3
This review may contain spoilers
Stalking 101; this one was not for me
The character writing for Ji An wasn’t particularly convincing enough for me to excuse all of her stalker-like crimes (yes, crimes). She faced no real consequences for stalking and wiretapping Dong Hun. And, of course, as viewers, we sympathize with Ji An, so we naturally don’t want anything bad to happen to her either.
Every time Ji An eavesdropped on Dong Hun’s personal life and became emotional, I think it was meant to be a touching scene. However, to me, it just felt creepy. Dong Hun’s privacy was invaded 24/7, yet no one seemed to be angry at Ji An for it. Instead, they supported her.
And then there’s Kwang Il. His character was written to be pitiful, in some ways mirroring Ji An. However, when half the comments are rooting for Kwang Il and Ji An to get together because of their "visual chemistry," I’m not sure the director and screenwriter fully conveyed the message they intended.
This drama certainly explores some thought-provoking themes, and it’s a fan favorite for a reason. I’m more critical of it because of the weight of these themes, and I believe that if they are going to be tackled, they need to be handled exceptionally well. This means portraying the main characters empathetically without erasing their mistakes. I’m not sure the drama succeeded in that aspect.
One big positive, however, was Dong Hun’s neighborhood. That alone kept me invested in the drama until the very end.
Every time Ji An eavesdropped on Dong Hun’s personal life and became emotional, I think it was meant to be a touching scene. However, to me, it just felt creepy. Dong Hun’s privacy was invaded 24/7, yet no one seemed to be angry at Ji An for it. Instead, they supported her.
And then there’s Kwang Il. His character was written to be pitiful, in some ways mirroring Ji An. However, when half the comments are rooting for Kwang Il and Ji An to get together because of their "visual chemistry," I’m not sure the director and screenwriter fully conveyed the message they intended.
This drama certainly explores some thought-provoking themes, and it’s a fan favorite for a reason. I’m more critical of it because of the weight of these themes, and I believe that if they are going to be tackled, they need to be handled exceptionally well. This means portraying the main characters empathetically without erasing their mistakes. I’m not sure the drama succeeded in that aspect.
One big positive, however, was Dong Hun’s neighborhood. That alone kept me invested in the drama until the very end.
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