1) Heartbreaking for Hae Seong to find his father like that. Though a tragic end was expected, it still stings. Theory: His dad found the gold and contacted Director Kim, who betrayed, killed him, and took the gold. In his last moments, Hae Seong's dad called Agent An (mentioned in Ep 9). The tragedy echoes the Signal drama's phone call, where the main lead detective was also killed by his friend/superior, and he somewhat made a call to leave a clue.
2) Fans of *Taxi Driver* might notice similarities between the dungeon setting in this show (where the gold was supposedly hidden) and the dungeon in *Taxi Driver* where criminals were held. With Kim Eui Sung acting in both shows, the resemblance stood out to me—though it could just be coincidence. If anyone knows more, feel free to share!
3) Su Ah's mom being a former gangster and leader was hilarious. It reminded me of her *Study Group* role—not identical, but she’s a fighter there too, and tries to steer her son away from that life. Similar vibes - the whole fight/gangsta role!
Thanks for recommending - will definitely check it out. I like mystery genre in general - but yes, 2024-25 it seems they are set up in high school. Guess if I can't relate to high school romance, mystery is the way to go LOL!
Hint: "Rom-com" means romantic comedy, not "any drama with romance in it".
I kind of new someone would comment this when I was writing my original post.
The subtitle "Ahn Hyo Seop is returning to the K-drama scene, possibly with another rom-com" feels more appropriate as the main title. It highlights his overall return to K-dramas rather than limiting the focus to rom-coms specifically.
While it's true that rom-coms are among his most notable works, he's not exclusively returning to that genre. His return is broader, encompassing K-dramas as a whole, even if romantic themes have been a prominent element in his career. Additionally, his gap from the screen seems relatively short—perhaps just a year, likely due to ongoing projects in 2025.
Essentially, the current phrasing feels a bit narrow, as it might give the impression that he's solely returning to rom-coms, whereas his comeback spans a wider variety of projects, rom-coms being just one part of it. At least that's what I feel...
Unfortunately, similar experience & I say it's better to skip it. I actually watched the 2 Leads go onto a show…
Hmm - I just read Lily's comment above which is opposite to your recommendation, but thank you to both for sharing your respective views.
At least it helped removed the confusion on what I can expect with the story - given the synopsis was super weird to me.
Let me give the initial episodes a try - I am really intrigued by the curse/mystery aspect more than anything. If 2-3 episodes are not enought to arrest my attention, I think I will have my answer and will have to drop.
Appreciate your views, thanks for making the time :)
Honestly, I feel it is worth watching. cannot share any similar stories cz there are none, and that's honestly…
Thank you for sharing your views - I understand the other comments as well, and overall I think the appeal for me would be to know about the "curse"/mystery more than the romance. Pacing is slow, but you already shared - I can watch it in 2x.
I had been looking forward to it given its been sometime since I saw a drama of Jinyoung's + the cast for the ML and FL's parents are some of the greatest artists I know, so I thought it would be good. But the ratings and synopsis made me confused.
Let me begin with a fast speed approach and see how it goes. But thank you for taking the time to patiently explain your views :)
i mostly agree ... but the reason the FL is in this drama is because she is his only weakness ...
Yes, I get that the only reason she is there - to be the weakness, Dongju's Achilles heel and at the same time his main driver as well: he himself says so.
Which is why I have an issue with the writing and portrayal of the character - a confused crying mess is not what we need. Which is why it is getting annoying to so many and like I mentioned if we eliminate her the plot and story can still go on, which is sad and speaks about the badly written character and overall reducing the likeability for the drama, to a certain extent. :(
Title: Ahn Hyo Seop will reportedly return to rom-com K-dramas "return"? when did he leave - given his last 3 works that have aired in 2022-23 are with romance tags: Business Proposal, A Time Called You, Dr Romantic 3. He's always been the romance lead, since at least 2017. Title left me confused and thinking I had missed some of his work LOL
Waiting for his projects - he's a good actor, just not enough projects as much as I'd like Hoping for more especially with the upcoming movie - Omniscient Reader...
Since the drama has ended - I want to start binging/watching it. But the summary in MDL and ratings are a little confusing. The synopsis especially - I really cannot make out what is the story about and what should be the buy-in for me as an audience?
Anyone who has finished this drama - can they share their experience or any close/similar stories that can help me decide...really do not want to waste efforts/time if this is mediocre or worse.
Romance in Reborn rich is alright but in this drama it's pure nonsense.Also Reborn rich ML character is much much…
ML - at this point, like you said they are different, so am not able to decide whether I love or not how it is shaping up. For now it is atleast not boring and I still want to know who the Seon Hyeon* (I forgot the spelling) is .. and why the hell does this guy keep losing (or pretending to) his memories since a kid.
FL / Romance: I guess yeah the degree here is too much. Reborn Rich too I ended skipping and here too am skipping cause I find it totally unrelatable to the main story.
I checked your list before making this comment here - I saw that you saw and liked Reborn Rich. I feel this drama…
yes that would be the best - at this point, it is not a drama that I will highly recommend as it can go anywhere. And am not one of those who would wait for a drama to get better, even if am stuck with it LOL
That is the best way for sure - wait for completion and then check. Hope you watch better shows/movies in the meantime as you wait. Happy Watching!
Hello! Yes, I finished it sometime back. Had to take a pause in between because towards the end I felt it dragged a little, but then was back at the initial pace. It was a satisfying ending - definitely one of my favorites.
Recommendations: I just checked your list, and we have so many overlaps that it's hard to recommend something, which is a good thing meaning we have similar taste and views for shows.
Most of my highly recommended shows - I see you have already seen. The ones that were not on your list and still recommended, I am sharing here:
1) Black Out (2024) 2) Death's Game (2024) 3) Study Group (2025) 4) Trauma Code: Heroes on Call (2025) 5) ViP (2019) - underrated as per me 6) high School Return of a Gangster (2024) - underrated 7) Boyhood (2024) - underrated 8) Light Shop (2024) 9) Missing: The Other Side (2020) 10) Pyramid Game (2024) 11) Splash Splash Love [Mini Series] (2015) - highly underrated, or so I thought at one time
This is a long one, but I have some movies and J-dramas too, in case you like but I think this is a good start. If you do watch any of these do let me know - happy to discuss, always!
Omoooooo I am so happy that this article hit your vibes! I definitely love Tomorrow's story and i'll be honest,…
Thank you so much for writing the article - again very well written! I'll DM the short story once I flesh it out and revise it a bit more :) though I actually stole the red-string story from Ryeon & Jung Gil to Rowoon's character + new FL (can be read as the readers' POV)
After reading the comments i have decided to skip this one. ML's character and FL's character are too weird for…
I checked your list before making this comment here - I saw that you saw and liked Reborn Rich. I feel this drama is similar without the time travel/fantasy bit. Personally I did not feel Reborn Rich had the need for the FL and romance, as our hero had enough to go on without it as well.
It is not the actress, but a badly written FL character IMO. But if you can look past the romance and indecisive FL, I think you can give the drama a try for the ML, action, suspense and the usual secret in a chaebol set up.
But then I know where you are coming from, so your reasons are valid for dropping it, still I thought to share from a POV of another drama that we both have liked and see if that gives some fresh perspective. Maybe wait a bit more till this drama is near completion and that time if you don't see any more comments on the weird romance/FL - maybe you can bingewatch?
Her character has been badly written, and even the actress good portrayal of it not cutting it. Like you mentioned - she is so undecisive and helpless throughout the show. We see her being a rebel and going back to her house so many times only to come back + the whole marriage/shares/divorce drama is so useless and almost funny
As I mentioned in my comment - I don't think we will miss much if we eliminated the FL & romance from this drama. The other things going on are WAY more exciting and worth the watch.
Sad that FL characters are still being written so terribly . . .
Might be an unpopular opinion - but I find the FL's character & romance to be badly written and the weakest point in this otherwise enthralling drama. Even though I get her presence/romance angle serves as a catalyst and a major motivator in Dongju's journey - but so far it has been done poorly when compared to the other plot drivers.
In fact even in the limited scenes, I like the FL doctor for some reason, and hope she gets together with Dongju. I know will not happen and is totally unrelated but for some reason she has been better written, adding value to the plot as necessary.
FL's character is so indecisive - with her relationship, shares and her own search for truth (biological father's death) - all the while being just a sobbing mess, who's just hopping from one scene to another. I have literally fast forwarded her scenes now - cause its just her tearing up and the romantic BGM playing. That's it.
In fact - if we do eliminate her - I think Dongju still has a lot to go on and this drama would still be same level of exciting. He could be the guy that is most trusted by Daesan and which is why the rest of the family and Mr Yeom is trying to get rid of him. Plus the whole secret son angle with Bakery Lady and her son + who is Chu Seong Hyeon* and why is he shaking up Secretary Gong......see even without the FL we have enough content to be hooked to this story. [Kind of reminds me of another fav drama of mine - Reborn Rich, which too had unnecessary romance]
Not sure if more people are feeling this way - and in no way this is a reflection on the actress, but rather the creators of the show. Its 2025 - we need women to be more stronger and not still stuck under the proverbial thumb of patriarchal characters/situations.
CZY is a rising star . . . hmm this line is not apt in 2025. Otherwise, love to read all about this talented handsome actor, any given time of the day!
Immediately knew that the top nurses would be: Irie Kotoko & Sakura Nanase as soon as I saw this article title and caption on the homepage. Clicked and it was true!
I have not seen many medical dramas - but seen their J-dramas on repeat. They were really memorable characters and these J-dramas are repeat watchers, part of my comfort watches even though maybe the drama would be a little cringe it still effortlessly brings a smile everytime I watch!
2 
6 
1 
1 
1 
1 
1) Heartbreaking for Hae Seong to find his father like that. Though a tragic end was expected, it still stings. Theory: His dad found the gold and contacted Director Kim, who betrayed, killed him, and took the gold. In his last moments, Hae Seong's dad called Agent An (mentioned in Ep 9). The tragedy echoes the Signal drama's phone call, where the main lead detective was also killed by his friend/superior, and he somewhat made a call to leave a clue.
2) Fans of *Taxi Driver* might notice similarities between the dungeon setting in this show (where the gold was supposedly hidden) and the dungeon in *Taxi Driver* where criminals were held. With Kim Eui Sung acting in both shows, the resemblance stood out to me—though it could just be coincidence. If anyone knows more, feel free to share!
3) Su Ah's mom being a former gangster and leader was hilarious. It reminded me of her *Study Group* role—not identical, but she’s a fighter there too, and tries to steer her son away from that life. Similar vibes - the whole fight/gangsta role!
I have not watched the drama of the same name, but that is primarily a BL.
I like mystery genre in general - but yes, 2024-25 it seems they are set up in high school. Guess if I can't relate to high school romance, mystery is the way to go LOL!
The subtitle "Ahn Hyo Seop is returning to the K-drama scene, possibly with another rom-com" feels more appropriate as the main title. It highlights his overall return to K-dramas rather than limiting the focus to rom-coms specifically.
While it's true that rom-coms are among his most notable works, he's not exclusively returning to that genre. His return is broader, encompassing K-dramas as a whole, even if romantic themes have been a prominent element in his career. Additionally, his gap from the screen seems relatively short—perhaps just a year, likely due to ongoing projects in 2025.
Essentially, the current phrasing feels a bit narrow, as it might give the impression that he's solely returning to rom-coms, whereas his comeback spans a wider variety of projects, rom-coms being just one part of it. At least that's what I feel...
At least it helped removed the confusion on what I can expect with the story - given the synopsis was super weird to me.
Let me give the initial episodes a try - I am really intrigued by the curse/mystery aspect more than anything. If 2-3 episodes are not enought to arrest my attention, I think I will have my answer and will have to drop.
Appreciate your views, thanks for making the time :)
I had been looking forward to it given its been sometime since I saw a drama of Jinyoung's + the cast for the ML and FL's parents are some of the greatest artists I know, so I thought it would be good. But the ratings and synopsis made me confused.
Let me begin with a fast speed approach and see how it goes. But thank you for taking the time to patiently explain your views :)
Which is why I have an issue with the writing and portrayal of the character - a confused crying mess is not what we need. Which is why it is getting annoying to so many and like I mentioned if we eliminate her the plot and story can still go on, which is sad and speaks about the badly written character and overall reducing the likeability for the drama, to a certain extent. :(
"return"? when did he leave - given his last 3 works that have aired in 2022-23 are with romance tags: Business Proposal, A Time Called You, Dr Romantic 3. He's always been the romance lead, since at least 2017. Title left me confused and thinking I had missed some of his work LOL
Waiting for his projects - he's a good actor, just not enough projects as much as I'd like
Hoping for more especially with the upcoming movie - Omniscient Reader...
Anyone who has finished this drama - can they share their experience or any close/similar stories that can help me decide...really do not want to waste efforts/time if this is mediocre or worse.
FL / Romance: I guess yeah the degree here is too much. Reborn Rich too I ended skipping and here too am skipping cause I find it totally unrelatable to the main story.
That is the best way for sure - wait for completion and then check.
Hope you watch better shows/movies in the meantime as you wait. Happy Watching!
Recommendations: I just checked your list, and we have so many overlaps that it's hard to recommend something, which is a good thing meaning we have similar taste and views for shows.
Most of my highly recommended shows - I see you have already seen.
The ones that were not on your list and still recommended, I am sharing here:
1) Black Out (2024)
2) Death's Game (2024)
3) Study Group (2025)
4) Trauma Code: Heroes on Call (2025)
5) ViP (2019) - underrated as per me
6) high School Return of a Gangster (2024) - underrated
7) Boyhood (2024) - underrated
8) Light Shop (2024)
9) Missing: The Other Side (2020)
10) Pyramid Game (2024)
11) Splash Splash Love [Mini Series] (2015) - highly underrated, or so I thought at one time
This is a long one, but I have some movies and J-dramas too, in case you like but I think this is a good start. If you do watch any of these do let me know - happy to discuss, always!
I'll DM the short story once I flesh it out and revise it a bit more :) though I actually stole the red-string story from Ryeon & Jung Gil to Rowoon's character + new FL (can be read as the readers' POV)
It is still ongoing - but I feel the same here in Buried Hearts, in fact more so.
Just shared this comment as well: https://kisskh.at/766845-treasure-island#comment-21225020
It is not the actress, but a badly written FL character IMO. But if you can look past the romance and indecisive FL, I think you can give the drama a try for the ML, action, suspense and the usual secret in a chaebol set up.
But then I know where you are coming from, so your reasons are valid for dropping it, still I thought to share from a POV of another drama that we both have liked and see if that gives some fresh perspective. Maybe wait a bit more till this drama is near completion and that time if you don't see any more comments on the weird romance/FL - maybe you can bingewatch?
https://kisskh.at/766845-treasure-island#comment-21225020
Her character has been badly written, and even the actress good portrayal of it not cutting it. Like you mentioned - she is so undecisive and helpless throughout the show. We see her being a rebel and going back to her house so many times only to come back + the whole marriage/shares/divorce drama is so useless and almost funny
As I mentioned in my comment - I don't think we will miss much if we eliminated the FL & romance from this drama. The other things going on are WAY more exciting and worth the watch.
Sad that FL characters are still being written so terribly . . .
In fact even in the limited scenes, I like the FL doctor for some reason, and hope she gets together with Dongju. I know will not happen and is totally unrelated but for some reason she has been better written, adding value to the plot as necessary.
FL's character is so indecisive - with her relationship, shares and her own search for truth (biological father's death) - all the while being just a sobbing mess, who's just hopping from one scene to another. I have literally fast forwarded her scenes now - cause its just her tearing up and the romantic BGM playing. That's it.
In fact - if we do eliminate her - I think Dongju still has a lot to go on and this drama would still be same level of exciting. He could be the guy that is most trusted by Daesan and which is why the rest of the family and Mr Yeom is trying to get rid of him. Plus the whole secret son angle with Bakery Lady and her son + who is Chu Seong Hyeon* and why is he shaking up Secretary Gong......see even without the FL we have enough content to be hooked to this story. [Kind of reminds me of another fav drama of mine - Reborn Rich, which too had unnecessary romance]
Not sure if more people are feeling this way - and in no way this is a reflection on the actress, but rather the creators of the show. Its 2025 - we need women to be more stronger and not still stuck under the proverbial thumb of patriarchal characters/situations.
Otherwise, love to read all about this talented handsome actor, any given time of the day!
I have not seen many medical dramas - but seen their J-dramas on repeat. They were really memorable characters and these J-dramas are repeat watchers, part of my comfort watches even though maybe the drama would be a little cringe it still effortlessly brings a smile everytime I watch!