Sana

My Dear Donovan is one of those dramas that started with an interesting concept but gradually turned into a rather ridiculous soap opera. I went into it hoping for a good romance, especially because I liked the chemistry between the leads, the background narration, and the way the story was presented. For a while, I genuinely thought we might get a lovely couple and an entertaining story. Unfortunately, things didn't quite turn out that way.

The drama has quite a large cast, but despite introducing so many characters, it doesn't do much with their development. There are plenty of ups and downs, questionable decisions, and situations that make you wonder what the writers were thinking. Some plot points could have been interesting if they had been explored properly, but instead, the story often feels like one dramatic incident after another without much depth or meaningful resolution.

One thing I particularly dislike in some short C-dramas is how male leads are objectified, with the story seemingly revolving around showing off their abs and creating kissing scenes for the audience. I've watched a few dramas like that, and I've even developed a mental list of actors I tend to avoid because of how heavily they're objectified. Unfortunately, My Dear Donovan occasionally gave me a similar feeling. I'm glad viewers brought this up in the comments and reviews because it's something worth discussing. There's nothing wrong with attractive actors or romantic scenes, but they shouldn't become the entire selling point of a character.

Coming to the romance, I did enjoy Pam and Dino together. Namtan and Luke have lovely chemistry, and their interactions were probably one of the reasons I continued watching. However, I wasn't particularly happy with how the drama glossed over Dino's cheating. Their romance was cute, but that aspect deserved more acknowledgment rather than being brushed aside. Dino himself was quite frustrating as a male lead. I liked his backstory involving his sister, but overall, he wasn't a particularly well-developed character.

The love triangle involving Aood was one of the better-executed parts of the story, although it still felt somewhat one-dimensional. On the other hand, the whole trope of women constantly fighting over a man needs to go. Jessica and Da were doing far too much over someone who wasn't even interested in them. The repeated interactions and romantic attention surrounding the same characters also became rather monotonous.

And then there are the two rather crazy women whose scenes initially annoyed me but eventually became so over-the-top that I couldn't help laughing. Honestly, the plot gets so ridiculous at certain points that you stop taking it seriously and just enjoy the absurdity. Namtan really carried this drama on her back. She's far too good an actress for some of the material she was given, and I wish the writing had done more justice to her performance.

I also had issues with some of the family dynamics. The grandfather was incredibly controlling, selfish, and openly prejudiced. He was more of a dictator than a caring family elder. Dino's mother wasn't much better in terms of emotional depth. Her relationship with her daughter needed more than a verbal apology to feel genuinely repaired. These relationships had the potential to add something meaningful to the story, but they were handled rather superficially.

However, my biggest issue was how the drama handled sexual harassment.

Dino being drugged and sexually harassed was an extremely serious storyline, and I was disappointed by how poorly it was addressed. Drugging someone and taking advantage of them is not flirting or harmless romantic comedy material. It is sexual assault, regardless of the victim's gender. If a drama chooses to include something this sensitive, it needs to treat it with the seriousness it deserves. Being a male victim doesn't make the situation any less disturbing, and I really didn't appreciate how casually the show handled it.

As for the ending, the last episode was particularly disappointing. The grandfather pointing a gun at someone and then everyone seemingly moving on as if nothing particularly serious had happened was ridiculous. There was no satisfying sense of consequence or resolution. After everything the characters went through, I expected a much better conclusion.

Despite all this, I can't say I completely regret watching it. There were moments when I genuinely enjoyed myself, the leads had chemistry, and Namtan's performance was a highlight. The background narration also added something to the viewing experience, and I liked Pam's styling throughout the drama.

Overall, My Dear Donovan was a mixed bag. It had an interesting starting concept, an enjoyable lead pairing, and a few genuinely entertaining moments, but weak character development, repetitive romantic conflicts, questionable writing, and the mishandling of serious issues held it back. It ended up being more ridiculous than romantic, and while I laughed quite a bit, I wouldn't call it a particularly good drama. For me, it's a one-time watch, mainly for Namtan and the occasional entertainment value.