addidubu

This script was not translated well.

i really wish i could give this kdrama a higher score because i love the original concept and the actors…but there are just too many things wrong with it. I had been waiting for this to come out for years and when it finally did, watching it was disappointing. Though I had signed up for a romantic comedy/drama piece about languages, i ended up watching something that is so stuck between multiple genres it can’t even be defined, and that’s not a compliment.

but first a less important reason to be disappointed: for a show supposedly about translating, the netflix subtitles do a horrid job of translating. yes of course there is a certain range of interpretation in between language but a lot of the time the main concept of what is being said was translated incorrectly. i was continuously yelling at my screen when i would hear one thing in korean and then something completely wrong on the subtitles. it wasn’t just up to interpretation it was a matter of correctly conveying the meaning of the original script. i blame netflix and whatever translator they hired. (should’ve hired joo hojin 😔) this is coming from someone who has spoken korean for 5 years and lived in korea, however im not a native or interpreter so take my words with a grain of salt.

now on to my main issue: the concept takes too many twists and turns that are never fully rendered. the elements are thrown in aimlessly to be fit together but none of it works. the genre change from romcom to kind of psychological mystery/drama while still holding on to romcom is not supported well enough by the script. However, this is not the fault of the actors. i actually feel they did a great job with the material given them, but the plot just has too many holes.

my first issue is that the concept of “i have multiple personalities (usually one evil one good) due to family trauma” is blatantly overdone and under researched frankly. The logistics of muhee’s psychological problem made no sense, emerged way too late in her life, and though i enjoyed the pressure that the hallucinations placed on her character the jump from hallucinations to complete body takeover was, honestly, unbelievable and felt rushed. i think one of the reasons it felt this way was because rami so frequently contradicted herself. One moment she appeared because hojin isn’t in her life? and the next she appeared because of her family? And she would try and separate hojin and muhee because she doesn’t deserve a happy ending, but then why does she set muhee up with hiro? You must pick one. It seriously seemed as if rami was merely an excuse to make muhee interact with the second lead because she wasn’t before. Or to add a tragic backstory. Seems the writers couldn’t pick..
And on that topic, rami’s character doesn’t even run away from muhee’s happiness as she claims to, she just causes useless trouble, drinking and spending her money. So clearly something is not aligning in the writing of the character. This made most of rami’s scenes feel forced and useless to the plot and romance. therefore episodes such as episode 9 when we only see rami it feels like there’s just zero plot, the entire hour is just do rami playing around with muhee’s life and nothing else is happening. Which I understand is somewhat the concept, she stems from muhee’s trauma and therefore isn’t necessarily good for her, but if i’m being honest everything do rami did made me want to throw a brick at my tv. she‘s rude impulsive and messy and worst of all it’s not even entertaining.

again, the whole plot just kept going back and forth, with few scenes to explain it. even though rami supposedly comes from her family trauma, there are probably three scenes with her family that are over 2 minutes long whether it be present or flashback. It felt like something was missing.

Theres also the excuse that muhee needs rami to do certain things for her or give her the confidence to do things, which is somewhat understandable, but even then that makes muhees character superficial. I don‘t want to root for a character like that, I’d rather root for muhee to find her own confidence.

Now, because of this useless character, the plot has taken 4 steps backwards, if do rami hadn‘t shown up in episode 7 the main leads would have gotten together and been happy, but instead by episode 10 they’re more awkward than they were before. it’s as if they forgot everything about the northern lights, their song, and the fact they already practically confessed to each other. the only thing keeping them apart is literally do rami. Which again, I understand to an extent, that IS the concept: her trauma is stopping her from being with Hojin. But it’s done incorrectly and too abruptly. So rather than make me sympathize for muhee’s pain, it just made me hate do rami. it‘s as if the writers just wanted to prolong the story by adding a new storyline but didn’t put much thought into exactly how it would fit together.

additionally a good twist is one in which the viewer likes the new concept more than the original concept but this just wasn’t happening for me. it’s okay to just have a nice romance especially one that had a concept as cool as what was presented in the first 6 episodes. Even by the first episode I was hooked line and sinker with such an interesting concept around languages, interpretation, and love, and it stayed that way for a good while. That’s why the switch felt way too sudden and left a bland taste in my mouth.

i have no problem with shifts but they need to be done right. when it comes down to it you can’t lie to your audience as much as you want twists to be shocking and surprising.

As far as psychological concepts go too, even if i was prepared for it, it sucks. again, poor writing, overdone concept, lack of research into actual mental health and psychological issues. if i could rewrite this script with a bright red pen marking everywhere i think went wrong and have it sent to the writer i would do it without hesitation. and most of it would be cutting do rami out of the script.

Finally onto the redeeming qualities and why i didn’t give this drama a 1/10
- Kim Seonho and Go Yoonjung’s acting was phenomenal and honestly saved the script. Especially the emotional scenes. Both actors have a great depth to their work and they fit together so well.
- the cinematography was gorgeous. no notes.
- the original plot, which, had it held up for the entirety of the drama, would have made it a 10/10 for me.
- the romance was exhilarating and despite its frustrating circular pattern kept me watching the show
- and on that note the chemistry between the characters! you can see them yearning for one another and returning back to the other despite any best judgement that tells them not to. even when they try their best to be separate they cannot stay away and that’s the kind of romance i want to see
- the japanese actor, sota fukushi, played his part so well and he also had a great emotional acting range.
- the use of so many languages. what a great concept. seeing kim seonho speak so many languages and it being used heavily in the script was a YES for me. Loved every second.
- The ost: What great songs!! seriously i loved how they fit with the story. And i definitely added them to my playlist. (except for the weird creepy music that played when rami was on screen, but that’s like one song)

Overall: if you like the show i won’t disagree with you, it is not a bad watch, but you cannot deny the writing is bad, superficial, and probably needed a few more weeks of editing. i think this show could have been something great if they had stuck with the original concept and gone with a heartwarming, amazingly cinematic romantic comedy that features multiple languages, drama, multiple countries, and a bit of cheeky humor. Even if they wanted to do it the way it is now just with a more cohesive plot then it could have scored way higher on my charts.

Still, i wont tell you not to watch it. if you’re into that kind of poorly written psychological writing go ahead and knock yourself out. if i had known before hand it would be that way i might have at least been able to accept its twists and turns. Rather its stuck between different genres and concepts, kind of like do rami, except just like her, none of it is logical at all. its like i bought an apple only to bite into it and find out it’s a mushroom. and i hate mushrooms.

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