This review may contain spoilers
A Kdrama That Takes On the Korean Drinking Culture
Overall I enjoyed this drama, yet there were some of the usual Kdrama quirks that had me rolling my eyes. The main theme was the story of how drinking can ruin health, reputation, relationships, and even your life. Within this main theme were the myriad of sub-themes on how torn up people's lives were related to alcohol and alcoholism.
It started out with the FL calling off her wedding and her mother finding her with a severe hangover. Carting her home for a break, she guilts her into quitting drinking stating that the drinking must have caused her to lose her fiancé'. Along the way, her husband and other daughter have to quit drinking as well. This sub-theme shows the struggle in getting over an addiction. All three eventually prevail and begin living their lives alcohol free.
The main theme of alcoholism and the sub-theme of managing an addiction is soon forgotten for other sub-themes that come into the storyline. Some are good, others have me rolling my eyes. Here is one eyeroller---The secondary couple is Hyeon Ju (the FL's sister) and Seon Uk. Seon Uk is desperately in love with Hyeon Ju. Hyeon Ju rebuffs his advances because he is the brother of her best friend Seon Hwa. Seon Hwa states one day that her brother should be with only the best of women and Hyeon Ju overhears this. She is divorced raising two kids on her own. Hyeon Ju is afraid if she started dating Seon Uk, her friendship with Seon Hwa would end because she disapproves of her. I thought the sister's disapproval was very unbelievable. I mean who would have a person as a best friend, but simultaneously they would not be good enough as your brother's girlfriend? It did not make sense. This couple is cute, and the pursuit from Seon Uk to win over Hyeon Ju was sweet. The whole keeping it a secret from the sister was stupid.
Here is another one---even though there are 3 alcoholics in one family, Geum Ju, Hyeon Ju, and the father (who are all trying to quit drinking), their mother who doesn't drink ends up with liver failure. I'm not sure why this storyline was put into the story. I thought it was unnecessary drama and really didn't make sense.
A good sub-theme was the mystery thriller related to the ML Ui Jun. He has flashbacks of a death occurring in the Seoul hospital he worked in. His estranged alcoholic father came to the hospital to kill him but in the struggle a nurse is pushed then falls, hits her head, and dies. He feels responsible, quits, and moves back home where he becomes a country doctor. A loyal nurse follows him and works with him in taking care of those in the community. This storyline played out slowly, has some different twists and turns, but helped to keep me tuning in each week. He also sees his first love, Geum Ju, who is now trying to quit drinking. He helps her and in the process they fall in love again. I thought the mystery/thriller sub-theme was the best, however it ended abruptly without any real resolution with Ui Jun's relationship with his father. Like, for instance, we never find out why his father wanted to kill him.
All in all, the story was good enough, but not great. I really like the romance between Geum Ju and Ui Jun. It was adult and I appreciated that from the writer. The OST kept the drama going when needed, and would often help a particular scene bring a tear to my eye. I have to applaud the production crew for their heartiness in filming during what looked like a very cold winter. There were several scenes where I said "those actors must be freezing" and if the actors are, the crew is too.
It started out with the FL calling off her wedding and her mother finding her with a severe hangover. Carting her home for a break, she guilts her into quitting drinking stating that the drinking must have caused her to lose her fiancé'. Along the way, her husband and other daughter have to quit drinking as well. This sub-theme shows the struggle in getting over an addiction. All three eventually prevail and begin living their lives alcohol free.
The main theme of alcoholism and the sub-theme of managing an addiction is soon forgotten for other sub-themes that come into the storyline. Some are good, others have me rolling my eyes. Here is one eyeroller---The secondary couple is Hyeon Ju (the FL's sister) and Seon Uk. Seon Uk is desperately in love with Hyeon Ju. Hyeon Ju rebuffs his advances because he is the brother of her best friend Seon Hwa. Seon Hwa states one day that her brother should be with only the best of women and Hyeon Ju overhears this. She is divorced raising two kids on her own. Hyeon Ju is afraid if she started dating Seon Uk, her friendship with Seon Hwa would end because she disapproves of her. I thought the sister's disapproval was very unbelievable. I mean who would have a person as a best friend, but simultaneously they would not be good enough as your brother's girlfriend? It did not make sense. This couple is cute, and the pursuit from Seon Uk to win over Hyeon Ju was sweet. The whole keeping it a secret from the sister was stupid.
Here is another one---even though there are 3 alcoholics in one family, Geum Ju, Hyeon Ju, and the father (who are all trying to quit drinking), their mother who doesn't drink ends up with liver failure. I'm not sure why this storyline was put into the story. I thought it was unnecessary drama and really didn't make sense.
A good sub-theme was the mystery thriller related to the ML Ui Jun. He has flashbacks of a death occurring in the Seoul hospital he worked in. His estranged alcoholic father came to the hospital to kill him but in the struggle a nurse is pushed then falls, hits her head, and dies. He feels responsible, quits, and moves back home where he becomes a country doctor. A loyal nurse follows him and works with him in taking care of those in the community. This storyline played out slowly, has some different twists and turns, but helped to keep me tuning in each week. He also sees his first love, Geum Ju, who is now trying to quit drinking. He helps her and in the process they fall in love again. I thought the mystery/thriller sub-theme was the best, however it ended abruptly without any real resolution with Ui Jun's relationship with his father. Like, for instance, we never find out why his father wanted to kill him.
All in all, the story was good enough, but not great. I really like the romance between Geum Ju and Ui Jun. It was adult and I appreciated that from the writer. The OST kept the drama going when needed, and would often help a particular scene bring a tear to my eye. I have to applaud the production crew for their heartiness in filming during what looked like a very cold winter. There were several scenes where I said "those actors must be freezing" and if the actors are, the crew is too.
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