People With Flaws

People With Flaws

6/10

People With Flaws

Genre:                                Episodes: 16                          Year: 2020

Romance

Comedy

Synopsis:

After his love confession was rejected because he was ugly and fat, Lee Kang Woo has become a handsome man who takes good care of his appearance. Joo Seo Yeon is a woman who has come to dislike handsome men due to the trouble she went through growing up with three handsome brothers. The two clash when Kang Woo becomes the Head Director at the school where Seo Yeon works.

Cast:

Oh Yeon Seo

Ahn Jae Hyun (Lee Kang Woo)

Kim Seul Gi (Kim Mi Kyung)

Gu Won (Lee Min Hyuk)

Heo Jeong Min (Park Hyun Soo)

Min Woo Hyuk (Joo Won Jae)

Cha In Ha (Joo Won Suk)

Jaeyong (Joo Seo Joon)

General Thoughts:

For my first drama of 2020 and my first drama back after my big hiatus, I was really hoping to snag a drama that was engaging, yet lighthearted, with a good cast and endearing characters. I know, it’s a lot to ask for in a drama. And ‘People With Flaws’ was unfortunately not that drama.

Not great, not horrendous

It wasn’t terrible, but it was just missing that special something that a show needs to make it stand out amongst the onslaught of K-Dramas we get every year. The plot in ‘People With Flaws’ moved very slowly, mainly choosing to focus on the relationship between the two leads, which itself was moving at a slow pace, and had a fair amount of back-and-forth going on.

This show was pretty but kinda plain

Coming from watching a huge string of plot-heavy Western shows (such as ‘The Witcher’), I struggled a bit with the slow pacing of the show. Perhaps if there had been a bit more going on with the characters, I could have stomached the pacing a bit better, but overall there wasn’t actually a lot going on with Seo Yeon and Kang Woo. I don’t really think that either Oh Yeon Seo nor Ahn Jae Hyun are particularly brilliant actors, but thought that they managed the characters well here. I do think that Oh Yeon Seo is much better at comedy than she is at anything else, so the slightly slapstciky, exaggerated humour of the show suited her well and played to her strengths, giving Seo Yeon a cute, quirky nature. I think I have only ever seen Ahn Jae Hyun play rich, arrogant men who think they are the most handsome thing on the planet (which I always find a bit hard to swallow because while Ahn Jae Hyun is by no means an unattractive man, he is just not my style). To be honest, he isn't the most…expressive actor. Cold, emotionless rich dudes seem very in his comfort zone. Thankfully, Ahn Jae Hyun broke out of that comfort zone a fair bit here, joining in on the comedic side of things. While I wasn’t sold on his performance all the time, I think it was a great step out for him to broaden his scope and develop his abilities a bit more.

This is the Ahn Jae Hyun I'm used to

And he’s put on weight which is GREAT- he looked much healthier than usual and, in my humble opinion, better. The chemistry between the leads wasn’t awful but it wasn’t good either. I find one of the more important things in a rom-com is the chemistry- I can sit through a bloody awful show but still find enjoyment in it if the chemistry between the leads is absolutely crackling (case en point- ‘Strong Woman Do Bong Soon’).

Did I only start this drama for Kim Seul Gi? Yes, yes I did.

There just wasn’t that sizzle between Ahn Jae Hyun and Oh Yeon Seo, and unfortunately I do think the drama suffered a bit for it, due to their relationship being the centre of the show. The support characters however, were acted very well. Kim Seul Gi is one of my favourite actresses, and she delivered a really charming second lead. Mi Kyung felt layered and fleshed out, and Kim Seul Gi was so good at delivering the comedy without ever taking it too far. She brought a chirpy quirkiness to Mi Kyung that instantly drew me into the character and made me want to see more of her on screen. Heo Jeong Min I usually find very good, but I do occasionally feel that he takes the comedy too far which can take away from the realism of the character. However, here he was absolutely brilliant. He brought the same energy to his character that Kim Seul Gi brought to hers, which made them one hell of an interesting pair. Won Jae’s bumbling attempts to seduce Mi Kyung while actually ending up insulting her were hilarious and extremely fun to watch. The two of them coming together over Kang Woo and Seo Yeon messy relationship felt organic and unforced, and helped along by Won Jae’s gentle care of her while her mother was unwell it felt like a natural conclusion for Mi Kyung to open up and start liking Woo Jae in return.

Their bickering was pretty fun

Unlike our second female lead, our second male lead didn’t quite hit the same sweet spot. Originally Min Hyuk was a sweet and endearing character, and his luring of Seo Yeon with food was cute and funny. For a good stint of the show I had a fair amount of Second Male Lead Syndrome, and was with Mi Kyung in cheering for him ending up with Seo Yeon rather than Kang Woo.

Kind felt like the writer sometimes forgot who the lead was...

But as the story progressed and it became clear that Seo Yeon had fallen for Kang Woo, it felt like the show didn’t exactly know what to do with Min Hyuk. They sort of toyed with the idea of Min Hyuk being a bad guy and booting Kang Woo out of the company and trying to steal his girl while he was at it- but honestly, it was a very half-assed attempt. It felt like a very round about way for getting Kang Woo out of the school, which he kind of needed to be for the next stage of the story. Then once the show was wrapping up, the writers decided to have Min Hyuk bow out of the running for Seo Yeon’s affections (even though he was out of that race from a long time ago), and then disappear off to some foreign country. Yup. Classic way of getting rid of the second lead- just ship him off overseas, that’ll do it. Gu Won did a great job of acting out Min Hyuk though. He had the perfect amount of cool mixed with awkwardness, and even while the show was toying with Min Hyuk being an *sshole, Gu Won was able to inject a level of pitifulness and regret into his character which prevented him from becoming too unlikeable (though he did come quite close).

Mi Kyung being a passive observer caught in the middle was just fab

The acting from Seo Yeon’s brothers was all fabulous, with Cha In Ha being a particular standout. He was able to bring a serious, sombre tone to his storyline, but could also use the seriousness of his character for comedic effect when playing the protective big brother role.

Kang Hee was so bad*ss

Min Wook Hyuk was great as comedic support, and I really enjoyed the scenes he was given. He didn’t have to foray too much into any serious acting, so I’m not sure how he’d fare for more emotional scenes, but he had good comedic timing and cute chemistry with Hwang Wool Seul Hye. Jaeyong is apparently an idol, which I couldn’t tell from his acting which is a good sign. While he wasn’t a standout, he gave a consistent, believable performance, and if he continues gradually building his experience I think he could become quite a good actor. On the female side, Hwang Woo Seul Hye was fabulous as the chaebol heir with a crush on the useless, but kindhearted, gold digger. I think it can be tricky giving a female character typical male characteristics (such as assertiveness and confidence) and not have them come off arrogant or irritating, but Hwang Woo Seul Hye was so good at balancing her character’s diligence and determination with her compassion and empathy that Kang Hee became a worthy Girl Crush character. Shin Do Hyun and Joo Hae Eun both gave good performances of their characters, but both also had so little screen time that it’s a little hard to comment to much more on their actual acting ability. 

What Was Great:

Variety of Characters:

There were a huuuuuge number of characters in this show, and all of them were interesting and unique. Having such a large number of characters meant that we got to see a variety of different relationships, and provided ways for our characters to show different sides of themselves.

These brothers improved every scene they were in

Our heroine was the tough gym teacher at school and with Kang Woo, but at home she’s the very loved younger sister of two protective older brothers. Making one of the older brothers gay was also an interesting and enjoyable move the writers made. In a society that isn’t exactly openly accepting of homosexuality,

All kids of cute

I enjoyed that the show not only introduced a gay character, but also went as far as to challenge the idea of the ‘typical gay man’. I’m not sure if South Korea has the same stereotype as the West, but Won Suk was a very masculine character, which isn’t really how the West paints gay characters. Won Suk got one of the more interesting side-stories, and his assistance in helping Ho Dol feel comfortable coming out was charming and so, so cute. I really enjoyed Won Jae’s storyline too and his romance with Kang Hee. The older siblings had a sense of responsibility that the younger siblings didn’t have to deal with, and it was interesting to watch that play out, though I do wish that the show didn’t bench their romance at the end. I'm still not even sure why they did- I know in the 80s it was frowned upon in Korea for siblings to date their sibling’s sibling (confusing wording, I know), but is it still? And Won Jae and Seo Yeon aren’t even blood related anyway, so I was a bit in the dark as to what was preventing Won Jae and Kang Hee from dating, particularly when it seemed like they were planning on continuing their relationship once Kang Woo and Seo Yeon were married.

I'm rooting for you!

Joo Hee and Seo Joon didn’t really have too much going on story-wise, but they had a cute bickering dynamic that was always enjoyable to watch on screen. I really enjoyed that Kang Woo’s family wasn’t your typical K-Drama chaebol family, and found them quite funny in the scenes they were given. Small things, such as Grandma saying she let Mum marry her son because she was rich, and Dad getting scolded at work by Kang Hee for playing games instead of working served to inject a lightheartedness into Kang Woo’s family that matched the tone of this show really well.

Could be cute, could be creepy

Jang Mi was a really interesting character, and for quite a while there I wasn’t sure which direction the drama was taking her in, though I am relieved that they didn’t make her into a creepy stalker. Her story of becoming self-confident enough to stand up to her abusive mother was interesting and a good wrap up to her character, but I do wish we’d gotten a bit more of her journey throughout the show. The weird twin swap thing that was going on with Kang Woo’s psychologist I could have done without though.

What Wasn’t:

Too Much Focus on OTP:

Where I felt this show really let itself down is that it had all these interesting characters with all these good actors playing them, and then didn’t do too much with them.

They were just...not that cute

While we were still treated to scenes of the side characters here and there, the leads dominated the screen time. Had something actually been happening between the leads this might not have been such a big deal, but all that really happened is: Kang Woo realised he still liked Seo Yeon, Seo Yeon started falling for Kang Woo, Seo Yeon realised Kang Woo was somewhat involved in the death of her parents, Kang Woo realised he was somewhat involved in the death of Seo Yeon’s parents, they both decide to date anyway. Yup. Not exactly 16 episodes worth of content. And yet we were constantly subjected to the two leads going through the motions and emotions in excruciating detail, while more interesting plots involving the other characters were delegated to the sidelines. As the drama progressed I really started to feel oversaturated by the leads, and it gave a sense of sameness to the episodes as they went by. Sure, the situation might be slightly different, but Kang Woo and Seo Yeon’s reactions tended to be pretty similar.

The moping in this show was killing meeeeee

Aspects of the main couple that could have been glossed over in order to give more screen time to another character were instead focused on and stretched out. Did we really need to delegate two and a half episodes to whether Seo Yeon and Kang Woo were going to sleep together?

Recommend?

Nope, as far as rom-coms go there is nothing in this drama that makes it standout above any other show.

Meandering and mediocre

That Man Oh Soo

That Man Oh Soo

3.5/10

That Man Oh Soo

Genre:                                                 Episodes: 16                                       Year: 2018

Romance

Melodrama

Fantasy

Synopsis:

Oh Soo has inherited his family’s gift of seeing love as colours. He works as a barista, using a magic pollen to help customers' love come true. Oh Soo accidentally causes a young woman, Seo Yoo Ri, to be dumped by her boyfriend after giving him some of the pollen.

Cast:

Lee Jong Hyun (Oh Soo)

Kim So Eun (Seo Yoo Ri)

Kang Tae Oh (Kim Jin Woo)

Heo Jeong Min (Oh Ga Na)

Kim Yeon Seo (Han Hyo Jin)

Park Na Ye (Seo Soo Jung)

General Thoughts:

This is a drama that is kind of weird for me, because it wasn’t downright hard to watch, it just left me feeling very unimpressed, and a tad bitter about the whole experience. It’s not like this drama was a giant clusterf*ck where nothing made sense and things came out of left field, making it fun to hate. It was just uneventful and boring. Not fun boring. Just lame boring.

Maybe some soju would have made this drama feel more fun

I didn’t expect this drama to be great, but I was expecting it to be…better. To start with, I just don’t care about the characters. Not at all. I mean, I like Oh Soo cuz he’s played by Lee Jong Hyun, but that’s it. I have no concept of who he is supposed be as a character.

Like seriously- cheer up girl

I could tell that the writer was trying to make him swoony and romantic, but the whole time I was watching I was just kinda like…but why? You’re supposed to be a cold businessman, why are you doing these things? The show never made me understand why Yoo Ri was different for Oh Soo. I mean yeah, he accidentally ruined her relationship- but why does he care? He doesn’t know her. And from the tiny amount of character construction that was done, Oh Soo doesn’t care about people he doesn’t know. He hardly even cares about people he does know. Then there’s Yoo Ri who I can only describe as being a big lump of negativity. At first she’s depressed because she got dumped. Then she’s depressed because her Mum is sick. Next she’s depressed because the creepy tree might kill her or her boyfriend. Finally she’s depressed because she got dumped. Again. Like, I think I could count on one hand the number of happy scenes Yoo Ri had. And boy did I get real sick of her moping real fast.

I thought this was supposed to be a cheery rom-com. Why is everyone so depressed?

As a character I want more than a heroine that is simply pathetic, thus allowing the hero to save the day. Like, jeezus woman, be an actual person and not just a tear factory. Admittedly I did like Jin Woo. About 65% of that is because Kang Tae Oh is alarmingly attractive and his smile is killer- oh, and he played a character that actually got to smile, so bonus!

Ga Na is delightful and Yoo Ri is...still miserable

The remaining 45% is because Jin Woo is actually a character that seems genuinely nice and actually like a legit person, not just a 2-dimensional shape that a rather unimaginative writer came up with. Ga Na was also a character I enjoyed, but that was 100% Heo Jeong Min. He has a great energy and I love him in comedic characters. His goofy sassiness is totally my style, and I’m beyond glad that he brought that in for Ga Na, making my viewing experience a little more enjoyable. Being the only character that really got comedic scenes, I liked Ga Na even more as he was a saviour from all the completely unnecessary angst going on between the leads. The rest of the acting was pretty shaky. Lee Jong Hyun is not a bad actor, but this drama has made me realise that he’s not quite up to the task of adding his own taste to the characters he’s given. He’s excellent at acting out really well fleshed out characters, but for characters that are lacking (such as Oh Soo), Lee Jong Hyun can't really add his own flavour to make the character more than he is on paper. I usually find Kim So Eun likeable, though admittedly I find her acting ability more mediocre than good.

The chemistry had about as much heat as frozen peas

As I didn’t find her all that likeable as Yoo Ri, that unfortunately left me open to completely focus on her acting. Kim So Eun is good at pretty crying. She is not good at convincing me that her character is actually genuinely, heartbreakingly sad. Mildly sad or disappointed? Sure. Completely devastated? Not a chance.

Great smile: Check. Heart stolen: Check.

This drama tried so hard to be melodramatic, which involved Kim So Eun’s character crying. A lot. And that became old pretty fast. Kim So Eun is better at playing more Candy-like characters, and I think the script here was trying to make her do a level of emotional heavy-lifting that she just isn’t capable of. Kang Tae Oh didn’t have to do much except smile cutely (success) and, uh…smile cutely. So this drama was an all-round success for him. Kim Yeon Seo did an excellent job at making her character memorable in the very short amount of screen time she was given. I bought her as the slightly vain chaebol girl, and liked the quirkiness she brought to her character. Given the cute chemistry she had with Lee Jong Hyun in ‘My Only Love Song’ (they weren’t even in a love-line then), I kinda wish that Kim Yeon Seo had scored the lead here. Because the chemistry between Lee Jong Hyun and Kim So Eun was just not good. The chemistry wasn’t bad- it just wasn’t there. The two felt awkward around each other, and didn’t sell the romance at all. I felt less bad about getting Second Male Lead Syndrome in a drama with Lee Jong Hyun as the lead, simply because I didn’t even believe that Lee Jong Hyun wanted the girl.

I know Jin Woo, I'm miffed too buddy

I will give the drama this- it was pretty. It was very, very pretty. The cafe was delightfully picturesque, and while I doubt its ability to be an actual successful business (mainly due to the fact that this cafe had no customers. Like ever.), it was indeed charming to look at, and was a great space for the leads to interact. The outside scenery was also lovely, and I must admit the the camera work was all top class. The idea of this huge, magical tree growing in the middle of this ancient family house was a visual I really enjoyed.

Now I want a house tree. Not one that can kill people though.

While the execution of the magic tree was, speaking simply, completely cr*p, the concept was a good one. The CGI around the tree was not that fabulous (CGI in K-Drama is so rarely good though that I’m not even that surprised for disappointed),

What even is that sweater?

but where the tree came into its own is when it was simply being a tree. It was stunning to have this beautiful tree growing in the centre of a house, and not only was it pretty to look at, it aided the story too. It showed how this family had literally built their whole lives around this entity. Not only were they magically bound to this tree, but physically as well, and having the family home be built completely around the tree really showed the level of their entrapment. One thing that was not so pretty was Kim So Eun’s wardrobe. Seriously, I think whoever her outfit coordinator was needs to look into new career paths. Because what she chose to dress Kim So Eun in was just terrible decision after terrible decision. I can see what they were aiming for- trying to tomboy her up and make her seem less delicate, but there are ways to do that without making your character a complete fashion disaster. I mean, her clothes didn't even look like they fit her half the time. Fashion isn't something I tend to notice in dramas, but this was so bad that it was actively drawing my attention.

What Was Great:

45 Mins:

The best part about this drama is that the episodes were pretty short. I feel like I’ve been watching a fair few dramas where the episodes have been leaning towards the 90 minute mark. And I’m not a fan of that. I like my episodes to be zippy, and 45 minutes allows for that feeling.

If you're not gonna be good, you can at least be quick

Despite the rather minimal plot, because the episodes weren’t outrageously long I was able to mostly keep my mind from wandering. While I admit that I never found the series all that interesting or engaging, I will say that it never felt like it was taking forever. Some dramas feel like they’ll never end, but this one always felt like it was steadily making its way towards its conclusion. Hurrah. 

What Wasn’t:

Why Are You Even Dating?:

Given that the two lead characters were written so poorly, it’s really no surprise that there was minimal chemistry. Lee Jong Hyun is a pretty inexperienced actor, and I wouldn’t exactly call love-lines his strength (unless it's with Gong Seung Yeon).

Neither of you look all that excited about this skinship

Aaaaand I wouldn’t say that Kim So Eun is exactly a chemistry powerhouse either, so together they were just kinda awkward. Not only was there minimal chemistry, but the characters themselves didn’t seem to even make sense together. Oh Soo has a general distaste for people, so I don’t see how a drunk kiss would suddenly make him super interested in this girl. I mean, Yoo Ri was extremely unexceptional. And Yoo Ri herself even said in the first couple of episodes that one of the greatest aspects of her falling in love is becoming completely and utterly comfortable around the other person. But is she ever comfortable around Oh Soo? Nope. Their whole love-line was so contradictory it drove me nuts. You know who Yoo Ri was completely comfortable around? Her totally hot friend, Jin Woo. She even reunited with Jin Woo before Oh Soo became a serious presence in her life, so I completely fail to see why this girl would fall for the cold, stoic guy over her warm and endearing childhood friend. Like…why? Just why?

Literally Nothing is Explained:

The fantasy element to this drama is really such a joke. All we know about the magical tree you can pretty much grasp from the synopsis. There’s a magic tree. It creates magic love pollen. Oh Soo sees love and can use the pollen to help it along. Which I might add he does very little.

Could his magic power have been more underutilised? No. No it could not.

He helps, what, like three people? And one of them is Yoo Ri, so that kinda doesn’t count. To add insult to injury we are not told what colours mean what, beyond green meaning comfort and red meaning love. I mean, we gather that black is not great- but what is it really? I was pretty bummed that the love-colours stayed either red/pink or black. I would have loved to see some variety and different kinds of love and how Oh Soo helped them along. Which is what I thought we would be getting.

Pink, pink, everyone's pink- where's the diversity?

Instead we got mindless angst. And at the heart of this mindless angst is that Yoo Ri accidentally drank some pollen infused coffee, and if the tree’s disciple uses the pollen on someone he loves she will die. It’s pretty classic angst ingredients, but the fact that this was the only plot point and it was drawn out over petty much the entire series diminished my care factor.

For a smart guy, you sure do some stupid sh*t

Like, a lot. At least that part was pretty clearly explained though- we saw it happen with Oh Soo’s parents. Mum drinks the pollen and gets sick. Dad kills himself to save Mum. Mum dies anyway. So after trying and failing to break up (which is so stupid, omg if you’re going to dump her quit hanging around her and doing nice things for her), Oh Soo decides to drink the pollen of death so Yoo Ri can live. Because that worked out so well for your parents. Oh Soo enters into a coma and Yoo Ri gets better. Not the most airtight plot but it’s passable enough up to here. Then we TIME SKIP three years. Yes, the dreaded time skip. Yoo Ri is still pining away for Oh Soo, even though she only knew him for like a month. Even though she forgot her boyfriend of three years in three seconds. Anyway, turns out Oh Soo is not dead. And neither is Yoo Ri. How? AMNESIA. Yes, you heard right. Amnesia in the drama’s last 5 minutes. Yoo Ri and Oh Soo meet again, Oh Soo doesn’t remember Yoo Ri, he asks her out for coffee, she goes with him, the end. Yeah, what the hell.

"Excellent, he doesn't remember me- that solves everything!" Um...how?

If the black pollen is amnesia pollen and not death pollen, why did Oh Soo’s Dad die? And the whole tree-curse thing (which was briefly mentioned in episode 15, even though it was the whole momentum driving the plot) stated that whoever the tree disciple loved was fated to drink the pollen and die.

Jin Woo's back? Didn't you write him out of the story when he didn't get the girl?

Sooooo even though Oh Soo forgot, once he falls in love with Yoo Ri again, won’t she accidentally drink more pollen and bada bing bada boom we’re back where we started? That’s what I gathered anyway. Because no one found a cure. No one killed the tree. No one did anything. And seriously, is Yoo Ri just going to jump right back into a relationship with this guy even though he remembers none of their memories? For a girl that cries over nothing, that sure seems like a recipe for disaster. Essentially everything I thought I knew about this show’s fantasy element was completely undermined in the last 5 minutes while the show tried (and failed) desperately to wrap up all its lose ends into some sort of happy conclusion. I think even the few people who were riding the emotions of this drama were left baffled by the random and inconclusive ending. If you’re not going to put any effort into your fantasy spin, why bother putting it on in the first place? I love fantasy, and you got me excited for nothing. 

Recommend?

I mean, on one hand it’s Oppa’s last drama before going into the army. But on the other hand, it’s terrible. Your call.

I kinda wish the tree had got its act together and killed somebody

Go Back Spouses

Go Back Spouses

7.5/10

Go Back Spouses

Genre:                                                Episodes: 12                                        Year: 2017

Romance

Comedy

Synopsis:

Choi Ban Do and Ma Jin Joo got married after meeting at university. 18 years later both are unhappy with their lives and their relationship is breaking down. After getting a divorce, the two wake up in their 20 year old bodies in 1999, the year they met for the first time.

Cast:

Jang Na Ra (Ma Jin Joo)

Son Ho Joon (Choi Ban Do)

Jang Ki Young (Jung Nam Gil)

Ko Bo Gyul (Min Seo Young)

Heo Jeong Min (Ahn jae Woo)

Han Bo Reum (Yoon Bo Reum)

Lee Yi Kyung (Go Dok Jae)

Cho Hye Jung (Cheon Seol)

Kim Mi Kyung (Go Eun Suk)

Im Ji Kyu (Park Hyun Seok)

General Thoughts:

It’s a cute and fun drama that is an absolute breeze to get through. The conflicts are interesting and heartfelt, but makes room for a whole bunch of adorableness. Jang Na Ra was the perfect fit for our heroine, as she has such a babyface, and is really one of the only actresses that could successfully pull off being 38 and 20 in the same drama- although Son Ho Joon did a pretty convincing job at both ages too.

No one ages quite as ambiguously as Koreans

Jang Na Ra also has a beautiful innocence about her that fit the character of Jin Joo perfectly. She may be an ahjumma back in her 20s body and life, but she still exuded a sweet naivety, particularly when it came to boys. That being said, one of the better aspects of the show was the way that our leads’ older personalities remained in tact even as they journey back to their younger days.

Petty but also kinda funny

They carried with them a maturity and wisdom that helped them give their friends some great help and advise that actually turned their lives around- particularly in the case of Seol and Hyun Seok’s rich girlfriend. The writers did a great job at balancing these moments of wisdom and maturity with our characters' well…less mature moments. Jin Joo and Ban Do had a lot of petty fights throughout the show, but thankfully these were played more for comedic effect, which reduced the intensity. The two had just the right amount of anger towards each other to warrant getting a divorce the first time around, but the writers did an excellent job at showing how their dissatisfaction with each other came from their lack of communication and understanding, rather than any actual real resentment. Even before the time skip it was clear that there was an underlying love that both our leads simply weren’t expressing, and that spiralled and snowballed until neither believed the other still cared for them. The show did an excellent job at bringing the leads back together with common purpose- getting revenge on Hyun Seok.

A rewarding K-Drama moment

As a doctor in the present, we already hated him for lording his position over Ban Do, and making Ban Do do all the dirty work. It was a relief to see he was still the same slime-ball 20 years ago, so that Ban Do’s small revenges seemed funny rather than petty. And of course showing the way he treated girls (our leading lady included), was just icing.

Back before the figurative sh*t hit the figurative fan

Hyun Seok was a mutual enemy of our leads, and gave them cause to work together. He also provided a way for Jin Joo to come to understand Ban Do better, as at home he’d never mentioned Hyun Seok or how terrible his job was. During the revenge plan the poor way Ban Do was treated at work came out, as Jin Joo needed to know how he knew Hyun Seok and why he wanted revenge on him. It was a natural way for our leads to fall into an alliance that then repaired their friendship, and brought back memories of how they used to be together. Another point of connection between the two was of course their son. Having a son in the present who would cease to exist should the leads decide to stay in the past and not get married definitely added some higher stakes. It’s something that a lot of people tend to ignore in time skip media or even in real life- saying that if they could go back they’d never meet that person. Of course this means that any children with that person would also disappear. It was obvious that both parents loved Seo Jin very much (how could you not love that precious face?), and all the perks of travelling back in time (youth, family, correcting mistakes) seemed less exciting once they realised that it came at the expense of their child.

So precious- just look at his little face!

Despite Jin Joo’s joy at seeing her mother alive again, she still carried a deep grief with her, this time from losing her child. Ban Do was given less screen time where he was shown grieving his hild, but there were enough moments there that we knew he felt the same heartache as Jin Joo. The show handled the situation well, as the end result could have been seen as our leads returning to the present just to meet Seo Jin again.

Everyone take a minute to go phone your mum

However, by the end it was clear that Ban Do and Jin Joo had learned to communicate effectively and had grown in their understanding of one another, and I was confident the their return to the present was as much a desire for them to continue their lives together as it was for them so see Seo Jin again. In that vein, one of the more heartbreaking aspects of the show was definitely Jin Joo’s relationship with her mother. It really went to show how much we all tend to under appreciate our own mothers. Jin Joo’s Mum was obviously a strong and much loved presence in Jin Joo’s life, yet she didn’t express this much until she came from the future where her mother was no longer alive. The way Jin Joo followed her Mum around was just too cute. Not only was Jin Joo’s Mum the cause of such cuteness, but she was also the underlying cause of Jin Joo and Ban Do’s misunderstandings. Ban Do (unintentionally) made Jin Joo miss her mother’s last moments alive, and that of course led to some frustrations, but it was Ban Do’s inability to grieve with Jin Joo and Jin Joo’s inability to recognise Ban Do’s attempts to comfort her that really paved the groundwork for their unhappiness.

Just look at all those hidden feelings and lack of honesty

Neither was willing to express what they wanted, and that inevitably led to a breakdown in their marriage. I also appreciated how Jin Joo’s Mum gave the go-ahead for Jin Joo to return to the future.

The final snuggle

It was an impossible situation she was in- spending time with her mother who she knew would die in 10 years, or returning to her child. As unbelievable as her mum’s quick acceptance that her child was from the future was, it was a nice touch to have Jin Joo’s Mum tell her to go back to Seo Jin. In regards to the time travel, this show went for the less-is-more approach which I’m always on board with. The magic rings weren’t explained at all (unless you count that final epilogue of fighting gods), but they made complete sense. Taking off the rings transported our couple back to the past so it stands to reason that buying and wearing them again would send them back to the present. Keeping the ring marks on our characters’ fingers was a nice way of reminding us that these were versions of our leads who had come from the future and didn't really belong there, and also worked for cluing Ban Do in on what might take them back to their time.

What Was Great:

Second Leads:

I don’t think there’s anyone that didn’t get a good dose of Second Male Lead Syndrome here. Both the second leads were pretty excellent- the characters and their actors.

Most awkward accidental double date ever

Seo Young was the perfect example of a fairytale first love. She was sweet and gorgeous and the exact type of person a guy would hold in their heart for years. The show handled Ban Do’s expectations really well. In the present he was dissatisfied with how his own life had turned out and had fantasies about how he would have lived if he’d dated Seo Young instead of Jin Joo.

You're the perfect match for her...when you're 38...

We as an audience of course know that nothing drastic would have changed- he’d still probably hate his job, and he’d still fight, just with Seo Young instead of Jin Joo. However, in his mind Seo young was the perfect ideal and a missed opportunity. When he was transported to the past, Ban Do had a new confidence that came from knowing how things would pan out and not fearing rejection. This set him up nicely to get close to Seo Young, and the friendlier he got with her the less romantic their relationship became. As he got to know her his image of the perfect girl faded- as everyone has their faults, and Ban Do instead started looking out for Seo Young’s best interests. I’m glad that she caught on pretty early that Ban Do had more of a parental love for her, as it saved her from becoming a character that was too pitiful. Instead, the two had a sweet friendship where Ban Do helped Seo Young express herself and find ways to relieve her stress. Ko Bo Gyul has the perfect features for a past first love. She’s very innocent and sweet looking, and was able to express Seo Young’s loneliness well. She had great chemistry with Son Ho Jun, without it coming across as too romantic.

They were cute without being too cute

Then there’s Nam Gil. Ohhh poor Nam Gil. I kind of wish he’d got the girl, but I know that Jin Joo and Ban Do belonged with each other. He was hopelessly sweet and his crush on Jin Joo was unbelievably cute.

I don't want him for Jin Joo, I want him for me

He came around in a realistic way. It made sense that he’d never really liked the haughty and slightly snobby Jin Joo from before, but the new mature Jin Joo was the perfect match for him. As he’d never really experienced motherly love, Jin Joo’s concern and worry over him effected him quickly, and made her stand out in his mind. His awkward courting of Jin Joo was definitely one of my favourite things about this series. While a part of me really wanted Nam Gil and Jin Joo to date, another part of me equally enjoyed their brief encounter. Jin Joo opened up just enough with Nam Gil to know that any sort of romantic relationship just wouldn’t work, and Nam Gil opened up just enough that he learned he could be a great partner to someone else in the future. The way the show avoided too much hurt on the Nam Gil front is that Jin Joo always acted and reacted with the mindset of her 38 year old self. Which definitely put a hold on that ship. Despite how swoony and romantic Nam Gil was being, Jin Joo was always thinking of herself as an ahjumma, and as someone who was much older than him.

Making Ahjumma's heart flutter

Despite the fact that her body was actually younger, Jin Joo herself had already drawn a line and viewed Nam Gil as a much younger kid. With both Ban Do and Jin Joo viewing their peers as younger kids there was really no way there could be a romantic relationship with anyone else. Like the leads, it was fun for us to imagine for a little while what it might be like for them to date Nam Gil or Seo Young, but at the end of the day we wanted them to sort through their issues together. It’s a great feat that the writers were able to make the second leads so loveable, but didn’t end up burning their main ship. 

I mean I like Ban Do, but boy if you weren't already married to her I'd be cheering for Nam Gil for sure

First Leads:

In dramas about relationship breakdowns I find that blame is usually allocated to one of the parties involved, they deal with the problem, and then get back together. Which unfortunately tends to make one of the leads a bit of an a-hole.

The beginning of the end

This drama was able to balance the faults of its main couple quite nicely. While I did tend to feel a tad more sympathetic towards Jin Joo (perhaps it’s because I’m a girl and relate to her issues more), as Jin Joo’s shortcomings in the marriage were revealed I could equally sympathise with Ban Do. Neither character was totally responsible or completely innocent. Both of them contributed to the marriage falling apart, and both of them contributed to building it up again. Even when they were fighting, the show took care to show how both characters were feeling and where they were coming from. We might see Jin Joo find a bill for hotels and breakdown thinking Ban Do was cheating on her, but we also see Ban Do being abused at work. Because we see these scenes separately it makes sense when they blow up at each other. Due to understanding on the audience’s part, we can sympathise with the characters and feel sad for their situations without becoming too frustrated. Their lack of communication was very realistic in that it’s not like they didn’t communicate at all, they just left out small (but often key) aspects of their emotions, which prevented their initial fallout from being too annoying.

Too embarrassed to be truthful

It’s not as though the couple did anything drastically different or simply failed to solve an issue, but they fell into a habit of communicating poorly and ineffectively. Both Ban Do and Jin Joo refused to open up about their deep underlying issues which put a strain on their relationship, until they no longer had the strength to hold it all together anymore.

Communication is key

It’s a common cause for relationship breakdown, and sadly one that can be avoided. Despite how simple it seems, putting your pride away to talk about where things went wrong is a difficult task. Only because Ban Do went back in time and saw his mother-in-law alive again was he able to open up to Jin Joo about his own grief at her mother’s passing. In this moment of vulnerability and honesty Jin Joo herself sees how hard Ban Do was trying for her sake, and how she shared the responsibility for their fallout for not telling him how she wanted to grieve and simply expecting him to understand. This is the key moment where both Jin Joo and Ban Do realise that the other still loves them and they both start making steps towards returning to their time together. Ban Do and Jin Joo are both so relatable and easy to sympathise with that the story becomes very touching. It could almost be a story about any couple that has broken up due to poor communication. The leads were what gave the show its heart and made the story so engaging, and I’m glad the show found a way to reconcile them that wasn’t painfully unrealistic. 

And the fam's back

What Wasn’t:

Only for Laughs:

The only real downside in this drama for me was that the side characters lacked any real depth. There were moments that hinted that there was more going on beneath the surface for the two guys and two girls that filled in the friendship circle, but there was no great detail to their stories.

I wish the friendships had a bit more depth

Tae Woo and Bo Reum were mostly played for comedic effect in their odd-couple relationship, and as I wasn’t a huge fan of their love-line I did find myself getting a bit bored during their segments. They had no moments that were any cuter than what was going on around the leads, and there was no greater meaning behind their story. I mean, sure they were super into each other so it was nice that they eventually sorted out their issues back in the present, but there was nothing intellectually intriguing about either of their characters. Seol had slightly more background than the rest with her sudden disappearance and withdrawal from university being the bulk of her story. But again, she was mostly used to fill in space using comedy. Granted, I found her cuter and funnier than Tae Woo and Bo Reum (her sly looks of disgust at Ban Do were quite hilarious), but she still didn’t have much to do as a character. And I don’t even think Dok Jae was in a single serious scene.

Level of seriousness- zero

Every moment of his was played for comedic effect- some hitting the right note, and some not. It’s not that I wish the show had been less funny, I just wanted a few of those serious, heartfelt moments to be shared by the friend group as well as the families and second leads.

Recommend?

Yep- it’s cute and fun, but direct with its message and filled with painfully, realistically flawed characters.

Ahhh...90's fashion- the core of everyone's dark history