A different kind of kdrama
the chemistry is too good, the script is also a more mature one that didn't shy away from more serious topics in relationships and families that do exist in todays society, especially in korea. It actually reminded me of older korean movies that wasn't too bothered with presenting an ideal world but rather showed the flaws in society.The one thing that was a miss was the overuse of the soundtrack.
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A show that could have been great, and yet...
It could have been so good, almost like a Korean version of Life As We Know It (if you haven't watched it I would highly recommend a Hollywood take on a similar plot). Unfortunately, it ended up falling into the same old trap: a love-triangle-heavy storyline that felt bland and predictable. If I'm being honest even the love triangle part was boring, I personally couldn't care less how it ended simply because NONE of the characters were interesting.Let's start with what I did like, which was the small community they built with the neighbors and how Hyeon Jin, Tae Hyeong and U-Ju became a true family. The ups and downs, their efforts and obstacles they faced...That aspect had so much potential, and I would have loved to see a clearer focus on the found-family dynamic. The child actor playing U-ju was absolutely adorable, and honestly the show could have worked much better as a family-centered story with the romance as a secondary element.
Instead, the characters felt underdeveloped, the script was somewhat lackluster, and the whole thing just felt like it was missing a bit of soul. One detail that also kept pulling me out of the story: because I’m fluent in Korean, I noticed that they kept addressing each other as “in-law” even after they supposedly grew closer and agreed to speak more casually. At that point it would have felt much more natural for them to start using each other’s actual names.
For the actual cast; I really like the actress Roh Jeong Eui, and I genuinely mean no harm, but every time she spoke, I found myself focusing more on how tired she appeared than on the actual scene, which pulled me out of the story. Her line delivery was also not her best work.
I’m also a fan of the male lead Bae In Hyuk from his early days, but the two leads just didn’t have any real chemistry together. Their dynamic never quite felt convincing. The second male lead didn’t help much either, his character felt like an overly idealized version of a past love. He was almost unrealistically nice and accommodating, to the point where it felt artificial. Love Park Seo Ham but I understand the backlash over how much screen time he occupied for it to serve no purpose in the end.
This could have been a healing drama with comedic moments, something about two people confronting the fact that they both grew up without a large family and slowly redefining what “family” means. There were interesting contrasts the show could have explored more deeply, like Hyeon Jin having her sister as a parental figure while Tae Hyeong never really had that kind of support, and how that shaped his feelings toward his own brother. They do get into this but it almost felt like an afterthought rather than a main focus.
In the end, the premise had a lot of potential, but the execution never quite lived up to it. I just think the show really missed the mark.
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Trust me, just watch it
I'll keep it short, this was a fantastic cdrama. The director is an actual artist so the entire show is filled with gorgeous shots and beautiful editing. The script is also fantastic with no logic holes and no filler episodes. Everyone is gorgeous to look at, the acting is wonderful, the costumes are wonderful and this is by far the best reliving the past kind of drama I've ever seen.The FL and ML compliment each other in a way that I haven't really seen much in cdramas before. She is truly a smart, resourceful person and he is a level headed, strong person who respects her and trusts her. Their partnership truly felt equal, the political conflicts also made sense and was easy to follow. This by no means should be interpreted as "it was simple", it just did a very good job at keeping the romantic storyline and the main plot conflict equally gripping. I wasn't bored for even a second and that says a lot for me.
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On repeat
I've rewatched this an unhealthy amount. The documentary style of the show is so well executed and the color grading and editing really gives it that familiar, nostalgic feeling that makes you feel like you're truly in the story with the actors. The entire cast did a wonderful job and I could truly see the point of view of each character so clearly and that every action they took made an insane amount of sense.It takes true talent to create characters that comes alive on the screen and this show has definately captured that.
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