drama-insomnia

Unique Take on the Revenge Genre

Legend of Zang Hai starts off with a bang. The first episode will have you on the edge of your seat and rooting for him to do absolutely anything to achieve his revenge. There are many historical revenge type dramas out there and this one felt very different, which in large part is because Zang Hai can’t fight. He’s not physically strong, he can’t take anyone in a fight, he’s not doing any crazy martial arts or flying around like in many others. His lack of physical strength means that he has to accomplish his revenge mostly just through his own wits. Seeing Zang Hai act as a puppet master to enact his revenge was fascinating.

My main complaint is that the end of the show had a bit of a pacing problem. They killed off the most interesting and complex villain in the middle, and the final villain felt incredibly flat in comparison. The most interesting relationships to watch ended or disappeared for much of the end, which did reduce my interest in this drama.

Legend of Zang Hai had unique writing and felt like it was playing with some drama stereotypes in an interesting way. Not only can the male lead not fight, but the female lead can and is able to act as his executioner or backup. While the romance was a pretty minor focus, they also avoided the very overdone trope where they have to choose between love and revenge. The female lead had a very interesting backstory and personality herself, and while it could have been more developed, it was clear that this was meant to be about Zang Hai.

Read More

Blossom starts off with a bang. The first episode was captivating, from the instant connection of the lead characters to the stunning visuals and then the shocking and tragic ending. It raised expectations very high and then was followed by a couple really boring episodes, which highlights the unevenness of this show. The first episode and then most of the middle episodes were fantastic, but by the end it felt pretty boring.

One of the strengths was the chemistry between the leads. From the second they meet on screen, their chemistry was electric and this connection made it feel believable that such a short interaction would leave a permanent impression on them both. Song Mo was such a green flag male lead and their beautiful relationship was such an effective contrast to her previous life and marriage. Dou Zhao was an impressive female lead and so easy to root for. She was so smart and cunning - it was so satisfying to see her win. She was not the damsel who always needed Song Mo to come and save her; in fact, she was often the one who saved him and she was more than capable of also saving herself. The other women in Dou Zhao’s life - especially her guards/maids and her cousin - were a lot of fun to watch.

The show really held up until the last ten or so episodes. For a revenge show, Song Mo’s revenge felt very lackluster at the end and kind of like an afterthought. It felt like they were trying too hard to distance him from who he was in his previous life, but it didn’t make a lot of sense for a revenge-seeking general to not take more action. The switch to the focus on the new villain at the end was definitely the worst part. The character made little sense, the performance was not good, and it was incredibly obvious to see it coming, which made it feel unbelievable that other characters did not. So much screen time was taken up by this plot at the end and I had to skip a lot of scenes.

The pacing towards the end was very strange because many of the side characters storylines were way too drawn out but the ending also felt rushed as they tried to tie everything together. The rush caused the revenge and also the resolution of Song Mo’s illness to feel very unsatisfying and unrealistic. It was nice to see the couple in their happy ending though. I think Blossom is worth a watch for the characters, especially Dou Zhao, and the romance, but this wouldn't be the one I’d recommend to someone looking for a revenge story.

Read More

Way Better Than Expected

I feel like I’d only ever heard bad things about King the Land, but I’m really glad I decided to give it a chance! If you are looking for a really fluffy romcom, this is a perfect choice.

I had only ever seen Jun Ho is Just Between Lovers, which is a show with a drastically different tone, so I knew he was an amazing actor. He took a character who could have been just irritating and made him really endearing and charming. The leads had great chemistry and a sweet romance. It felt like their romance developed really naturally.

There have been so many CEO and poor girl romances done already, but King the Land did stick out. It was an unexpected surprise that they spent a lot of time focusing on workers rights, unions, class inequality, and a lot of things that other CEO dramas would never touch on. While the female lead does have to point out a lot of his ignorance and incorrect assumptions at the beginning, it felt refreshing that he took a lot of initiative to fix those things and educate himself instead of expecting her to. He was also very charmingly down to earth and especially the scenes of him interacting with her grandma and friends were very sweet.

The friendships were a huge strength of the show. The core three female friends had a really fun and realistic friendship, and they were all great characters. It was also a lot of fun that they all formed one big friend group, which isn’t something that is often seen. The second romance was also great and the second male lead was so sweet that I wanted him to have more screen time! The only person whose storyline was really disappointing was the married friend. Her husband was such a loser who was so disrespectful to her, and she should have had a much better and empowering ending. His behavior also felt like it was played way too much for laughs when it was actually really upsetting what he was doing.

There were some other small disappointments, like not as much resolution or explanation of the male lead’s family as was needed. I think I would have rated this series very high if it had been 12 episodes, maybe even 14. For a fluffy romcom with minimal conflict 16 full length episodes just feels way too long. It got a little boring towards the end because they’d run out of story. I still think this drama is worth the watch and I can see it being a good comfort rewatch. The couple has such a healthy and sweet relationship. There are lots of swoonworthy moments and a lot of the best tropes.

Read More

The beginning of this drama was a little rough and it was hard for me to get into. It wasn’t until around episode 11 that I felt the show hooked me, which is way too long. This show is often recommended as a comp to Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha and since that’s one of my favorite dramas, I was very excited to try this one, but it does not have much in common with HCCC except its seaside location.

The scandal that ruined Sam-dal’s career felt a little weak and didn’t seem like something that would make that big of an impact or attract that much media attention. The girl that orchestrated it all was infuriating to watch and it was so easy to root for her downfall.

Everyone in this show was an alcoholic. Characters get drunk in dramas all the time, but this was on another level. Sam-dal and her sisters did nothing but pound beer and black out. It was pretty annoying to watch. Both of her sisters were really compelling characters with great romances, but it didn’t seem like they got enough time to explore their backstories or romances in depth, so it ended up feeling like a bit of a letdown.

Yong-pil was really the highlight of the show. Ji Chang-Wook is great at romance and he played this super endearing and sweet male lead so well. I found the relationship timeline to be a little confusing, but I was rooting for them to get back together. He and Sam-dal had the cutest relationship. It felt a little hard to understand why they weren’t together. The character ages made it less believable because they were in their late thirties and it just doesn’t seem like his dad’s approval would be something that could keep them apart. The dad was truly such a terrible man, the true villain of the show, and he did not deserve a redemption arc.

There is some great family dynamics, romance, and an exploration of finding yourself after getting knocked down real hard that all worked so well in this show. I think if this show had been shorter, it would have worked better, but I still think it was worth a watch overall.

Read More

Tragic Love

Come and Hug Me starts off so strong with a focus on flashbacks of the main characters to when they met in childhood. As their tragic backstory unfolds, it explains why they lost touch and why things are as they are for the characters as adults. The actors playing the younger versions of the main characters really stole the show, especially the young male lead actor. The younger actors were so compelling and had fantastic chemistry, which I felt that the older actors were not able to duplicate. This is a rare case where I wanted to see a lot more flashbacks than we got, as they mostly stop after the beginning of the show.

The story was much darker than I expected. Everyone in the show is traumatized and just expressing it in different ways. I found Hyeon-mu, the brother of the male lead, to be one of the most compelling characters as he grappled with his loyalty to his biological family and his desire to belong in his found family where he felt unwanted. The dynamic between him, the male lead, and the stepmother and sister was one of the best parts of the show and I wish there was more of it, both in present day and in the flashbacks.

A lot of the present day storylines with the media and police were a little weak. The reporters, especially the main woman, were so cartoonishly evil and stupid that it felt pretty silly and annoying at times. It was also hard to get past the idea that both a detective and prosecutor would be able to be the leads on a case involving their direct family members.

The performance of the actor playing Hui-Jae was a highlight even though it was disturbing because he captured a psychopathic serial killer so well. He had a way of acting like a normal person and then letting the mask drop that was truly chilling. Even though most of the violence and gore is not shown in detail, his performance made this show very tense and even scary at times.

I think Come and Hug Me would have been a better show if it was shorter, maybe 12-14 episodes instead of 16. It was really dragging by the end. This show really did make me feel things and there were some really good performances, especially at the beginning of the show. Even with some of the plot and character issues, it could still be worth a watch if you want a sad romance.

Read More

Cute Romance, Terrible Pacing

The Love You Give Me started off great and had a lot of promise to be a fun, sweet romcom and it might have stayed that way, if this show had been 20 episodes or less. There was not enough story for them to make this show so long and it felt like the writers were making up for this by throwing in annoying conflicts to keep this couple apart and prolong the story.

The lead actors had great chemistry and I kept watching because they were very cute together. The child actor who plays their son was adorable and their little family was very sweet to watch. The dynamic between the dad and the little boy was a highlight of the show.

The enemies/exes to lovers trope was really good and the two actors had great chemistry with each other, but the pacing felt so off with the execution. The tension of them being enemies was over very quickly, he found out about their son so early on, and they moved into co-parenting and being friends within a few episodes! It left very little plot for the rest of the show.

The final third of the show was very irritating to watch. It felt like this couple would take one step forward and two steps back. The other two side couples in this show were very uninteresting and had way too much screen time, especially at the end. I didn’t buy that either of those couples would be together. There was far too much time given to the company storylines that weren’t very interesting to start off with.

The flashbacks to the couple’s past at the end of each episode were really cute but the rest of the backstory was an absolute mess. When they did the full reveal as to what had happened, that was around the time I lost almost all interest in the show. I ended up fastforwarding through the majority of the last few episodes.

If they had significantly shortened this show to focus on the romance and take out some of the contrived conflicts, I would have liked it a lot better. There are great elements - the chemistry of the main couple, the adorable kid playing their son, strong characterization of both lead characters - but it wasn’t enough to combat a lot of the really boring filler.

Read More

Severe Second Male Lead Syndrome

The first episode (or two episodes as it’s listed on MDL) was amazing. It was one of the best first episodes of a drama I’ve ever seen and set my expectations sky high. Unfortunately, the first episode was the highlight of the show.

The execution of the romance was one of the biggest issues. While the connection was there at the beginning, it really seemed to fade throughout the show and they stopped seeming romantic. Both the male and female main leads were odd characters on their own, and the two of them together seemed to magnify their awkwardness. Jung Hae-in plays one of the best second male leads in history and it was impossible not to root for him. I loved his character on his own, I loved his friendship with the leads, he was great. The show did handle his character’s feelings towards Hong-ju, the female main character, very well. His character deserved more screen time and a romance plot line of his own.

The psychic dreams started off extremely interesting but the show continued to complicate the lore so that by the end it was just very confusing. It did make for exciting storylines because they were all foreseeing each other’s deaths and then coming to save them. The thing that seemed crazy was that they weren’t better at saving the day when they would have all the details about a tragic event and somehow barely get there in time. It’s just to add the drama but it was a little annoying. Hong-ju made a lot of really bizarre decisions, even while having the knowledge from her dreams.

We all know childhood connections are very overplayed and this one did not work at all. The “twist” of the flashbacks was so unbelievably obvious but the show kept drawing it out as this great supposed mystery. If they were going to have their pasts connect, they could have done it in a much more interesting way. With all the time spent on their connection, the show didn’t spend enough explaining other parts of the main character’s backstories.

While You Were Sleeping has a pretty large cast of characters and a lot of the side characters were great. Firstly, Hong-ju’s mom was very funny and she got to interact with a ton of the other characters. The way she kept score of her daughter’s love interests was one of my highlights. The other prosecutors in Jae-chan’s office started out annoying but became funny and charming over the course of the show. The office romance was another really great side plot.

The beginning of While You Were Sleeping started off so strong for me and it just felt that it had lost some of the magic along the way. I did really enjoy a lot of the show, but the boring main romance and stupid character decisions brought it down a bit for me.

Read More

For Fans of the Friends to Lovers Trope

Fight for My Way is friends to lovers at its peak. The show spent time building up the friendship between Ae-ra and Dong-man so that it felt really believable that they had been best friends for decades. Their banter, jokes, familiarity, and teasing felt very genuine. Fight for My Way felt very different in its portrayal of friends to lovers because there was a lot of honesty and vulnerability when they were coming to terms with their feelings for each other. I loved that they were constantly saying little things before they got together about how the other was making their heart flutter or that they had the impulse to kiss. The two of them were navigating their feelings together and being very cautious about it because it is the most important relationship in their lives. The evolution of their friendship into something more was an absolute delight to watch and the show leaned into the awkwardness that would come with wanting to be romantic and physical with your very best friend in a very charming and endearing way.

While I did have some issues with the storyline around Ae-ra and Dong-man, especially their last minute breakup, most of my gripes were with the other storylines. They have two other best friends that are a couple and he just did not deserve her in any way. Seol-hee was wonderful, genuinely so kind, and seeing the way her boyfriend treated her was so upsetting. It felt like the show really let him off the hook when he did not deserve it. She could have done much better and I would have preferred seeing her storyline be about finding someone who really appreciates her and her getting the life she’s dreamt of. Dong-man’s ex was another character who it felt like the show took it really easy on. She was infuriating to watch and a lot of her behaviors were actually illegal.

The show would have played much better if they just wrote out the entire landlady storyline. It was not executed well and it was very rushed because they waited until the end to reveal anything. It wasn’t needed and it would have been better if they used that time to focus on other relationships in the show that did really work, like Ae-ra and Dong-man’s families.

I loved both Ae-ra and Dong-man individually as characters, in addition to their relationship. Both actors had great performances and fantastic chemistry. This is the perfect pick if you’re looking for a show with the friends to lovers trope.

Read More

I’ve never seen Go Ahead but I was immediately drawn to this show after seeing the previews. Starting from the first episode I loved the characters and their little family. The main dad is so precious and he had such a great dynamic with each of the kids and the other dad as well. I think I liked the first half of this show better, which starts off when they are little kids and then focuses on them in high school. The three younger leads, San-ha, Ju-won, and Hae-jun were all such well-written characters and the actors had amazing performances. Between San-ha and Hae-Jun’s backstories I think I was crying every episode.

The first half of the show did a good job showing the connections between all of the characters and highlighting each person’s personality and backstory. When they had the two boys leave home and then the show did the time jump, it didn’t feel quite the same after. I always loved San-ha and I thought that he had good chemistry with Ju-won, but their courtship felt so extremely rushed. I didn’t have an issue with them getting together but it seemed that Ju-won had no time to process his feelings about her and then think about her own. The show was running out of episodes and needed to have them get together, so it didn’t feel organic. The show could’ve benefitted from another couple episodes. Similarly, I loved Dal and was rooting for her to get Hae-jun, but it felt like another case of not having enough time for Hae-jun to reflect on his feelings and then decide to pursue her. I did really love that couple but I would’ve liked their romance to be built up a little more.

San-ha’s mom was truly diabolical and it killed me that the show and the characters never gave her what she deserved. I know the actress did a great job because I wanted to slap her every time she appeared on the screen.

The heart of the show truly was Ju-won’s dad. His and Hae-jun’s relationship was the source of most of my tears from this show; there were so many heartwarming moments showing how much he loved his son. One of the reasons I think the show worked better for me at the beginning is that I think the strength is the portrayal of their family dynamic. Even just the scenes where they were eating dinner together were fun to watch. Even with my few issues with the last few episodes, I still really loved this show and can see a rewatch in my future!

Read More

Don’t Watch for the Plot, Just Seo In Guk

The Smile Has Left Your Eyes is not a show, in my opinion, that you can watch for the plot because the writing is extremely weak. The characters made little to no sense as the writers couldn’t seem to be consistent about any of their personalities.

The absolute weakest part of this show was the brother. His character made no sense and did the craziest things you’ve ever seen, with somehow little to no reaction from the other characters. His relationship with Seo In Guk’s character changes drastically from scene to scene with no explanation. His relationship with his sister also felt very off. Her characterization was pretty weak and only Jung So-min’s fantastic acting saved it. Her character’s reactions to some of the things that her brother did felt like a reaction that no human would ever have. It felt so bizarre that it completely took me out of the story.

With all of the weak points aside, this is Seo In-guk’s drama. I didn’t know much of him before this and it made me a fan. His character is dark and manipulative, but also magnetic. His performance was so expressive; I could’ve watched him smirk all day. It was easy to understand how Jung So-min’s character was pulled into his orbit. The chemistry between the two of them was what kept me watching. I’ve never seen Jung So-min not have great chemistry with someone in a drama before, but hers with Seo In-guk might be the best. Their characters had great physical chemistry but they also depicted intimacy and connection in a beautiful way as well.

I think this show makes little to no sense in terms of the characters and the story. In order to enjoy it, I think you have to watch it for the vibes. It’s a dark, melancholy show with these deeply flawed characters that are inexplicably drawn to each other. If that’s what you’re looking for, it’s still worth watching, I’d just say to set aside your expectations for the writing.

Read More

Lighter and Princess is enemies to lovers done right. The tension between the two main characters was next level and their chemistry was obvious in every scene.

When the story starts off in present day, it’s very intriguing and you want to know more, but then it quickly jumps to flashbacks and stays there for much longer than expected. Parts of the flashbacks to college dragged on and there was a bit too much focus on school projects, but their evolution from strangers to rivals to friends to lovers was fantastic. The two of them felt like opposites in most ways but for some reason they seemed to get each other. The development of their relationship felt really organic. It was a little disappointing that they got together and the story immediately flashed forward three years, as it would have been great to see more of them as a happy couple in college, although what they did show was adorable.

The main conflict that unfolds at the end of the college storyline was a little strange. For two supposed geniuses, neither the villain nor Li Xun seemed to have particularly good plans. Li Xun could be very impulsive and hotheaded but, since they showed that he did plan his revenge, I would have expected it to be better. The way that he treated Zhu Yun felt pretty unnecessary.

At this point the story flashes forward another three years, to where they started in the first episode. One thing I found kind of bizarre was that they chose to have only three years pass since the end of the college storyline, but the characters really acted like it had been at least 10 years. Zhu Yun helped Li Xun get back on his feet and even though he really didn’t deserve it, it was satisfying to see her use her accomplishments, skill, and charm to get what she wanted for both of them. The company they both begin to work at became one of my favorite parts of the show. All the coworkers were shipping the two of them so hard and it made for a lot of comedic scenes. The chemistry the two of them had in the scenes when they are older showed how they had changed and it was darker and more mature than before. I really enjoyed the second half of the show because of their sizzling chemistry.

Li Xun was definitely a bit of a red flag and he did say some very hurtful things to Zhu Yun. Even if you could tell he was trying to push her away and that he felt bad, there was never enough of an apology to her. She gave and gave to him and he really needed to grovel instead of giving a short apology. However, even before they got back together, this couple was really the definition of a couple that would burn down the world for each other. Even though Zhu Yun did put up with a lot from Li Xun, she wasn’t willing to take any bullying from others, whether it was towards herself or Li Xun. I love seeing a protective female lead. Towards the end, the couple was very cute, I just would have liked them to get back together a little sooner.

Old Gao, their classmate turned villain, was a classic insecure man and I didn’t have a lot of sympathy for him. Li Xun definitely screwed him over a few times but Old Gao’s level of anger felt way too high for the situation. It was obvious that he actually resented Li Xun so deeply because he was jealous that Li Xun was smarter, better, and attractive to women. Li Xun’s trust in him felt insane to me when it was obvious how much Old Gao resented him. The resolution of this storyline in the end was such a disappointment and felt like a total cop out. I wished they’d gone a different way with it.

I could not stop watching this show and I binged it so fast. The chemistry was fantastic, the music was amazing, and there was a good balance between darker, lighter, and more comedic elements.

Read More

I actually ended up watching When the Weather is Fine during the summer, but it was such a perfect cozy show that I’m going to have to do a rewatch in the winter. I was shocked at how much I loved this one from the beginning because it’s very slow but it was so atmospheric and beautiful that it really drew in. The cinematography of this show is gorgeous, the winter scenes especially.

This show was an introvert’s dream. It takes place in a small bookstore during winter, the town moves at a slower pace and the characters are more reserved. The scenes in the bookstore felt so cozy and comforting. The main characters are both quieter and more introverted but they really open up throughout the show. The romance was extremely sweet and their evolution from acquaintances to friends to lovers was beautifully done. Eun-seop could come off as cold or indifferent but it became clear that he just struggled with expressing his emotions. He did so many little things to show Hae-won how much he cared for her. The bookstore blog posts that they put at the ends of the episodes added so much to the story and you got to see everything from Eun-seop’s perspective. Those little bits made me fall in love with him. Even though Eun-seop fell first, Hae-won was the one moving the relationship forward. Her character was willing to put it all out there when it came to love and Eun-seop really needed that. I was so invested in their relationship.

The storyline with the mother felt kind of boring at first but it ended up going in an interesting direction. There were a lot of great side characters, especially Eun-seop’s family. The one character that I truly hated was Hae-won’s ex best friend. I’m glad the show did not entertain a true love triangle but she was such a terrible and deeply self-centered character.

I loved this show and can’t wait to watch it again while it’s snowing outside. This is absolutely a show to be enjoyed during the winter. Even if you usually like slower shows, this one is still worth a shot.

Read More

I went into Flower of Evil not knowing a ton about it, not really knowing the main leads, and expecting a typical action or mystery drama. FoE so far surpassed my expectations and it might be the first drama that I had to keep binging and stayed up into the early morning hours on a weeknight to keep watching.

What I really did not expect from this show was to get such a beautiful epic relationship from the main couple. Part of it is definitely due to the amazing performances from the lead actors, especially Lee Joon Gi who poured every ounce of himself into this performance, but the characters were also so well written. It was a really interesting dynamic that the woman was the cop and she was the one investigating her husband and constantly protecting him. The character Ji won was so strong and she trusted her own instincts about her husband and their relationship, while still making sure to verify, in the face of so much doubt. I have seen criticism of her character, but I can’t say that I agree. All the scenes of her rescuing him were so nerve wracking but beautiful to watch because of their connection. I didn’t know what to make of the male lead for the beginning of the show, which is obviously by design. His character is so obviously showing his love and affection for his family throughout the show, but there are seeds of doubt, and his belief that he is incapable of those emotions was heartbreaking to watch.

One of the highlights of the show is when Lee Joon Gi’s character realizes that his wife knows everything and is still there, always protecting him. The emotion in that scene has me going back to watch edits of it every so often. Ji won’s belief in the good in her husband brought both him and me to tears. The little girl who plays their daughter was absolutely precious and her relationship with her dad made it so that I could never believe he was truly evil because no one who loves their child like that could ever be all bad.

I’m a sucker for a good sibling story and I really liked getting to see the relationship with his sister, and it would have been great to get even more of it. Her character felt so broken in a lot of ways but she was also willing to give everything for those she loved. This show did a really great job with their female characters and they all felt so complex.

The action and mystery in the show always kept me guessing, as there were a lot of times I wasn’t sure how things were going to go for the leads. The plot line with the cops looking into his past was anxiety-inducing because you never knew when he might get caught. The part of the story with the male lead’s parents started with a lot of tension because their relationship felt so off but you don’t know why. By the end of the show, that part felt a little frustrating because their decisions were really bizarre and there were a lot of plot holes around their story. The serial killer did end up being extremely creepy and I think the actor did a great job pulling off the character.

I think what kept this drama from being one of my very top favorites was mainly the ending. If they had added on another couple minutes to the penultimate episode, it could’ve ended there and probably been more enjoyable.

Watching Flower of Evil for the first time was such a great experience and I still would highly recommend the show. The acting performances and relationship between the leads was done so well that it makes me overlook any small issues I might have had with the plot. This show is the first one that put Lee Joon Gi on my radar, and I will absolutely be watching more of his work!

Read More

There were really great things about Tale of the Nine-Tailed and there were really bad things. Unfortunately, the show chose to focus on the things that didn’t work more often than not.

Lee Rang is hands down the best part of the show. He was such a complex character and it made him fascinating to watch. His backstory broke my heart and the actor was able to show the deep emotional wounds that even adult Rang still had. His found family with the other foxes and the little kid was so sweet, and I really wish we had gotten more of them. The problem was that Rang was more interesting than the main characters or the romance.

I have never seen Jo Bo Ah before, so maybe it was the character, but her performance fell really flat. There also was very little chemistry between her and Lee Dong Wook. After seeing Lee Dong Wook in other things, I don’t think they gave him enough to do here. The past lives romance really didn’t work and it was completely overshadowed by the terrible wigs and costumes. Lee Dong Wook is such a beautiful man and the long wig they put him in is a crime.

It was hard to get through this show and the last couple episodes were such a slog to get through. The ending of the show was very disappointing and felt like an insult to a lot of the character development.

Even though this show was a letdown, I do still want to watch 1938 because I did grow very attached to quite a few of the characters

Read More

Style Over Substance

This drama was so promising at the beginning. The dark fairytale aesthetic was so beautiful and it had me under the impression that there might be some magical realism or even fantasy aspects to the story, which it really didn't have.

The Good:
Mun-young's wardrobe was iconic and really added to the fairytale aesthetic. The dark fairytale vibe and the incorporation of the storybooks was very visually interesting to watch.

All three lead actors had great performances and chemistry with each other. I liked how they became a little found family and she developed her own friendship with his brother. All of them staying together in this huge, gothic mansion was also a cool dynamic.

There are funny parts of the show, especially when Mun-young just has no filter.

The Bad:
The portrayal of mental health is terrible. At certain points the show tried to display empathy for people who had committed terrible crimes because of their supposed mental illness when truly mentally ill people are rarely violent to others.

The relationship between the leads just did not work for me most of the time. They did have some good chemistry, but they did not show how he developed feelings for her or why. He seemed to go from feeling disdain for her to loving her very quickly and it was a struggle to understand why his feelings had changed, especially when she did act so over-the-top towards him.

The character's backstories were so traumatic and it seemed like that was never handled with care or dealt with. Based on the title, I thought this drama would have a lot more healing in it, but that was almost never seen. I was taken aback a couple times by how little empathy was displayed towards characters experiencing trauma. Spoiler: there is one scene where Mun-young's father tries to strangle her at the psychiatric hospital and the other characters just left her on the ground and no one seemed to comfort her or make sure she was okay? Parts of Mun-young's backstory also felt so impossible that I wondered if the show really was going to have a fantasy element to it. I really wish that mental illness and trauma had been handled better in this show, as it felt a little bit like a joke.

Read More