lupisohu

Good premise, Slow Developments, Incomplete Ending
^ That's a summary in three phrases.

Watched this for Kim Sun Ah, and she didn't disappoint. Lee Jang Woo was a pleasant surprise, didn't know this actor before but he acted his role quite good. Park Gun Hyung, didn't know this actor too but amazing performance here. Other cast was quite good as well.

Cast was good but script was bad. Never gave cast chance to shine fully.

Ending would have been fine for a movie but not for a drama. Don't worry, its a happy ending just not sufficiently explored.

Watching this, I felt way too many times that writers were afraid to go the full mile. Things never escalated beyond a point, situations never became emotional beyond reason, everything just remained 'mild'.

Story had the potential, script sadly never explored it.

My rating, about 6.5 - 7.0/10. 7 for me is about average to above average. I rate this good because of the cast not for script or direction.

Yep JCW is carrying this no doubts. If you're already at 30, I would suggest skipping a few parts and finishing this up, ofc after the exams lol

Tbh, SML was more in category of obsession than ML.

Obsession is primarily selfish, a person obsessed can't bear with thought of letting go of their target of obsession no matter what. While, here, ML was ready to kill himself to give FL a heart so that she can survive no matter with whom. That's not obsession that's selflessness. SML on the other hand, was ready to lie, persuade or even kill people to some extent for his relationship with FL, that dipping into category of obsession , yes.

Don't forget he shot a person (ML) in head just on suspicion.

In any realistic scenario, this guy won't only lose his job he would be a part of criminal proceedings in an attempt to murder but here he is only given a slap on the wrist.

Corrections needed.
ML didn't kill FL. FL died due to her health. ML killed himself, on the contrary, knowing he can't save FL.
SML tried to kill ML in which ML defended himself and as a result SML died.

Though that doesn't mean ML didn't kill anyone, he did kill a woman who killed a child.

As for what writers were thinking, I think they made the right decision. ML's love was much more innocent, selfless and pure compared to SML. SML's was based on lies and persuasion and bordered on obsession later on. Also I don't think FL actually loved SML in first lifetime, she made herself believe she loved him rather.
People are supposed to change with events, especially when they have lived two lifetimes. It was an amazing character growth to finally see FL realize what true love is by the end, tbh..

No, I disagree. SML deceived her about her parents for two continuous lifetimes. His love also borderlined on obsession at points. He sure cared for her and was concerned for her but that was still nowhere near ML's level.
ML's love on other hand was innocent and selfless. Even while starting from an evil background, he always stayed true to FL. This guy was ready to kill himself to give his heart to FL, what more do you want?

Also, I don't think FL loved SML as much as she loved ML. We had sufficient instances even in first lifetime to know this, her denying SML proposal multiple times, her feeling better and getting healthier when with ML, her heart hurting when ML was in pain.

The only thing going for SML was that he met FL first in first lifetime and FL's confusion due to misplaced feeling from first lifetime.

Continuous persuasion is not love, its an attempt at creating love. Love is spontaneous and natural, and doesn't require persuasion to happen.

Now this is what a good storytelling looks like. I absolutely love the script.

One is a love that has concern but is based on lies and persuasion while the other is a selfless love which is afraid to reveal itself due to its evil origins. Its good that FL realizes who she truly loves by the end and I absolutely love the ending.

Awesome plot, good storytelling, great acting and amazing chemistry between ML and FL ofc. Easily 8.5/10

Exactly, that was my main problem too. They had such good chemistry, script could've done better by making the FL a bit more sensible but sadly no. She comes to same conclusion every single time that she likes him so I don't understand why she becomes two minded whenever their relationship starts progressing.

Still I liked the whole story and romance, though prolonged, but in condensed form didn't disappoint (ofc ignoring the FL's idiocy here).

Really good story and characterization even with side characters but FL's indecisiveness is tiresome and romance is prolonged needlessly.

I live the sweet moments though and overall positive vibe of the story.

Acting, direction and chemistry are good, real good. Only the script could've been better in romance area.
8/10.

They get together multiple times, drama is focused on them.

No triangles. Many being together than not being together moments all due FL getting sidetracked by needless thoughts.

Yes.

Then that baffles me more, tbh. Because be it CLOY or Goblin, both had much better plot, storytelling, character development, acting, direction, cinematography or OST.

When I come here to watch this after reading articles like "Queen of Tears Close to Overtaking Crash Landing on You", I don't at all understand what the hype is about since in every single genre I can give a better drama which is better by miles.

Melodrama/Business Drama: Perfect Marriage Revenge
Romance/RomCom: CLOY, Goblin, Legend of the Blue Sea
Life/Family/Drama: Twinkling Watermelon, 18 Again

It really makes me sad seeing people would give preference to hype over quality storytelling.
IMO, this one's 'decent' but that's about it. The overhype only makes my ratings suffer more since my expectations are needlessly high going in.

I predicted it, and I don't know about other comments but I think a lot of others might have predicted it too but maybe not commented, since a lot of it is common sense.

As you said, when she started showing signs, amnesia plotline was quite inevitable. Similarly, on the introduction of grandfather's girlfriend, I knew she will cause the rich family downfall. When they introduced villain, after some time of watching, I suspected he had some connection to the girlfriend. The only thing surprising was the reveal at end of episode 1 and the rich family coming back to village to escape.

Maybe I have watched too many kdramas but all of these tropes have been used before many times. Amnesia trope in who knows how many dramas. Mistress causing downfall in 'Hotel King' which I completed recently. Similarly competitor businessman being connected to mistress again in Hotel King.

Its nothing new tbh, take any melodrama for instance and see, you will see a lot of tropes being similar. I'm not saying this is trash, I'm just saying that it becomes tiresome to watch same old tropes implemented in a very bad way when you're hoping against hope to find something fresh.

Here's my take on this,

I found it predictable and not in a good way tbh. This drama is like a amalgam of tropes taken from multitude of other dramas, all badly placed here with only one aim, to create angst, nothing more. The end result is something very artificial and lacking any emotional connect or immersion whatsoever. When the viewer starts analyzing your writing rather than getting immersed into your story, you did mess up somewhere, because that's sort of like the basic rule of any storytelling.

Comparing this to CLOY which inhibited very natural emotional response and entangled you into its story from start to end is a difference of night and day altogether. Not to compare, the acting, chemistry, cinematography, ost and so many other things that CLOY did far far better.

The 21% only shows the sad situation of the world where majority are either new to kdrama or don't know what quality storytelling is. There's also this herd mentality bias acting "if other people are liking it then I need to like it too". I, on the contrary, completely disagree. I like or dislike what "I" like or dislike.

I'm not nitpicking, and, if I am assuming correctly, nor are many others like me.

There are some actual plot holes, and after a point ignoring them or keeping on suspending the disbelief becomes a tiring job. Watching a drama is not supposed to be tiresome. Period.

The rich family downfall plotline, the whole amnesia plotline and now the prison plotline, these are all idiotic tbh. We kept on watching, because of,
1. Leads
2. Direction
3. Chemistry,
^ That's it, nothing else. That's what carrying the show right now, not the script. The script is predictable and stale to say the least.

Also 21.6% rating doesn't mean anything, especially 'in this day and age' when CLOY gained it when people knew much less about kdramas. Influx and hype both are much more now, comparatively.

I'm reserving my ratings for this until the end, again like many others. But, tbh, right now I'm not enjoying it.

Don't exactly remember, but pretty late about episode 12+ iirc.

About episode 15-16, its short and not exactly a breakup, more in name. ML ditches FL due to his insecurities though but then soon realizes he was wrong .

Yes, a long triangle in start before FL starts developing feelings for ML. Its annoying because it feels like a waste of time.

Thanks! good recommendations all. My PTW list keeps on piling up lol, too many dramas to watch and too little time to spare

Without spoiling anything, I assure you ending is really good. Nothing of that sort happens 😉

Ohh, vigilante looks interesting, atleast from summary lol. Added to PTW. There are just so many 😂

Btw, if you're in mood for something emotional with slight melo, check out Miracle That We Met. Really good storyline with some amazing acting performance imo. It kept me engaged throughout 😊

I'm really surprised this is not rated higher. This has one of the best written story, some amazing acting performances and a really mesmerizing soundtrack. The whole drama hit emotionally on so many different levels. I felt, understood and related to characters in every single scene, that's how good the characterization, acting and direction is! The only thing that came this close in that area is 18 Again as far as I remember.

Sometimes MDL's rating really baffle me.

Finished, quite good tbh, kinda like hometown cha cha. Lots of needless drama in later parts though. What actually kept me watching was leads acting, damn they killed it! And yea, like you said, rest of the pairings were....just...mehhh... just there doing nothing lol. I don't expect much in mystery from a romcom genre but it was good imo, much better than cupid.