Kate

Finally, we’ve got a rom-com that delivers both romance and comedy and skips murder mystery! It had great jokes, even if some gave me massive second hand embarrassment, surprisingly great chemistry, but also quite a number of deeper thoughts to consider - whenever about the exploration of relationship, or oneself.

Not gonna lie, hesitated before starting it, because of Nam Ji Hyun. In all the previous dramas I saw, not once I actually liked her chemistry with co-stars. So the idea of watching this drama, that is highly dependent on the chemistry between the leads, when I did not enjoy it in anything she previously did scared me. And oh boy, I am so happy I was wrong this time. Maybe because the character truly felt like it was written for her specifically, and how naturally attractive and flirty Kim Jae Yeong is - this pairing worked perfectly.

The way he made her open the world to different experiences, while she helped him find the path he was looking for. They balanced each other well, truly filling what the other needed and wanted. A pairing that felt impossible to match, yet at the end created perfect harmony.

Sadly, I was not as on board with all the side couples. Jin Se Ra’s puppy story was literally a few filler scenes here and there and for me could be removed altogether. Kong Nam Su’s relationship was far more interesting, but the conclusion did not make me feel satisfied at all. The character and their story I actually got invested in was Ma Maeng Na and both the development and the closure were just perfect.

I also think we should appreciate our lovely second male lead Yun Ji O. Love this man. If Kong Yeon Su does not want him, I’m first in line. Caring, fun to be around, really perceptive and good at reading people. Does not try to force himself into other people’s life, accepts boundaries and deals with rejection in a mature manner. Truly loved him.

Then we had the plot I actually wished was explored a bit more - both the family relationships in Kong Yeon Su’s and Dokgo Dal’s families. They made it clear it’s not just a simple case of overbearing male figures in the families and there is more nuance in the dynamics, but there was just so much more that could have been done with it.

And then we have the theme of the show: sex and intimacy. I especially liked how normal they presented sex. It’s not the first sex positive kdrama, but I do think this one did the best job showing it as a normal and not shameful part of life. I feel like previously many titles focused more on “scandalized” themes, kinks and exploration beyond the “vanilla” and they were not truly fully accessible for many people. So this drama being so normal about it was truly refreshing. Sex was not “end all be all”, and the conversations around it always carried more meaning.

The intimacy was also never just about the relationship between two people, but also the relationship you have with yourself. Do you know what you like and dislike? Are you willing to explore your preferences? What stops you from figuring it out? What’s more, I appreciate how the drama sends a clear message that it’s not just women who struggle with their sexual needs and figuring out their preference, but men do too.

For the directing - this is your standard high production value drama. Looks good, everything works well, the filming and set design is well executed, and so are the costumes. The soundtrack is fitting every scene. But at the same time… nothing truly stands out.

Overall, extremely enjoyable, extremely approachable. Delivered exactly what they wanted, but I wanted a little bit more.