intentional to make them seem like a family of four lol).
“Melancholia” oozes a special vibe where it enraptures you in its own unique world and is just the type of drama I was looking for. Above all it has a lot of heart. I hope more dramas that give out this type of feeling are made in the future. They have that special element that makes them different from everything else you have watched before and that can make you attached to it, and that is why I watch dramas.
There are many other things I have not mentioned in detail because I do not wish to spoil the story too much or may have glossed over and will only be able to notice with a rewatch (which I will certainly do, and more than once), but I think this alone should be enough, so I hope I was helpful in any way in convincing you to watch this magnificent work of art and thank you for dedicating your precious time in reading this review.
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A journey from Rongcheng to your heart
I'd like to start by saying that I've enjoyed this drama alot to the point that it is definitely one of my favorite dramas I've ever watched and definitly set the standards for modern romance very high. It's only the beginning of the year, but I can confidently say that this is most likely the drama of the year. I believe there are several elements that turns this drama into a memorable experience, differentiating itself from many others of the same genre.Novel - Love between Lines is a 28 episode drama losely adapted from the novel "Ga Xi". I've to praise the screenwriter of this drama on this because they took about 10-20% of the elements of the novel and drastically improved on the material they had to work with, resulting in this masterpiece.
Directing - Another huge reason behind the quality of this drama is director Mao De Shu, who is known for having directed some of the best youth dramas, namely Lovely Us and When I Fly Towards You. In terms of cinematography, the drama is very gorgeous to look at and the scenes flow seamlessly between each other. There are some well done transitions that are made to "trick" the audience, and they up helping improve the overall opinion of the drama. There are no loose ends in the plot and there is no filler. However, in my opinion , the biggest positive from the directing is how thoughtful it is. Scenes are directed with intention and details are imbued into actions, and I think this is something that is specifically very important because it adds layers to the drama in all kinds of aspects, making an action that would otherwise be normal in another drama feel special here, because it was earned with every intention that led up to there.
Acting - Great performances all around, especially Chen Xing Xu, Lu Yu Xiao and Dai Xu. The one who impressed me the most is Lu Yu Xiao. I honestly did not expect her to be this well-suited for this role. It's rare to see an actress that fits so well in both historical and modern dramas. She can transpire cuteness at will, as well as vulnerability, maturity and confidence at diferent times. Hu Xiu is just such an attractive character that always surprises positively with her actions and values when you least expect, that makes you not surprised that the ML fell so in love with her even against his will.
When it comes to Xiao Zhi Yu, he's a big green flag. He's respectful, considerate towards others, very thoughtful and very careful. He does not wish for others to be hurt for his revenge, especially those who are more close to him. He grew up lonely so that he could he exact his revenge, but because of that the warmth he receives from the FL is that much more relevant to him, and so he attaches alot of importance to it. His jealous and speechless looks are also hilarious and he suits both republican era costumes and suits so well.
Chemistry - Explosive and frightenly natural. Hu Xiu and Xiao Zhi Yu are just made for each other. They are so comfortable from the beginning of the relationship because they have spent so much time getting to know each other beforehand. Also, FL is very proactive in the relationship and is not afraid to tease or flirt boldly with the ML, which is something quite rare. All their interactions are heart-fluttering, even non-romantic ones, because as I've said before one of the strong points of this drama is the drama is the attention to detail. Independently of what their relationship is at any point of the drama, even when they are heartbroken, they are always concerned about each other, and I believe that is the main point that makes the relationship between the two characters so moving. They are definitly my favorite drama couple from all dramas I've watched.
Very good OST’s that blend well with the drama and leave you emotional
Excellent character arcs for all the main characters and supporting characters.
Interesting game concept within a mesmerizing city
Use of architectural elements and nuances throughout the drama
Enjoyment/Rewatch Value - Ridiculously High. I've been looking for a romance drama that would be addictive to watch and I've finally found it. The combination of all the elements I've mentioned so far make this drama very rewarding no matter how many times you watch it.
"Love Between Lines" is a very addictive drama with compelling characters that pulls you into their world and has that special element that makes it different from everything else you have watched before and that can make you attached to it. Despite it being "only" a romance drama, I can assure you it is much more than that. Lastly, I hope that you can have as good an experience as I had while watching this drama.
P.S. Don't forget to watch the after-credit scene in episode 28.
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