Fast Forward Romance
This is one of those dramas that would have perhaps benefitted from a longer run of 16 episodes.. Or maybe that’s just my wishful thinking as someone who enjoys Jung So-min and Choi Woo-shik. As it stands, the drama feels too rushed for its own good. It jumps from one story beat to the next so abruptly that even with my “tolerant glasses” on for JSM and CWS, I found myself frowning at the screen more often than not.
Story & Execution
The premise is simple: The FL’s long-term boyfriend (and legal husband) cheats on her and dumps her. On top of that, she ends up financially strapped. She then wins a conditional prize that requires her to be married, and through a series of coincidences, she ropes the ML into pretending to be her newly-wedded husband. Conveniently, he shares the same name as her awful ex. He agrees due to his own motives. Eventually we learn that she happens to be his childhood first love. From there, the plot hits every standard rom-com checkpoint: fake marriage setup, sentimental flashbacks, family power struggles, and the inevitable conflict-resolution loop.
Unfortunately, the writing never gives these beats room to breathe. The pacing is so compressed that character development feels superficial. Important moments appear and disappear before we can invest in them.
Tropes & Weaknesses
The childhood-first-love trope is especially tired here. It’s hard to tell if the ML genuinely loves the FL as she is now, or if he’s simply clinging to nostalgia. It’s a trope that’s been used to death in K-dramas, and as it is, here it adds little beyond eye-rolling predictability.
The secondary romance is barely a romance at all. The connection between the second leads feels forced, like a bullet point on writer-nim’s checklist. The cheating ex overstays his welcome by at least six episodes. Although he faces consequences, he doesn’t actually grow. Meanwhile, the “mystery” behind the ML’s parents’ accident is so predictable that it borders on parody. Nothing else in the supporting cast or subplots stands out in a meaningful way.
Performances
The two leads are the saving grace. Even when they’re just average, their average is still better than many others’ best. I finished the drama solely because of them. Without them, I would have dropped it by episode three despite being a completionist. They make their rather bland characters, Me-ri and Woo-ju, at least somewhat charming. Ironically, they shine more individually than as a couple. The lack of chemistry is probably another casualty of the rushed execution.
Overall
It’s a meh drama, somewhere between forgettable and mildly watchable. Despite the two leads’ earnest efforts, the show never finds its footing. It wobbles, stumbles, and ultimately crashlands. Sadly, it’s one for the red side of my entertainment ledger.
Story & Execution
The premise is simple: The FL’s long-term boyfriend (and legal husband) cheats on her and dumps her. On top of that, she ends up financially strapped. She then wins a conditional prize that requires her to be married, and through a series of coincidences, she ropes the ML into pretending to be her newly-wedded husband. Conveniently, he shares the same name as her awful ex. He agrees due to his own motives. Eventually we learn that she happens to be his childhood first love. From there, the plot hits every standard rom-com checkpoint: fake marriage setup, sentimental flashbacks, family power struggles, and the inevitable conflict-resolution loop.
Unfortunately, the writing never gives these beats room to breathe. The pacing is so compressed that character development feels superficial. Important moments appear and disappear before we can invest in them.
Tropes & Weaknesses
The childhood-first-love trope is especially tired here. It’s hard to tell if the ML genuinely loves the FL as she is now, or if he’s simply clinging to nostalgia. It’s a trope that’s been used to death in K-dramas, and as it is, here it adds little beyond eye-rolling predictability.
The secondary romance is barely a romance at all. The connection between the second leads feels forced, like a bullet point on writer-nim’s checklist. The cheating ex overstays his welcome by at least six episodes. Although he faces consequences, he doesn’t actually grow. Meanwhile, the “mystery” behind the ML’s parents’ accident is so predictable that it borders on parody. Nothing else in the supporting cast or subplots stands out in a meaningful way.
Performances
The two leads are the saving grace. Even when they’re just average, their average is still better than many others’ best. I finished the drama solely because of them. Without them, I would have dropped it by episode three despite being a completionist. They make their rather bland characters, Me-ri and Woo-ju, at least somewhat charming. Ironically, they shine more individually than as a couple. The lack of chemistry is probably another casualty of the rushed execution.
Overall
It’s a meh drama, somewhere between forgettable and mildly watchable. Despite the two leads’ earnest efforts, the show never finds its footing. It wobbles, stumbles, and ultimately crashlands. Sadly, it’s one for the red side of my entertainment ledger.
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