elpis

Available on MBC's YT channel with subs , link below

Available in full in high res videos on MBC's YT channel though split into tiny segments and with no subs: Playlist below
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNssLOKzEf8&list=PLW1UtxQc07_x6zWUHTLCLDorgZlVnms5T

The biggest issue is the repetitive plotline - our team is perpetually on the brink of financial diaster but somehow get a client, go up against their sworn enemy, surmount random obstacles, and make a great ad! I got bored in the middle (~ep10) but pushed through. The romance was nice in a low-key way but one with zero skinship - no holding hands, no hugs, let alone a kiss . The actors did do their best communicating their feelings through eyes - Jin Goo doing it better.
The ads Lee Tae Baek turned out were interesting to me, but surprisingly the last one meant to be most important was the saddest.

This is one of those dramas that didnt engage me emotionally but was not bad enough to drop. Possibly also because I used to work in a related industry!
Jin Goo's exuberant, over optimistic and hyper enthusiastic Lee Taebeack felt a little too much at times, but he still played the character with charm so you could go on. The FL is not bad but kinds fails to make an impact in emotional scenes imo.
The plot line is a bit formulaic but worked for me largely(the mid eps were draggy) - the cases were interesting, and the process to get ideas as well.
The relationship between the leads was one of equality, respect and affection which I liked but no sizzle AT ALL

Pls mark your comment as a spoiler!

As a lover of makjangs/melos, I really wanted to enjoy this drama but had to drop it after 4-5 episodes. I found the performance of the actor playing the FL awful (one expression problem) and a horrific lack of chemistry between the leads. There is no sizzle neither romance wise nor revenge wise, so the drama falls utterly flat imo

I seem to be in the minority of viewers who wasnt blown away by the drama. Was the drama good? Yes indeed. It is atmospheric and slow paced, peeling away layers of Yukino's and the roles that many others had in making it a troubled, painful one. Never having had stability and love, she is left her broken. Her overwhelming fear of being abandoned speaks to her need for acceptance and validation. However I personally could not feel emotionally engaged with her struggles or the drama itself. As Im the outlier, I would still recommend it to any one looking for a dark psychological show.

Yep very early in the drama itself.

Liked:
1. As I said before, the romance is fairly realistically developed though the FL is annoying in the beginning. The romance develops naturally and feels solid. I really liked that though the ML clearly loves the FL more earlier, we see her trust in him grow and it is he she turns to to confide in the end when all hell breaks loose.
2. I FFed through DG and JE's romance because a) couldnt stand DG getting deceived about her character and b) I was sure he'll forgive her in the end. Fortunately, he holds her accountable for her actions and we see them divorce. Yay.
3. The bio mother's revenge was short but done decently. Loved the final confrontation.
4. Yura's character turned out to be a pleasant surprise, didnt see that coming!
5. HG and HG's dad were really adorable! Loved all their scenes. Leo too is super cute
Disliked:
1. Biggest plothole. If Hanui's family has been living on the first floor for 20 years, how is it possible that Park JinGuk does not recognise Hanui from Sujeong's photographs???
2. The older romance was OK but didnt like the male actor's take on a "rustical/rugged" craftsperson mannerisms. The idea was i guess juxtaposing an elegant, moneyed FL and down-to-earth ML but didnt quite work imo
3. Ji-Eun's dad drove me nuts, he was the reason for so many misunderstandings.

I usually watch one or two family/daily dramas per year, and this was my pick for this year. My sample is small, but I thought this was decent-ish. There's enough going on in FL's life & charactergrowth , the villain's antics and the comedy tracks to keep you going....though I'd advise having the FF button handy.
The main romance is actually very nice despite relatively less screen time - slow natural development, an adorable, steadfast ML character and cute interactions, though chemistry isnt the best.
Recommended for the experienced daily drama watchers, newbies not so much
Likes & dislikes below

Absolutely unsparing in its examination of child abuse and its effects, this drama is not for the faint of heart. It is uncomfortable and will leave you shaken. It will also provoke you to consider difference perspectives of what you may have considered a slam dunk issue. Heart-wrenching in its simple narration, I was moved to tears in the end.
Nakayama Yuma was outstanding. The writing was outstanding.

I usually don't touch Japanese romcoms with a barge pole given how cringy they usually get. But I love Chae Jong Hyeop so gave it a try. The first episode reminded why that was a mistake. Why do J-romcoms make the FL so weird? She's 30 here! I kept wincing at some of her antics but at the end of the episode 1 she tries to ...hide herself amid fallen leaves out of embarrassment(?!) was when I gave up. Dropped.

Older jdoramas really have awful FLs. The character here is supposed to be a top news producer but needs to be "shown" the way by the ML whether its dealing with people or work. She is portrayed as a silly shrew who has no idea how to make things work and its only because of the ML's intervention that the day is saved. Dropped.

The FL wallowed in self pity in the earlier half saying she hated her adopted mom. I thought maybe cos she'd faced neglect, but no the adopted mother infact cared more for her than her bio daughters. So self-absorbed. Nao's character arc and her emotional journey has so much potential but the actor's range lets down as its is limited to one expression. The only change was whether she furrowed her eyebrows or not. Off she goes to my blacklist!!!

I must in the super tiny minority but the show failed to move to emotionally as I found it to be on the mawkish side. The premise was really interesting and the plotting not too bad. Though the first half was glacial, the pace picked up in the second half - it would have been better as a 5 episoder.
Perhaps my lack of engagement was also because I found both the FL's character and the actor playing her very irritating. I shall rant in the comments on this further. Both the moms did a great job performance wise, particularly the bio mom. I plodded on because it is so highly rated but turned out to be a meh watch, the premise kinda making it somewhat worth it. Not bothering with the K-remake at all.

I thought Suzy did a pretty decent job here per se as the withdrawn, determined yet desperate & lonely Anna, but either because of the format or the show length I never did feel for her character or get emotionally engaged.
The actor who did manage to evoke an emotional response in me was Kim Joon Han - the confrontational scenes between Anna and him sizzle with tension. He is a fine actor indeed.

I though Suzy did a pretty decent job her per se, but either because of the format or the show length I never did feel for her/got emotionally involved with her. The actor that did was Kim Joon Han - the confrontational scenes between her and him were sizzling with tension. He is a fine actor indeed.

Post finishing: I enjoyed it all the way through. The ending made sense to me wrt Seo Jin Young and Shin Dong Hyuk but I had trouble accepting Han Tae Jun and Kim Yun Hee together. Tae Jun seemed to be fond of Yun Hee but not really into her, at least to my eyes.
The drama gives us hints that Tae Jun was still definitely carrying a torch for Jin Young but he never pursues, rather pushes her away. Why we dont know - he keeps saying no, but doesnt act like that. Like Jin Young says at one point, he gives confused signals. That the drama chose to not dig into Tae Jun's character more to explore this aspect was my one big bugbear The love triangle was very interesting and it would have been better if we knew what Tae Jun really was thinking.

The first half was a blast - delightfully done physical comedy, wry, witty dialogues and excellent chemistry between the leads. Na na was insanely good in pulling off a zany, spirited character and Park Sung Hoon was fantastic as her foil.
However, imo Nana's act felt a little overdone in the 2nd half and the entire political plot turned somewhat anti-climatic as her character achieves nothing which though realistic, did feel a bit of a let down. What I particularly didnt enjoy was her recall election subplot which made no sense in both how it came up and how got (quickly) resolved. Also didnt like that the ML has virtually no plotline except to be her foil and have a tiny part in the end.
Beyond sure, the cinematography is a character by itself and you need to get used to it!

Not too bad but not really gripping though the case was somewhat interesting. The issue for me was I felt the drama and FL were trying too hard. Both seem to take themselves too seriously so I never got engaged and wanted roll my eyes at the over dramatic dialogues, music and expressions. Still Im a fan of Aoki Munetaka so will watch the remaining 2 installments as well