When Friendship Should’ve Stayed Friendship
I went into this for two of my all-time favourite actors, half-expecting to be let down, and sadly, I was. It’s one of those shows that proves not every long time friendship needs to turn romantic. Seok-ryu and Seung-hyu were much better off as friends.
What worked (for me):
The second leads easily outshined the main couple. I was far more invested in them. Seok-ryu is a strong, resilient character (as much as the script allows), and her journey had real weight. Her friendship with Mo-eum was a highlight - warm, supportive, and believable. Performances across the board were solid, with Hyun-jun’s quiet loyalty standing out. I also appreciated that the show at least attempted to touch on mental health and its impact on relationships, even if it didn’t go deep. Mo-eum and Yeon-du were adorable together.
What didn’t (for me):
The romance just didn’t land. Once they got together, it became a string of cheesy, overused tropes. Character consistency went out the window. Stoic, grounded characters suddenly started behaving out of character for convenience. The writing also took shortcuts: years of resentment and misunderstanding resolved in a single conversation felt unearned.
The male lead, in particular, was frustrating - emotionally immature, avoidant, and prone to making everything about himself. His reaction to her trauma was especially off-putting, and unfortunately, her mother wasn’t much better in that regard. The contrast with the best friend’s simple, empathetic response made it even more glaring.
Pacing didn’t help either. The story dragged unnecessarily. This would’ve been far stronger as a 12-episode drama instead of 16. And the casual use of outdated tropes (like the “it’s okay if he’s gay” logic) felt jarringly regressive.
Overall:
Started strong, then steadily went downhill after the first third. A frustrating watch by the end. The performances are the only reason it holds up as much as it does.
What worked (for me):
The second leads easily outshined the main couple. I was far more invested in them. Seok-ryu is a strong, resilient character (as much as the script allows), and her journey had real weight. Her friendship with Mo-eum was a highlight - warm, supportive, and believable. Performances across the board were solid, with Hyun-jun’s quiet loyalty standing out. I also appreciated that the show at least attempted to touch on mental health and its impact on relationships, even if it didn’t go deep. Mo-eum and Yeon-du were adorable together.
What didn’t (for me):
The romance just didn’t land. Once they got together, it became a string of cheesy, overused tropes. Character consistency went out the window. Stoic, grounded characters suddenly started behaving out of character for convenience. The writing also took shortcuts: years of resentment and misunderstanding resolved in a single conversation felt unearned.
The male lead, in particular, was frustrating - emotionally immature, avoidant, and prone to making everything about himself. His reaction to her trauma was especially off-putting, and unfortunately, her mother wasn’t much better in that regard. The contrast with the best friend’s simple, empathetic response made it even more glaring.
Pacing didn’t help either. The story dragged unnecessarily. This would’ve been far stronger as a 12-episode drama instead of 16. And the casual use of outdated tropes (like the “it’s okay if he’s gay” logic) felt jarringly regressive.
Overall:
Started strong, then steadily went downhill after the first third. A frustrating watch by the end. The performances are the only reason it holds up as much as it does.
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