This review may contain spoilers
Ending Ruins Whole Show
I was very interested in this drama because it was heavily hyped and distributed by Prime. The last dialogue of the first episode — “See you at the funeral. Either you die or me” — really got me. At that moment, I thought the drama would either turn into a complete ktrauma or have a truly satisfying happy ending.
But I must say, I’m somewhere disappointed with how it ended in such a basic, and mediocre way.
1. The ending is the most talked about, so I’m starting with that. There is a simple thing: if after so many events across the whole 12 episodes (around 12 hours), you still need someone’s death as a catalyst to bring the leads together, then I’m sorry — your writing is clearly lacking somewhere. Death should be the last resource to bring people together and here it was surely avoidable. All those hit-and-miss scenes ended up having no meaning at all. If she really wanted him to be with her, she should have acted sooner instead of waiting and roaming around. I understand hesitation, but after so many things happened, it doesn’t make sense anymore and just becomes frustrating.
The question is: how much time did you actually let viewers enjoy them together without any other tension, like company issues? I may be demanding too much, but at least a wedding could have been shown. Some good family time could have been shown since the whole series is centered on only the 2 characters. Instead, you chose a typical airport ending. I know it has context with their previous encounters, but seriously, the conclusion felt too ordinary and abrupt. She comes, stops him, and suddenly it’s “let’s live together.” Where were these emotions till now? The ending could have been shown in a much more wholesome way.
2. The next issue is that the story focuses too much on the leads — almost excessively. There are no other characters development shown. The friends are shown, but their individual stories or backgrounds are never explored. The office colleagues exist only to fill space and help.
One thing I do appreciate is how realistically the friendships are portrayed — the roasting, abusive words, and casual behavior actually feel real.
2. But when it comes to family, except the sister and the antagonist, nobody is fully shown. Well-known actors were hired but given extremely limited screen time. Their roles could have been prolonged with more depth, and perspectives from family, friends, and colleagues could have been shown toward the end.
3. The story relies too heavily on flashbacks. When I already know they are bound to break up, how am I supposed to enjoy those moments freely? This aspect covers most of the show. Instead of focusing on the progressive present — where at least the outcome is uncertain — the drama keeps dragging us back to painful memories. There are too many flashbacks with obvious outcomes, like the military part, the play, and several other moments. Since we already know how they end, it ruins the mood somewhere rather than enhancing it.
4. Now let’s talk about the characters. Starting with the female character — I honestly have very little justification for her actions. The whole story revolves around her, yet she just keeps running away.
5. In their 20s, everything was going well. When he found out she was the heiress of a big company, he still accepted it and didn’t get mad, even though it’s obvious that adjusting to that life wouldn’t be easy for him. Money doesn’t flow for him the way it does for her. Then the fight happened, and suddenly she ran away. The first major conflict you face, and you disappear and with out any word just vanish . I initially let this first one slide because of her immaturity in her 20s. But the second time is far worse. When his father was fighting for his life, obviously he couldn’t look after her the way he used to. Then she uncovers her past and leaves again — without a proper conversation. He comes home one day and she’s just gone, believing she’s gone forever this is the worst thing you can do. That alone would devastate anyone.
The wedding news afterward is just too much to bear, for him yet the show barely gives it proper weight. These things are brushed off lightly instead of being addressed with the seriousness they deserve.
From the male character’s perspective, he probably should have moved on after her divorce specially after she left him in the second time. Waiting endlessly isn’t healthy. But his character is written that way, so you can’t fully blame him. He keeps saying sorry everywhere, whether it’s his fault or not. That’s just who he is — someone who forgives everything. And because his character is like this, all her actions are conveniently absorbed, which makes viewers even more frustrated.
6. Another frustrating aspect is the constant time jumps. First from 20 to 28, then another unclear gap, then the time before her divorce — and even after all of this, they still add another one-year gap. After everything, you expect the story to settle, but it keeps jumping forward.
5. On the positive side, the way the show deals with alcoholism is genuinely commendable. Most K-dramas treat alcohol very casually, but here they actually show its harmful side. The screenplay and music are minimal yet soothing. The acting is flawless, which makes the characters feel alive and keeps the show engaging. The chemistry between the leads is unbelievably good and adds strong rewatch value.
In the end, when you dedicate an entire show solely to two characters, you need to handle the chemistry between them better. from the beginning I have known that separating them permanently would have been nonsensical unless one of them died. The only one perspective present and you do not explored that fully. Instead, the show chose the most mediocre ending possible, which reduced the overall value and left viewers frustrated.
That final two-minute clip is the savior. You killed that character for what? (The bench scene, by the way, is absolutely heartbreaking.) The ending needed to be written and shown in a more structured and emotionally satisfying way.
PS: These are my personal opinions — feel free to share yours.
But I must say, I’m somewhere disappointed with how it ended in such a basic, and mediocre way.
1. The ending is the most talked about, so I’m starting with that. There is a simple thing: if after so many events across the whole 12 episodes (around 12 hours), you still need someone’s death as a catalyst to bring the leads together, then I’m sorry — your writing is clearly lacking somewhere. Death should be the last resource to bring people together and here it was surely avoidable. All those hit-and-miss scenes ended up having no meaning at all. If she really wanted him to be with her, she should have acted sooner instead of waiting and roaming around. I understand hesitation, but after so many things happened, it doesn’t make sense anymore and just becomes frustrating.
The question is: how much time did you actually let viewers enjoy them together without any other tension, like company issues? I may be demanding too much, but at least a wedding could have been shown. Some good family time could have been shown since the whole series is centered on only the 2 characters. Instead, you chose a typical airport ending. I know it has context with their previous encounters, but seriously, the conclusion felt too ordinary and abrupt. She comes, stops him, and suddenly it’s “let’s live together.” Where were these emotions till now? The ending could have been shown in a much more wholesome way.
2. The next issue is that the story focuses too much on the leads — almost excessively. There are no other characters development shown. The friends are shown, but their individual stories or backgrounds are never explored. The office colleagues exist only to fill space and help.
One thing I do appreciate is how realistically the friendships are portrayed — the roasting, abusive words, and casual behavior actually feel real.
2. But when it comes to family, except the sister and the antagonist, nobody is fully shown. Well-known actors were hired but given extremely limited screen time. Their roles could have been prolonged with more depth, and perspectives from family, friends, and colleagues could have been shown toward the end.
3. The story relies too heavily on flashbacks. When I already know they are bound to break up, how am I supposed to enjoy those moments freely? This aspect covers most of the show. Instead of focusing on the progressive present — where at least the outcome is uncertain — the drama keeps dragging us back to painful memories. There are too many flashbacks with obvious outcomes, like the military part, the play, and several other moments. Since we already know how they end, it ruins the mood somewhere rather than enhancing it.
4. Now let’s talk about the characters. Starting with the female character — I honestly have very little justification for her actions. The whole story revolves around her, yet she just keeps running away.
5. In their 20s, everything was going well. When he found out she was the heiress of a big company, he still accepted it and didn’t get mad, even though it’s obvious that adjusting to that life wouldn’t be easy for him. Money doesn’t flow for him the way it does for her. Then the fight happened, and suddenly she ran away. The first major conflict you face, and you disappear and with out any word just vanish . I initially let this first one slide because of her immaturity in her 20s. But the second time is far worse. When his father was fighting for his life, obviously he couldn’t look after her the way he used to. Then she uncovers her past and leaves again — without a proper conversation. He comes home one day and she’s just gone, believing she’s gone forever this is the worst thing you can do. That alone would devastate anyone.
The wedding news afterward is just too much to bear, for him yet the show barely gives it proper weight. These things are brushed off lightly instead of being addressed with the seriousness they deserve.
From the male character’s perspective, he probably should have moved on after her divorce specially after she left him in the second time. Waiting endlessly isn’t healthy. But his character is written that way, so you can’t fully blame him. He keeps saying sorry everywhere, whether it’s his fault or not. That’s just who he is — someone who forgives everything. And because his character is like this, all her actions are conveniently absorbed, which makes viewers even more frustrated.
6. Another frustrating aspect is the constant time jumps. First from 20 to 28, then another unclear gap, then the time before her divorce — and even after all of this, they still add another one-year gap. After everything, you expect the story to settle, but it keeps jumping forward.
5. On the positive side, the way the show deals with alcoholism is genuinely commendable. Most K-dramas treat alcohol very casually, but here they actually show its harmful side. The screenplay and music are minimal yet soothing. The acting is flawless, which makes the characters feel alive and keeps the show engaging. The chemistry between the leads is unbelievably good and adds strong rewatch value.
In the end, when you dedicate an entire show solely to two characters, you need to handle the chemistry between them better. from the beginning I have known that separating them permanently would have been nonsensical unless one of them died. The only one perspective present and you do not explored that fully. Instead, the show chose the most mediocre ending possible, which reduced the overall value and left viewers frustrated.
That final two-minute clip is the savior. You killed that character for what? (The bench scene, by the way, is absolutely heartbreaking.) The ending needed to be written and shown in a more structured and emotionally satisfying way.
PS: These are my personal opinions — feel free to share yours.
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