You Who Forgot Poetry

You Who Forgot Poetry

7/10

You Who Forgot Poetry

Genre:                                                Episodes: 16                                    Year: 2018

Romance

Medical

Synopsis:

Woo Bo Young always had a love for literature and wanted to become a poet, but due to her poor family background she became a physical therapist.

Cast:

Lee Yoo Bi (Woo Bo Young)

Lee Joon Hyuk (Ye Jae Wook)

Jang Dong Yoon (Shin Min Ho)

Shin Jae Ha (Kim Nam Woo)

Park Sun Ho (Han Joo Yong)

Yoo Dae Joon (Kim Dae Bang)

Lee Chae Young (Kim Yoon Joo)

Kim Jae Bum (Park Shi Won)

Seo Hyun Chul (Yang Myung Cheol)

General Thoughts:

This show was on the right track, and certainly did a lot of things well, but I just feel that the end result is perhaps a little mediocre. There were aspects of the show that were done perfectly (such as the way poetry was incorporated into each episode), and there were aspects that could have used a bit more work (such as the characters).

I wish you guys were more fleshed out

Overall the drama was cheery and breezy and pretty stress-free, which is exactly what I was in the mood for- so potentially I enjoyed this drama more than I would have if I’d watched it during a time I was wanting more substance. The characters were all fairly likeable, but I do think that the writer hasn’t quite nailed the concept of humanly flawed.

The humour sometimes felt a bit forced

While Bo Young and Min Ho were both utterly delightful and fit that description to a tee, I did find the ‘flaws’ of the other characters to be a bit too cartoonish for the slice-of-life vibe the show was going for. Doctor Ye’s constant advice, Nam Woo’s sad fixation on how his life was before his family went bankrupt, and Dae Bang’s over the top indecisiveness came across as completely unnatural and just not something an actual person would do. The same could be said for Bo Young’s tear fanning and Min Ho’s ‘just kidding’, but thankfully those started to get phased out about a third of the way in. The characters didn’t particularly develop much either (except for Min Ho, but more on that later). All the side characters were basically exactly the same people they were at the start of the series as they were at the end. Thankfully this was mostly mitigated by the fact that it was just fun to watch the characters interact with each other. The biggest joy was definitely watching how Min Ho came to respect Bo Young both as a medical professional and as a person. Watching the two grow closer as they bickered was fun and satisfying, and as Min Ho grew to like Bo Young more and more, so did we.

I'm all for growth and maturing- particularly when it's so cute

I quite enjoyed Bo Young’s relationship with Yoon Joo also. While at times the relationship was a bit strained and they both got irritated with each other, the moments when they supported and cared for each other were very sweet and heartwarming. One of the show’s successes was definitely showing how the characters learned about each other through experiences, mistakes and fights.

They should have interacted outside their work circles more

Often a character would have one understanding of a situation (such as Yoon Joo seeming perfectly happy after encountering her ex-husband and his new wife), which would later be turned on its head when they grasped the reality of the situation (such as Bo Young realising Yoon Joo was having a hard time only after hearing her crying over it). These moments were scattered throughout the series and made the show feel much more meaningful than just the central plot-line. These moments may not have necessarily caused any of the characters to change their behaviours, but at the very least it gave us viewers an insight into their lives and struggles- which I think is ultimately what the show was trying to do. That being said, I still would have appreciated the characters all feeling a bit more authentic and real throughout the whole show rather than just in these quiet moments of discovery. Because after those quiet moments the characters were back to acting as usual, so it was sometimes a bit hard to connect them back to that emotion we’d seen previously. 

The brief flashes of bromance were brilliant

None of the acting really stood out to me, which I found a little disappointing. No one was bad, and everyone acted their characters very well, but none of the actors really grabbed their characters and made them feel real and lived in- I never thought that any of the actors were really suited for that role or that no one else could have done it better, which a feeling I like to get when watching a drama. Jang Dong Yoon has actually made me feel that way in both of the others dramas he’s been in (‘Solomon’s Perjury’ and ‘School 2017’), so I was surprised when I didn’t completely adore him here.

And he has such a baby face I kinda don't want him to start taking adult roles yet

Sure, by the end of the series I liked his character and thought he’d done an excellent job showing Min Ho’s development (because Min Ho actually got some), but he didn’t wow me the way he has previously. I almost wonder if it’s because this show and his character in it were a bit old for him. He gave a great performance, don’t get me wrong, but he’s still very young with a very few acting credits,

The chemistry...wasn't great

so I think it took him a while longer to settle into his character here. Lee Yoo Bi didn’t really stand out as the heroine either, and while she did well enough as Bo Young, she didn’t make the character pop. The side actors did really well in the moments that required emotion and some form of acting ability, but most of the time they didn’t have to do very much, and the cartoonish way they were written actually impacted how well the actors could portray them. I feel like I’m whining a lot about the characters, but honestly, once you got used to the way they were it was pretty easy to look past their simple character constructions and enjoy the show for what it did do well. Such as its cinematography, which was absolutely lovely. The drama went out of its way to produce wonderfully beautiful scenes that enhanced the quiet, emotional beats that the show did so well. The scenery, the camera frame and even where the actors stood in the frame felt artistic and well thought through in order to present the most visually appealing scene for each moment.

It was rather pretty when you consider that most of it was shot in a hospital

The camerawork and editing were all high class, with no awkward (or trying too hard to be artistic) camera shots and scenes that flowed nicely into each other without ever being jarring or taking you out of the moment that had just passed. The soundtrack was a beautiful accompaniment  to these lovely scenes and further enhanced the understated mood the drama aimed for. It was really how perfectly everything worked together in these brilliant artistic moments that made the drama such a pleasure to watch.

What Was Great:

Poetry:

What made this show stand out from others is definitely the poetry. That’s the drama’s whole draw. Adding written literature to visual media is a new idea in K-Dramaland (as far as I know), and is something that might not have worked all that well.

I just love it

The poems chosen always fit the scenes they were in perfectly, and were used as a way to explain character thought process and emotions. The poetry never overrode the emotion that was already existing in a scene- it highlighted it and provided more depth, but it never overshadowed the other aspects of the scene.

Passing the poetry on

I think that having the poetry as text as well as narration was a great choice, as having the words appear on the screen (even though I can’t read it because it’s in Hangul) made it feel that much more like it was a part of the scene. The poems became an extension of our characters as they moved around, with the words following them as they went. The poems were also an excellent way to show how Bo Young, the original lover of poetry, was impacting those around her. Originally the poems were all narrated by Bo Young, but as she grew closer to other characters, the narrators began to change. As Doctor Ye started falling for Bo Young, he had his turn narrating, as did Min Ho. When two characters shared a narration it was a hint that the same emotions were being felt by both. The poetry was used as a tool to draw the characters together, and show their relationships and emotions. Poetry isn’t really something that’s considered cool anymore, so I really liked that a show like this came along and highlighted how poetry is a special art form that has a unique magic to it.

What Wasn’t:

The Hero We Deserve:

It’s finally time for me to say it- Doctor Ye was a bland, boring hero. I’m sorry, he just was. If I think about his character and who this man is supposed to be as a person all I’d be able to tell you is that he’s professional and nice. That's it.

Not bad qualities, but they don't make for interesting viewing

Those aren’t bad qualities by a long stretch, in fact if I were to come across a guy like that in real life I’d be head over heels for him because that is exactly what you want in a man. But in a K-Drama hero? Not so much. Sure, Doctor Ye is kind and considerate and respectful, but on screen that’s all kinda boring. There’s no conflict there.

His sudden iciness could be pretty alarming

And the relationship between him and Bo Young wasn’t exactly loaded with cute either. As a hero Doctor Ye was just flat, unremarkable and forgettable. He’s made up of all the right things to make the perfect boyfriend, but in the drama he was just so bland. Min Ho on the other hand was headstrong, fiery, and stubborn. He was interesting. Would I want Min Ho as a boyfriend? Probably not. But as a character did I like him more than Doctor Ye? You bet I did. Min Ho had emotion. Whether he was heart-meltingly sweet, or arrogantly cold he wore his heart on his sleeve and we all knew, and mostly understood what he was feeling. Not like the closed book Doctor Ye. Min Ho starts the drama as a petty, selfish brat and is really quite unlikeable. But as the drama progresses we actually see him start to grow and mature. He learns what is so special about Bo Young, and does his best to make her happy, which is a long way from how self-centred he was when the series started. Min Ho often lapsed back into his arrogant, unforgiving self, but he was figuring out how wrong it was for him to lash out, and how important it was for him to apologise and move forwards. Min Ho’s growth and self-awareness made him the real hero of the story for me.

Making Doctor Ye a lacklustre alternative 

Unfortunately I think the show messed up the way it handled the love triangle. I mean, for at least the first half (if not more) of the show, Min Ho was being played as the typical hero- selfish rich boy who turns down the heroine only to have to eat his words and grovel later when he realises he loves her. Sure, it’s kinda cliche, but that’s the way the show was presenting Min Ho as a character, and his relationship with Bo Young.

It felt kinda like the show was trying to get me on the wrong ship

Doctor Ye is introduced and he’s typical second male lead stuff. Classic nice guy who doesn’t voice what he wants and gets overlooked. Even when Bo Young developed a crush on Doctor Ye the show was still playing Min Ho for the hero. His feelings for Bo Young were well on their way, and his crush on her was teaching him how to respect and treat others properly. All others, not just the girl he likes. While Doctor Ye is…still just a stoic doctor who’s good at his job. Min Ho is burning with jealousy and fear of losing Bo Young and does everything he can to try and win her over. He comforts her, he throws tantrums, he asks for forgiveness. While Doctor Ye is…still just a stoic doctor who’s good at his job. We’ve had a deep look into Min Ho’s home life, and we’ve come to understand his insecurities and his outbursts. We see exactly how and why he falls for Bo Young. While Doctor Ye gets a small backstory that we gloss over quickly. I have no problem with Doctor Ye being the hero and the man that Bo Young falls in love with (because Min Ho’s immaturity is not attractive in a man, even if it does make him an interesting character), I just feel like the show was trying to trick me by making out like Min Ho was hero, so I felt a tad disappointed when he wasn’t.

Though I guess it is a change to have a drama where the jerk doesn't get the girl

It wasn’t like Bo Young and Doctor Ye had this deep romantic relationship that no one else could possibly have competed with (à la ‘My Love from the Stars’). Or there was this big mysterious love-triangle where you didn’t know who would get the girl (à la ‘Reply 1997’ ’94’ or ’88’). It was more that the show set one guy up to be the hero and then changed its mind mid way through (à la ‘School 2015’). Yes show, I agree that Doctor Ye is the correct and sensible choice for Bo Young. So why didn’t you act like that from the start? Why did you play games with me and stop me from caring about your main romance?

Recommend?

Not really. It’s a nice enough show, but it isn't really a must-watch.

The characters just needed a bit more pizazz