MistyMaid

I'm going the first to comment. I predict this actress will do well later down the road, if given the opportunity for more roles. Saw her in Pro Bono and she has great potential to have range in many different roles.

Fair point since this is the only drama I've seen him in. Maybe he'll pop up in another drama I'll watch and see.

Story and plot is interesting and decently written. I really wanted to fall into this drama because a female serial killer is so rare and portrayed by Go Hyun Jung? Even better!! But honestly, right from the get-go, I couldn't get over Jang Dong Yoon's awful acting. I didn't recognize his face though and to be a lead male character in an drama, you have to work your way in many other dramas as either cameos, one-shots, or support characters to build your acting portfolio. But I've never seen his face before. So I looked him up. In all the previous dramas he has been in, I never watched or could tell it wasn't a drama I would like watching. And then found out that he was offered parts because of a robber incident he prevented, making him out to be the hero. Claps for taking action and apprehending a bad guy BUT I don't think that's reason enough for roles to be thrown at him.

Sorry but I think, like any other job, you should have experience and skill in it to qualify. There are some times where people find their passion and their talent in unusual circumstances and thrive but I would say the only reason they thrive in those happy accidents is because they had a good talent for it and great untapped potential that wasn't realized until that moment. Jang Dong Yoon was thrown a nice happy accident and given acting roles for his heroic act but I really don't think his talent is in acting. He over compensates for every acting decision and scene. He cries immensely and rips an angry snarl for no real good reason except to appear emotionally wrecked and conflicted but the timing and the expression just really mis-matches the moment. The only way I could get through this drama was skipping through everything. Except to stop and linger to watch Go Hyun Jung's scenes.

I wanted to get into this drama so badly but every time Jang Dong Yoon came on screen, I could just tell RIGHT AWAY he was trying WAY too hard to be this character. It threw me off every time because it was so obvious, he's thinking while he's acting and I felt like I was watching someone who just REALLY wants to be an actor rather than someone who really wants to embody this character. I'll give him props for trying but I don't think his natural talent is in acting. I hope some where in his life, he finds what he's really talented at.

Sometimes what you want is not what you're good at. Even though you try really hard, sometimes things just don't work out the way you want it to, even then. And that's ok. If you tried and it still doesn't work out, find another way. It doesn't mean you gave up or you failed. It means that you tried and that's what matters more than succeeding.

Honestly, would've been a lot more interesting if the reveal wasn't so quick on in the drama. Writer should've hide who the caller was until maybe towards the middle or 3/4 the way.

Yes, happy ending

Alchemy of Souls is the closest So Min has been in a period drama. It's a historical fantasy drama but I've seen her in that setting and I think she could TOTALLY pull of a mettled and spirited noble lady.

I can agree with that. I know I sound like I'm dumping on SSK a lot and I do feel bad about that but I've seen SSK in several other dramas and her acting choices in this drama fell in line with her previous ones. They were all very similar and reminiscent of her acting decisions in past roles as well. Moments of acting choices I've seen before in other dramas and they are more or less the same. BUT I can agree and understand that there were probably a lot of choices that weren't in her control either when it came to her portrayal for Mong-Woo such as the director wanting that portrayal from her which they believed to be the best acting decision in those scenes. And I COMPLETELY agree with you on the fact that we don't see as much Hee Soo scenes to get to know her real self.

I had a lot of thoughts about the the script but I didn't say anything because my comment was already pretty long, hahahaa. Things in the story plot and scene decisions that were not SSK's fault at all and fall fault on the screenwriter. The one major thing that I had a problem with was ALL the male characters, side and major ones, stayed completely oblivious to Mong-Woo's true identity. It felt extremely forced by the writer to have all the characters surrounding and interacting with Mong-Woo to just never question who she really was nor ever attempt to figure things out. It was very unnatural for human beings in general and more so that a lot of them are government officials who are well-educated and should have a sense of honed perceptiveness. They can perceive the Dowager Queen and other government officials intentions just fine but can't clear the smoke surrounding Mong-Woo? It feels very incongruent.

Maybe I'll get some hate for this but I don't think Shin Sae Kyung was right for this role. She is very expressionless and stoic in her acting. Don't get me wrong though, I like her as an actor in general, I just don't think she was the right fit for this particular role. This role is a woman, disguised as a man. There are layers to this role and requires a lot of nuances here and there to balance acting as a man, as a woman. In order to pull off keeping up the facade in front of a lot of people, you have to adopt certain masculine mannerisms. Shin Sae Kyung still kept a lot of feminine attributes while she was acting as Myung-Woo on screen. Tiny details like a gasp or a yelp from being thrown or a shriek from being frightened in front of people who are ALL men by the way but apparently, all of that is ignored or turned a blind eye to. Stealing glances here and there and big round eyes with a beguiling look. Even the way she walks and carries herself. It's all very feminine and she has this constant habit of hesitating like a woman would in the presence of someone they like. Fluttering eyes and darting glances.

You still need to give the audience what they want but you also still need to keep in character and be believable in that role. But instead of giving us a more subtle and nuanced character, Shin Sae Kyung is just giving us a woman who's full-blown flustered and not a woman who is flustered but quickly remembers she's a man, so she attempts to hide herself through restraint but that 1% escapes. It's just little things like this that would make this character more enjoyable to watch. To see the self-conflict, the clashing of identities, being in the throes of emotional turbulence. But Shin Sae Kyung just keeps giving us a woman who is falling in love with a man and trying her best not to show it. Only thing is, she's dressed like a man.

It's just not rolling off as smoothly and keeps putting me off because of those small things. I know this is TV and the audience is in the know of her true identity but make it somewhat believable that she is TRYING to pretend to be a man. Shin Sae Kyung's appearance is way too feminine for this role, as well as her voice. Even with her hair all pulled back and dressed like a man. It was a little weird at first but now it's very distracting. It's making me constantly question or wonder whether all the other characters in this drama are just completely blind or they are just dumb. Such as, if someone dresses like a man, they MUST be a man, no doubt! And be damned the yelps and feminine attributes that give it away.

I think Jung So Min would've been a better fit. Her face can pull off passing as a man, in a pretty boy or rascal kind of way and believe she has a wider acting range to pull off the nuance needed for this layered character and create for the audience a more believable man and switch to her feminine side when appropriate. Jung So Min's voice is also a register lower than most average women in Korea. She could easily pull off a more masculine voice to "blend in" with the other males while on screen but maybe speak with her normal voice when with her maids and helpers.

I like Shin Sae Kyung but in all honesty, she does not have a lot of range, unfortunately. I was really rooting for her success in this drama, hoping to see her grow and see something different but it's more of the same. Wide-eyed, parted lips, and expressionless acting. She's not a bad actor though, it just means the roles she can excel in are limited. The more I think about it, the more I wonder why the casting directors chose her and what went through their minds when she auditioned. I don't understand it at all because all the acting choices that Shin Sae Kyung made were off putting, not right or a near miss off the mark.

To those people who are wondering whether to watch this drama or not. READ THIS!

I'm not going to convince you to watch this drama or call this the BEST/WORST drama ever. I'm just going to give you the lay of the land of what you should expect from watching this drama.

ADDED EDIT: It's been really annoying to see people comment and criticize about how "toxic" the characters are in this drama or any other drama that they deem "not realistic enough" or about the character's "toxic behavior". Yes, their reasoning and behavior is not the best but I would argue that none of our responses or behavior is any better than these characters. Be really honest with yourself and think back to when you were last in a relationship. Can you really say you weren't "toxic" in your own way? Were you really the perfect partner? I know I definitely wasn't but I learned from my experience and strive to be better for my next relationship, which is all anyone should really hope for. Nobody is born with perfect understanding of human emotions and behaviors.

There are many slice of life dramas out there that are meant to follow the realism of our own reality to evoke a deeper sense of relation towards the characters. And it's become a very popular genre over the past couple of years now. People are enjoying being able to relate to the characters they are watching. Did you even ask yourself why it's called slice-of-life genre? It's called a SLICE of LIFE, as in a snapshot of real life of everyday people, like you and me, with the sole purpose to reflect back to ourselves our own shared or similar experience in life to create empathy towards the characters.

Most people today, would consider these kinds of characters in this drama as "toxic". It's not toxic, it's a trend and this type of trend was very popular during this time period. Just like how slice-of-life type of dramas are popular right now. Please be mindful that this is entertainment. TV dramas were not meant to be a role model for society or for people. If you believe that this should be the case, you might need to step outside and visit reality because you are blurring the lines between entertainment and real life. Entertainment is supposed to be fun and more importantly, ENTERTAINING! It was never meant to be a life lesson or an example of how you should think, feel or live your life. That's just really stupid and ridiculous.

Sorry for the deep thought or whatever, but it's been quite irritating to see people constantly bash dramas, actors/actresses for nothing except for existing in this world, because they themselves "just don't like it". It's the lack of self awareness that really grinds my teeth at night.

Anyways, this concludes the end of my short rant. And on to what I originally wanted to explain about whether or not this drama is right for you.......

Some things to keep in mind is that recently, Korean dramas have evolved over time and are not like the dramas that were produced back in 2000-2010s decade. Especially romance dramas, the bread and butter of Korean dramas. Sometime around 2015 and later, Korean romance dramas have evolved to become more realistic. Complex. Modern and involves that slice-of-life aspect where the audience can often relate to the characters and their situation. Some examples of these kinds of dramas around the evolving romance drama period that have these traits of fused realism and modernism within romance are:
- Just Between Lovers (2017)
- It's Okay, That's Love (2014)
- Feel Good to Die (2018)

Dramas before 2015 or so still harken to the typical Korean romance drama formula. Two lovers on opposites ends of the spectrum come together, clash or come into conflict because of a taboo or forbidden factor, but despite that they push on. Oftentimes, involving a third party to create a triangle. The chaebol with PTSD, the poor princess who smiles forever, the jealous ex who has a low self worth and the unrequited shy knight who wants to save the princess at all costs. The typical trope angsts, misunderstandings of situations/each other and obstacles blocking the characters paths because of traditional or fear-based intrusive thoughts/emotions. Some examples of these more traditional Korean romance dramas are:
- The Greatest Love (2010)
- My Lovely Sam Soon (2005)
- Star's Lover (2008)

I would say, About Time leans more towards the typical Korean romance drama, even though it was produced in 2018. That doesn't make it a bad drama though, it just a drama that has more of the typical romance tropes similar to the older dramas. Romance tropes that came from classic Korean romance dramas, like Winter Sonata (2002), Stairway to Heaven (2003) and What Happened in Bali (2004). All dramas that were produced in early 2000s and were ragingly popular during that time with very high viewership and ratings. Full of dramatic moments and emotional reactions. Romance dramas that if it were watched in this current age, would be considered "really bad dramas" because of those overly-worn tropes and over-exaggerated character actions/logic and wildly erratic behaviors.

It depends on WHAT KIND of Korean romance drama you are looking for. Are you looking for something more modern with that twinge of realism, slice of life, and complexity of emotions and moments? Or are you looking for something more guilty pleasure romance trope with dramatic moments with some angst?

In my opinion, About Time has those romance tropes (love triangle, different wealth class, age gap) but injected with a side dish amount of slice-of-life aspects (life and death, characters trying to be considerate and aware to present situation, fear of commitment and consequences) that kind of balances it out to be a more down-to-earth version of a typical Korean romance drama from 2010 time era.

Me personally, I liked this drama, just because of the romance tropes. Sometimes, it's fun to watch something dramatic and angsty that doesn't always look out to make sense of everything in it. The ending is a happy one, though it did feel rushed but I still liked the drama overall despite it because it itched that itch of wanting to watch something that was fun for me.

Not everything in this world has to be good or bad. Right or wrong. Sometimes, you have to fun and do something because its fun and not have a reason or explanation for wanting to do it.

In Korea, you'd need a bankbook and their personal signature stamp to gain access to an account. She reincarnates into a different life every time as a different person so it would be suspicious to the bank that a random person with no relation to the owner of the account to gain access. They'd ask all sorts of questions. Even if she did hide it somewhere for her next reincarnated self to find, the history of handoffs from person to person would be even more suspicious of money laundering. You can't just buy shares or stocks in someone else's name either. That's called fraud and there are laws and procedures to protect against because anyone can do that. It's probably more of a hassle than a benefit to find a way to get around all that. Also, there's no way for her to transfer shares and stocks to her next reincarnated life because she doesn't even know who she'll be in her next life yet so she won't know who to transfer the ownership to before she passes.

Money is harder to squirrel away and hide than you think, unless it's cold hard cash. In that case, it's certainly easier but still no guarantee it will be found by someone else and them stealing all your money. That's why most people put their money in banks in the first place. To guarantee safety and assurance. Money is the one thing a lot of country governments invest time, law and security checks into to make sure its well regulated, monitored and kept a close eye on.

Also, she may have experienced a long life but she didn't live a long life. She remembers her past life but she didn't live that long life in one body in one lifetime as the same person. Every time she reincarnates into another body, it's like erasing the chalkboard completely clean and starting over from scratch. It would be a little difficult to amass a big fortune if you kept having to start from the beginning.

If she does have a bank account with money for only her to access, she probably has one overseas. But even then, there are a lot of obstacles for her to gain access because she'd need to provide a lot of proof that she is a valid user to access that account.

This could've been a good drama with a decent interesting story but alas, it fell short. It fell far from the apple tree. All I'll say is for a person that has lived multiple lives and retained many lifetimes, she's pretty ignorant to her own existence and lacks any kind of awareness or curiosity towards her unique situation. She's kind of like "Oh, I reincarnate over and over again but I don't need to know much more than that and I don't want to."

If I were her, I'd want to understand as much as I can about my unique ability to retain my past lives and find out why but she doesn't really care much and just keeps living her life 19 times as if that's how it was always meant to be without question. Then gets all huffy when she's exposed to the tiniest truth of why and she freaks out and pushes it and the people who are trying to help her understand it better, away simply because it's unpleasant. Unfortunately this drama only ever cares about the angsty-ness of the "forbidden romance" angle and hashes up character development on the side like sad soggy french fries next to a burger. Disappointing and not what you wanted.

Well, if you LSK but in more romcom capacity then you might like Shooting Stars. I didn't particularly like it because I just didn't like certain parts of it but you might like it. Also, About Time. It's a combination of a romcom and melodrama though. So a lighthearted melo but a dramatic romcom.

Other dramas that might appeal to you more is:
- A Business Proposal (typical romcom)
- Good Time to Die (an actually funny romcom but light on the romance but it's definitely there)
- Get Karl! Oh Soo Jung (older romcom with older actors but a decent pick with a sprinkle of makjang)

FYI, if you don't know what makjang is, it's a genre of dramas that are overdramatic and a very exaggerated plot with dramatic characters and twists. Happy watching!

As far as melodramas go, this is definitely a more stylized melodrama apart from the typical Korean melodramas. I think everyone has their own preference to what appeals to them and this drama will definitely appeal to a more narrow scope of people that will find it entertaining.

That being said, from what you've listed it sounds like melodramas might not be your cup of tea in general. A lot of Korean melodramas will have silent stares and exchanging glances and a lot of brief dialogue between the two. Melodramas are supposed to be exaggerated and dramatic in terms of interaction and often stoic in its character interactions. Action wise, it's definitely more subdued and subtle and will be emotionally heavy rather than action heavy, like rom-coms. Also, melodramas can typically be a slow burn too so interactions and plot points are drawn out more slowly. Hope this helps you figure what you like and don't like.

He's great at villain roles BUT I think he could do AMAZING in an anti-hero role! The attitude of a villain but the heart of a prince. Unfortunately, there aren't that many anti-hero dramas, even less that are WELL WRITTEN. Anti-hero characters are EXTREMELY difficult to write for. To note some examples of GOOD anti-hero dramas are The Smile Has Left Your Eyes, Flower of Evil, and Cheese in the Trap. All with anti-hero main characters that break the rules every time and do the right thing in the wrong way. Finding yourself disagreeing and criticizing their actions/behavior but understand their intention and purpose, making for a complex and polarizing likeability to them.

Anyways, I think Shin Sung Rok could be a great anti-hero if given the right script and opportunity.

Honestly, Jung Woong In has done a great job pivoting in the roles that he's chosen and gotten over the years. I remember him in his early days in the 2000s. Rude Women. Last Scandal. Though he's mostly a support, even after over 15 years later, he still manages to leave an impression with his characters.

Omg, so happy that Kim Sung Oh is getting more main centric roles. First saw him in When a Man Loves and just knew that he would get more roles later as he gets more exposure. I think he's a good actor with great potential to be more. Looking forward to watching this drama!

I dropped this drama because the interactions between the two main characters was just too cheesy, corny and the comedy bits seemed forced. Mind you I stuck with it for 4 episodes but didn't see any improvement in my impression of it.

But seeing as how popular its become and that they are even making a season 2 (which Korean dramas NEVER do) can someone tell me if it's worth picking back up again? And why? Like, does the story and interactions get better?

I would see it more as a bittersweet ending. I'd just keep this in mind, that life doesn't stop after getting your happily ever after. I'd still give it a watch though because their love deserves to be witnessed. I would consider this to be a more realistic show of a love story during their time. No love story is without consequence and this drama is not afraid to show that. It's an amazing story of a star-crossed love.

This is truly one of my favorite romance dramas though because of the realism shown by the main characters. The conflicts that intrude their relationship is not something as petty as jealous outsiders, bullying, or being torn between two people kind of troupe. Conflicts are real, the main characters have justifiable reasons for denying their feelings towards one another and the inner turmoil are complex and humanistic. I highly recommend watching it if you think you can handle the truth. That truth being that nothing lasts forever.

I agree with you on that. Him admitting and apologizing does mean that he acknowledges some degree of the truth though I still don't believe it's the entirety of what people are claiming. I believe people often exaggerate situations because their pain is so real and may feel overwhelmed so much so that it can influence the way that they explain how events happened. Which then in turn creates a bias within the whole situation which then can complicate or compromise the real truth. This is why human interaction and relationships are so hard to navigate because it's never really cut and dry or logical because it involves emotions which are always unpredictable, haha.

I didn't see your second reply post after I posted my first reply and apologize if my it seemed combative or felt persecuted. I know I can come across a bit strong but that is not my intention. I just wanted to bring up other aspects of the situation pertaining to suing and legal actions for if or when people read this.

The reason why I doubt the MBC episode so much is the amount of "investigative" time they had. The first accusation posted on the internet was March 2, 2021. That's when this whole controversy started. The MBC episode aired on March 20, 2021. That's 18 days of investigation or two and half weeks of time. On top of that, you'll need to subtract time spent researching and finding the people to interview and also editing. It just makes me doubt whether due diligence, fact-checking, and researching while investigating this issue can be done all within 18 days. I would definitely not call it a deep investigation though. A deep investigation requires much more time and resources.

But, all in all, I think the controversy of Ji Soo needs further investigation and deeper digging. It's just a lot of little things that I see or don't see that add up as this big huge doubt within me. But anyways, I appreciate you expressing to be impartial but still share your perspective and opinion.

I did see articles about the investigative episode but noticed that the article was dated March 20, 2021. All the articles that I posted that reported false accusations against him are several months after this happened. Not saying that the date is proof that the investigation and episode itself is false but on a timeline it does deem some scrutiny after it was proven that some allegations were entirely false. It may be true or it may be false but broadcasting an investigative episode on something also doesn't guarantee absolute truth either. After it was revealed later that a lot of the accusing posts on the internet were false, it gives me a small bit of doubt on the people in the episode. Not saying I don't believe them now at all, just a little bit of doubt but still staying open to more information.

Again, I'm not saying that MBC and the people who were interviewed are lying because I have no evidence that they are so I'm not arguing that fact. I just wanted to point out that this episode came out way before some accusers were proven to have made false accusations.

And also, during the heat of the scandal of Ji Soo, MBC might've taken advantage of how opportunistic of a chance it was to expose a celebrity. Again, I'm not saying that that's what they did but it is also a possibility. TV programs gain success by viewership and this being a current hot topic during that moment does give some possibility that they did it to take advantage of the situation and gain a high viewership on their program when it airs. Again, not saying that is the reason but just a possibility.

But overall, everything that the people who have come forward have said and everything that Ji Soo has said, in the end are all circumstantial. It's a he said, she said situation. I know it sounds bad but victims are not always the most reliable source because they are in the situation and it can be hard to keep perspective when you're in the box. But of course their words should definitely be taken into account.

Towards your point that Ji Soo isn't suing the program or attempting a subpoena, you have to understand at that point, it's not Ji Soo as individual you need to think about. He was being managed by KeyEast, the management agency, and they would be the ones to take action here because they have a contract with him so they are obligated to represent him and take action on his behalf. So it would be why didn't KeyEast sue the program or compel a subpoena. May sound harsh but companies are still a business that wants to make money and try to prevent from losing money. Also, image is important to companies. They may have weighed the pros and cons of going to court with MBC. It's not just the program you are fighting with, it would be the entire entity of MBC you would go up against because the program falls under MBC.

Now, you have to consider the two companies involved. MBC is a titanic company well-established as a TV channel since the 1960's since it was first launched. KeyEast was established in the 1990s is now a division of SM Entertainment, Korea's largest entertainment company but even then, SM Entertainment might not see the benefit of fighting this fight till the end. Court cases can sometimes go on for years and then they are very costly. It wouldn't make sense to fight for someone when you will lose thousands in a court case that you aren't even sure you will win. If the court case could be done and over with immediately knowing you will win for sure, then they would probably sue MBC but knowing MBC they will drag it on because they have more resources than KeyEast.

Another reason why KeyEast may not have decided against suing MBC and the program is image and relations. Since KeyEast is a division of SM Entertainment, if they wanted to go up against a big industry like MBC they'll most likely need to consult with SM Entertainment since they are the parent company. SM Entertainment gains very little by fighting with MBC and might actually do more harm than good. One, their image would get a bit tarnished and two, they will create some bad blood between MBC and KeyEast and by proxy SM Entertainment which will then make for difficulties with agreements and cooperation later down the road with future projects and endeavors. So, the bad outweighs the good.

It's not so simple to just sue someone and compel a subpoena on them. There are ways to get out of a subpoena and all the while MBC is trying to squirrel away from a subpoena, KeyEast is at risk of losing money over legal issues and further tarnishing their company image in the eyes of the public. Suing between individuals and suing between companies are two entirely different beasts. Sue cases between individuals may be a bit simpler but sue case between companies are not as simple.

The company seems to have tried to defend Ji Soo in the beginning but then on May 27th KeyEast terminated their contract with Ji Soo. So that means Ji Soo was without representation or a legal team to defend himself after this date. He seems to have hired a legal team of his own later which launched the investigation into the false accusations which happened in or around June/July. But to compel the MBC program to divulge information on the people they interviewed is a tremendous feat now. Now, Ji Soo does NOT have a managing company to back him up or support him. His resources have significantly dwindled. He's on his own so now it's himself against MBC which is extremely difficult because MBC will assuredly have an entire department of legal resources at their disposal to fight against Ji Soo and his small team of lawyers.

So, finally, in order to prove false the people who were interviewed by the program they would need those people's information, identities and bring up a case against them but the odds of the program cooperating is immensely small and even with a subpoena the program is protected by MBC so the odds of a subpoena working are also slim.

The world is not so simple, even if we think it should be. That's the reality. So I understand that you believe it would be easy to do if someone is actually really innocent because we, as people, believe the truth will out but in this reality of society it's actually harder than you think to reveal the truth. Even harder to make it stick.

All of this said, this is not my ardent passion in defense of Ji Soo because of who he is but more so wanting to point out several factors that weren't really considered. If this wasn't Ji Soo and it was someone else, I would still say the same thing because there were a couple of perspectives that were left out and some considerations that were not acknowledged in order to get the full scope of the matter.

It all comes down to money and resources in the end. Ji Soo is alone now with no managing company with very little resources and in military requirement. He can't do much in terms of legal action while he's there because they don't allow that kind of interaction or business to take place on government military grounds. So if he does want to do something about this situation further he'll probably do it after he's done with his requirement. And even then, if his case doesn't progress in a positive way he will eventually run out of finances to continue employing the services of his legal team. He may be an actor but he doesn't have limitless money and now without a managing company he has little opportunity to make a steady income.