What a clear and poignant review. I loved this show when I watched it but you described exactly what it was that drew me in and kept me from forgetting it, like I do with many dramas. It's the emotional maturity, the leads weren't paying games with each other or had stupid misunderstandings, all the conflicts came from people at work. The pairing of a very straight-laced and respectful man with a woman who knows exactly what she wants and doesn't expect to attract many people for that (but those she does are the right one) is ingenius. You're right, the story wasn't new, but the excecution was more layered that expected. The realism and the not shying away from difficult topics like being a working woman and how superiors treat employees in big companies, made their soft moments feel earned, like the won them from not letting the toxic environment break them. And I can't forget the sweetness of the bench kiss!
I really thank you for your comment, and for the really relevant reflections drawn from it...I have been following…
Always up to discuss underrated dramas, especially the ones with revenge! I hadn't thought about the house as the main character, but I see your point. It keeps secrets and reveals them in a whim, and it brought these two women together, merging their families in a creepy, uncomfortable arrangement. But if not for it, they wouldn't have known the past and the protagonist would be stuck with her old life.
The choice to be family friendly hurt the end product, cause the themes were adult (murder, cheating, mental health), so they should be treated as such. I think it's Korea's tolerance for cheating men, which irks me to no end.
At first I thought the protagonist was the Ms Perfect, i think the show wants to say that even if she was perfect in the eyes of everyone, injustice still hit her, so perfection doesn't guarantee happiness, love and fighting fair is the key
It's rare to find a person here who appreciates this much Ms Perfect, so i'm glad to come across your review. I loved this show with all its darkness and character-driven twists and you gave a name to that I was feeling: it's gothic, eerie. Makes you scared at every knock on the door but this is why it's captivating. I think they should have leaned into it more and punish the cheating husband to give us a true closure and give sung joon more the full romantic interest treatment (i loved how he started and how close he ended up to her, and the arc with his sister). finally, it's interesting to think that the two women were mirrors of each other, and who was the real Ms Perfect?
nailed it! I enjoyed thoroughly the progression of the drama, the relationship between the two leads which progressed from newbie x boss to partners in spirit so well, and how realistically it depicted the sheer work they both had to do, which was not glorified. one of the rare cdramas where i didn't fast forward, their smallest interactions carried meaning.
But the storyline with the ex husband, the shittiest way to handle it! not only he bore any consequences for cheating, lying, meddling and being condescending, they rewarded him with the love of the best friend! i loved her character in the beginning, she was a woman with a full life, professional, smart and unafraid. and she was a great friend to both before the romance. she had so much going on for her (and that beautiful hair!), it's criminally stupid how they assasinated her character. No one that smart or that loyal to her friend would get together with that piece of shit. I don't care if he was her first love and I hate how they use this trope to excuse present shitty behaviour. I think i put a very high rating on it, but i'm pretending this storyline never occured
his treatment from the public is one of korean society's most embarassing moments. the man has a problem and he's been prosecuted and ridiculed instead of being provided the necessary medical and psychological assistance. meanwhile they turn a blind eye to rapists (Lee Kyung Young), sexual assault perpetrators (Lee Jin Wook) and overall abusing cheating assholes (Lee Byung Hun) who continue to appear in dramas as if nothing happened
The choice to be family friendly hurt the end product, cause the themes were adult (murder, cheating, mental health), so they should be treated as such. I think it's Korea's tolerance for cheating men, which irks me to no end.
At first I thought the protagonist was the Ms Perfect, i think the show wants to say that even if she was perfect in the eyes of everyone, injustice still hit her, so perfection doesn't guarantee happiness, love and fighting fair is the key
But the storyline with the ex husband, the shittiest way to handle it! not only he bore any consequences for cheating, lying, meddling and being condescending, they rewarded him with the love of the best friend! i loved her character in the beginning, she was a woman with a full life, professional, smart and unafraid. and she was a great friend to both before the romance. she had so much going on for her (and that beautiful hair!), it's criminally stupid how they assasinated her character. No one that smart or that loyal to her friend would get together with that piece of shit. I don't care if he was her first love and I hate how they use this trope to excuse present shitty behaviour. I think i put a very high rating on it, but i'm pretending this storyline never occured