Noctis

I put off watching this for so long because deep down I guess I was scared it would be over once I finished it.. I would never get to experience the same feeling again.. This was one of my most anticipated dramas but it was too short and far too angsty.. Maybe I didn’t want to let go of the emotions it stirred in me..

I was really upset when they decided to drop only one episode per week.. But despite the wait and I waited too long, my fault, this has been a painfully beautiful experience.. This drama deserves to be recognized as one of the best in terms of strorytelling and acting.. I mean, the acting was just phenomenal.. The casting director deserves a raise and all the glory.. Lee Se Young and Kentaro were perfect.. Their performances made it all the more heartbreaking.. This is going to leave an even deeper memory than I imagined..

"That was the moment when I realized that fate really did exist in this world..
I never felt anything like it before..
It was also a moment that I would never get to experience again.. "

"Up until now, I have never believed in fate or miracles..
I used to think they were nothing more than coincidences..
But there she was.. It was a miracle.. "

"Beni now had the look of someone who had completely turned their back on the past..
Her eyes did not shine like they did on that day..
I wonder if Beni remembers how I asked her out.. "

In the present timeline both leads looked like their souls had died.. Their eyes were lifeless as if true happiness no longer existed for them.. It was a sad contrast to their past which had been so vibrant and full of joy until it wasn’t..

"That day, she shouted at me with a look I had never seen before..
That day, a scar was left on my heart.. The scar on my heart read regret.. "

Her so called fiance knew she didn’t love him.. He knew she didn’t want to marry him.. He knew she wasn’t happy.. If she had been given the chance she would have called off the marriage.. He knew all of this, yet he never gave her the chance to leave.. He was like a chain holding her back..
In the first episode she says "I just wanted to leave the nest and try living a life for myself.. " He was caging her back in that nest once again.. She made it obvious.. She made it so painfully obvious how unhappy she was with the reluctance to even look at his wedding suit.. But he was so selfish, so shameless, that he wanted to keep her no matter how broken she was..One of the worst characters in the story.. If there was an antagonist, it was him.. People might not understand why I see him as the antagonist when he had all the qualities of a great husband.. But that’s not the point is it?? Forced love and forced relationships will never have a happy ending.. She would forever live a lie.. SML knew that if the Jungo made even a 10% effort he would lose her.. The only reason he hesitated to propose for so long, even after marriage talks began was because he knew she might reject him.. And that might end up as the final push for her to realize this wasn’t the life she wanted..

"We met again like a miracle.. What does this mean??
What is the meaning of this?? Is this a chance to start over or is this a sign that we need closure?? "

"You know it too right?? That I suck at remembering things.. But why can't I forget my memories with Jungo?? "

"Honestly, I didn’t write this novel with the intention of telling a grand story..
I wrote this novel simply because of my regret toward one person and the memories I couldn’t forget..
My true feelings were written down.. It was with the faint hope that if that person read my book they would understand my foolishness and immaturity back then.."

"Life doesn’t really unfold the way you say it should.. And there are times when it’s better not to say anything..
Thanks to my mom, I learned these things when I was still a little too young.. "

"Reading your book made me wonder.. Does love actually have an ending??
There most definitely is a beginning, but there doesn’t seem to be an end.. "

One of the best scenes of the drama, where it potrays her love for Jungo was when she said

"Even if I was dating you before I met him.. Even if we were married and had three children..
Had I met him, my heart would have sunk like this.. "

"I remembered Jungo’s face.. His face, still in pain because of our clumsiness and recklessness.. Made our love more beautiful because it stopped midway.. Because there was no proper farewell.. "

I love how What Comes After Love incorporates color symbolism in its visual storytelling.. Beautifully reflecting the emotions and dynamics between Choi Hong and Jungo.. In most stories love wins no matter what but here it’s the harsh realities of life that decide the fate of those who love blindly..

Sakaguchi Kentaro.. What an exceptional actor.. With every drama and film of his I watch he continues to impress.. Lee Se Young's career has been filled with ups and downs.. Her previous two dramas were below average.. And the one released after this was also really bad.. I hope she chooses good scripts in the future.. She proved in The Red Sleeve what an exceptional actress she is.. She deserves a much better career..

Most people might not understand why I loved this drama.. No matter how much I try to explain.. It wasn’t just the story.. It was the way it made me feel.. Some feelings defy explanation..