I Wish This Was A Healing Drama
My 4 categories are Acting/Cast, Writing, Direction/SFX/Music, Entertainment Value.
I decided to watch this because I was feeling a cozy town romance. I was surprised when I got something different.
Acting/Cast: This drama is well cast. I’m not too familiar with Kim Seol Hyun (김설현), who plays the female lead, but she was good. I am a fan of Yim Sin Wan (임시완), however. I know he can act. I don’t think this was a role that required a lot from him, acting-wise, but he fit the role nicely. I like Shin Eun Soo (신은수) as well, as I always enjoy her acting. The cast had good chemistry together. 7.5/10
Writing: Um…this is weird for me to say but...the murder mystery stuff wasn’t necessary. I felt like it took away from the story. I was really vibing with this drama, too. It had a My Liberation Notes feel to it at first. The female lead is really dumb in the beginning. People are telling her straight to her face how they feel about her and she’s somehow still surprised by their actions towards her. It’s frustrating, but that just means there’s room to grow...or maybe that was just a directing issue… Because I don’t think she really changes from being a doormat. She instead finds a place where people appreciate her. So, there is no real character growth. There's also a weird story arc about an abusive alcoholic father, who, for some reason, gets a free pass. This young girl is miserable, and everyone rather protect the alcoholic. It was really strange and seemed to go against the female lead's quest for freedom from assholes (since she doesn't actually become stronger, she just finds a chill place where she doesn't need to grow). Shin Eun Soo's acting was on point though. She has no protection at school, she has no protection at home, but SHE'S the problem? I could feel her frustration and desperation. Although, it made the other characters reactions to her situation even more strange. Anyway, the female lead’s revelation early on in the drama was inspiring to me. The idea that she has worked for years for terrible people, saved up some money, and now she can just go do nothing in a new place with no pressures. That’s awesome. It actually helped me a lot to stop stressing about my job (of course this only works for people who are good at saving money and budgeting). That’s why I wish this drama was just of the healing and romance genre. It has really good vibes. I feel like the murder mystery stuff just rained on my parade. The romance aspect was too light, as well. This isn't a slow burn romance...it's a no burn romance. The story with the high school kids is more romantic. There’s more of a focus on past trauma due to murders...you know, the usual. It was nice to see her build bonds with the people in the town...until the murder of course. Don’t you just hate it when random murderers are running around some nice, peaceful town? If I had a nickel… Don’t mind me. I’m just annoyed that this drama harshed my mellow. Anyway, the ending is alright. 3.5/10
Direction/SFX/Music: I like the tone or aesthetics of the film style. It has a relaxing, calm feel to it. The OST is alright. It has a feminine or girly feel to it, which isn’t exactly my style. I still liked some of the songs though. 6.5/10
Entertainment Value: This was a nice watch for the most part. It feels comfy. Since it deals with a problem that everyone encounters in life, it’s relatable and inspiring. I was interested to see how the female lead’s revelation and big life change worked out for her. I wish it was a bit more easy-going for her. I mean, the murderer stuff isn’t very realistic or applicable to most people. There was a disconnect for me because of that. The treatment of Shin Eun Soo's character was disappointing, as well. 5/10
Overall, I gave this drama a 5.5/10. I keep comparing it to My Liberation Notes, which is much better written. I really like the cinematography and the overall feel of this drama, but there was a lot about the story that disappointed me. However, it was easy to get through and didn't drag.
I decided to watch this because I was feeling a cozy town romance. I was surprised when I got something different.
Acting/Cast: This drama is well cast. I’m not too familiar with Kim Seol Hyun (김설현), who plays the female lead, but she was good. I am a fan of Yim Sin Wan (임시완), however. I know he can act. I don’t think this was a role that required a lot from him, acting-wise, but he fit the role nicely. I like Shin Eun Soo (신은수) as well, as I always enjoy her acting. The cast had good chemistry together. 7.5/10
Writing: Um…this is weird for me to say but...the murder mystery stuff wasn’t necessary. I felt like it took away from the story. I was really vibing with this drama, too. It had a My Liberation Notes feel to it at first. The female lead is really dumb in the beginning. People are telling her straight to her face how they feel about her and she’s somehow still surprised by their actions towards her. It’s frustrating, but that just means there’s room to grow...or maybe that was just a directing issue… Because I don’t think she really changes from being a doormat. She instead finds a place where people appreciate her. So, there is no real character growth. There's also a weird story arc about an abusive alcoholic father, who, for some reason, gets a free pass. This young girl is miserable, and everyone rather protect the alcoholic. It was really strange and seemed to go against the female lead's quest for freedom from assholes (since she doesn't actually become stronger, she just finds a chill place where she doesn't need to grow). Shin Eun Soo's acting was on point though. She has no protection at school, she has no protection at home, but SHE'S the problem? I could feel her frustration and desperation. Although, it made the other characters reactions to her situation even more strange. Anyway, the female lead’s revelation early on in the drama was inspiring to me. The idea that she has worked for years for terrible people, saved up some money, and now she can just go do nothing in a new place with no pressures. That’s awesome. It actually helped me a lot to stop stressing about my job (of course this only works for people who are good at saving money and budgeting). That’s why I wish this drama was just of the healing and romance genre. It has really good vibes. I feel like the murder mystery stuff just rained on my parade. The romance aspect was too light, as well. This isn't a slow burn romance...it's a no burn romance. The story with the high school kids is more romantic. There’s more of a focus on past trauma due to murders...you know, the usual. It was nice to see her build bonds with the people in the town...until the murder of course. Don’t you just hate it when random murderers are running around some nice, peaceful town? If I had a nickel… Don’t mind me. I’m just annoyed that this drama harshed my mellow. Anyway, the ending is alright. 3.5/10
Direction/SFX/Music: I like the tone or aesthetics of the film style. It has a relaxing, calm feel to it. The OST is alright. It has a feminine or girly feel to it, which isn’t exactly my style. I still liked some of the songs though. 6.5/10
Entertainment Value: This was a nice watch for the most part. It feels comfy. Since it deals with a problem that everyone encounters in life, it’s relatable and inspiring. I was interested to see how the female lead’s revelation and big life change worked out for her. I wish it was a bit more easy-going for her. I mean, the murderer stuff isn’t very realistic or applicable to most people. There was a disconnect for me because of that. The treatment of Shin Eun Soo's character was disappointing, as well. 5/10
Overall, I gave this drama a 5.5/10. I keep comparing it to My Liberation Notes, which is much better written. I really like the cinematography and the overall feel of this drama, but there was a lot about the story that disappointed me. However, it was easy to get through and didn't drag.
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