Liz

“You told me that… time finally seems to be flowing. That’s enough. Don’t forget that. Keep thinking that way. No. That’s because you’re here. No. You can do it without me, too. We created this week together.”

If I had to talk about “Way Back Love” I would compare it to that comma followed by the adverb “too”. “You can do it without me, too.” That comma here takes on a symbolic meaning, becoming, in the very short break it creates in the sentence, an acknowledgement of the pain and the distress Jung Hee Wan who is also Kim Ram Woo is feeling. It also highlights the half-eaten regret voiced by Kim Ram Woo who is also Jung Hee Wan who wished he didn’t have to end his sentences with “too”. The adverb “too” contains their memories, their persevering love, the hole in their hearts that will never close. That “too” embodies how Jung Hee Wan will always miss Kim Ram Woo, will long for him as she tries to keep on living, to remember that that “too” is her strength but also a promise: the time they had won’t disappear, but the time she has now cannot be wasted.

The sentences I quoted in the beginning of this review says so much about the drama itself, but also its characters. Jung Hee Wan, Kim Ram Woo, Yoon Tae Gyeong, Lee Hong Seok, Hee Wan’s and Ram Woo’s family, they all have one thing in common: they love each other in the most genuine way. The love they give is one that pulses with every heartbeat, it’s one as malleable as clay, it transforms as the people they love grow and change. But it remains, always, everlasting. It’s a love that understands and doesn’t judge. It’s a love that brings out the best in people without trying to.

Ram Woo is a character that simply radiates kindness and Gong Yung’s embodied this trait so well with his gazes and his shy smiles. Watching him fall in love with Hee Wan warmed my heart. With only six episodes, Ram Woo and Hee Wan’s romance didn’t feel rushed at all and what a relieve it is to finally watch a drama with relationships that make sense. Their love is not told but shown in the way they look at each other, the way they talk and behave. That’s what I want more of! A simple “I love you” won’t cut it. Make me believe in the love characters share and I will stop complaining (I’ll tone it down at least). When they caught each other’s eyes during classes… Yes, I acted all silly because it was cute. It was innocent and beautiful. Them realising their feelings for each other was beautiful. And what should have become their fondest memories – the moment they voiced out their love to each other – it turned out to be the most tragic day of their lives.

Losing someone close to you is a pain so deep that words fail me. What words can come close to describing the hollow it leaves in your body and soul? When you grow up, go through the different stages of life, and they’re not by your side to live them with you. When time makes no sense to you anymore because the days feel all the same, because you see people whose life has resumed and yours has simply stopped and you don’t get it. There is nothing to understand, however finding a reason to explain what cannot be explained provides the illusion of comfort. Grief is a mystery. It’s both the purest form of love and the greatest sorrow. Kim Min Ha somehow succeeded to make us experience it and she was phenomenal. Her acting has such a rawness to it that whenever she cried, my throat tightened.
Her micro-expressions made the contrast between high-school Hee Wan and college Hee Wan all the more striking. “What happened to you, Kim Ram Woo?” Grief. One word, a thousand realities.

Since this review is a failed attempt to articulate my thoughts around this drama, I’ll simply end with what I adored: the relationship between the different characters.
The friendship between Hee Wan and Tae Gyeong and between Ram Woo and Hong Seok were such a delight to watch. Love that the drama took some time to develop their friendship despite the few episodes. One of my favourite moments in the drama is definitely the talk between Hee Wan and Hong Seok in present time, when Hong Seok gently but firmly states that he, too, did not overcome the void the passing of his best friend caused and that Hee Wan has no right to judge him on the way he lives his life. This scene was a stunning reminder of the complexity of grief and the many faces it can take.
I also loved the moments between Hee Wan and Ram Woo’s mother, Kim Jeong Seok. So often in life, you form bonds with the relatives of your friends and partners and yet when a breakup occurs, you both lose a friend or a partner and the bonds you formed with their family. This loss is rarely talked about. “She’s important to me, too.” Hee Wan’s reunion with Jeong Seok was healing to the both of them and it was beautiful to watch.

My review is repetitive but what this drama showed the viewers was nothing but beautiful. The heartfelt script allowed for complex topics to be addressed without judgement. The characters were all there to support each other. Ram Woo’s loss was a tragedy and, paradoxically, him coming back, allowing Hee Wan to starts her grieving, made her see that people might look like they have moved on but the hurt lingers. And that’s okay. Nothing will fill the void Ram Woo left in the lives of the people who loved him and this is proof of how loved he was and will always be. However, this love that started in high school, the kindness shared, the memories formed, the resolved misunderstandings, the pain experienced, Hee Wan is now able to live with it. She was always able to but Ram Woo brought the reassurance she needed. “You’re Jung Hee Wan and also Kim Ram Woo.” That kindness is something Hee Wan holds within too and it’s a flower Ram Woo wishes to see grow, even without him. “Because to us, loving myself means loving you.” Hee Wan, with her way with words, her paintings, her joy and sorrows, is someone to be treasured, by herself most importantly. This is exactly how I envision love: a feeling that, when received, helps you grow and when gone, remains a warmth in the pit of your stomach that reminds you that you are worth it and that you can do it on your own, too.