Eleison

Loved this! The pacing wasn't perfect, but it was a heartwarming story with endearing characters (the first Kdrama mystery thriller that had a murderer I rooted for (this succeeded where Inspector Koo failed miserably); also, there were some pretty adorable brother pairings in this) and a poignant message. It kind of reminded me of an Emily Dickinson poem:

Tell all the truth but tell it slant —
Success in Circuit lies
Too bright for our infirm Delight
The Truth's superb surprise
As Lightning to the Children eased
With explanation kind
The Truth must dazzle gradually
Or every man be blind —

Poor Dong Ju got blinded alright, but I love that he ultimately realized how important the truth was, even if it was terrifying to face.

I thought it was so sweet how one of the detectives remarked to Lee Byung Man that even while Lee Ha Neul was a murder suspect, he felt like a colleague because of all the help they'd received from him (awwwww). (The detectives were some of my favorites in a thriller; such a cool team!) And I love that this drama showed that the difference between the good and the bad is that the good own up to their mistakes, no matter the consequences. In the end, loving the good and being people of integrity means valuing and championing the truth above all else. This message was reinforced throughout the entire drama in beautiful ways.

P.S. This was my favorite role of Ahn Nae Sang to date. I loved the dynamic between him (the seasoned veteran who knows exactly how many CCTV there are on a stretch of familiar road (😂)), and the young, passionate and tenacious female detective who will stop at nothing to get justice. Never seen buddy cops with this pairing before, and I liked it! Also, the FL has pretty eyes! Some people in the comments seemed to find her annoying; I thought she was awesome.

I bet they waited to release it until after the scene with them walking under the petalfall!

Most dramas that have sad endings foreshadow them from the get-go or just have that somber tone throughout. This is a rom-com so I just can't see it along with the premise of saving Sun Jae from Episode 1. Unless this writer and director have a passion project of trying to convince Kdrama watchers that fate cannot be changed no matter how hard they try, I can't see an ending where Sun Jae dies being justified or sensible. It would be the dumbest writing move of all time!

Every romantic Kdrama has a beach scene. I can't think of one that doesn't. Apparently you're not truly a couple if you never go to the beach. 😋

Interesting! BWS is doing better than CEW would have done, though MSM might have pulled it off. BWS's acting range has been very good here, though sometimes actors do especially well when they have really good costars that pull out their best. I suspect that's definitely happening for this drama with KHY! Not that BWS can't act, but I'm just saying KHY is the comedic/acting veteran who's probably raising the bar for him to meet.

Oh really, I didn't think there were! I know there are married celebrities/actors, but didn't know idols married while still being idols. And that's what I mean, it's disgusting how much hate idols get for dating people and such. Some Kpop fans are legit delusional pyschos! The horrid fantasy world they must be living in makes me shudder to imagine...

This same composer did the music for Warrior Baek Dong Soo which also has a fantastic score. Check it out; another Ji Chang Wook drama. An oldie but a goodie!

Yes, it does badly here, but notice it does badly at depicting every other type of reality also. It's not going for accuracy but action-packed sensationalism. Nothing about this show is accurate to the real world that anyone lives in, even in Korea. 😅

Yes, just don't forget to turn your brain off. If you do that, you'll enjoy this! 😅

While Yoo Jin did have a sad story, she was still an awful person many times over. A sob story doesn't excuse wicked actions. That's why Je Ha didn't like her. She used him and he disliked her for it and cared too much about people to overlook the awful things she'd done to people for selfish reasons.

It's got a lot of problems, and Ji Chang Wook carries the show, FOR SURE. I rank this with the ridiculous action movies/shows that are enjoyable but have nonsensical plots/scenarios from start to finish. There's definitely a reason people like it, but not because it's a masterpiece with an excellent plot or a top-notch script. 😅

Is there such thing as a married idol, though? 🤔 I've never heard of one...

Wow, I impressed. His voice wasn't tampered with to make him in tune or to hit high notes better. Live recordings are the true test. Even some basic piano skills, too! Not easy to do both at once.

That part reminded me of Park Seo Joon in What's Wrong With Secretary Kim. 😂

I will keep my expectations low for 11 and 12 because they're often the weakest episodes. I would describe Episode 9 as a "transitional" episode rather than "filler." Episode 7 was similar for me.

How long does Yook Dong Ju continue to lie that he wrote the manuscript? It's getting agonizing to watch him lie time after time to person after person. Will it take a bunch more episodes for the truth to come out?

I am on Episode 4 and I have a question for anyone who's seen this:

SMLs do usually exist solely to either 1) sabotage the MC's love so they have something to overcome or 2) to make the FLs happy with the ML by doing something heroic behind the scenes. One of these options is typically their Kdrama lot. 😭

The Kdrama is very dated, and quite long, but is most definitely a classic. It might be worth it to watch before the Thai Drama (which is excellent), so you can see how they changed/updated the story while clearly keeping elements of the Korean version intact or as inspiration for the Thai version. All the adaptations of BOFs are famous for a reason, and each has their own charms, as well as highlights, and strengths and weaknesses. I didn't know Thailand could do good mainstream dramas since they are mostly known for BLs, but apparently they can when they have good source material to work with!

Right? It has its issues, but there's a reason it's so beloved.

Have rewatched a few times now, and it holds up well (minus the villain scenes; skip all those).