This review may contain spoilers
WHEN TWO PEOPLE DON’T SPEAK THE SAME LANGUAGE...
I was really excited after viewing the first episode. What a great idea! The clever Hong sisters base this series on both the literal and metaphorical idea that human beings “speak different languages.”
The FL is a Korean actress–who speaks only Korean. She has a professional relationship with two potential love interests. Male lead No. 1 speaks only Japanese. Male lead No. 2 speaks Korean fluently (as well as five other languages).
But No. 2 doesn’t understand the FL’s emotional signals. In fact, he has communication problems of his own, which she doesn’t fully appreciate at first. Nevertheless, he’s the person who touches her heart.
We find out gradually, that the FL is mentally unstable. She suffers from Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), a real condition, thought to be triggered by a severe childhood trauma.
She’s also in the middle of a prolonged film shoot, which takes place intermittently in various picturesque locations. Other people’s livelihood, and her own self-worth, depend on her ability to tough it out and finish the job.
This drama gets a lot of things right. The settings, the symbolism, the music, and the atmospherics are all effective. The day-to- day life of the film crew is something you don’t often see in K-dramas, and I liked that.
The dialog, especially between the FL and the second ML, is confusing. The FL keeps laying her heart on the line, but he keeps rejecting her. Is he afraid of getting hurt? Is he misinterpreting her? And she also has communication problems with dude No. 1. This drama is a bumpy ride, and the plot doesn’t altogether make sense. Everyone seems to be working way too hard to get it right, and, unfortunately, the effort is showing.
Still, this is an extremely original drama. But it may be that the premise is stronger than the script.
The FL is a Korean actress–who speaks only Korean. She has a professional relationship with two potential love interests. Male lead No. 1 speaks only Japanese. Male lead No. 2 speaks Korean fluently (as well as five other languages).
But No. 2 doesn’t understand the FL’s emotional signals. In fact, he has communication problems of his own, which she doesn’t fully appreciate at first. Nevertheless, he’s the person who touches her heart.
We find out gradually, that the FL is mentally unstable. She suffers from Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), a real condition, thought to be triggered by a severe childhood trauma.
She’s also in the middle of a prolonged film shoot, which takes place intermittently in various picturesque locations. Other people’s livelihood, and her own self-worth, depend on her ability to tough it out and finish the job.
This drama gets a lot of things right. The settings, the symbolism, the music, and the atmospherics are all effective. The day-to- day life of the film crew is something you don’t often see in K-dramas, and I liked that.
The dialog, especially between the FL and the second ML, is confusing. The FL keeps laying her heart on the line, but he keeps rejecting her. Is he afraid of getting hurt? Is he misinterpreting her? And she also has communication problems with dude No. 1. This drama is a bumpy ride, and the plot doesn’t altogether make sense. Everyone seems to be working way too hard to get it right, and, unfortunately, the effort is showing.
Still, this is an extremely original drama. But it may be that the premise is stronger than the script.
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