Top 5 2016 Dramas

Top 5 

2016 Dramas

As we near the end of 2017 (seriously, where did this year go?) I thought I’d look back on some of the best K-Dramas of 2016. 2016 was a year that gave a lot of variety, and didn’t seem to stick with any one genre or idea. There were a lot of great, hugely anticipated dramas, and there were a few low-key, slice-of-life dramas that gained a lot of attention. It was the year we sent Lee Seung Gi and Jung Il Woo off to the army and the year we got Yoon Shi Yoon back. Here’s my pick of the best 5 dramas to come out of 2016. Also you can find a list of my Top 5 2015 Dramas here.

5: W- Two Worlds

Fast paced with a great hero and an addictive romance, ‘W’ was quick to gain a lot of attention. The show was pretty successful ratings-wise pulling in a commendable average of about 14.5%- which is nothing to sniff at these days. The best thing it had going for it is something a lot of TV shows and movies lack these days- imagination. While there may have been a few plot holes now and then, the idea behind ‘W’ was so fresh and so unique that it was worth watching despite a few confusing moments in the writing. Lee Jong Suk is worth watching in anything, and boy did he have some sizzling chemistry with Han Hyo Joo. The plot never dragged and always had clever developments, and most importantly the drama was engaging from its first episode to its last.

4: Age of Youth

Who knew what a smash hit this little drama was going to be? ‘Age of Youth’ didn’t even boast the full 16 episodes that most K-Dramas have, but still came out being one of the most popular dramas of the year. In fact, it’s huge popularity actually started the momentum for filming a second season which was released earlier this year. It hit a unique niche where the story follows the lives and friendships of five young women. With female friendships being pretty uncommon in K-Dramaland people seemed to grab onto this offering with enthusiasm. The girls were all unique, well developed and believable, and the relationships between them were sweetly realistic and authentic. It might not have been a huge ratings success (it aired on JTBC- a pay TV network), but it gained momentum through word-of-mouth and was a huge hit with international audiences.

3: Descendants of the Sun

Now here’s a drama that was a big commercial success. It was the show that marked Song Joong Ki’s return from the military and paired him in a romance with Song Hye Kyo (the two have since gotten married after meeting on set). The drama had a HUGE budget which included overseas shoots, which of course made the show look splendid. It was a booming success all over the world with ratings in Korea going unbelievably high around the 40% mark and I’ve even heard that it was viewed in North Korea. The drama was penned by Kim Eun Seok who also wrote the smash hit ‘Secret Garden’ (though admittedly she also wrote the stinker ‘Heirs’). Despite the unbelievable amount of hype that preceded the drama, it was a show that lived up to its excitement. The acting was top notch, the romance was dazzling and the story was engaging. 

2: Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo

‘Weightlifting Fairy’ is similar to ‘Age of Youth’ in that it was a bit of a sleeper hit. Looking at the ratings you wouldn’t think much of the show (it stays in a safe but unremarkable range of about 3-5%), yet those who did tune into the drama absolutely loved it. Like me. The tone was sweet and wistful with a dash of nostalgia and the whole show had a beautiful pastel quality that suit lead actress Lee Sung Kyung perfectly. The romance was a gentle smoulder with the two friends becoming best friends then lovers, which actually mirrored the actors' feelings themselves (though they have since broken up ☹). Conflicts that arose weren’t overplayed but nor were they understated- the show hit a nice balance of normal while providing an amazing romance. The acting, writing and directing, along with the soundtrack, all came together to provide an absolutely endearing and delightful experience.

1: Signal

‘Signal’ was a drama that created a lot of buzz. Despite showing on a cable station (ie- pay to view), the show pulled in an average rating of 8% with a best of just above 12%. Ratings certainly don't equate quality, but in this case those numbers were rightfully earned. The show was action packed with a mature, experienced cast that knew exactly how to deliver the emotions that were needed in a scene. The plot was quick and quirky- not quite a time travel drama, but more a time warp drama. The show was highly unpredictable (which is always a plus in my books), and had a gritty, realistic underdog feel. And now that ‘Signal’ is in the works for a season 2, my biggest issue with the drama (its open ending) may turn out not to be an issue after all.

What were your favourite dramas from 2016?

Rescue Me

Rescue Me

6.5/10

Rescue Me

Genre:                                 Episodes: 16                          Year: 2017

Mystery

Thriller

Synopsis:

After a family tragedy, Im Sang Mi and her parents are drawn into a religious cult. Four young men who went to high school with Sang Mi see her in trouble and try to help her escape.

Cast:

Seo Ye Ji (Im Sang Mi)

Taecyeon (Han Sang Hwan)

Woo Do Hwan (Seok Dong Chul)

Lee David (Woo Jung Hoon)

Ha Ho Jung (Choi Man Hee)

Cho Sung Ha (Baek Jung Ki)

Jung Hae Kyun (Im Joo Ho)

Park Ji Young (Kang Eun Shil)

Jo Jae Yun (Jo Wan Tae)

Yoon Yoo Sun (Kim Bo Eun)

Jang Yoo Sang (Im Sang Jin)

Jang Hyuk Jin (Lee Kang Soo)

General Thoughts:

It's an interesting drama for sure, but I definitely wouldn’t call it fun. In fact, the first bunch of episodes were a bit of a strain to get through as they were so dark. The writers did a brilliant job at creating a heavy and mysterious atmosphere that was full of suspense, however for a drama that’s a full 16 episodes, I do think you need to balance the bleakness with a bit of light, which ‘Rescue Me’ didn’t do at all.

So very, very bleak

Dark movies can be successful as they only go for about 2 hours, however ‘Rescue Me’ was doom and despair for a whole 6 hours before there was even a hint that Sang Mi had a hope of finding a way out of the cult. On that note, I think the set-up and introduction of the series as whole just took too long.

I get that set-up is necessary- but it was a bit excessive

It was more than a third of the way through the drama before our main boys even cottoned on that Sang Mi was in a cult and needed help. I understand that we needed a solid background on how Sang Mi’s family ended up desperate enough to be drawn into the cult, but I do think the series could have set up the story faster, as the first 6 episodes or so felt a bit drawn out, especially as we were all waiting for Sang Mi to have some sort of actual interaction with Sang Hwan and Dong Chul after she’d been pulled into the cult. Once the drama had (finally) finished all its set up, the story became much more engaging, as did the characters. Sang Mi herself was pretty bland, but it worked more or less to the story's benefit just having her as an everyday sort of girl who found herself in a horrible situation. I was glad that Sang Mi wasn’t depicted as a needy or helpless girl, as that very well could have ended up being the case. Rather she was depicted as a normal girl who wanted to live a normal life, and who was willing to do whatever it took to get that. Despite how much I disliked the long intro, I did appreciate that the show bothered to show that Sang Mi had attempted to escape on her own before Sang Hwan heard her asking for help.

Immensely glad that she wasn't totally helpless

It showed that Sang Mi wasn’t incompetent or useless, and also showed just how far and deep Guseonwon’s reach into the community stretched. Having the police hand Sang Mi right back into the hands of the cult leaders was a hard moment to watch, but also illustrated perfectly why Sang Mi developed such distrust in people, and made her quiet plea to Sang Hwan much more dramatic and impactful.

Lady Officer not buying the cult's bull

As for the boys, rather than Sang Hwan, I actually found Dong Chul a more intriguing character. Sang Hwan’s inability to see his father’s corruption really annoyed me, particularly when his father screwed Dong Chul over so badly. After seeing his father fail to release Dong Chul from the detention centre as he’d promised, Sang Hwan’s trust in his father really should have been shot. Admittedly, it was enjoyable to watch Sang Hwan start standing up to his father and threatening him back, but by that point I was more invested in Dong Chul’s infiltration of the cult. Dong Chul’s story arc was an interesting one, as I fully expected him to have more of a fallout with Sang Hwan. I was glad that the show brushed over the topic lightly, but didn’t fail to address it. It kept the plot moving at a quick pace, while also addressing Sang Hwan’s utter failure to support his friend. The infiltration was extremely interesting, and kept the stakes high. As suspenseful as it was having Sang Mi trapped in the cult, we all kind of knew she would be rescued by the end (or else how sucky would this drama have been), but Dong Chul’s fate was far more unpredictable.

Dong Chul's plans were 100% better than Sang Hwan's 100% of the time

His double identity left a constant fear that he would be found out, and a fear of what would happen to him if he was. I also got slightly nervous that he might start buying into the cult for real, with all of the Spiritual Father’s weirdly accurate speeches on Dong Chul’s anger.

It's always the puppy boys that get put in danger

The characters in the cult were all fascinating characters themselves. As much as I hated Sang Mi’s father, he was a brilliantly written antagonist. Rather than the Spiritual Father, the one I was most afraid of and angry at was Sang Mi’s father. He had no clue about the horrible effects his decisions had on his family, and was constantly making terrible choices for Sang Mi under the guise of ‘protecting’ her. Not only was he making the worst decisions for Sang Mi possible, he also completely restricted her ability to escape. Had the Spiritual Father been the only one keeping Sang Mi in Guseonwon, Sang Mi’s escape would have been much, much easier. Sang Mi’s actual father has a level of legal control over her, and it was alarming how easily he could turn Sang Mi into a mentally damaged girl in the eyes of their community. Despite his inability to provide Sang Mi with a safe environment, his power over her as a father (both legally and emotionally), made it much harder for anyone to help Sang Mi.

K-Dramaland has a choice selection of crappy fathers, but you really take the cake

Sang Mi’s father was set up well, as even before he joined the cult, we were given glimpses of his poor decision making abilities and his blindly trusting nature. The drama opens on the family moving away from Seoul (because of what we assume is Sang Jin’s bullying), and the family loses all their assets due to Sang Mi’s father trusting a conman.

Here's a thought- maybe don't sell your daughter to the creeper

It felt natural for him to fall into the hands of people who were seemingly willing to help him and his family. He had the exact mindset that made it easy for him to be manipulated, and that was shown early on in the series, so it didn’t seem like an unnatural turn of events to have this man fall so heavily under the cult’s control. Apostle Jo was another terrifying, yet intricately interesting character to watch. His blatant lack of morals and willingness to do anything to make money (including protecting his cash cow Guseonwon) made him a total wild card and a threat to all of our characters. In a sense Apostle Jo was also more threatening than Spiritual Father because he was well aware that he was manipulating and taking advantage of people. Apostle Jo consciously used the weaknesses of others to exploit them, and of course had a total creep factor when it came to women.

Looks like an ajumma, acts like a psycho

Apostle Kang was fascinating as she was the only female character the show deeply explored that had bought into the cult. I almost wish we’d had a little more backstory on her shown on screen, as a lot was left up to viewer interpretation. Apostle Kang was interesting because she seemed much more desperate to believe in what the cult was preaching.

I'm not sure why being crazy reduces your scare-factor, but it kinda does

Despite being visibly uncomfortable with some of the things Guseonwon was doing, particularly in regards to the similarities in the way the cult abused Sang Mi and her daughter, she was so desperate to ‘save’ her and her daughter’s souls that she was willing overlook things that she was clearly unsupportive of. As for our main antagonist, I actually found Spiritual Father a tad lacking. Sure he was super creepy and super influential and a danger to our heroes, but I was pretty disappointed when it was revealed that he was buying what he was selling. I would have found him a much more interesting character had he, like Apostle Jo, been aware that he was taking advantage of all these people. As it was, having him be reduced to a crazy man who really thought he was a God was a bit of a letdown and actually reduced how threatening I found him.

Worst three amigos ever

Sang Mi’s Mum was an interesting character, as at the start of the series I thought she was the most useless person on the face of the Earth. I was glad that early on the show gave hints that Mum was being drugged, as it gave her a much more sympathetic standpoint.

Thank goodness for this scene else I would've hated Mum as much as Dad

Seeing that she was also being victimised by the cult, it made that much more sense why Sang Mi couldn’t try and escape on her own. It made Apostle Jo and Spiritual Father’s threats more frightening knowing that they were willing to harm a completely helpless woman who had been unwillingly drugged up on hallucinogens. It was rewarding to see Sang Mi’s Mum start to take her own small steps to try and break out of the cult, such as refusing to swallow her pills. However, I could never shake my initial dislike of the woman, as her weakness after Sang Jin’s death is really what landed her family in the cult in the first place. Like, yeah I get that his death was awful and horrific, but hello- you still have one child left to look after. The way the show was filmed played a lot into the suspense and the mystery of the series. Having intercut scenes of what was happening in the town and the cult’s worship sessions really gave off a sense that Guseonwon was deeply imbedded in this town and had connections everywhere.

Psychos en masse

The show was clever with its use of light and shadow and even with the colours that the characters wore- most notably being Spiritual Father being constantly dressed in white, and Dong Chul and the boys more often than not in dark colours. The soundtrack was an excellent accompaniment, though admittedly it did contribute to the overall feeling of complete hopelessness that the show was conveying. I don’t think there was a single upbeat or happy track.

What Was Great:

Acting:

I must say that the acting was all pretty superb. I’m not a fan of Seo Ye Ji at all, as I find it hard to warm up to her characters as she always seems a bit cold. Thankfully, Sang Mi wasn’t a character that really required any warmth. She was cool and hard and determined, and those emotions alone were enough to get me invested in the character.

Resilient isn't a trait that a lot of K-Drama heroines get

Seo Ye Ji acted out Sang Mi’s hopelessness and her deep desire to escape perfectly, and sold the character’s struggles and imprisonment. Woo Do Hwan did an astounding job as Dong Chul.

The real hero of the story

I was drawn to the character almost immediately, and he truly gave of a sense of loneliness and betrayal after his time in juvenile detention. He really made the character his own, and Dong Chul rapidly became my favourite character in the show. Woo Do Hwan was able to believable portray a different side to Dong Chul when he infiltrated the cult without making it seem like Dong Chul’s disguise was a completely different character. Even though Dong Chul was acting milder and more innocent, he always carried Dong Chul’s underlying sense of justice and showed glimmers of his disgust at the cult. And of course all the acting coming out of the main members of the cult was just superb. I adore Jo Jae Yun, so it was hard to see him play (another) evil character, but before long he had me hating Apostle Jo’s patronising smile and double faces. Park Ji Young did an excellent job at showcasing her discomfort at some of the actions of the cult without it feeling like she was losing her faith in what they were preaching, which is no easy task.

Fab job from everyone

One of the better performances of the show was Jung Hae Kyun as Sang Mi’s Dad. Unlike the rest of those involved with the cult, Jung Hae Kyun had the more difficult task of showing how a relatively normal

I like Taec's acting best when he gets to act goofy and/or dorky

(albeit weak minded) man got drawn under the influence of Guseonwon. He didn’t portray his character as being crazy right off the bat, but slowly eased into just how much Sang Mi’s father was being manipulated. Before long he became my most hated character in the show, and that was all due to the acting creating such an intensely dislikable man. The one weak point in the acting was unfortunately Taecyeon. He wasn’t bad by a long shot, but the rest of the acting was just so good that he seemed a little bland in comparison. Towards the end of the series Taecyeon settled into his character more, and he was far more believable as a character determined to right the wrongs of his father, rather than a boy who meekly went along with the demands of his father at his friends’ expense. 

Illusion of Imprisonment:

When most people think of cults and the idea of people being trapped in cults, I do think there is a mild confusion as to why people can’t just get up and leave or simply sneak off. What ‘Rescue Me’ did really well was showcasing exactly why Sang Mi couldn’t just walk out of the cult.

Trapped in more ways than one

For one, she was often forcibly detained, but the more important aspect was how far into the community the cult reached. Even if Sang Mi did make it out of Guseonwon’s grounds, due to the cult spreading lies about her mental stability she was unlikely to get far.

Escaped once just for the police to send her right back

Another interesting, though uncomfortable, aspect was seeing the exact amount of control Sang Mi’s father had over her as a parent. Despite Sang Mi’s unwillingness to remain in the cult, as her legal guardian Dad could exude his power over her as a parent and make discussions on her behalf. Another fascinating aspect was seeing how hard it is for authorities to intervene in a religious organisation. Although they could act if there was proof of any illegal activities, the show really nailed home how well Guseonwon covered up their criminal activities and how hard it was for someone to gain access to their secrets. In all actuality, infiltrating the cult the way Dong Chul and the reporter did was the only way to get any evidence. It was annoying, yet believable how untouchable Guseonwon was- I mean, technically there’s nothing wrong with people donating large amounts of money and changing their wills to leave their assets to organisations, particularly when the leader of that organisation believes in the same whacky religion as the rest of them.

Guseonwon had some mad psychological warfare

Using Jeong Gu early on to show Apostle Jo’s terrifying nature by having him murder the young boy really displayed just how much power Guseonwon had, and how far they were willing to go to cover their secrets. It made the threats on Sang Mi’s Mum feel like real threats, and added a sense that Sang Mi was trapped psychologically as well as physically. 

What Wasn’t:

Where’s My Payoff?:

The most disappointing aspect of this drama for me is that it was set up as a dramatic, hard-hitting story, but then the conclusion didn’t really live up to the rest of the drama. Technically there’s nothing wrong with the way the show wrapped up in regards to plot- everything (well, most things) made logical sense and our ultimate goal had been achieved- get Sang Mi out of the cult. However, the emotional satisfaction just wasn’t really there.

The final smackdown felt kinda easy considering how hard it was to do anything all series long

For starters almost the whole show is the set up to the actual escape from the cult, and yet the rescue operation itself takes less than two episodes. And these episodes were right at the end. Which unfortunately for us meant that we only really saw the beginnings of the villains fall- if they even fell at all.

Couldn't she have realised just a little that she contributed to this outcome?

Apostle Kang suffered no losses whatsoever. Even after being totally willing to give Sang Mi over to a creepy old man, after the fall of Guseonwon Apostle Kang sets up her own church/cult with herself as the leader. What I really wanted from apostle Kang was to have her realise that the cult had been fake all along and that her own decisions were what forced her daughter to take her life, and that she’d almost caused the same thing to happen to Sang Mi. Of course, because this show is dark and more realistic than most K-Dramas I didn’t actually expect this to happen, but I was kind of expecting Apostle Kang to face some sort of consequences, be they legal or emotional. I also felt that killing off Spiritual Father was a bit of a cop-out. Yes, it’s ironic that he died in a fire after touting that he was flameproof, but it seemed more like a quick-fix rather than an actual conclusion for the show’s main villain.

What do you do with a villain you're not sure how to resolve? Just kill him off, that's what everyone else does

For Dad I thought his resolution was fitting, being left alone to live as a crazy man, but I sort of wish that we’d been given a glimpse of Sang Mi and Mum actually leaving him and telling him what they really thought of him and his decisions.

Side note: Sang Mi's plan to go along with everything was super crap and I can't believe it worked

Sure, he would’ve just called them demons or whatever, but I was wanting a scene like that for Sang Mi where she could get her feelings off her chest and then walk away from her father freely with him having no power to pull her back. I also wish the show had cleared up why the detective chose to swap sides. He was always shown that he wasn’t 100% on anyone's side, but I was left a little confused as to why he was suddenly so desperate to bring down the cult. I also kind of wondered why the show bothered introducing Dong Chul's prison Hyung with his vendetta because at the end of the day he really did nothing. I was hoping that he'd be a bit more of a wildcard, so I was pretty disappointed when the show relegated him to being the detective's dog. At least he pulled through a bit in the end. While I suppose I'm sort of satisfied with the way the show wrapped things up, I just wish there had been a more emotional conclusion rather than simply ticking all the plot boxes. After how hard and intense it was to get our characters up to this point I was left feeling a bit like…that’s it? 

Recommend?

If you’re someone who’s into dark dramas this would be one for you. Personally, while I was intrigued by the story, it was a touch too dark for me to actually say I ‘liked’ or ‘enjoyed’ the drama. If you’re not ready for a good few hours of despair and creepiness- this series is not for you. 

More post cult scenes wouldn't have hurt either

My Only Love Song

My Only Love Song

6.5/10

My Only Love Song

Genre:                              Episodes: 20                          Year: 2017

Romance

Comedy

Synopsis:

Song Soo Jung is a top actress who is known for swearing and throwing tantrums. After one of her outbursts on set, she is transported back to the Goryeo era where she meets On Dal, a man who is recorded in history as marrying the Princess and becoming a general despite his low birth.

Cast:

Lee Jong Hyun (On Dal)

Gong Seung Yeon (Song Soo Jung/Nan Nyeon)

Lee Jae Jin (Byun Sam Yong)

Kim Yeon Seo (Princess Pyonggang)

Ahn Bo Hyun (Moo Myung)

Park Joo Hyung (Ko Il Yong)

General Thoughts:

This drama is so fun. I loved it, and I loved everyone in it. The whole draw is the leading couple (who were on ‘We Got Married’ together), and boy oh boy do they deliver. The story itself is pretty simple, but it’s a lot of fun and somehow never becomes too predictable.

I love this couple, I love this show, I love this couple together in this show

Although the series was a bit heavy handed with its humour at the start, once it settled into its rhythm it was really quite funny. There is loads of comedy to mine from a van taking its driver into the past, and the writers used it well.

Simply adding a car to historical Korea is way funnier than I thought it'd be

Items from the future were never overplayed but bought in every now and then to remind us of our heroine’s world and to add an extra dose of light-heartedness. The visuals themselves are just too funny- I never knew a car in historical Korea could be so funny- or onesies, or drinking games, but they were. But the show could also take itself seriously when it wanted to as well. Gong Seung Yeon was a little better than Lee Jong Hyun at bringing in the sadder emotions, and she did an excellent job at gently shifting the mood in scenes so that we weren’t getting tonal whiplash. The show managed to balance the idea of Goryeo life-and-death situations while still maintaining its light, fluffy feel. There were moments that had a hint of darkness in them and created conflict for our characters, so the show remained interesting from start to finish. What really made this drama such great fun was truly its characters and the actors that played them. I’ve not seen Gong Seung Yeon in much but she slayed it as our heroine. I often find that dramas that go for bratty, arrogant female leads can have them come off a bit harsh, but Gong Seung Yeon’s interpretation of Soo Jung was delightful and very likeable.

I lover her so, so much

While she might not be the type of person I’d want to be friends with in real life, she was a lot of fun to watch, even when she was acting out. I think a nice balance was struck between what caused Soo Jung’s outbursts (they were often situations that warranted a bit of a smackdown) and the seriousness of her retaliation- her rants at Sam Yong and On Dal were more like the way a kid whines at their Mum or nags the kid they like, and it showed that she didn’t have ill intentions.

The comedy was pretty on point

I liked the she didn’t let anyone step on her- not the director, not a General, and not On Dal. Lee Jong Hyun did a great job as our hero as well. I’ve not seen him in a comedy before, but he suited it really well. This wasn’t the type of drama that required absolutely perfect acting, so it was nice to see him relax into the character and have fun filming. He had good comedic timing with Gong Seung Yeon and their bantering dialogue was always good value. His reactions to futuristic objects was always hilarious- particularly his treatment of the female-voiced GPS. The supporting cast were all as good as the leads, with Park Joo Hyung being a particular standout. I tend to find characters that are over-the-top and ridiculous pretty unbearable, but I really enjoyed his take on Ko Ill Yong. The story set up his character as someone with power who should be feared, and he had just enough serious moments that we could see this for ourselves as well, rather than just having it explained.

His developing crush on Soo Jung was done so smoothly

However, Il Yong was of course, super arrogant and very silly. And yet Park Joo Hyung handled his silliness in a delicate way so that he felt like a realistic whacko rather than a completely cartoonish character. He completely embodied the character, and made excellent use of gestures and small facial movements to really sell his performance.

The most well-acted numbnut

He never dropped out of character even when he was only in the background of a scene, and the way he moved his hands, his head and his mouth were all a part of his very quirky take on the character Il Yong. Because he was able to sell Il Yong’s weirdness in such a believable way, Il Yong was never a character that became annoying when he was on screen (unlike those whack-job characters in ‘Strong Woman Do Bong Soon’). Il Yong was often outlandishly funny and it was enjoyable to watch how he handled situations and how his oddness came out. It also helped that other characters knew he was weird and the writers weren’t trying to portray him as someone normal- this prevented Park Joo Hyung from seeming like he was overacting, as everyone was aware of what a whacko he was, but because of his power they had to play along. Lee Jae Jin also did a fabulous job with a character who was primarily for comedic effect. He played the young manager perfectly, and he and Gong Seung Yeon really sold the sibling relationship with their constant bickering and protective instincts. I loved Sam Yong as a character and Lee Jae Jin added a lot of innocence and sweetness to the character, and made him truly loveable.

His constant 3rd wheeling was pretty great too

Kim Yeon Seo and Ahn Bo Hyun played their parts of the Princess and bodyguard well, though technically Ahn Bo Hyun didn’t really have a lot of lines to remember as his character didn’t speak.

I do question whether Princesses ever wore pants in Goryeo though...

The relationship development between the two was cute and believable, and they had some pretty good chemistry. Kim Yeon Seo did well at bringing in the more emotional beats of the story with her impending marriage to the show’s villain, and her small heartbreak over On Dal. I also loved that the car, Boong Boong, was treated as a character. Giving the car motivations and certain emotions added a cute and interesting element to the story, and actually made the magical time travel element more grounded. It also added a load of humour to the series as it showed the different responses of our characters to Boong Boong’s decisions of when and where to move. Having various characters talking to Boong Boong as if he were alive added a sense that the car was a character all his own, while also providing insight into the thought and motivations of the human characters. 

Boing Boong is Korea's best matchmaker

The whole cast were just perfect and I wouldn’t change a single actor. The group really seemed as though they were having a blast filming, and that itself made the show more enjoyable. The writing and the acting hit the perfect middle ground between being too serious or too silly. 

What Was Great:

Dat SIZZLE:

So basically Lee Jong Hyun and Gong Seung Yeon have got some killer chemistry. I’ve only seen snippets of their ‘We Got Married’,

Hyunie's been waiting a looooooong time for this

but I’m so tempted to go and watch it all now because these two are so insanely cute together. They seemed happy and comfortable around each other, and their characters’ bickering and play-fighting were always fun to watch. I still kind of believe that they secretly (or not so secretly) have the hots for each other, because the way they were looking at each other all series long just screamed adoration. And the kissing, oh man, the kissing was just fab. They were just so into it. I hardly expect to see proper kissing in full-length, high budget K-Dramas, so it was unexpectedly awesome to have one of my favourite off-screen couples getting in some excellent snogging on-screen. I love the rapport between Lee Jong Hyun and Gong Seung Yeon and this show has just left me wanting to see more of them together. I would (and will) watch anything, and I mean anything, that has these two as a romantic couple in it.

It is taking all my effort to not have every picture in this review be of these two snogging

Neat Progress:

Short series tend to either A) have a story that is painfully predictable, or B) make no sense at all. ‘My Only Love Song’ had a story that followed a certain amount of logic, had a clear path and goal in mind, and most importantly was fun to watch.

Enough to spark jealousy without taking away from the main romance

The overarching story was the romance between the leads and Soo Jung and Sam Yong’s attempts to return to the future. However, the drama had a whole heap of smaller plots that slowly added up and led us to the finale. None of these smaller moments felt out of place or forced, but fit into our characters’ journey smoothly. Having Il Yong chasing both the Princess and Soo Jung added a bit of tension to the series, and gave reason behind the group’s constant movement. As the characters moved around together, it made sense that their relationship grew as well, with On Dal becoming fonder of Soo Jung, and Soo Jung growing jealous of On Dal and the Princess, as history tells that they get married. It was clever the way our heroine’s knowledge of these events helped shape and change the story. Her belief that On Dal was going to marry the Princess justified why she wouldn’t be more open about her feelings with him, and gives her jealousy cause even when there weren’t huge signs that On Dal was interested in the Princess in a romantic sense. It also gave the finale more punch as through the changing history book we can see how Soo Jung’s actions in the past influence and change events.

Legit thought they might kill off Moo Myung

It also let me become very curious about what would happen to Moo Myung- he was the one the Princess was in love with, but the history book never changed to say that those two got married. The history book just got me more and more curious as to how the show would pull off a satisfying ending- it can’t just blatantly go against its own rules, but it also kind of couldn’t marry our hero off to someone else.

Because we all love our happy endings

On Dal gifting his name to Moo Myung after their battle with Il Yong was certainly something I didn’t expect, and allowed the show to tick all the boxes for a satisfying finish. Our villain got brought down, history remained the way it was written, and our leads got to stay together.

What Wasn’t:

Whacky Editing:

The true gold of this series comes in the form of its characters and the cast.

Please no

Early on the show was relying heavily on effects that were edited in, and I found that it took away from the enjoyment of the show rather than enhancing it. While the show could be silly at times, I always wanted it to take itself a little bit seriously, as there were loads of interesting aspects. However, early on the heavy-handed editing almost made the show feel like a bit of a joke. The wackiness of the characters never ventured into immature territory, and they added humour in a way that was fun for adults, but the over-the-top editing made the show seem more juvenile than it really was. Thankfully the editing toned down as the show progressed, and the series relied more on its characters, their situations, and their reactions for its humour. 

Recommend?

Of course! This drama isn’t all that serious, but it’s loads of fun. It’s appropriately cute and Lee Jong Hyun and Gong Seung Yeon are a match made in heaven.

Be happy forever you two