multislacking

What an absorbing performance from Ji Sung as a man who develops multiple personalities to cope with childhood trauma.

In this role, he’s playing seven wildly different characters (impressive in itself), but the emotional range and depth he portrays — Cha Do Hyun’s devastating loneliness, Shin Se Gi’s fierce survival instinct fueled by anger and defiance, Yo Sub’s quiet despair — are what really stand out.

I almost dropped this due to the female lead’s screaming and hysterics at the beginning. While Hwang Jung Eum is an expressive actress, her character’s over-the-top reactions can be irritating and seem inappropriate considering her profession as a psychiatrist.

But the leads’ chemistry, especially their emotional connection, is palpable. Both are beautiful criers and give performances that will often tug at your heartstrings.

I’ve been working through some older K-dramas on my watch list that I’d heard good things about, and although this one is more than 10 years old and the visual style and effects look dated, the cast (including a fresh-faced Park Seo Joon) makes it worth watching.

Note: Viewers should be aware that child abuse is a recurring topic, though it happens offscreen. Suicidal ideation and other mental health crises are also shown and discussed throughout the series.