k.LILLi

ALERT SPOILER - the good side of a love other than yours

PLS DON’T READ THIS IF YOU HAVEN’T FINISHED THE DRAMA YET!
I feel the need to disagree with all the negative reviews of this drama. obv it’s just my opinion.
Now, clearly it isn’t perfect; there are some plot holes, it can often be described as slow, and at other times, certain events are just thrown in out of nowhere. I admit that too. But I don’t want to focus on these things; instead, I want to describe what it made me feel. It’s been a while since I felt this much frustration and anger toward a K-drama. Especially toward Mi-do's character, though at a certain point, I even managed to understand her in my own way.
Mi-do and Namgung are two people who found themselves in a very specific starting situation. The death of her father, his family situation, the integration of a very young Namgung into Mi-do’s family, etc., are all factors that led to building a relationship in friendship and love that was bound to be codependent. From the very beginning, their relationship had a very peculiar bond based on psychological dependence, the need for attachment, and guilt. Both were children, then teenagers, then adults who were wounded, scared, and above all, carrying a massive sense of inadequacy toward each other—as if their relationship had a strong component of "I owe you this."
It is true that their relationship had shortcomings, especially when it came to communication, but I never once doubted their love for each other. I think it was truly a heartbreaking kind of love. If they had just spoken up and communicated their feelings transparently from minute one, so many misunderstandings probably wouldn't have happened. Yet, it is undeniable that both he and she tried to solve the problems in each other's lives just to keep the full weight from crushing the other person alone. From a certain perspective, that was admirable.
Then, yes, I didn’t appreciate her physical betrayal, and deep down, I was always rooting for Namgung and for them to get back together. Even the one-month trial period with new partners was hard for me to understand and accept; it just made me furious because it felt like a compromise when, in reality, everyone was hurting. The main leads were suffering for each other, and the second leads were just being used and staying with someone who would never truly love them (and they didn’t deserve that).
When I finally realized there would be no turning back for the two protagonists, it was quite heartbreaking. 10 years. Spending that much time with someone, experiencing that love 100% with every single facet, only to realize that certain wounds and problems simply couldn't be healed by staying together?! At first, I was infuriated, but then I thought, "damn, it's just so realistic."
People change, situations change, and so do feelings. Their love was at a point where it could no longer evolve in a constructive and healthy way. Realizing this was the step that led them to say goodbye and seek new lives as individuals before being partners, always with respect and a certain form of love for each other. And I am deeply convinced that sometimes, loving each other also means understanding when to let go for your own good.

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