The Lonely Shining Goblin

The Lonely Shining Goblin

7/10

The Lonely Shining Goblin

Genre:                                     Episodes: 16                          Year: 2017

Romance

Melodrama

Fantasy

Synopsis:

In Goryeo, General Kim Shin is unbeatable in battle. His skill gives rise to vicious rumour, and in a state of jealousy and fear, the young king orders Shin executed as a traitor. At his death, Shin is cursed to become a Goblin- a magical being with immortal life fated to watch his loved ones die. It is said that only the Goblin’s Bride can end his curse. In the present day, the Goblin lives with a Reaper- a soul cursed due to the heavy sins of their life, but with no memory of what those sins were. The two meet Ji Eun Tak, a young girl that escaped death as a child, who claims to be the Goblin’s Bride.

Cast:

Gong Yoo (Kim Shin)

Kim Go Eun (Ji Eun Tak)

Lee Dong Wook (Reaper)

Yoo In Na (Sunny)

Yook Sung Jae (Yoo Deok Hwa)

Kim Byung Chul (Park Joon Hoon)

Kim So Hyun (Kim Sun)

Kim Min Jae (Wang Yeo)

Lee El (Birth Grandmother)

General Thoughts:

This is kind of a weird drama, in that I don’t really want to talk about it that much. Like…I enjoyed it (didn’t love it, but I mostly enjoyed it), but I’m kind of content to let it just slide by without saying much about it. But, you know, I'm going to write a long-ass review anyway.

I don't really want to talk about you right now, mate

Like most dramas there were good parts and not so good parts, and thankfully ‘Goblin’ managed to avoid having any sections that were completely unbearable. It got off to a wicked start where EVERYONE DIED. Which does sound kind of depressing and macabre, but at the same time it set the stage brilliantly.

Between this and that other drama, Goryeo seems like a sh*t time to be alive

We want to see how our Goblin will live now that everyone he loves is dead, but we also want to see what events led up to that opening scene. Things get twister with the introduction of the Goblin’s Bride and the Reaper, and sets us up for what looked like a thick, juicy story. Unfortunately, after Episode 1 the pace of the show slowed right down and we focused a lot more on Eun Tak than the Goblin. As cute as their scenes were, and much as I enjoyed the banter they exchanged, I was never quite on the same wavelength as the romance. With Eun Tak being so determined to be the Goblin’s bride, it was hard to pinpoint the time when she actually started falling for him for real. Suddenly she was just very, very in love with him, and I was a little confused how she got there.

Do you love him because he's the Goblin, or do you not care that he's the Goblin because you love him?

It was an acceptable development cuz they are our main couple, but I did feel a bit disconnected from the love-line. Unlike that other love-line which I totally connected with. Sunny and the Reaper were a really interesting pair, and their story was riveting. I didn’t mind at all when the show took the focus off of the main romance (‘should I pull out the sword or not?’) to focus on the reincarnation story. Not only was the past aspect of their romance intriguing, but their present day romance was just too funny- Reaper’s despair at not being a regular man with a name and a business card was always good value.

So cutely awkward

I liked that Sunny wasn’t exactly like Kim Sun. Sure, she was the reincarnated soul, but she still seemed like a distinct person all on her own, which was nice as Reaper himself had lost his memories of his life and also seemed like a slightly different version of himself- like this is who he was when he didn’t have an evil advisor whispering in his ear from birth.

So majestic, our Reaper of Death

The whole progression of Reaper and Sunny’s story was just brilliant- everything seemed to come at the right time. The humour, heart, and sadness all came in the right dose at the right moment, and made for a really addictive story. Similarly, the smaller side-stories really hit the right note for me as well. The small ghost stories, death stories, and miracle stories around Eun Tak, the Reaper and the Goblin were often just as (if not more) touching than the main story. It was interesting how the show dealt with death- often it was a relief or a reuniting rather than something horrifically sad. It fit in well with the thoughtful, melancholy vibe of the series and gave the show a very unique, distinct feeling. While I’ve seen lots of series and movies that deal with the idea of death and afterlife and reincarnations, I think ‘Goblin’ has been the most thoughtful and well-planned. There were rules for both death and reincarnation, and even when those rules were bent it made total sense and the show was clear and quick to explain why the rules were able to be broken at that time. The show also didn’t overuse rule breaking. Originally I was a bit worried, as some shows that include deities in its set-up tend to use them as a bit of a get-out-of-jail-free card, but ‘Goblin’ didn’t. There was no magical way that prevented Kim Shin from dying, he just got summoned back when Eun Tak blew out a candle and made a sincere wish- something that we’ve already seen is a rule of this fantasy world. There was also no magic way to save Eun Tak. If I could have something magical, I wish that the drama would magic in more screen time for Sungjae.

My love for you knows no limits

What Was Great:

Acting:

The acting really made up for the less riveting aspects of the story. While I might not have been on the same page as the two lead actors romance-wise, I did at least believe there was a romance. I was just confused as to how it came about. Gong Yoo in particular smashed it- there were multiple shots of nothing but Gong Yoo’s face for several minutes, and even in those long, drawn-out passages I never doubted his sincerity.

It was pretty to watch even if real people never actually behave that way

Kim Go Eun delivered a strong performance herself, but it was obvious that she wasn’t as seasoned as those around her. While her happy scenes were very cute, they could come off a tad forced- but I believed her completely in the more dramatic moments, which is more important anyway. In particular, she really sold her grief during the scene of the Goblin’s death. It couldn’t have been an easy scene as it was quite long in comparison to other scenes and all she did was cry really hard- and she performed it brilliantly.

We have a new contender for the saddest sad-face

I’ve always liked Yoo In Na as an actress and she was no disappointment. It was nice to see her turn her energy into a likeable character as I’ve mostly seen her play slightly nasty second leads. Sure, she always adds a layer of humanity to her characters, but it was nice to see her in a role where her confidence was used to make her loveable. She had brilliant chemistry with Lee Dong Wook, and her responses to his hilarious oddball character were just flawless. Lee Dong Wook himself was phenomenal. I’ve never actually seen him in anything else, but he blew me away here. I was so connected to the Reaper as a character, and felt every snippet of emotion he did. And Lee Dong Wook had to do a lot of crying for this role. A lot. But it never became over-used or annoying. Often I find continually weepy characters irritating- but Reaper was just even more endearing due to his tears. He never seemed to be crying simply for the sake of tears, and always seemed to have a different reason to cry. Each new scene brought new conflicts to the character, and Lee Dong Wook brought forth each new emotion with such perfect anguish. He never overplayed his role either in the comedy or the melo, but hit that sweet-spot right in the middle.

The Reaper:

Lee Dong Wook’s acting was indeed superb, but it’s not the only reason Reaper was such a success. He’s just a fantastic character. Out of all the characters we had, Reaper really had the most development by far.

'I love you and I'm totally sorry that I killed you and your entire family in your past life.'

He went from an emotionless robot who was so disconnected from everything around him to a man that so yearned for love that the memories of his past life were tearing him up. His relationship with Sunny was so adorable yet heart-breaking, and he really became a character that was impossible to not love.

I love this magical, immortal bromance. So. Much.

He was earnest and sincere and his relationships with the other characters were just so genuine. Reaper developed a sweet little friendship with Eun Tak, but it was his bromance with Goblin that was the absolute killer. Even though everyone loves a good bromance, this was definitely a cut above the rest. It wasn’t a friendship based solely on proximity and skinship (though who doesn’t love a boy-cuddle?) but on understanding and emotional investment. The two men were both more-or-less immortal, and so the only people they could really confide in about their long lives and mortal girlfriends was each other. It was a sort of begrudging friendship, but that just made it even better as it was obvious that the men had really come to care for one another. They were so opposed to it, but after spending so much time around each other, they couldn’t help but care. Just like us.

CGI:

CGI isn’t something that comes along in your every-day K-Drama, and when it does it tends to be a little bit shoddy. But ‘Goblin’ didn’t hold back. When they went CGI they meant it, and it was awesome. It really helped to hammer in the fact that the Goblin was special when you could see a glowing sword skewering him or he sinks an entire ship solo. It was badass. It was like watching a full-budget Hollywood movie it was that good.

Oooooooo it seems so real

Soundtrack:

I can appreciate a good soundtrack in a drama, but every now and then a soundtrack comes along that makes me think ‘yeah, this is what an A-Grade soundtrack is’. This was one of those dramas. The last soundtrack I loved this much would have to be ‘My Love from the Stars’, and ‘Goblin’ comes at a close second. The music was thoughtful and carried an air of wistfulness that was lovely to listen to. It enhanced every scene and fitted with the director’s style perfectly.

Now imagine the really sweet soundtrack while looking at the picture

The director tended to love these small lingering moments, and the soundtrack really helped to capitalise and beautify these moments. Again, it was something that seemed more like movie quality than drama quality.

What Wasn’t:

Unanswered Mythology Questions:

Hmkay. This was a bit of a bummer. What I look for most in a good fantasy drama is a mythology that holds up from start to end. For the most part the mythology of the show was pretty flawless- it was only right at the end that I was a touch confused. I loved that Eun Tak died at the end.

I was actually totally prepared for a sad ending

It was a weirdly satisfying sort of conclusion for her character with just the right amount of heartache. I loved the whole situation- how it came about, Reaper’s commentary, and of course the way it was filmed. But my favourite thing about Eun Tak’s death is that she chose it herself. She’s spent her whole life dodging death, but then stops right in its path to save a bus of children. On paper it sounds kind of cliche, but in the drama it was poetic and beautiful. The only issue was- what does this mean for our Goblin? I mean, it was all nice to have Eun Tak leave him to go be reincarnated and that she could hold on to all her memories of him, and it was nice to think that the two had three more (hopefully long) lifetimes ahead of them to be happy and in love. But then- what happens when Eun Tak lives her fourth life? There’s no reincarnation after that, so does Goblin just go back to being lonely and immortal forever? If so, that kind of defeats the whole point of the show. Not to mention that it's bloody depressing to think that he has to watch his bride die a total of four times and then spend years and years waiting for her to be reincarnated. 

So, um...what does Goblin do when Eun Tak's four lifetimes are up?

So Slow:

No drama needs episodes that are over an hour long. I’ll allow up to an hour and ten minutes, but beyond that you’re just pushing it. Most of the reason I could keep back-to-backing the episodes was that a whole episode's worth of excitement often came in the last 10 minutes, and I NEEDED to know what happened next (even if it did take 500 years to tell me).

I don't want to be rude, but can you guys get in some real danger or something?

The length of ‘Goblin’s episodes had me thinking back to ‘Answer Me 1994’- it’s all interesting stuff, but my attention span only lasts so long. And you’ve only got so much story to tell. There were times when ‘Goblin’ was starting to feel a bit too drawn out, and I was figuring out the twists before the drama arrived there. The characters and acting kept the series engaging enough, but it could have been truly addictive if everything had happened just a little bit quicker. Sure, the lingering moments were melancholy and sweet- but after 6 or 7 episodes I kind of just wanted the story to get on with it. I kind of wish that the drama had either introduced the ghost villain earlier (because my goodness that was exciting- a BAD GUY!!) or spent more time fleshing out the Goryeo relationships. I won’t lie, a little part of that desire is just wanting to see more of Kim So Hyun and Kim Min Jae- because they are fabulous, and they were fabulous together.

Re-watch?

Unlikely. I loved Gong Yoo and Lee Dong Wook so I might revisit if K-Dramaland seems to be running dry on bromance. But otherwise I’ll probably avoid a re-watch. Yet another drawback of having episodes that go past that hour mark.

Worth a watch but I won't bust my guns to go there again

Plus Nine Boys

Plus Nine Boys

7.5/10

Plus Nine Boys

Genre:                     Episodes: 14                           Year: 2014

Romance

Comedy

Synopsis:

A superstitious mother is sent into a panic when a fortune-teller informs her that the men in her family are about to enter into a cursed year- the year of nines. The men are Gu Kwang Soo (the woman’s younger brother), and her three sons: Kang Jin Gu, Kang Min Gu, and Kang Dong Gu. The boys are 39, 29, 19 and 9. Kwang Soo is in a dilemma after encountering his last girlfriend after 10 years, who disappeared without warning. Jin Gu is struggling with his feelings for a coworker that his best friend is currently chasing. Min Gu fights to get accepted into university for Judo while being distracted by a girl he believes is his ‘destiny’. Child star Dong Gu faces his first disappointment when he begins losing his acting roles to another child. 

Cast:

Kim Young Kwang (Kang Jin Gu)

Oh Jung Se (Gu Kwang Soo)

Yook Sung Jae (Kang Min Gu)

Choi Ro Woon (Kang Dong Gu)

Kyung Soo Jin (Ma Se Young)

Yoo Da In (Joo Da In)

Park Cho Rong (Han Soo Ah)

Lee Chae Mi (Jang Baek Ji)

Kim Hyun Joon (Park Jae Bum)

General Thoughts:

It’s a delightful, underrated little gem. By having four separate stories going at once, the writers can take their time telling each boys’ narrative with precision and care. The stories are never dragged out or made overly complicated in order to increase tension or interest, because there’s always something going on in one of the boys’ stories.

That casting is a solid 10/10

I appreciate that the whole idea of a ‘curse’ kind of fell away. It allowed the drama to break away from being a gimmicky rom-com and move towards being a simple, heartfelt story of love, loss and maturing. Which it totally was. Each boy highlights the rewards and challenges of different generations, and what complications arise when you are on the brink of entering a new decade. Dong Gu is our youngest, and such gets the least amount of screen time as his problems are…well…they’re super simple- but a big deal to him, which is adorable.

OMG Sungjae- let me love you forever

Our 9 year-old faces the issue of dealing with disappointment for the first time and eventually learns to feel and express his emotions. Sweet, simple, and mostly comedic relief- but his ending delivered the emotional impact it aimed for well. Next up is Min Gu. Who’s played by Sungjae. So, you know, SWOON. I really loved Min Gu’s arc- it captured the innocence and passion of teenagers so completely. Before the world ruins that innocence and passion with the harsh sting of reality. Min Gu was so confident with both his Judo and with Soo Ah, and his story was really all about how he had to learn to separate his dreams from reality. Soo Ah was nothing like the perfect angel he imagined her to be (thank God, because it was hilariously entertaining that she wasn’t). Pairing Min Gu with a Noona was a stroke of genius because it only further showed the differences between the maturity levels of a teenager and someone in their 20s. 19 and 21 may not seem like the biggest age gap in the world, but Min Gu and Soo Ah were worlds apart in their maturity. Soo Ah has already learned that the world is a harsher place than what you’re led to believe as a child, and that failure and disappointment are around every corner. Alternatively, Min Gu thinks he has the world in his hands- strong, confident and ready to take on any challenges. It was beautiful to see how Soo Ah’s final words to Min Gu gave him the determination to head towards his true goal again with all his effort, while in turn Min Gu’s love for Soo Ah gave her the confidence to try what she really wanted in life.

She's basically the best actress ever for not losing it laughing at all Sungjae's cheesy lines 

Ahhhh, this is really the first time that I’ve felt so completely satisfied at such an open ending in a drama, but it was wonderful. I loved that the two weren’t given tied up happy endings- because your life doesn’t finish at 19 or 21. The two had a brief encounter that changed them slightly before parting ways to grow into adults. Solid conclusion show. The oldest of the boys was Kwang Soo, and his was the story I least resonated least with. While I enjoyed watching story play out, and it was definitely entertaining- I couldn't really connect with Kwang Soo. I’m not sure if this is because his partner in the series was so annoying and incomprehensible, or because his story wasn’t a typical story that could happen to anyone that age (like the rest of the boys’ stories), or simply because I’m not even close to being on the brink of 40 and my poor brain can’t quite connect with his 39 year-old problems.

All alone again

Still, it was enjoyable to watch Kwang Soo struggle, fail, and finally succeed and start to enjoy his life- both at work and at home. And lastly- Jin Gu. He was the star of the show, and as such he got the most amount of screen-time and story development. I’ve never really loved Kim Young Kwang before- I’ve enjoyed his performances, but not gone crazy for him. But he absolutely slays it as Jin Gu.

100% pure adorableness

The real heart of the whole series basically came from his sad puppy-eyes at Se Young, or his stupidly happy puppy-eyes at Se Young when she wasn’t looking. As a viewer you’re with him 100% of the way- and really can’t help but root for his love with Se Young. They’re just so bloody adorable. It’s wonderful to see how smooth the playboy is with all other girls, but with Se Young he always seems to shove his foot in his mouth- never saying what he means, and her never believing him when he does. Their whole relationship is just so simple and real- most of their problems coming from themselves and how they perceive a situation rather than actual external forces (though Jae Bum probably counts as an external force), and they had just enough magic that it made for an addictive story. What the show managed to do so extremely well was express its feelings and heart through seemingly insignificant moments. There were no great declarations of love (except for maybe Min Gu, but that was sooooo cheesy. And also didn’t work.). Se Young wasn’t that moved when Jae Bum planned a huge event at a restaurant for her birthday, but she turned into a puddle when Jin Gu looked around all day for seaweed soup that tasted like her Mum’s. It was the simple, everyday things that expressed the sincerity of our men. Kwang Soo playing with Da In’s daughter, Jin Gu taking the bus with Se Young every day, Min Gu finally calling Soo Ah ‘Noona’.

Just look at that big ol' goofy grin

It gave the drama a real sense of authenticity and made the girls (and us viewers) completely fall for these boys. Also, the soundtrack was killer. Nothing adds to the mood of a series quite like a collection of beautiful songs that sound like they came right off the mix-tape from your first relationship. 

What Was Great:

All (well Most) of the Characters:

If you’ve watched the series you’ll know what I mean by most. If not, fear not- you’ll find out soon. Moving on. All the boys were delightful. You can’t not love them. Despite their faults and insecurities, they did their best to be sincere- and that’s really what won the hearts of the viewers. Despite struggling and failing, the boys kept going and learned from their mistakes. Similarly, the girls were presented as fully formed characters with their own hopes and fears, and really grew alongside the boys.

These two rocked it in more ways than you'll ever know

I love that the drama didn’t focus too heavily on the boys side of things, but was delightfully unbiased in the way it presented issues, letting us see the perspective of the women too. This meant that although the drama had conflict, and much of that came from disagreements and misunderstandings between the characters, it was hard to dislike them. You could dislike their actions or their choices- but you could never dislike the character themselves because it was so clear what led to them to act in that way. Not one character was unbelievably perfect. Everyone had a history, moments of immaturity and selfishness, and made poor decisions. But that’s also what made the characters so loveable- because they felt like real, flawed people who were making the best of their situations.

Okay, that's one of the cutest things ever

Use of the Kid:

I really enjoyed how the series utilised Da In’s daughter. She wasn’t just used as a plot device to throw conflict into the story (because OMG dating a single mum, how awful). It was nice to see how one of the reasons Da In wanted to stay with Kwang Soo was because of how much he loved and cared for her daughter. I found it especially adorable how when Da In chose to make her return it was the daughter Kwang Soo saw first, and Kwang Soo thought he was seeing things. Aw. 

The End:

Everyone’s stories may not have been tied up with a pretty bow, but they are all deeply satisfying. Dong Gu learns about emotions that help him with his acting, even if he doesn’t end up grabbing the lead role and leaving that other kid in his dust. Min Gu doesn’t get into uni and he doesn’t get the girl, but he does learn what he wants in his life and decides to go for it with full commitment- and the same could be said for Soo Ah. Jin Gu and Se Young fight and talk and communicate and make-up and totally earn the happy ending the show gives them. Which is just as well, because if they hadn’t got a happy ending there would be mobs of unhappy viewers and this would be the worst drama ever. But wisely it’s the happy ending the writers opt for.

There would have been hell to pay if Jin Gu didn't get his girl

Kwang Soo and Da In’s happy ending is less defined than Min Gu’s, but happy all the same. Kwang Soo’s Noona doesn’t magically come around to the idea of them dating, but she seems to recognise her brother’s happiness. Da In doesn’t magically want to head into commitment and marriage, but she also hasn’t vanished off into oblivion- so that’s a bonus.

What Wasn’t:

Da Inie:

Da In is the exception to everything I said in the above section about the characters. She made no sense. Her actions and choices were stupid and annoying, and us viewers didn’t even have enough understanding of her to let it slide.

Because you are. And not for the reasons you think. Idiot.

So in the end, she just ended up unlikeable. Maybe, maybe you can give her past disappearance an okay just because she was young, scared and unhappy. Maybe. But the second one? No chance. Da In choosing to go AWOL the second time around was the pinnacle of selfishness. Not only because she'd seen how much it destroyed Kwang Soo the first time around, but now she has her daughter involved. The show didn’t really touch on Da In’s daughter’s feelings all that much, but when Da In took off all I could think was ‘wow, not the best move for your daughter’. If it had been because she no longer cared for Kwang Soo, or Kwang Soo did something awful- fine. But Da In is just Noble Idiot-ing all over the place and effing with so many peoples’ lives. So she’s been dating this guy who her young daughter loves and spends a lot of time with, then suddenly vanishes with no explanation to her kid. Nope. You’re on the list. The list of worst characters ever.

Where’s the Bromance?:

For a drama with all these bros there is very little bromance. I’m not upset that the drama chose to focus on the lives of the boys individually, but sometimes it was easy to forget that the boys were related at all.

C'mon boys, where's all the love?

Honestly, a couple of cute scenes between the boys wouldn’t have hurt. Though I guess it is pretty true to life that the boys all seem to know what’s going on with each other without saying anything, while Mum/Noona who is always nagging and trying to get information has no clue.

Re-watch?

Very possibly. This drama is so sweet and endearing, and at 14 episodes it’s also not too long. This whole series is basically just a giant win.

Win, win, win, win, win

School 2015- Who Are You

School 2015- Who Are You?

6.5/10

School 2015- Who Are You 

Genre:                                   Episodes: 16                                   Year: 2015

School

Romance

Melodrama

Synopsis:

Go Eun Byul and Lee Eun Bi are orphaned twins who were separated as children after Eun Byul is adopted. Eun Bi remains in an orphanage in Tongyeong, where she is viciously bullied by other girls in her school. Eun Byul lives in Seoul with her adoptive mother where she is popular and doing well with her studies. Eun Byul’s class take a trip to Tongyeong, and while on the trip both twins disappear. Days later, one of the twins wakes in the hospital with no memory, while the other is still missing.

Cast:

Kim So Hyun (Lee Eun Bi/Go Eun Byul)

Yook Sung Jae (Gong Tae Kwang)

Nam Joo Hyuk (Han Yi An)

Lee Pil Mo (Kim Joon Seok)

Jo Soo Hyang (Kang So Young)

Lee David (Park min Joon)

General Thoughts:

I’ve not had any experience with the ‘School’ franchise before, so I can’t compare this drama to any of its predecessors, but only as a stand-alone drama. So basically, we get another drama that has a rocketing, if not brilliant start, before rapidly declining in the later stages.

The second half of this drama in a nutshell

The story has brilliant initial setup, where we are introduced to two different worlds with two separate sets of characters, and then watch as these worlds collide. There are hidden mysteries, horrific villains and a broken, yet inherently likeable heroine to cheer for. It appears as though the writers have sat down and meticulously mapped out a spectacular universe for our characters to live in, with a storyline that knew exactly where it wanted to go. And then it all turned to poop.

How I looked trying to hold onto hope for this series

Because we realise that actually, no, our writers haven’t meticulously mapped out anything, and the storyline has no idea where it wants to go- so it just flounders around for a couple of episodes before ultimately collapsing under its own weight. What a bummer. On the upside, the acting was phenomenal, bar Nam Joo Hyuk (sorry!) who was passable, and struggled with a haphazardly constructed character. Lee Pil Mo was criminally underutilized. He was dazzling in any scene he was in and killed it as the conflicted teacher who wanted the best for his students. He had great scenes with both Gong Tae Kwang and Park Min Joon, but was weirdly absent from the lives of our twins. Which was peculiar considering he and Eun Byul were being harassed by the same person. Jo Soo Hyang was spectacular. I hated her so much. Which is a missive credit to her acting- she embodied the vicious, relentless bully so completely. Never before have I wanted to see a boy smack a girl- but Jo Soo Hyang as Kang So Young made me want Tae Kwang to whack her teeth in. And Yook Sung Jae! Sungjae! Long live Yook Sung Jae! I didn’t even know he was an idol (sorry BtoB)- he delivered such a believable, lovable character with such apparent ease.

Oh my God- let me love you forever

Granted, Tae Kwang was probably the only adequately written character in the whole series, but that doesn’t take away from how brilliantly Sungjae was able to convey his underlying emotions. His acting was seamless and natural, and he was definitely able to stand alongside Kim So Hyun without being outshone or outacted. Sadly, you can’t really say the same for Nam Joo Hyuk. Unfortunately, he did fall victim to one of the worst cases of character misconstruction I’ve ever seen. I mean, what were the writers even trying to do with his character? He was so completely devoted to Eun Byul before making an unexplored, unexplainable switch to being head over heels for Eun Bi. Say what now? Not to mention he just stands around looking wistful for the large majority of the series.

Just get out of my face, Han Yi An

The only time I felt any compassion or sympathy for poor ol’ Yi An was when he was injured and he came to realise what a devastating impact that would have on his swimming career. But even how he got that injury was stupid- it was like the writers were just throwing in any random reason to force Yi An and Eun Bi to interact. The budding bromance between Tae Kwang and Teacher Kim as always welcome.

Best relationship in the whole school

It was perhaps the only relationship dynamic that the show actually got right. It was beautiful to watch how the same man had such a different, yet equally influential impact on these two men. Tae Kwang’s father was a source of inspiration and then crushing disappointment for Teacher Kim, and an unscaleable obstacle for Tae Kwang. It let our little viewer hearts go nuts with the teasing of the hyung-dongsaeng relationship. And while I did appreciate the snazzy new hair- I did find myself missing Tae Kwang’s blonde cut. The villains were set up beautifully, but then fell by the wayside in favour of cramming in more love triangle goodness (insert sarcasm here). It seemed as though the writers realised halfway through that they had no idea how to make these threats make sense and didn’t have time to construct a satisfying conclusion, so they decided to crush the mystery-villain storyline beneath unbearable amounts of poorly constructed teen angst. Because, you know, nothing saves a drama quite like colossal amounts of senseless teenage angst. Then again, sloppy as the story was, it did have its moments. I enjoyed that the drama showcased how children are a result of their parents- but that's not to say that all difficult children have bad parents.

"It's lethal to give your child the wings to fly while forcing them on their knees."

It was more a depiction on how abandonment and pressure can have devastating effects on children, even when their parents have the best intentions. The drama was scored beautifully. The music always matched the mood, or provided a clue on what kind of ambience the writers were aiming for (because with indecisive Eun Bi, sometimes it was hard to tell if the mood was getting romantic or awkward). The differing instrumentation of ‘Reset’ (by Tiger JK) provided a nice continuity to the drama without ruining the mood or overusing the song.

What Was Great:

Eun Bi would have been the worst character ever without Kim So Hyun

Young Actors:

Kim So Hyun finally gets to showcase exactly how awesome she is. We’ve seen hints of it before- but she really got to let loose here. Even though the twins weren’t exactly written as the most dynamic characters ever, Kim So Hyun was able to bring her own energy into the roles. She was able to deftly handle the differing personality traits of the two girls- even when she was acting as Eun Bi acting as Eun Byul. Even moments in the drama where the girls’ characteristics were blurring and becoming similar, Kim So Hyun was always able to clearly show the audience which twin we were seeing on our screen. Sungjae just stole the show as the mistreated, hard-on-the-outside-smooshy-on-the-inside schoolboy. I just wanted to reach through the screen and give him a hug. Or slap Eun Bi for not giving him a hug.

He was all kinds of amazing

Setting and Setup:

This drama had a stellar beginning. Characters were set up beautifully, with past and future relationships being hinted at. Mystery was everywhere and we were given one villain out in the open (So Young) in Eun Bi’s world and one in the shadows (Soo In’s sister) in Eun Byul’s world.

Secrets and drama and conflict, oh my!

After the disappearance of Eun Byul we were given a shift in the power plays going on around Eun Bi. Suddenly she has a great support system of family and friends who love her (well… they think she’s Eun Bi, but still). This causes a great shift in power between Eun Bi and So Young. Which is fantastic- we all wanted it and it was always awesome to see Eun Bi backing herself against her tormentor. Not only was it interesting to watch this shift in the drama, but it was a poignant point to display how bullying can only effectively take place when those around turn a blind eye. The second someone else questioned So Young’s treatment of Eun Bi (whether it be one of the boys, Eun Bi pretending to be Eun Byul, or Eun Byul herself), So Young was visibly shaken, confused and more unsure of her actions. It looked like this was paving the way for a dramatic collision between Eun Bi and So Young, with Eun Bi finally being able to take her bully down a couple of pegs. Sure, this never actually happened- but it was exciting to look forward to it while it was still in the realm of possibility. It was also a smart move to set this as a high school drama- because had the story been set anywhere else, it would have just been a tad ridiculous (I'm looking at you, 'Bride of the Century'). Much as I’m tired of love triangles, the love setup seemed promising as well.

Please don't screw it up, please don't screw it up. Oop. You screwed it up.

You’ve got two sisters (and twins at that) and two boys. The math adds up. Throw in a little confusion about which sister is which and you’ve got enough conflict in there romance-wise, but a conflict that is easy enough to clear up. But then, similarly to everything else in the drama, the writers found a way to ruin it.

What Wasn’t:

Loveline Mishandling:

It was so stupid. It was so, so stupid, and it remains my biggest issue with this drama. There were four main characters- two boys and two girls. The girls didn’t hate each other either- they didn't even see each other as rivals. Regardless of how predictable an ending that would have been- it was the one that made the most sense.

They just don't make sense together- no matter how much you try and force me to believe it

Now, I know I tend to get up in arms whenever the boy I like best isn’t the one the heroine ends up with, but I’m not unreasonable. What I consider to be a successful love triangle is a situation where there is a conflict between three or four characters regarding a romantic relationship, and the writers gently guide me in the direction they want to go. This drama is not an example of a successful love triangle.

I'm sorry- you don't want me to fall for this ball of cuteness?

As we continued our merry way down the road that is this drama, I could see the beautiful boat that was Tae Kwang. I was on that ship. I was on that ship so good. Honestly speaking, was there anyone that wasn’t? His ‘competition’ Han Yi An had less than no development, and had only marginal character to begin with. Then suddenly the writers were throwing in massive ‘HAN YI AN’ roadblocks that pointed to the drama’s end. But we didn’t want to go there. We’d seen where we wanted to go, and the writers weren’t letting us get there. It was frustrating to say the least. The basic rule of love triangles is this: don’t make the secondary man unquestionably better than your endgame man. Personally, hard-exterior-soft-interior guys are right up there with handsome idiots. They’re wonderful and I have a total weakness for them- so of course I was going to be swooning over Tae Kwang. But where’s the rule that you can’t have two awesome, differing males at the same time? Whenever Tae Kwang was getting character development, Yi An was suspiciously absent. Whenever Yi An was getting screen time (because he never actually got any development), Tae Kwang was hard to find. In some dramas this issue can be deemed passable as the final romance happens between the heroine and male who was most recently developed and given screen time. But no, we go from giving all this attention to Tae Kwang, his feelings and situation- and suddenly Eun Bi is shafting him and choosing Yi An.

Boooo Han Yi An, booooooo

It was like Chil Bong all over again. Not loving that. Seriously, writers. Didn’t you learn? You can’t give us abandoned, unloved outcasts who choose to do the the best with their lonely lives after meeting the heroine, sit them next to a happy boy who’s been loved all his life, and then expect us to be happy when our heroine turns her back on the outcast. We don’t like it when that happens. We never have, and we never will. We want our lonely boys to get some love too! Not only was the handling of the two boys’ characters poor, but there was no fluidity in our heroine’s choice- or Han Yi An’s for that matter.

They know literally nothing about each other

For starters- Han Yi An doesn’t actually know our heroine. He’s known her while she’s been pretending to be her twin sister with missing memories- and that doesn’t count. Even then he was making comparisons to the ‘her’ in the past and pointing out all the differences. I suppose you can argue that he didn’t dislike those differences- but he still thought she was someone else. When he discovered that she was Eun Bi, and not Eun Byul who he’d grown up with, Yi An was quick to distance himself and had no real interactions with Eun Bi beyond putting her down and telling her to get lost. And that all makes sense- because he’s been nursing a crush on Eun Byul going on ten years now. But then he finds his love Eun Byul again and suddenly he’s all ‘Oi, nah. I think I like your sister better.’ There was no gradual progression from one girl to the other- he was just suddenly there. This only gave the impression that it was the face he liked and everything else was secondary to that. He liked Eun Byul, but then found a girl with the same face and a less abrasive personality, so he drops Eun Byul to go for the twin. Either that or he simply can’t stand losing to Tae Kwang and couldn’t bear letting him have the girl- even after he found out Tae Kwang was never actually crushing on his girl.

Do you see two girls? I see two girls. Two boys, two girls- makes perfect sense to me

I personally would have preferred if Yi An’s great love had simply turned out to be swimming. Because frankly, the most interesting aspects of his character revolved around him identifying as a swimmer, and his loss of purpose immediately after his injury.

For f*ck's sake, someone help him- I don't even care who

Simply having Eun Bi be the friend that encouraged him to go after his dream again would have been enough- they didn’t need to get romantic about it. On the other hand, Tae Kwang was someone who actually needed the romance. He didn't receive adequate amounts of love from either of his parents, and didn’t have any friends either. It became increasingly frustrating to watch him go all out in supporting Eun Bi, only to have her completely overlook him at every turn and never pay attention to his needs. In the end, all Tae Kwang got was a father who was slightly less of a butt- but all the scars were still there, and are we just going to ignore the six months that poor boy spent completely on his own while his father was in prison? Apparently so.

Quick Fix:

None of our villains were brought down in a satisfying way. The award for most ridiculous conclusion ever would have to go to Soo In’s sister. She’s spent at least a year harassing Eun Byul and Teacher Kim via text messages, and goes as far as entering the school under the guise of a student-teacher to have more access to them.

Actually the least threatening villain out

She’s painted as a vengeful woman who won’t settle until the two people ‘responsible’ for Soo In’s death are trapped in eternal suffering. But then Teacher Kim says he’s always felt guilty, and Eun Byul cries and says she had a hard time too, and suddenly our rage-filled sister is satisfied. What. Even. And what was the deal with all Eun Byul’s screaming and tripping out? Was that older sister or just her being ‘haunted’ by her memories of Soo In? Because she seems way too mentally stable to be hallucinating to that extent, and sister’s resolution becomes even more unsatisfying if she’s actually been stalking and scaring Eun Byul all this time.

Eun Byul fighting all Eun Bi's battles for her

And then we have So Young- who was a great antagonist for the most part. We were given insight into why she enjoyed stepping on those weaker than her- but we never spent enough time on her backstory to sympathise with her. Thank goodness- it was nice to have a character we could just flat-out hate. She became less and less threatening as the drama continued and Eun Bi started making more friends on her own, and it seemed like we were just waiting for Eun Bi to give her what was coming to her. But then the last episode seemed to want to make a last ditch attempt to garner sympathy for her by showing what a giant monster her father was- but by this time it was too late, and we were all still calling for her head. However, in the end she just transfers schools (though she can’t escape her past as all her new classmates already know what's she's done) and even Eun Bi tries to give her the smallest piece of comfort. Totally lame. I’d waited all drama long for Eun Bi to finally stand up to So Young, but it never came.

Twin Fallout:

With a drama that bases its main conflict on twin shenanigans, there’s always the risk of having characters that appear too similar. Now, I believe all credit for that not happening rests solely with Kim So Hyun- because the writers did not help her at all.

Forget the writers- Kim So Hyun did all the work

We all know that Eun Bi has the courage to stand up to injustice- it’s what got her into trouble in the first place, and she even has a few moments where she stands up to So Young as she’s gained confidence from pretending to be someone else. However, apart from those few glimpses, Eun Bi is a rather boring heroine. She just stands around, not doing very much while her world changes around her.

I swear her progress actually went backwards

I had a lot of respect for her in the beginning as after she regained her memories she decided right away to return to her actual life, rather than continue lying to everyone around her. But after Eun Byul’s mum drags her back, her character reverts back to shy and introverted- even when we knew she had a little more substance buried in her somewhere. Next to Eun Bi we have Eun Byul- who is far more worthy of being our heroine in my books. Sure, she’s a little rude and arrogant, but she stands up for what she believes is right after experiencing the guilt that comes with backing down due to fear and/or ignorance. She had the honesty and maturity to sit down and talk her feelings out with Yi An (whereas Eun Bi just stood around looking confused and uncomfortable whenever either boy spoke to her) and even worked to reveal the truth behind Soo In’s death. But then the writers totally shaft her character and send her overseas. Writers, are you actually trying to see how angry you can make the viewers of your show? We’ve waited 16 episodes for our happy family of Mum, Eun Bi and Eun Byul- but all you gave us is the name tag ‘Go Eun Bi’.

Re-watch?

Dear Lord, no. I hope Kim So Hyun moves on to bigger and better things- because she’s definitely proven herself to be an actress capable of taking on a complex female lead. I also hope this series did something to spark Yook Sung Jae’s acting career because I really want to watch him in something where he gets the girl. 

I vote they shoot the whole thing again- but this time Tare Kwang wins