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"His presence alone will make you feel safe" - Predictability has never been so comforting
Have you ever wanted to see an NIS agent become a babysitter? I never thought I did until I saw a clip and wanted more.
If you expect a neatly knitted masterpiece RomCom with some solid action plot, you will be disappointed. However, if you want some solid light entertainment with a sprinkle of excitement, this might be just your cup of tea.
Things similar dramas fail at that I loved here:
+ steady pacing
+ almost no filler scenes
+ no character is perfect
+ proper side characters and useful side quests
+ attention to detail
+ low on misunderstandings
+ satisfying ending
Things that might make you hate the drama:
- the plot (more below)
- lack of realism, depth and meaning
- almost no romance
I actually loved the lack of romance as it didn't feel fitting to have it with the given setting, but I know many people who do.
While none of the characters is very deep or developed, they are clearly characterised.
Kim Bon as the ML isn't portrayed as the perfect NIS agent but simply as a human being skilled at what he was trained to do. He's hard-working, reliable, concerned for the safety and wellbeing of those around him - and good with kids.
FL is a married mother with twins trying to make it through life, giving everything for her family and getting herself into trouble a couple times too often. What at first seems to be mere comedy or a plot device soon turns out to be one of her biggest strenghts. Her change from weakness to strength is best proof for the character development that was slight, but steady, which made it more believable.
It took me more than five full episodes to develop a liking for FL, but she did manage to gain my respect after all. In that regard, her character is the weakest point of the whole drama.
Side characters are more than plot devices and clearly distinguishable. Even guest and support roles don't get forgotten until the very last episode. Considering how many top tier-class dramas can't do solid side characters or will go out of character for the plot, I was highly impressed. Obviously, the kids were hella cute, too.
That being said, I didn't like many of the side characters' personalities, especially when they overacted for comedic purposes. It is a comedy drama after all, though, and their scenes often were meant to provide relief after tension, so I didn't expect any less.
The music, although not special, was used well and ended up in my playlist for good mood.
Now here's the one thing you HAVE to overlook to enjoy the drama: The plot
The entire plot is 100% predictable, but I didn't care, because it was solid. Side quests made sense and were tightly connected to the red string that knitted the whole drama together. Every plot point was dealt with quickly so you could feel progress with every watched episode. In that regard, the original 32-episode airing format might have helped set the pace. Tiny details that seemed meaningless and included only for comedy or tension were picked up many episodes later.
Forget the unneccessary drama, the endlessly accumulating troubles all leading to a grand finale where everything is blown up just for characters to hastily mend together what's left of their plot to quickly improvise a forced happy ending. Things happened because the characters followed their goals and saw the consequences of it. The ending wasn't a matter of luck, the authors' sheer will or the characters' stellar competence, but the accumulated result of work put into previous episodes.
Where the plot fell flat was at...almost everything else. You will have to wave off characters acting the most stupid (not for comedic purposes) and the most convenient coincidences to make up large parts of what drives the story. You also have to stop thinking about the entire galaxy of plotholes presented in neon colours on a silver plate. At least in that, the plot was very consistent, too.
Nobody tried to give characters deep meaning and back story, develop a unique and tightly fitted crime plot or take it all seriously. So if you do, you lose.
But listen, this was a drama I watched for entertainment purposes only. I wanted nothing but something to keep me glued to my desk while I have to work and it exceeded my expectations in that regard. It did so many things right that I've been missing in K-Dramas for so long it probably cured my K-Drama slump.
If you're looking for easy entertainment, watch it! If you're looking for your next thrilling masterpiece with twists and turns and deep meaning...why are you still reading?
If you expect a neatly knitted masterpiece RomCom with some solid action plot, you will be disappointed. However, if you want some solid light entertainment with a sprinkle of excitement, this might be just your cup of tea.
Things similar dramas fail at that I loved here:
+ steady pacing
+ almost no filler scenes
+ no character is perfect
+ proper side characters and useful side quests
+ attention to detail
+ low on misunderstandings
+ satisfying ending
Things that might make you hate the drama:
- the plot (more below)
- lack of realism, depth and meaning
- almost no romance
I actually loved the lack of romance as it didn't feel fitting to have it with the given setting, but I know many people who do.
While none of the characters is very deep or developed, they are clearly characterised.
Kim Bon as the ML isn't portrayed as the perfect NIS agent but simply as a human being skilled at what he was trained to do. He's hard-working, reliable, concerned for the safety and wellbeing of those around him - and good with kids.
FL is a married mother with twins trying to make it through life, giving everything for her family and getting herself into trouble a couple times too often. What at first seems to be mere comedy or a plot device soon turns out to be one of her biggest strenghts. Her change from weakness to strength is best proof for the character development that was slight, but steady, which made it more believable.
It took me more than five full episodes to develop a liking for FL, but she did manage to gain my respect after all. In that regard, her character is the weakest point of the whole drama.
Side characters are more than plot devices and clearly distinguishable. Even guest and support roles don't get forgotten until the very last episode. Considering how many top tier-class dramas can't do solid side characters or will go out of character for the plot, I was highly impressed. Obviously, the kids were hella cute, too.
That being said, I didn't like many of the side characters' personalities, especially when they overacted for comedic purposes. It is a comedy drama after all, though, and their scenes often were meant to provide relief after tension, so I didn't expect any less.
The music, although not special, was used well and ended up in my playlist for good mood.
Now here's the one thing you HAVE to overlook to enjoy the drama: The plot
The entire plot is 100% predictable, but I didn't care, because it was solid. Side quests made sense and were tightly connected to the red string that knitted the whole drama together. Every plot point was dealt with quickly so you could feel progress with every watched episode. In that regard, the original 32-episode airing format might have helped set the pace. Tiny details that seemed meaningless and included only for comedy or tension were picked up many episodes later.
Forget the unneccessary drama, the endlessly accumulating troubles all leading to a grand finale where everything is blown up just for characters to hastily mend together what's left of their plot to quickly improvise a forced happy ending. Things happened because the characters followed their goals and saw the consequences of it. The ending wasn't a matter of luck, the authors' sheer will or the characters' stellar competence, but the accumulated result of work put into previous episodes.
Where the plot fell flat was at...almost everything else. You will have to wave off characters acting the most stupid (not for comedic purposes) and the most convenient coincidences to make up large parts of what drives the story. You also have to stop thinking about the entire galaxy of plotholes presented in neon colours on a silver plate. At least in that, the plot was very consistent, too.
Nobody tried to give characters deep meaning and back story, develop a unique and tightly fitted crime plot or take it all seriously. So if you do, you lose.
But listen, this was a drama I watched for entertainment purposes only. I wanted nothing but something to keep me glued to my desk while I have to work and it exceeded my expectations in that regard. It did so many things right that I've been missing in K-Dramas for so long it probably cured my K-Drama slump.
If you're looking for easy entertainment, watch it! If you're looking for your next thrilling masterpiece with twists and turns and deep meaning...why are you still reading?
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