Girl's Generation 1979

Girl’s Generation 1979

5/10

Girl's Generation 1979

Genre:                                                Episodes: 8                                   Year: 2017

School

Romance

Synopsis:

Lee Jung Hee is a high school girl in South Korea in the ‘70s. She has a crush on her senior, Sohn Jin, but the dynamics in her country town shift when Jung Hye Joo, a transfer student from Seoul, arrives.

Cast:

Bona (Lee Jung Hee)

Chae Soo Jin (Jung Hye Joo)

Seo Young Joo (Bae Dong Moon)

Lee Jong Hyun (Joo Young Choon)

Yeo Hwe Hyun (Sohn Jin)

Min Do Hee (Shim Ae Sook)

Jo Byung Gyu (Lee Bong Soo)

Kwon Hae Hyo (Jung Hee's Father)

Kim Sun Young (Jung Hee's Mother)

Park Ha Na (Jung Hee's Maid)

General Thoughts:

I didn’t love the show, in fact I barely even liked it, but I do think that’s partly my fault. I went in with pretty high expectations. It seemed like the sort of drama that would be widely ignored but would end up being a great little show with a small, yet dedicated, following. And that didn’t really happen. While the show definitely had its charming moments, I can't deny that the whole thing came across a tad more juvenile than I’d been expecting.

I wanted more friendships and less romance

I guess when you cast an actor that’s nearly 30 in one of the prominent roles (I actually even mistakingly thought he was the lead before starting) I’m just expecting a slightly more mature vibe than what we were given. I think my mistake in thinking Jong Hyun Oppa was our leading man got me off on the wrong foot for this drama. For 1, I was endlessly confused at how little screen time he was a getting and 2, I was put off Hye Joo’s crush for him because I thought that he was (somehow) going to go for Jung Hee.

As usual- looking great

I mean, I figured it out pretty quickly, but by that time I’d sort of got a feel for how I thought the drama would go, so it felt weird when it didn’t go that way. I freely admit that this is all my fault, as the drama in no way made it seem as if Oppa was the lead. On a side note, I was pretty annoyed at how little interaction Young Choon as a character got with anyone who wasn't Hye Joo or Ae Sook. For a show that seemed to be wanting the friendship of the girls to be its main selling point, I personally thought that the friendship wasn’t that great. I mean, for most of the show’s run Jung Hee doesn’t even like Hye Joo. While there were some cute moments between the girls, I never really felt them connect until right at the end. Jung Hee never really stood up for Hye Soo in school that much, and neither of the girls really communicated when things went wrong. A lot of the development I was wanting between the girls was actually happening between Hye Joo and Young Choon. Rather than going to her friend Jung Hee for help (as girls tend to do), Hye Joo was running to her crush, Young Choon. It did further the romantic development between the two, but I couldn’t help feeling that it was also barring Jung Hee from becoming a truly reliable friend.

I thought we were trying to build a friendship here people

All instances where Jung Hee was willing to put aside her jealousy and help Hye Joo out, Hye Joo never asked for help, and before long Jung Hee was growing jealous again. The jealousy was something I understood and I appreciated that the show went there. It risked making Jung Hee seem petty and selfish, but for me it made her character feel more real. It’s a general rule of thumb that high school girls don’t like new girls.

She's kinda petty and kinda rude, but I still like her

Especially when they’re pretty and smart. And definitely not when their crush is crushing on the new girl. I was looking forward to seeing what it was that would bridge the jealousy and bring the two together as friends. Hye Joo’s father being a communist and getting arrested was a pretty good start, but as I mentioned before, the girls never really got the opportunity to support each other through that on screen. While Jung Hee had some pretty prominent negative points (pettiness, jealousy, occasional rudeness), she was such a typical teenage girl that it was relatable. She thought the world revolved around her and anything that didn’t go her way was just the peak of unfairness. Most people, even if they’d like to deny it, felt that way when they were teenagers. To balance those traits, Jung Hee had a bunch of good personality points. She was loyal, spoke her mind, was wonderfully innocent, and disliked injustice. Despite how jealous she was of Hye Joo, Jung Hee never delighted in any of Hye Joo’s suffering. When she saw Hye Joo having a hard time she wanted to help and felt conflicted due to her initial dislike of Hye Joo.

I mean, who likes their romantic rival?

Even though Ae Sook gave her a hard time at school and pushed her around, Jung Hee spoke out against her father when he threatened Ae Sook and forced her to kneel. Jung Hee was perfectly realistic in her balance of good and negative traits. Cosmic Girls’ Bona did a wonderful job at giving Jung Hee life, and excellently balanced her character’s mix of traits. Jung Hee could have very easily been an annoying character, but Bona gave such a sweetness and innocence to the character that you couldn’t help but like her.

Equal parts cute and crazy

I also think Bona did well at expressing Jung Hee’s conflicted feelings regarding Hye Joo. Despite Jung Hee often doing nothing, Bona always made sure we as an audience knew that Jung Hee was seriously considering stepping up before deciding not to, and obviously feeling some level of regret after. I found Hye Joo to be a less fun character than Jung Hee. She was just too perfect. And I know that’s kind of the point, but she was perfect to the point that it wasn’t believable.

Cue exasperated groaning

She’s smart (like, top of the nation smart), pretty, and nice. All in the extreme. Like, she’s not just nice, she’s super, ridiculously, stupidly nice. No one is this nice. Except for maybe Gandhi, but she was way prettier than Gandhi. And to top it all off she was loved by everyone. Boys would flock to the girls’ school to get a look at her, her father adored her, and the girls (except for a few) idolised her. She was perfect to the point it was exasperating. She was constructed as such a perfect character that I actually had a hard time feeling bad for her when she was struggling, it was just kinda like ‘welcome to the real world, princess’. Which is mean yes, and wouldn’t be my response to a real person, but Hye Joo just didn’t seem like a real person at all. She was shown to have no negative qualities whatsoever. It’s hard to really say whether Chae Soo Jin did a good job acting Hye Joo or not because I was so disinterested with the character and didn’t pay much attention. The role wasn’t one that required a lot of effort or skill, as all Chae Soo Jin had to do was smile and act nice with the occasional tear here and there. I mean, she wasn’t bad, it’s just that she didn’t really add anything to a bland role to make it memorable.

She seemed pretty keen to trade in her father for a boyfriend anyway

The flip side of Hye Joo is Sohn Jin. While he was constructed with a similar sort of level of perfection, he was also shown to have flaws. While Jin was smart, cute and well loved he never really came across as nice. It felt like he liked the attention, and he liked girls fawning over him so he put on an air. Early on he was seen to be pretty possessive of girls’ affections, even when he wasn’t interested in them.

I didn't like him much, but he was an interesting character

Even though Jin liked Hye Joo and had no desire to date Jung Hee, he still didn’t want Dong Moon to date her either. He also had some pretty serious trouble trying to come to terms with the fact that Hye Joo didn’t like him. It was clear that he loved being loved, and that sort of arrogance and self-importance were enough to balance out his good qualities and make him seem like a real person. Yeo Hwe Hyun acted the character well, but similarly to Chae Soo Jin he didn’t really stand out. There was nothing that made the character uniquely his, and another actor could have done the job just the same. As for our hero, I won’t lie, I wasn’t a fan. There was nothing about Dong Moon that made him all that likeable. I found his persistence with Jung Hee was more annoying than it was cute, and I actually found him to be quite obtrusive. I guess you could say the same about Jung Hee in the way she followed Jin around, but I argue that Jin encouraged those sorts of behaviours whereas Jung Hee did not. Jin often spent time with Jung Hee, called her cute, took her out to eat, and always told her he’d see her again.

Master of keeping hopes up

However, Jung Hee repeatedly told Dong Moon she didn’t want him following her around, explicitly said that she didn’t want him interfering with her relationship with Jin, and drew a clear line in the sand. And yet Dong Moon was constantly crossing that line. While he was just following her for himself (which still sounds creepy), it was kind of passable, because it just came across as a dorky guy wanting to see his crush.

No means no and if you can't respect that we're gonna have problems

However, once Dong Moon started following Jung Hee so that he could actively interfere with her relationship with Jin it became far less acceptable. I mean, Jung Hee has clearly expressed that she has no interest in dating him, yet he still thinks he has the right to meddle in her love life? No thanks. The show was trying to pass Dong Moon’s behaviours off as cute and endearing, but they were just too stalkerish for my taste. If this drama was ‘Cheese in the Trap’ he’d be that weird creeper who stalked the heroine. Just because he’s the hero of the drama, it doesn’t magically make his mildly creepy moves into cute ones. And I just don’t think Dong Moon was consistent as a character. When we first meet him he’s dorky and all kinds of awkward with no real confidence. I have no idea where he got the nerve to follow this girl around and continue making advances on her even when she blatantly shuts him down. Like, that’s pretty bold for a nervy high schooler. As much as I didn’t like Dong Moon as a character, I will say that Seo Young Joo did a pretty good job acting him out.

But those glasses were hard to stomach

He was excellent at being the awkward dork, and did pretty well at making behaviours that weren’t exactly consistent with his character type seem more natural on screen. Although Dong Moon was 100% not my kind of hero, I can see why he, and the actor behind him, got a lot of love from some of the viewers.

I wish I was on board for this romance, but I'm just not

The person I was most excited to see was definitely Lee Jong Hyun (because I love him), but he was pretty non-existent here. The only time he really made it on screen was when he was helping Hye Joo with whatever she needed, and then I was pretty bummed because it was always at a point in the series where I wished Hye Joo would confide in Jung Hee. I wouldn’t say it was the best performance he’s ever given, but he was on par with everyone else in the show. But his love-line…I just wasn’t on board with it. It kind of annoyed me that he went from being so indifferent to Hye Joo to being completely in love with her. Especially because what first caught his attention was hearing that she was from a good family and a top student. It just felt a bit shallow. I was also a bit bummed that him liking her meant that Hye Joo got everything. Yeah her Dad was a communist and whatnot, but the show placed so much more weight on her crush that her winning Young Choon’s heart overshadowed her father being arrested. She was not only perfect, but she got to have her cake and eat it too.

I wish all the characters got a bit more development than they did

I could see how these personalities and situations would work in a manhwa, but I just think that nothing much was added when it was converted into live action, so the whole show just came off a bit cartoonish.

What Was Great:

The ‘70s:

I haven’t seen a lot of dramas that take place in Korea in the ‘60s or 70s. I think the closest I’ve gotten is ‘Reply 1988’.

Though some things don't change

For someone who’s grown up in a different country it’s so interesting to see the differences in culture. Sure, I wasn’t alive for the ‘70s here either, but I’ve seen it a lot through Brittish and American media. One of my favourite things about this drama was seeing what Korea was like in the ‘70s, because I really had no clue about it. The military inclusions in school were fascinating to see, as it’s something that I never would have thought of. The girls were learning how to march in lines, treat injuries in case of war, and spot communists. I had no idea that there was a curfew on regular citizens, and the extreme sexism was something that surprised me. This drama was only set about 40 years ago, and yet there were so many differences. It really highlighted how far the country has come in such a short time. I mean, Jung Hee and her mother didn’t even eat at the same table as her father and brother. It was these sort of inclusions that really made it feel as though this story was taking place in a different time. As much as music and dress can express these differences, it’s the small details that really sell the era.

The patriarchy was kind of shocking

What Wasn’t:

Crushes:

The whole plot of this drama centred around who was crushing on who, with not a lot extra thrown in.

It was aaaaaall about who liked who

Hye Joo’s struggles due to her communist father could have been something really fascinating to look at, and I think you still could have had that lighthearted, school vibe while also exploring a more unique topic. Despite how the drama was set in the ’70s, it really could have been a modern drama, because there was nothing in the plot that made it ‘70s- only the details. Which is a bummer, because as I’ve just mentioned, one of my favourite aspects of this drama was how it was set in the past. Instead all we got were school kid crushes. Jung Hee liked Jin. Jin liked Hye Joo. Hye Joo liked Young Choon. Young Choon liked Hye Joo. Jin switched to liking Jung Hee. Dong Moon likes Jung Hee. Jung Hee switches to liking Dong Moon. Boom. That’s the whole drama right there.

Recommend?

Look, if you like mildly silly, kind of childish shows go for it. I’d say if you’re the type of person who enjoyed ‘The Liar and His Lover’ (for the story not the music) this show would probably be right up your alley. Otherwise, I advise you read the synopsis, look at a few screenshots, and move on with your K-Drama viewing.

I wish there'd been more girl bonding

Top 5 Completion Complex Dramas (2017)

Top 5 

Completion Complex Dramas (2017)

I don’t watch K-Dramas live. I hate waiting, and K-Dramas are notorious for their cliffhanger episode endings. I like to be able to take the show at my own pace, whether that be 16 episodes in one weekend or over a couple of months. This usually means that when I watch a drama I’m only watching one drama. Watching live gives you the option of having a few dramas on the go, but having to wait for episodes to be released is just something I don’t want to have to put up with. I much prefer the marathon method. However, this method also leads to a certain desire to not drop K-Dramas that deserve to be dropped. If I was watching two or three dramas at a time, letting a crappy drama go might not be such a hard thing to do, but when I feel like I’ve invested so much time in a singular drama I don’t want to just stop watching. It feels like a waste of my own time and effort, even though in my head I know it makes much more sense to just stop watching a drama I’m not enjoying. But when I’m already 10 hours in what's another 6, right? I’ve watched a lot of K-Dramas and a lot of those K-Dramas I should have probably just let fall by the wayside, so I’m going to limit myself to just the dramas I’ve seen from 2017. Here’s my top 5 pick of dramas that I really probably should have just stopped watching this year.

5: Missing 9

‘Missing 9’ certainly wasn’t the worst drama to grace 2017, but it was a far cry from good. The premise is what snagged my attention, just because it was so different. K-Dramaland is so full of chaebols and Candies, and so many dramas end up feeling the same. In ‘Missing 9’ the characters were stranded on an island with a sort of mystery/thriller genre. How cool! And yes, the parts where the characters were struggling on the island were cool. It was interesting and different and a great way to force the characters to interact with each other, and also a fabulous way to introduce new rules and new stakes. However, where the drama really started falling apart is when the characters made their way back to civilisation. Once we were back in the regular world with regular rules the drama stopped being so interesting. The plot kind of collapsed on itself and we all knew there was no way it was going to end well. It didn’t. The first half of the drama was new and intriguing, but the second half was just…not good.

4: Strong Woman Do Bong Soon

Yes, there’s a lot of people who liked this drama. There’s a lot of people who LOVED this drama. I did too in parts, but those parts had a whole bunch of silliness separating them. The main couple was pure adorableness and I kinda wish the whole show had been a cute fluff show about only those two. Because all the other characters kind of ruined it. The serial killer was okay, but he was underdeveloped and really didn’t fit with the show’s lighthearted tone. The gangsters were just stupid and I really couldn’t understand why they were given so much screen time. Did anyone find them funny? Anyone at all? The thing that made it so hard to even consider dropping this drama (because we all know I don’t really drop dramas) was that the gorgeous relationship between the leads was spread equally throughout every episode. Bong Soo and Min Min were just too adorable together, and almost made the 40 minutes of total boredom (ie- any time they weren’t on screen together) bearable. Almost.

3: Man to Man

‘Man to Man’ was a drama that was best when it didn’t take itself too seriously. Park Hae Jin has great deadpan humour and in the first few episodes that was used really effectively. The drama was fun while Park Hae Jin was leading this double life, trying to trick people and just generally being completely unreceptive of their emotions. But once things started getting serious the drama turned dead boring. I don’t think anyone liked the girl (whatever her name was), and I don’t think anyone bought the romance.There was zero chemistry and zero interest. Park Hae Jin being a super spy stuck in mundane situations having to romance a girl he doesn’t like? Hilarious and fun. Park Hae Jin falling for the most boring heroine on the planet and getting all moody and angsty? No thanks. This drama was such a flop I don’t think anyone will be tuning in for the next instalment (‘Four Men’), but who knows? Maybe without the sucky heroine it’ll be way better.

2: The Liar and His Lover

This drama was one I really needed to drop. In the previous three dramas there were at least times that I was having fun watching, but I really struggled to find any enjoyment in ‘Liar’. It wasn’t an awful drama, it just wasn’t my cup of tea. It also didn’t help that my life outside K-Drama was getting hectic as hell, and in any free time I could find I was forcing myself to watch something I didn’t even like (seriously me, why?). The story was just juvenile in every way. The characters were childish, the main love line was childish and their problems were childish. I mean really, what’s the big deal about not being able to sing your boyfriend’s song when you’re a total rookie? Get over it. This whole drama stagnated my K-Drama watching for a while there and took me a couple of months to finish because I just didn’t want to watch it. But I did watch it. Because I don’t know how quit.

1: Ruler- Master of the Mask

‘Ruler’ basically shows you that I don’t learn. It was pretty much ‘Liar’ all over again. There were very few points in this drama that I actually enjoyed, and far more often than not I found myself getting bored or just blatantly criticising everything the characters did as they did it. There were very few redeeming qualities in this show. The only thing I did learn from 'Liar' is that dragging it out made absolutely no difference, so I smashed this drama in about a week and a half. An agonising week and a half. The drama was no fun. I had no fun. I should have watched three or four episodes, realised it was a dud and got myself out. But by the time I’ve watched three or four episodes I’ve invested those hours into the show, so hey, what’s another 16 hours, right?

What dramas did you drop in 2017?

Because This Life is My First

Because This Life is My First

6.5/10

Because This Life is My First

Genre:                                                Episodes: 16                                           Year: 2017

Romance

Comedy

Synopsis:

Nam Se Hee is a man who owns his own home but can barely afford the payments for his mortgage. Yoon Ji Ho is a woman who struggles to find a place to live after she is forced to leave home. Se Hee looks for a roommate to earn some extra money, and Ji Ho jumps at the chance to find a place to rent that doesn’t require a deposit.

Cast:

Jung So min (Yoon Ji Ho)

Lee Min Ki (Nam Se Hee)

Esom (Woo Soo Ji)

Park Byung Eun (Ma Sang Goo)

Kim Ga Eun (Yang Ho Rang)

Kim Min Suk (Shim Won Seok)

Kim Min Kyu (Yeon Bok Nam)

Yoon Bo Mi (Yoon Bo Mi)

General Thoughts:

Before I get into the bulk of this review, I kind of feel like I want to explain my rating a bit. I know a lot of people adored this drama and would rate it highly, but for me the end sort of ruined a lot. That being said, I also couldn’t ignore that a large part of this drama was really, really good.

Mostly fun

The majority of the show sat around 7.5-8 so I felt it was only fair to knock that down about a point for the way the show concluded. Anyway- moving on. This drama is part of the genre that’s really taking off recently- slice-of-life. I myself am a huge fan of this genre (Weightlifting Fairy, Age of Youth, Fool’s Love), so I was pretty excited to hear of this new and popular drama. And boy did the show deliver.

Slice-of-life is the new black

It’s pretty much everything you want in a slice-of-life. The characters are slightly odd but are relatable in a sympathetic way, the situations (despite certain craziness) have a familiar, realistic vibe, and the whole show is coloured by a thoughtful and insightful commentary about life. The emotions of the drama were spot on and were what made it really memorable. While the plot was engaging and fun, it was the characters and their touching stories that made the show memorable. Of course when you think of the most memorable character you have to think of our leading man, Nam Se Hee. He was totally weird. He was whacky in a way that should have made him un-relatable, and yet time and time again I found myself sympathising and agreeing with him. Who hasn’t wished for an ordinary, quiet life with no surprises at one time or another? It was fun to watch Se Hee slowly start to come out of his shell around Ji Ho and gradually start to express himself more. Ji Ho was a perfect match for his weirdness (for the most part), and it was nice how the show explored their compatibility. It’s not that they were the perfect man and perfect woman, but their personalities made them a good fit.

Oddly compatible

It didn’t feel like some other person could be more suitable for our main leads. Rather than fire and sparks, our couple had a comfortable and relaxed chemistry. They felt safe and secure around each other, and didn’t feel as though their idiosyncrasies would be judged. It was a nice way to move through the relationship, having the leads start as housemates.

I don't often get to use 'K-Drama' and 'good communication' in the same sentence

Unlike usual rom-com set-ups there was no real ridiculous event that forced them together, nor did they have a hate-love relationship- they were just two people who happened to meet and suit each other really well. The housemate set-up also allowed the lead characters to be quite open with each other. While there were some things they kept from each other (such as their growing fondness for each other), they were very clear on their preferences and their comforts, which allowed the two to gather a pretty clear understanding of each other early on. For the most part, the communication between Se Hee and Ji Ho was really excellent. Se Hee always expressed when he felt that Ji Ho had crossed a line and Ji Ho mostly let Se Hee know when he had confused her or hurt her feelings. It was this honesty that made their relationship feel real and sincere and made them a couple to root for. Lee Min Ki was a standout in this drama- able to completely adapt to Se Hee’s strange quirks and mannerisms while also making him a unique and likeable character. Despite Se Hee’s rather contained nature and lack of outward dialogue, Lee Min Ki could perfectly express the inner goings on of his character, making Se Hee likeable and relatable.

He doesn't look it- but this character's a lot of fun

Jung So Min also did an excellent job with our heroine. Ji Ho isn’t exactly a new type of character in K-Dramaland (she had some pretty distinct Candy characteristics), and yet Jung So Min gave life to Ji Ho in a way that made her feel fresh and interesting, and set her apart from all those other heroines with similar characteristics. She gave Ji Ho a more thoughtful and introspective nature which worked well for the story this drama was telling.

I don't think I could ever lie in bed with Kim Min Suk and not look at him

The two other couples in this drama were interesting in their own right, and felt like they were telling their own stories rather than simply being there to pad out the main storyline. Ho Rang and Won Seok were a great contrast to the main couple. While Ji Ho and Se Hee were just discovering their feelings, Ho Rang and Won Seok were feeling the strain of their long-term relationship. It was a interesting idea to follow, as it’s a story that’s tinged with sadness. Neither Ho Rang nor Won Seok stopped loving the other, but they had just reached a point where their wants and desires diverged. I wouldn’t go as far as saying I liked ether of these characters, as I feel like so much of who they were was defined by their relationship- which was failing. It’s not to say they were unlikable characters, I just felt rather passively about them. I neither liked nor disliked the two, but the story they were telling was one that was engaging. It’s quite a modern tale where both the characters weren’t where they’d thought they’d be in life and were desperately looking for that something that would propel them into that happy future they sought. For Won Seok that was getting his app running and off the ground. For Ho Rang it was marriage.

Chasing happiness doesn't often result in happiness

Obviously these two wants didn’t exactly go hand in hand. Despite their love for each other and all the time they’d spent together, neither was willing to sacrifice what they thought was really important for the other. Ho Rang didn’t want to wait a long time for marriage, and Won Seok didn’t want to have to give up his dreams just so that he could provide for a family. As we headed into the drama’s final episodes I really liked where this relationship was headed. While it was sad that the two broke up,

Is it bad that I wanted them to break up?

I thought it was an important message that you shouldn’t sacrifice something important to you just to maintain a relationship. How many dramas have we watched that take place after this sacrifice where resentment and regret have kicked in? Of course, the drama quite happily ignores this message in its final episode when Ho Rang and Won Seok get back together. But more on that later. Acting-wise I thought Kim Ga Eun and Kim Min Suk did well. It was a feat for Kim Ga Eun to prevent Ho Rang from becoming dislikable. She’s a type of character that I really don’t like- stubborn, selfish and unwilling to admit to any fault. Not only that but she felt quite dated. Ho Rang was 100% set on being a housewife and not working, and yet she did basically nothing to try and work towards her dream. We didn’t see her help Won Seok in any way, and all she seemed to do was whine that they weren’t getting married without thinking about the realistic issues. They’re barely surviving on both their incomes, so how does she think she’ll be able to stop working after marriage? Her ideals felt very old-fashioned and rather inconsiderate to her partner. However, despite aaaaaaall these shortcomings, Kim Ga Eun managed to inject a sense of cuteness and innocence into her character. It didn’t go as far as to make Ho Rang likeable, but at the very least it made her bearable.

Their story was more interesting than fun

I always love Kim Min Suk, and this was no exception, though admittedly I might’ve just liked the character because it was Kim Min Suk. As always he was cute and endearing and loveable. Soo Ji and San Goo were my favourite couple in the show. They had a much more typical rom-com trajectory but hey, there’s a reason that formula works. Their initial bickering was a great source of comedy.

My favourite couple for sure

In fact, San Goo himself was a great source of comedy. He was dorky and eccentric in a sweet way, and similarly to the main couple, the writers did an excellent job at showing how it was Sang Goo’s exact brand of quirky that Soo Ji needed. Soo Ji herself was a character I liked. Despite her hardness and stark view of the world, she had a determination and a drive that I really admired. She had a realistic view of the world and knew what she had to put up with to get by. That being said, as Sang Goo became more involved in her life, Soo Ji also started to learn that what she wanted might be worth a bit of risk. It was only with Sang Goo’s support that Soo Ji was able to take that scary step out from her awful, yet well-paying, job into her own business venture that had a risk of failure. What I liked most about the relationship between Soo Ji and Sang Goo is that it felt like a very modern relationship (unlike Ho Rang and Won Seok). Both Soo Ji and Sang Goo knew it was important for Soo Ji to be a working woman, and offered each other love and emotional support rather than the promise of financial support.

That's how you get the girl

They felt like a very well balanced pair because they took the time to work on themselves and were able to define themselves outside of their relationship. Park Byung Eun was wonderful as the dorky CEO. He was just swoony enough to warrant being able to snag a catch like Soo Ji, but had a nice layer of dorkiness that made it clear why he wasn’t drowning in female affections.

I'll never say no to K-Drama gal pals

Similarly, Esom gave Soo Ji a great classiness and shaped her into an excellent career woman. It was always clear to see Soo Ji’s discomfort around her male colleges and her simmering anger, despite these scenes not having a lot of dialogue on her part. Esom was also brilliant at expressing Soo Ji’s defence mechanisms. When you have a gorgeous character like Sang Goo, rebuffs on the fame character’s part can came across a bit harsh and uncalled for. However, Esom always took care to give Soo Ji such vulnerability that her harsh words to Sang Goo always seemed like a shield rather than an attack. Considering how much people seemed to love the female friendship in this drama, I personally thought that there weren’t a lot of scenes with the three girls interacting. When they came around I did enjoy them, particularly the way that polar opposites Ho Rang and Soo Ji clashed. But at the end of the day, this drama really was all about the leads and their developing relationship.

What Was Great:

87.5%:

As I mentioned above, most of this drama was excellent. 14 of its episodes were thoughtful, introspective and just plain delightful. Despite the whacky premise (girl enters contract marriage with landlord for cheap rent), the realism of the characters grounded the show.

Strangely, this situation isn't as weird as it sounds on paper

Se Hee and Ji Ho may have been weird, but they were weird in an utterly believable way. The writer played out the logic as to why these two would think a contract marriage was in their best interests, and the pure logic of the situation (despite its complete ridiculousness)

For 14 episodes I really loved this couple

made me as a viewer believe that this marriage was in their best interests too. The episodes had a heavy amount of internal dialogue and monologuing, and yet the drama never (or at least in these 14 good episodes) felt like an excuse for an overly indulgent, artsy writer to spew their poetic rumination on life- which is usually how it feels when a drama has so many thoughtful voiceovers. Because both our leads were already deep introverts and analytical thinkers, it felt natural rather than obnoxious to have running dialogue over scenes. Rather than simply being a show for pure entertainment (which is still good, don’t get me wrong), this drama offered thoughtful commentaries on life, dreams, love, and expectations. The relationships felt real and the characters felt lived in, giving the drama a beautifully contemplative, yet still entertaining and engaging vibe.

What Wasn’t:

12.5%:

Unlike the first 14 episodes, the final episodes tanked. Not actually because the final episode was actually one of the highest for ratings, but logically. Thematically. Emotionally. This drama’s final episodes failed for me.

Did the main writer die and someone else had to write the end of this show?

It’s not just that the episodes were bad either. I can live with bad, bad is bearable. When an ending is bad you can still kind of shrug it off and appreciate what the show did well and wonder what might have been (Cheese in the Trap, Come Back, Ajusshi). What made this ending particularly bad was that it actually effected how I viewed the rest of the drama.

How could you ruin this beautifully poetic break up?

Rather than just taking an unsavoury direction in its final moments, the last two episodes had me questioning the meanings I’d got out of previous episodes. Ho Rang and Won Seok rekindling their relationship was all kinds of wrong for me. They’d had their sad breakup and then their beautiful goodbye over the phone where they'd wished each other the best and said they were thankful for the great times they’d had together. Great. Perfect. What a beautiful way to end a long-term relationship where the two wanted completely different things. Ho Rang and Won Seok needed to be content with themselves and their own lives before committing to a serious relationship. However, after getting back together at the end I felt as though the writer was ripping away the thoughtful message she’d delivered previously. Because screw these guys finding their own motivations and goals- love cures all. And the now for the rant I’ve been waiting all week to write, but also kind of dreading for the memories it would bring up. Ji Ho leaves. Yeah, the actual f*ck writer-nim.

Was it really that hard to say 'Please tell me if you don't want me to leave'? Apparently so.

After 14 episodes of these two people communicating effectively suddenly Ji Ho fails to see Se Hee’s intentions (which she’d been good at noticing before) and fails to express herself bluntly so that she could hear his response (again, which she’d been so good at before). Instead she tries to emotionally blackmail Se Hee into admitting his feelings by telling him she was leaving (wtf man, I still can’t get over the stupidity of it all).

I'm not sure what we're supposed to feel

But of course we all know this isn’t going to work because we’ve just seen 14 hours of how Se Hee is an emotionally wounded man who would rather put up walls and isolate himself rather than exposing his feelings to be potentially trampled on. Not to mention we (and Ji Ho) know that he was actually planning a confession anyway, and Ji Ho was just trying to force it out of him faster. So then Ji Ho leaves because she loves him (omg it’s so unbearably stupid) and Se Hee is sad. He’s not just sad he’s devastated. He allowed himself to be open and vulnerable to this girl and she walked out because he was taking his time giving her his wounded heart. It seemed like the writer was trying to use the expectations of others and the pressure of marriage to justify Ji Ho leaving, but quite frankly there are so many ways those issues could have been addressed that didn’t involve Se Hee getting kicked to the curb. Ji Ho then comes back some time later and Se Hee’s a bit mad but not really because he just accepts her back, and Ji Ho apparently doesn’t regret leaving him and causing him an ocean of pain. The two then set up a new contract supposedly to help manage their families’ expectations and keep each other comfortable.

Girl, you so don't deserve him now

Which basically comes down to neither of them attending the other’s family functions. Which doesn’t speak of a healthy relationship to me. What about that episode saying a person brings their past and future as well as their present? I’d say a person’s family is a large part of their past and future and ignoring their family is ignoring a part of that person.

I did not watch you for 14 hours so you could get divorced

What happened to the episode saying that good-daughter-in-law-syndrome came from wanting to be loved by your partner’s family? Nope, comfort is more important apparently. I sort of get what the writer was going for- a new style of marriage that centres around the wants and desires of only the couple and ignores the meddling of outsiders, but I also kind of wished the show had stuck to its previous messages rather than trying to introduce new ideas in the final hour. The rapid conclusion after Ji Ho’s time gallivanting off by herself undermined any reason she might have had for leaving in the first place. Why are they magically able to communicate better now that’s she’s returned? Why have all their issues simply disappeared into nothing after a brief hiatus. Because love cures all. Again. And during this time Ji Ho is also ignoring a perfectly good opportunity to further her writing career because Se Hee’s ex is involved. I was sure that this show had given both our leads enough emotional maturity to work through that issue, and was unbelievably disappointed when Ji Ho chose comfort and ‘love’ over her passion.

This drama should have been so much deeper than 'love is magic'

To have the final commentary of the series boil down to ‘we’re going to trust in our love’ was just a huge letdown, and felt cheesy and unrealistic unlike the rest of the show. At least the show gave a satisfying conclusion to Soo Ji and Sang Woo, because by the end there I really thought the show was just looking to mess up every good thing it had created.

Recommend?

Yeah. For most of its run it’s a sweet and insightful story. Do be prepared that the ending isn’t exactly up to the same standards as the rest of the drama though.

It came so close to being amazing