AnicsiRoscoe

so up until second to last episode of season 2, she is still with 2ML?

Ending was weak, we got a 2 minute reunion between the leads, an expressionless confession and lackluster kiss. For all the buildup of their romance, there should have been something greater, really. I'm also disappointed there wasn't a scene with FL and ML's son, he cared so much for her and they just completely forgot about that.

I think people are hating on the show too much, I don't get the negativity. It's not the best show I've ever seen, it's with flaws, but it was still entertaining until the end and even had an unexpected twist or two. I actually liked that it switched between city and small town, it kept it interesting and introduced new characters. What I will say, though, is that this is not a romance drama, and imo that category should be removed. It would deserve a 'slight romance' tag perhaps. Yes, the leads care a lot for each other and there are feelings that go beyond friendship, but there are hardly any scenes that could be considered 'romantic' or 'flirting'. The ending was a letdown, too, more under a spoiler.
The cinematography and music were quite good, though, some comedy, and there were some scenes that did touch me. I'll rate it 8/10, because it was quite a ride and I was looking forward to new episodes each week.

I really loved it. Wouldn't recommend binging, as it could get repetitive after some time. But watching it slowly as a way to unwind is really nice!

I really loved this drama as a way to unwind after a long week at work. The first half or so was hilarious, I laughed so much. Second half has some more serious tones, and lost a bit of its initial spark perhaps, but it was still enjoyable. I really loved the friendship between our three mains, and the chemistry/romance was really good, even though it wasn't the main focus of the show. I'll probably rewatch when in need of something light hearted and uplifting. 8/10

As I said, Juwon insisted even in elementary school that she'd marry Sanha, so I don't believe she saw him as a brother in the traditional sense. Just as Sanha didn't want to be 'family' in a traditional sense, he didn't want to be bound to Juwon that way because he had romantic feelings for her. I also don't agree about the adoptive manner, because he had his own father, it's not like he was practically orphaned like Hae Jun, whose mother even had a blind date with Juwon's father. So yes, if you think of family only as a technicality, through blood, adoption, marriage, you're right, they were never family.

But personally I don't understand why that would matter, because what the drama really aims to show is that you CHOOSE your family, or rather, you can choose people that will be as close as family, a place you belong. That warmth and stronghold is what supports you. I actually didn't like that the drama emphasised Sanha as such a loyal son when his mother never treated him with kindness or love (not since his sister died anyway). Blood isn't necessarily thicker than water. But we can agree to disagree on this.

This drama is getting a lot of hate, but I personally really enjoy it. Yes, it lost a bit of steam and got messy, and there's some quite annoying characters. But overall it's an interesting watch.

I'm only two episodes in but I really don't like Yoo Dong Man. He thinks he's better than everyone else, has no respect for his fellow colleagues, endangers others with his recklessness. Yet he claims he can see through ML and that he DOESN'T DESERVE to become a police officer and is bound for failure. If he was a good officer, he would see through his sincerity and be proud that he wants to turn over a new leaf instead of hazing him and trying to kick him out. As ML said in the interview, if someone is trying to start anew, instead of discriminating against him and blocking their path, it's much more admirable to help them so they won't fall back into bad habits. I am sure he has his own reasons or whatever but so far he's really like a kid throwing a tantrum and I cannot have any respect for guys like him.

Which episode of s1 or s2 do I have to stop watching if I want to delude myself FL ends up with SML? lol I don't like ML.

That might be true, but heiress will still be FL, who doesn't even like her that much, so it's not her who makes the big bucks. She could still betray her later on. Only time will tell...

I watched two episodes, but it just doesn't click. It sort of feels... disjointed? like they took out some scenes but forgot to patch up the holes or something. Comedy is very forced, not even dark humor, just... meh? Acting is good for the most part but somehow I'm just not into it.

The drama that made me appreciate her acting for the first (and maybe only) time is "While you were sleeping". She really delivered in that one, and I think she also had the best chemistry with Lee Jong Suk. Her other roles are okay, but not really memorable.

Yeah, I understand that it may come across as weird. I think to me one difference was that while they were very close, SanHa is still a neighbor, he never actually lived in the same apartment as Juwon, and he has his own father, while HaeJun called her father 'dad' from a young age and he basically adopted him as his own, which made him more of a brother figure than Sanha.

Yeah, what I love about this drama so far is that with some people you actually don't know who's on whose side, like with 'chingu', and even the lawyer, i mean he could betray her to get the money all to himself (I don't think he will, he seems like a good guy, but just saying...). And I really cannot get a read on 'chingu', she could be best friend just as well as 'i'll stab you in the back'. I hope she sticks around and becomes a really good friend, though.

I have a feeling this drama will get me out of my kdrama slump. At least so far I am absolutely loving it!

So there is some kind of romance/romantic tension between the two leads? There's almost a 20 year difference (27 vs 44), I guess i'll sit that one out.

As this is your opinion, I'll give my own on this matter. While this drama is not without flaws, I disagree about the romance being one of them.

I think it's important to realize that at least Sanha never saw her as a sister, but just as a best friend, which is why he repeatedly tells her that they're not 'family'. It's clear that he already has feelings for her as a high school student, but for many reasons (one being his emotional baggage), he never acts on it. Also, when they were in elementary school, Juwon actually said she's marry Sanha one day (thus even back then, not seeing him as a brother at all. As you probably know 'oppa' can be used for any older male, a lot of girls actually call their boyfriend or husband 'oppa'). I actually just rewatched it, and I found hints that subconsciously Juwon also already had feelings for Sanha before the timeskip. She treats him differently from her 'brother' Hae Jun. F.e. when she thinks Sanha is dating that girl Huiji (?), she gets super upset and mopey, snaps at him for keeping it a secret and goes to her room without having dinner. So when he tells her that it was a misunderstanding and he doesn't have a girlfriend, that Huiji is actually Hae Jun's ex-gf, she's all happy again from one moment to the next, and even though she shows Hae Jun the cold shoulder for not telling her about the relationship, it's WAY different from when she thought Sanha was dating, there wasn't a hint of jealousy, contrary to before. It's all very subtle, but I do think none of the two really considered the other a sibling.

Why would she continuously talk about family, then? Well, because what Juwon feared most was losing important people in her life (having lost her mother as a baby), and a 'family' was most likely going to stick together. So when they leave her behind, her worst fear becomes a reality, and I do think the show didn't allow her enough time to forgive hae Jun and Sanha for vanishing for all this time. And it didn't give enough insight into her thoughts, and the realization that she had been in love with Sanha for longer than she knew.

I also don't quite understand why you say "they were never truly a family. They were just close neighbors who played house as children. The show never truly encapsulated what its title promised."
What makes a family? In my opinion family is not a traditional setup of parents, children, siblings etc. Family means sticking together, being there for each other in good times and in bad, and you don't have to define a bond between two parties. They could be best friends, two 'sworn brothers', two lovers.... family in my eyes, is a feeling of belonging, knowing you have a place to return to, no matter what. And at least for me, the series made that sentiment very clear.

I think it's important to realize that at least Sanha never saw her as a sister, but just as a best friend, which is why he repeatedly tells her that they're not 'family'. It's clear that he already has feelings for her as a high school student, but for many reasons (one being his emotional baggage), he never acts on it. Also, when they were in elementary school, Juwon actually said she's marry Sanha one day (thus even back then not seeing him as a brother figure). I actually just rewatched it, and I found hints that subconsciously Juwon also already had feelings for Sanha. She treats him differently from her 'brother' Hae Jun. F.e. when she thinks Sanha is dating that girl Huiji (?), she gets super upset and mopey, snaps at him for keeping it a secret and goes to her room without having dinner. So when he tells her that it was a misunderstanding and he doesn't have a girlfriend, that Huiji is actually Hae Jun's ex-gf, she's all happy again from one moment to the next, and even though she shows Hae Jun the cold shoulder for not telling her about the relationship, it's WAY different from when she thought Sanha was dating, there wasn't a hint of jealousy, which it seemed there was before. It's all very subtle, but I do think none of the two really considered the other a sibling.

I am not entirely sure either, but if I remember correctly it was mentioned in passing that she had depression already before the daughter died (although I may be mixing things up here). But I also wish they had expanded on that more, because it was all very ambiguous. In my mind it was because she was overwhelmed having to care for two kids (the father working overtime all the time chasing criminals) and probably her career was put on hold as well, so perhaps she just took off or something? That's just speculation on my part, though, because the father said it was actually her fault the daughter died, because she left the kids alone at home while he worked (and we learn that there was no food). You are absolutely right, though, I think she's the worst mother in a kdrama so far, from gaslighting, emotional abuse and threatening him with suicide, to actually physically harming him (she kept throwing things and lashed out, so even though it wasn't assault, it might as well have been). And until the end she still saw no fault with her actions or behaviour. Even that one time she admits that it was her fault her daughter died, it seemed like she was trying to make herself seem pitiful so he'd come back as a caretaker, rather than actually feeling remorse. Telling your own son repeatedly that it's his fault that his sister died and he was the one to ruin her life, and emotionally blackmailing him and basically treating him like a prisoner for ten years.... I cannot even fathom how messed up a person would have to be. I will never forget that scene when she lashes out at her 9 year old son because he smiled, made friends and 'stuffed his face with food'. She was basically telling him to live a quiet miserable life and starve himself. Terrible, horrible mother, and the half-open happy end she got, she really didn't deserve.

This is such a good summary of why this drama just didn't hit the mark. I love LOVE time travel dramas. I love food, too. I love romance and comedy, so I should have really loved this too, right? Unfortunately though, I even put it on hold after episode 6, and I cannot find it in me to continue, I tried several times and stopped watching it again after 15 minutes or so, because it's so boring, so predictable and nothing about the two leads falling in love makes sense. I am utterly disappointed because I was so hyped for this, on paper it has everything I want from in a drama, but it just didn't deliver. As you said, the plot just suddenly stopped after episode 3, it was really good until then, but then- poof, gone. And I keep thinking something will happen but the cooking and political plotting get in the way, and I just don't know what I'm watching anymore. As you said, as a slice of life, I would probably enjoy it, too, but I was promised fantasy, and drama and epic love. And now there's just the problem that I don't give a damn about any of the characters because the show never gave me any reason or good backstory to actively root for them. I also don't feel any chemistry between the leads. ML is still technically tyrant and a prick? Idk. I might just drop this once and for all.