linxminx

In between the "first loves torn apart but meeting again after 10 years" storyline, there was a bigger message. One needs to be a whole person first before becoming a couple. First and foremost, it is a love story, a really sweet one where the two main characters start their relationship in high school. I Jae is fun, creative, energetic spending her time filming everyone and everything as her dream is to be a filmmaker. Soo Bin is drawn to her brightness as his home life is dark and abusive. They fall in love not only with each other, but with filmmaking and promise to make a film together. Soo Bin is sent abroad by his abusive father. I Jae goes after Soo Bin only to be hit by a car. She recovers but has to put her filmmaking dream on hold by doing small reporting jobs to get by. Meanwhile, Soo Bin has pursued filmmaking and returns to Korea as an award winning director. The two meet again, Soo Bin convinces I Jae to make their movie together. At first she is thrilled to be pursuing her dream, but she soon realizes how little she knows, how inept she feels, and feels like she doesn't deserve the respect from the rest of the production crew. After the film finishes I Jae breaks up with Soo Bin to pursue studying filmmaking in Canada. This time she returns as an award winning director.

Sounds like a simple plot but in real life something like this is complex to navigate when feelings are involved. I Jae wanted something for herself before becoming a couple with Soo Bin. And, I think this is an important message to consider, especially for those with big dreams. If I Jae would have given up her dream and staying in Korea with Soo Bin, she would have come to resent him.

Besides this message within the main plot, there were tons of other storylines playing out. There were two secondary couples, Yu Geon and Ha Na, and In Uk and Sa Rang, whose storylines were interesting and kept the story moving forward. An Su Hui played the controlling stage mother so well and her power plays added the necessary tension to the main plot and subplots. There were some nice special moments within the series that helped to make the overall story special. The back flashes of Soo Bin and I Jae in high school, the guitar solo by Yu Geon's father, the love scenes between Soo Bin and I Jae. I thought the chemistry between the two main leads was good. They seem to genuinely like each other and their playfulness was fun to watch. I like that I Jae was portrayed as a strong female, not some dewy-eyed dimwit who keeps tripping over her infatuation with the male lead. I love that she wanted to earn the production crews respect and that she wanted something for herself before committing to Soo Bin.

Overall, I thought that within all the entertainment of the series was a good message and life story.