This review may contain spoilers
This could have been one of the best romantic dramas ever made... but it is not.
The premise of this drama is unique. It feels like a one-of-a-kind story that cannot be easily replicated again by another drama. It is for this very reason that my expectations for this drama were very very high. It could even have been one of the best romantic dramas ever created in my view.
In the first few episodes, this is exactly the kind of story we're seeing. But gradually, one disappointment after the other happens. Why??? The writers making bad choices regarding the development of the story throughout the episodes.
Ep 1/2 were absolutely perfect. They nailed it. The dramas story and the FL is introduced perfectly. The drama seems very promising.
Ep 3/6 were nearly perfect as well. The confusion and drama that happens is just perfect as a result of the ML discovering the "truth" about the FL.
From this moment forward there will be (a few) more detailed spoilers.
Ep 7/8: this is where the drama starts dropping. The writers start to make bad choices from now on.
1) A love triangle appears out of nowhere. There is no indication in ep 1/3 that 2ML even likes FL, but then he suddenly does from ep 6/7 onwards.
2) The 2FL keeps pursuing the 2ML despite the fact that he actively pursues the FL. The 2FL is being treated badly and she happily accepts it. The 2FL's story keeps getting worse and worse until the very end of this drama.
3) This is by far the biggest problem. The lies of the FL are dragged on for too long. As the viewer, you can predict how many issues there are still going to be after the ML discovers the FL's secret. The story will be far from over. The writers decided that ep 9-14 would be enough episodes left for the remainder of the story. --> They were wrong.
Ep 9 is, yet again, a great episode.
Ep 10 is an episode with more nonsense following the bad choices made by the writers in ep 7/8.
But then, yet again, writers made some bad choices around (ending of) ep 10-11. The writers provide themselves with a unique opportunity to save the 2FL and 2ML romance story by giving them a second chance. A very short moment during the fire shows how the 2ML instinctively protects the 2FL with his own body. A romance could have been developed from there. But what did the writers do? At first, hope is given, but then... a flat-out rejection. Any hope for a second lead romance in this drama is gone. And if the 2nd leads would have ended up together, it would have not have made sense either given the events occuring in eps 5-12.
Then what about the main leads in ep 11/12? Their story seems great, although it feels a little strange and forced at moments, especially the acting. The acting in ep 1/6 is more natural, so is the chemistry.
And then... ep 13/14. I was worried about the preview after ep 12, and while watching the last episodes, I realized that I had severely underestimated my fears. What a horrible horrible ending does this show have.
Why??? --> bad choices by the writers, once againg, and quite many of them.
1) The premise of this drama is unique. It is a unique story, but what do the writers do in ep 13/14? They fall back to one classic typical kdrama trope after another. Typical kdrama tropes simply did not fit in this story for the very reason that this story is not typical. It completely ruined the ending.
2) So many side stories were written into this drama, and pretty much every single one of them has been rushed off (some of them even ofscreen), not in a satisfying way or with a satisfying ending. ML's mother struggle for a divorce --> 2 scenes... 2FL father who wants to marry off his daughter --> nothing... FL's sister --> nothing... ML's secretary romance with one of the employees --> 3 scenes...
In short, several episodes could have been cut short and rewritten entirely to cut down the nonsense and give room to actual story, character and romance development. --> the result? 8 minutes.... 8 freaking minutes of happy ending, that's it.
In the first few episodes, this is exactly the kind of story we're seeing. But gradually, one disappointment after the other happens. Why??? The writers making bad choices regarding the development of the story throughout the episodes.
Ep 1/2 were absolutely perfect. They nailed it. The dramas story and the FL is introduced perfectly. The drama seems very promising.
Ep 3/6 were nearly perfect as well. The confusion and drama that happens is just perfect as a result of the ML discovering the "truth" about the FL.
From this moment forward there will be (a few) more detailed spoilers.
Ep 7/8: this is where the drama starts dropping. The writers start to make bad choices from now on.
1) A love triangle appears out of nowhere. There is no indication in ep 1/3 that 2ML even likes FL, but then he suddenly does from ep 6/7 onwards.
2) The 2FL keeps pursuing the 2ML despite the fact that he actively pursues the FL. The 2FL is being treated badly and she happily accepts it. The 2FL's story keeps getting worse and worse until the very end of this drama.
3) This is by far the biggest problem. The lies of the FL are dragged on for too long. As the viewer, you can predict how many issues there are still going to be after the ML discovers the FL's secret. The story will be far from over. The writers decided that ep 9-14 would be enough episodes left for the remainder of the story. --> They were wrong.
Ep 9 is, yet again, a great episode.
Ep 10 is an episode with more nonsense following the bad choices made by the writers in ep 7/8.
But then, yet again, writers made some bad choices around (ending of) ep 10-11. The writers provide themselves with a unique opportunity to save the 2FL and 2ML romance story by giving them a second chance. A very short moment during the fire shows how the 2ML instinctively protects the 2FL with his own body. A romance could have been developed from there. But what did the writers do? At first, hope is given, but then... a flat-out rejection. Any hope for a second lead romance in this drama is gone. And if the 2nd leads would have ended up together, it would have not have made sense either given the events occuring in eps 5-12.
Then what about the main leads in ep 11/12? Their story seems great, although it feels a little strange and forced at moments, especially the acting. The acting in ep 1/6 is more natural, so is the chemistry.
And then... ep 13/14. I was worried about the preview after ep 12, and while watching the last episodes, I realized that I had severely underestimated my fears. What a horrible horrible ending does this show have.
Why??? --> bad choices by the writers, once againg, and quite many of them.
1) The premise of this drama is unique. It is a unique story, but what do the writers do in ep 13/14? They fall back to one classic typical kdrama trope after another. Typical kdrama tropes simply did not fit in this story for the very reason that this story is not typical. It completely ruined the ending.
2) So many side stories were written into this drama, and pretty much every single one of them has been rushed off (some of them even ofscreen), not in a satisfying way or with a satisfying ending. ML's mother struggle for a divorce --> 2 scenes... 2FL father who wants to marry off his daughter --> nothing... FL's sister --> nothing... ML's secretary romance with one of the employees --> 3 scenes...
In short, several episodes could have been cut short and rewritten entirely to cut down the nonsense and give room to actual story, character and romance development. --> the result? 8 minutes.... 8 freaking minutes of happy ending, that's it.
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