AnicsiRoscoe

@Sarah87 I do hope you give it a chance. I disliked parts of WWWSK precisely of what you described but really enjoyed Her private life. The leads are way more upfront about their feelings without playing any stupid games. There are some unfortunate later on in the show but I still enjoyed it regardless.

I have seen WWWSK twice and my opinion stands. Yes, he does treat Mi So preciously, but he is a narcissist and doesn't take interest in people other than his 'destined' love and maybe his family. I know this changes later in the show and he goes through some changes as his past is unraveled, but that doesn't change the fact that in the beginning he comes across as a real jerk.

In contrast, Ryan Gold, albeit strong in his convictions and seemingly rude, is actually considerate from the first episode onward. It is shown clearly in the hotel scene where he gives up the suite for two strangers whose relationship he misunderstand and feels bad because he unknowingly 'discriminated' against them. There are many of those small hints that he's actually considerate in a very awkward way and that just made me love him so much more. I am not hating at all against WWWSK and you are free to disagree with me.

I liked Her Private Life more. It had more quirks and the main guy isn't such an arrogant jerk (although in the beginning he comes across as rude). I didn't care much for WWWSK but loved this drama!

It's not actually birth secret, just the typical childhood-fated-lovers. But yeah, I agree that they shouldn't have added that, it wasn't necessary.

Haha, I can so relate! I never do, but this drama is just so <3333

If I have one thing to say after finishing this drama, it's that Ryan Gold is seriously the most supportive and understanding male lead, and I would marry him on the spot. Seriously, though, this was a very uplifting and lovely romcom. We are all fangirls and fanboys to a certain extend and it was so refreshing to see that aspect made into a drama. I do think the latter half of the drama lacked a bit of the spice it had in the beginning and added some unnecessary plot twists (if you can call it that), but the lovely character dynamics and great chemistry made me look forward to the new episodes each week and I am already yearning to rewatch it. I am sure it will be a mood lifter for many dark days to come. Definitely recommended, although I wouldn't binge watch it, as it's more of a steady lovely romance that could get boring if watched too quickly.
9 of 10 because I loved nearly everything about it

I disagree with you. Why is it selfish and self-centered to strive for happiness? Just because her dream is different from everyone else's doesn't mean it's worth less. The problem is, that her dream isn't something she can realize on her own, because marriage and family is between two people. My my point of view, she has been giving a lot in the relationship. She was the breadwinner, she paid the deposit for the apartment and worked long hours in the restaurant to support her boyfriend who wanted to develop a business idea without proper investments. They've been dating for 7 years, it's not unusual for someone to want to get married and have kids after that long. Also, in episode 14 there is a misunderstanding that makes her look really trashy but it's revealed quite quickly that it wasn't the case.
I am not saying that she has no fault at all, but I do think people misunderstand her.

I actually changed my rating for a better score the second time around. But it's just as Ji Ho always says in the drama: Once you re-read or re-watch books or movies later on, you may view it with different eyes, depending on the person you've become in the meantime. So I think everyone experiences it differently :)

I completely agree with your comment! I hope you give Park Min Young another chance in Her Private Life, though. It's my favorite character of hers to date. Although her outwards appearance is similar to the perfect one here, her other personality really comes through and it's so so enjoyable. I also think the leads have more chemistry than in this drama, and the main guy is so much more likable. I am in love with that drama.

Thanks for all the replies, I might watch it some time later when I feel like watching that kind of drama then

In my opinion it's precisely what it isn't. A metaphor is used in place of something else, or rather a representative. Maybe symbolism could be applied here, but it's just too 'in your face' for my liking. I am aware why they used it, it doesn't mean I have to like it. A more subtle transformation befitting for that illness is what I would have preferred. To each their own.

I thought her acting was quite good. It was befitting her character, anyway. Maybe not Academy worthy but I've seen much much worse over the years.

Have you watched it? They say so in like the second episode. It's her half-brother from her mother's second marriage.

I am having a really hard time rating this drama. Why? Because in all honesty, from episode 1-9 literally everything was great! Maybe it's not the most innovative plot, but the chemistry between the leads and the fantastic comedy made it totally worth it. The sidekicks and supporting cast were nice, too, and all in all every minute brought a smile to my face. Naturally there are some behaviors that seemed childish or like asshole moves, but the blow was usually softened through the silly moments that followed. Now, if there's something that's off the charts in this drama, it's the level of intimacy and skinship in this drama. Hell yeah, it sets your skin tingling.
Which is why I am somewhat upset and still cannot comprehend what happened in the final 4 episodes. Everything was going great until that point. I cannot even blame it all on the writing, because although all that drama and heartbreak is totally blown out of proportion, that's not the only thing that's wrong with the finale. It seems like suddenly the entire crew swapped with a pair of amateurs. Even the directing, the editing, the enormous amount of flashbacks and very very horrible use of snow effects that magically doesn't melt is just--
Okay I'll stop here, you get the drift. Sadly the final four episodes are very lame, I never ever skip scenes in my dramas, but I ended up skimming through them, because there was so much unnecessary wallowing in self-pity.
Even so, PLEASE don't let this stop you from watching this drama. The first two thirds of the drama are really light and uplifting. I just think the comedy aspect and the sizzling chemistry are the strong points of this show, so taking that away was a big mistake.
Because I still loved the drama despite all that and I will certainly rewatch the beginning at some point, I'll rate it with a 8.0 for enjoyment!

I am not sure if I should watch this. Is this drama very heavy? The plot sounds really dramatic and I need something light every now and then for balance to keep me invested, be it comedy or just a hint of romance/chemistry of a couple. F.e. like in Mad Dog or Tunnel. What do you think?

I am somewhat regretful the writers chose to end it here, or maybe they were forced to end it so suddenly, I don't know. I do think it was right for her not to marry the lawyer, because she very obviously wasn't in love with him. It was him who kept clinging onto her and told her he would wait until she would fall in love. So I think she really tried hard to actually fall for him. However, that's when they were still dating. She shouldn't have accepted his proposal without feelings of love and still thinking about her ex. The moment he proposed, she should have made it clear that she wasn't ready, and then eventually broken up with him. Also, Jong Dae, his heart was never with the girl either.
I think it is a pity the writers chose to make it so melodramatic, because it just went against their character so much. Both of them were always very clear in their feelings and resolutions. They both made it clear to the other person that they should break up because of lack of feelings. So the final episode doesn't really make sense. I enjoyed the drama up until then, but I would have preferred to have both of them end their relationships out of their own volition and then found each other again later on.

I rewatched the drama on my Nam Goong Min session, I didn't remember that much from 3 years ago. I think the first three episodes are somewhat horrible, with all the weird parody elements going on. Episodes 4 to 6 are made up of the backstory/past of the main leads. I think it would have been better to entwine the present and past plot to keep the viewers more invested, but well...
My biggest regret is that the ending is so sudden. At least half an episode more would have been needed to properly wrap things up and not have us feel like the leads pulled the most selfish acts ever. It left us hanging. Even so, I enjoyed it and it's a short watch. I guess I could relate to it even more now with having some work experience under my belt and worrying for what the future might bring. Also very important, watch until the very last second, a couple of scenes are actually shown after the credits have rolled.
I'll stick to the 7.5 I rated it previously.

The cast is listed in a wrong way. The main leads are Lee Young Ah and Nam Goong Min. Second leads in a traditional sense are Jeung Seung Ah (although from screen time alone she should be a supporting cast only) and Seo Joon Jung.
Bae Seul Gi has a minor supporting role; I don't get why she's listed first lol

Totally agree with you, it's an uplifting romance and learning a lot of their mistakes in relationships along the way. I really enjoyed it! And, as you said, they both have wounded hearts, but I like how upfront they are about their feelings especially. And in many other dramas, especially 'older' ones, they always act so shy about a simple kiss or their desires. That wasn't the case here and I thought it was more believable because of that. Yes, there are scenes were they act coy or silly, but look around you and that's what you find in real life and dating all the time. People gushing and acting cute because they're in love doesn't have to be limited to 20s or even teen years. On the other hand, 30-somethings freaking out over a kiss is just not believable anymore. So I really appreciated the sense of realism despite the cuteness.

I am so glad I didn't listen to those bad reviews when I decided to give this drama a shot. I loved it way more than I thought I would! I've had a negative bias towards Hwang Jung Eum since Kill Me, Heal Me and her constant screaming act, but I was surprised to actually like her in this drama. It might also have to do with Nam Goong Min just being the dreamy man he is and consequently having great chemistry with all of his co-workers (being male or female), but anyway, I wholeheartedly enjoyed seeing their love blossom.
I appreciated that there were no over-the-top makjang moves and hateful second leads, so despite some clichés, this turned into a lovely and enjoyable drama. I do think that the 'undateable Ms Oh' took up a bit too much screen time in the latter episodes but all in all, it's a feel-good-rom-com that teaches about relationships and being yourself if you look closely enough. I also laughed quite a lot, all the supporting cast were great mood lifters.
I think compared to other dramas with a 7.5ish or even higher rating, this was superior, especially in terms of production value and enjoyment. But of course to each their own.
I end with a 8.0, and might rewatch at some point when I need a light and uplifting drama.