2
1
1
2
1
2
1
1
1
This review may contain spoilers
I wanted this to be so much more
This drama was one of my most anticipated dramas of 2026, and honestly… It disappointed me.
Let me start with the positives, because there are quite a few. I loved seeing KSH back in a romance drama, and the pairing of KSH and GYJ was probably the biggest reason I managed to finish the show after it started dipping. Visually, this drama was stunning. The cinematography was beautiful, the locations were breathtaking, and every frame felt so thoughtfully composed. Each shot was genuinely pleasing to watch and constantly made me look forward to the next scene.
The drama also started off really strong with a unique and refreshing storyline. You could clearly see how much effort the actors put into this project, and that sincerity translated on screen. If you’re a regular Kdrama watcher, the first half genuinely felt like a breath of fresh air.
BUT --- and this is a big but, the drama started going downhill around episode 7.
At that point, I honestly found myself wondering if I was even watching the same drama anymore. I was excited to see how the relationship between the leads would unfold, but instead, the show suddenly shifted its entire genre out of nowhere. What made this more frustrating was that the characters themselves were written with so much depth and care. Their backstories were detailed, layered, and clearly built with intention --- which made the tonal shift even harder to accept.
I’m not against the exploration of Cha Mu Hee’s childhood trauma. In fact, it was necessary for her character growth and for her to finally believe in the love she deserved. My issue was how this was handled. Unwrapping her trauma led to a complete change in the genre of the drama, which felt shocking and jarring as a viewer. On top of that, the storyline was dragged out for nearly FOUR episodes, which significantly disrupted the pacing and consistency of the plot.
Some of the logic behind Do Ra Mi’s actions also didn’t make much sense to me. I understand that her role was important in helping Ho Jin and Mu Hee interpret their feelings for each other, but did it really need to be stretched across FOUR episodes? I actually liked her character more when she appeared subtly through hallucinations earlier on, keeping it restrained might have helped maintain the drama’s original tone.
To be clear, I don’t have anything else against this drama. I appreciated the creative enthusiasm behind it and the risks the team tried to take. What frustrated me was sitting through the final episodes, internally screaming and repeatedly asking myself “WTF is happening?” for an entire hour. It felt a little deceptive, especially since the creators gave no indication that the story would head in this direction. At that point, I found myself watching purely for the sake of my favorite actors.
That said, I really loved the ending once the leads finally came together. I appreciated how they kept communication open and avoided unnecessary misunderstandings, especially after all the push and pull drama we’d already endured. Still, the overall issue remained: the plot and characters felt disconnected from the first half of the drama towards the end, which made binge-watching the final stretch quite difficult.
Let me start with the positives, because there are quite a few. I loved seeing KSH back in a romance drama, and the pairing of KSH and GYJ was probably the biggest reason I managed to finish the show after it started dipping. Visually, this drama was stunning. The cinematography was beautiful, the locations were breathtaking, and every frame felt so thoughtfully composed. Each shot was genuinely pleasing to watch and constantly made me look forward to the next scene.
The drama also started off really strong with a unique and refreshing storyline. You could clearly see how much effort the actors put into this project, and that sincerity translated on screen. If you’re a regular Kdrama watcher, the first half genuinely felt like a breath of fresh air.
BUT --- and this is a big but, the drama started going downhill around episode 7.
At that point, I honestly found myself wondering if I was even watching the same drama anymore. I was excited to see how the relationship between the leads would unfold, but instead, the show suddenly shifted its entire genre out of nowhere. What made this more frustrating was that the characters themselves were written with so much depth and care. Their backstories were detailed, layered, and clearly built with intention --- which made the tonal shift even harder to accept.
I’m not against the exploration of Cha Mu Hee’s childhood trauma. In fact, it was necessary for her character growth and for her to finally believe in the love she deserved. My issue was how this was handled. Unwrapping her trauma led to a complete change in the genre of the drama, which felt shocking and jarring as a viewer. On top of that, the storyline was dragged out for nearly FOUR episodes, which significantly disrupted the pacing and consistency of the plot.
Some of the logic behind Do Ra Mi’s actions also didn’t make much sense to me. I understand that her role was important in helping Ho Jin and Mu Hee interpret their feelings for each other, but did it really need to be stretched across FOUR episodes? I actually liked her character more when she appeared subtly through hallucinations earlier on, keeping it restrained might have helped maintain the drama’s original tone.
To be clear, I don’t have anything else against this drama. I appreciated the creative enthusiasm behind it and the risks the team tried to take. What frustrated me was sitting through the final episodes, internally screaming and repeatedly asking myself “WTF is happening?” for an entire hour. It felt a little deceptive, especially since the creators gave no indication that the story would head in this direction. At that point, I found myself watching purely for the sake of my favorite actors.
That said, I really loved the ending once the leads finally came together. I appreciated how they kept communication open and avoided unnecessary misunderstandings, especially after all the push and pull drama we’d already endured. Still, the overall issue remained: the plot and characters felt disconnected from the first half of the drama towards the end, which made binge-watching the final stretch quite difficult.
Was this review helpful to you?
