This review may contain spoilers
I watched this when it first aired in 2020, at the time I was 19 and still in uni, I too thought this was slowpaced, didn't really understand why everything was so drawn out, and I thought the drama was interesting but not life changing/memorable, I rated it a 7.5 back then. Only this week I decided to come back and re-watch it, in 2025 and now being 24 years old.
Now maybe it's because it's been a few years and i've grown and learnt ( and also have completely forgotten the plot)- this drama holds much more of a special meaning, and was 10x more captivating to me. The way it showcases bonds between family, between lovers, between two people that were technically strangers but had such an intertwined fate with each other from the begining- is so beautiful. I found myself crying multiple times through this and really being led through an emotional rollercoaster.
The first thing I want to mention is the character of im-hwi. She was hands down the BEST part of this drama. The way she rides round on her bike telling everyone to 'move out the way!", her unwavering and unapolagetically outgoing personality brightend up every scene she was in. The way she was so sure of herself, and the fact that she didn't care about what others thought of her, made me think "damn I wish I was that cool when I was her age". The scene she played with her brother when she thought he wouldn't come back was also so sweet to me, the way she displays concern and worry but also that of a typical teenager- was brilliant. Hats off to the writers for such an amazing character, I loved her so much and every scene she was in made me laugh out loud.
The way seo-kang Joon displays his want for the FL- the way he plays his character of 'wanting to belong'and 'not wanting to be left behind' is so heartbreaking but so beautiful. I found his story to be so lonely, and so sad, and I found myself wishing for his happiness the whole time. Even though it was implied multiple times that the FL may end up leaving, the way thier relationship was showcased sort of left you feeling a bit like "hmmm will she stay after all?" I found his acting to be so convincing and believable- the way it felt like you could sort of sense the fact that he was just waiting for her to leave him. The scene where she broke the news to him was even more saddening because he expected this, and just accepted it without saying a single word, it's very true to his character. The actor did an excellent job- the casting was amazing for this role.
The other realtionship dynamic that made me really sob was that of the FL's mum and her sister. It poses the question "what are you able to do for the people you truly love", and made me think about what I would do if I saw my own sister going through abuse- or the other way round- if my sister did something she shouldn't have. The way the aunt displays her guilt throughout the last few episodes- over what she has done, and how she can't come to live with herself for that- was also an amazing display of acting.
Next thing I want to mention is about the character of bo-young. I must say, the writers did a really good job in making me hate her. I really found myself annyoed by a lot of her actions, and the way she was so entitled to 'being forgiven' or feeling like she deserves to have her apology accepted. The main FL was right in being mad/not forgiving her- that was her choice to make and she doesn't owe anyone grace, especially for what she went throughin highschool. Towards the end- I sort of understood what bo-young meant about wanting to be forgiven after all. The idea that people hurt each other all the time in relationships- and 'can a relationship not have cracks? A table doesn't have to be perfect for you to sit on it'- makes sense, and deep bonds between two people can be broken but re-kindled. It was a bittersweet moment- because after all I still think that what she did was pretty petty, her actions after of climbing that mountain just for eun-seops attention was also kinda crazy. I wish they showcased her begging a bit more, and being less nonchalant about the whole thing, after all trust is something that should be earned back- and I felt like FL forgave her too quickly in the end without bo-young grovelling enough.
The character of the FL didn't really resonate with me as much as the others did, although I understood her emotions and reasonings behind everything, she was a well written character but I don't particularly feel excited/amazed by her performance as much as some of the other actors in this drama.
Last thing I want to mention is the soundtrack- I give it a 10/10. The sad violin made me want to cry during the emotional parts, I really felt like it added to the atmosphere of the drama.
Overall A great show- amazing characters and acting, I really enjoyed this drama.
Now maybe it's because it's been a few years and i've grown and learnt ( and also have completely forgotten the plot)- this drama holds much more of a special meaning, and was 10x more captivating to me. The way it showcases bonds between family, between lovers, between two people that were technically strangers but had such an intertwined fate with each other from the begining- is so beautiful. I found myself crying multiple times through this and really being led through an emotional rollercoaster.
The first thing I want to mention is the character of im-hwi. She was hands down the BEST part of this drama. The way she rides round on her bike telling everyone to 'move out the way!", her unwavering and unapolagetically outgoing personality brightend up every scene she was in. The way she was so sure of herself, and the fact that she didn't care about what others thought of her, made me think "damn I wish I was that cool when I was her age". The scene she played with her brother when she thought he wouldn't come back was also so sweet to me, the way she displays concern and worry but also that of a typical teenager- was brilliant. Hats off to the writers for such an amazing character, I loved her so much and every scene she was in made me laugh out loud.
The way seo-kang Joon displays his want for the FL- the way he plays his character of 'wanting to belong'and 'not wanting to be left behind' is so heartbreaking but so beautiful. I found his story to be so lonely, and so sad, and I found myself wishing for his happiness the whole time. Even though it was implied multiple times that the FL may end up leaving, the way thier relationship was showcased sort of left you feeling a bit like "hmmm will she stay after all?" I found his acting to be so convincing and believable- the way it felt like you could sort of sense the fact that he was just waiting for her to leave him. The scene where she broke the news to him was even more saddening because he expected this, and just accepted it without saying a single word, it's very true to his character. The actor did an excellent job- the casting was amazing for this role.
The other realtionship dynamic that made me really sob was that of the FL's mum and her sister. It poses the question "what are you able to do for the people you truly love", and made me think about what I would do if I saw my own sister going through abuse- or the other way round- if my sister did something she shouldn't have. The way the aunt displays her guilt throughout the last few episodes- over what she has done, and how she can't come to live with herself for that- was also an amazing display of acting.
Next thing I want to mention is about the character of bo-young. I must say, the writers did a really good job in making me hate her. I really found myself annyoed by a lot of her actions, and the way she was so entitled to 'being forgiven' or feeling like she deserves to have her apology accepted. The main FL was right in being mad/not forgiving her- that was her choice to make and she doesn't owe anyone grace, especially for what she went throughin highschool. Towards the end- I sort of understood what bo-young meant about wanting to be forgiven after all. The idea that people hurt each other all the time in relationships- and 'can a relationship not have cracks? A table doesn't have to be perfect for you to sit on it'- makes sense, and deep bonds between two people can be broken but re-kindled. It was a bittersweet moment- because after all I still think that what she did was pretty petty, her actions after of climbing that mountain just for eun-seops attention was also kinda crazy. I wish they showcased her begging a bit more, and being less nonchalant about the whole thing, after all trust is something that should be earned back- and I felt like FL forgave her too quickly in the end without bo-young grovelling enough.
The character of the FL didn't really resonate with me as much as the others did, although I understood her emotions and reasonings behind everything, she was a well written character but I don't particularly feel excited/amazed by her performance as much as some of the other actors in this drama.
Last thing I want to mention is the soundtrack- I give it a 10/10. The sad violin made me want to cry during the emotional parts, I really felt like it added to the atmosphere of the drama.
Overall A great show- amazing characters and acting, I really enjoyed this drama.
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