Go Back Couple (2017)

Go Back Couple is the drama that managed to break my boredom with Korean dramas that has been haunting me for months now. If you like sweet, hearth touching dramas, or family and friendship dramas, this show has it all. It also has amazing cast, lovable main and second leads and a great message.

There are so many things that could have gone wrong with this drama, considering how cliche the premise was, yet the writer and the director managed to turn it into something fresh, cute and thought - provoking. It made me question what I would do if I had a chance for a re-do in my life with all the things I know now. It will probably make you think about your life or appreciate your youth, too.

Once again, the premise of the story is very cliche, considering that it's a simple time-travel drama, but the execution of the drama is not. The part of the drama that show the leads as unhappy 40 year old that feel trapped in their life made me feel their pain. The friends and the school part of the drama will probably make you laugh and be happy for the them being able to avoid the 'mistakes' of their youth, just as it made me feel. I assume that the vast majority of the people will find themselves rooting for the secondary leads for at least a part of the drama. The friendships in this drama are adorable, too. I also appreciated the glimpse at Korea in the late 1999. This part was gold. There is a perfect balance of sweet, sad, cringe - worthy and hilarious moments in this drama that makes you go back for more.

One thing that I also have to applaud the writer for is the fact that nothing in this show dragged. Way too often I find myself yawning or skipping through the middle part of most of the dramas. I often also catch myself thinking: oh goodness, just talk and figure out what's going on already! Nothing like that happens here. The show is perfectly paced and things happen and flow very naturally. I assume that the reason for this exemplary pacing is the length of the show. Since it has only 12 episodes, there are no unnecessary fillers in the episodes.

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I've only watched two other dramas with Jang Nara but I must say that Ma Jin-Joo is probably my favorite character she ever played. Anyway, this show was amazing from the beginning to the end. I was a mix of emotions while watching this. The acting was so amazing that even the funny and crying scenes were well done.

The relationship between the two main leads was really special and even though I kinda shipped Jin-Joo more with Jang Ki-Young's character, I had no trouble buying into the chemistry and relationships troubles that Jin-Jo and Ban-Do had. It was heartwarming to see the love they had for their son though, It was adorable.

All the side characters were likable and I didn't mind their side stories. My favorite parts of the show were seeing Jin-Jo interacting with her mom. They are probably one of my favorite mother-daughter relationships in a K-Drama so far. The ending was bittersweet and I was really satisfied with it. In the future, I can see myself rewatching this again and again because it was that amazing!

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I've become very, very picky about my dramas in recent years. I know exactly what I like and exactly what I don't, and I simply cannot tolerate stories that don't suit my tastes anymore. Compare this to me from when I first got into dramas, or from just 3-4 years ago, the me who wanted to watch literally every drama ever made and couldn't drop a drama because of the intense guilt it made her feel. I would watch dramas I didn't even like. I would watch dramas that made me Miserable. I wanted to consume everything, and I felt like a failure when I couldn't.

I've come a long way since then.

And I can say today with certainty, that this drama ticks each and every one of my drama requirement boxes.

Conflict that feels real and relatable and like it serves a purpose in the overall story? Check!
Characters that I can love deeply or love to hate deeply? Check!
Something in the premise that is deeply personal to me and relates to my own life in some way? Check!
Really, bloody good romance? Check, check!

The main conflict is, obviously, the break down of the leads marriage. I was very pleased to see the writers make things fair and even. Instead of the breakdown of their marriage being all one person's fault, it's a series of, mostly unintentional, things on both sides that built up over time. Neither character is really at fault or really a bad guy. They just became caught up in their own little worlds and forgot how to communicate with each other, and things began to fall apart from there.

There's a heavy focus on the relationship between our female lead and her mother, something that becomes one of the driving forces behind the entire story, and deservedly so. Their relationship is the foundation on which the female leads life is ultimately built, and it's through her second chance at spending time with her mother that a lot of the healing for her in the future comes out of.

With the exception of one character, there's no one you ever come to hate, or even dislike, in the story. Every character is someone you want to see happy and successful in life. And the person you hate is very much a love to hate character, and it brings you immense joy to see them knocked down several pegs.

And finally (with one caveat) I would say the finale is literal perfection. Everything plays out exactly as it should with every character getting the ending they deserve. (Except for two characters who's future's we don't get to see and it would have been nice to know what happened to them, but it's a flaw I can forgive since everything else about the finale is so well done.) I honestly can't remember if I've seen another drama with an ending so perfectly executed.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone who likes their stories more on the realistic and relatable side, as it is both of these things. This is a satisfying watch.

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What a nice story

The story of the go back couple is very good, you have a lot of lessons to learn, especially the mistakes they made in the future because they are no longer happy with married life, especially the male protagonist, the many mistakes he made until they decided. separate and that's when they went back to the past and little by little their love changed until they thought about the mistakes they made in the future then they thought to go back to the future and live full of love and fix their relationship all of couples is going through problems but all of them should be given a solution, they won't decide to separate right away because their children will be difficult for me, watch the go back couple, it's a very good story

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An absolute tear-jerker

In my journey to consume as many feel-good, angsty, slice-of-life dramas, I came across Go Back couple multiple times, and every time I turned away...until I finally gave in. Go Back couple: Just from reading the synopsis, it feels like a cliché. Time travel has been done I mean, how many times can the industry milk the idea, right? Right? Wrong. It might depend upon the idea, yet this story is everything but time travel.

I was skeptical at first, because I've seen too many rom-coms that predicting the ending was a piece of cake, but the execution of it took me by surprise.

The story is about family. It's about choices and regrets. It's about “what if?”

At 20, some are just starting. Some are working, and some are falling in love. At 22, some are getting married, some are hopeful, and some are lost and angry. Suddenly you're 30 and have more and more regrets and fewer dreams. You know too many people you've lost, and what once seemed indestructible is being washed away by time. A story about a couple who replace their love with bitterness until it festers and consumes them: we all become that sometimes. People who are so consumed by anger and regret that you turn outwards to blame someone. We become people who are petty and end up wanting to hurt the ones precious to us.

What happens when you're given a chance to change the choices that most influenced your life? For better or worse, at your lowest, being given the chance to go back and make different choices, sounds like a dream come true...but is it? Being able to watch this couple face their choices, this drama portrays the struggles of a couple who thought that love was all they needed. The drama was a beautiful portrayal of the importance of self-introspection and communication.

This is a nostalgic drama with heart-touching moments, and the scenes with ma jin ju and her mother were some of the scenes that made a deep impression on me. Love is about being able to recognize the little things, and I learned a lot from this drama. Ma jin ju is one of the most likable characters and jang na ra with her charming presence on screen, brought the character to life. She had a vibrant aura and the contrasts with her past and present were made well. Son ho jun who plays choi ban do did an outstanding job, and his emotional scenes especially moved me. I remember watching him in "Was it Love?" And I was not particularly impressed, but this drama completely changed my views on him. The second male lead was probably the first to give me the syndrome in a long time. I was rooting for them during the first half of the drama, but his screen time slowly fizzled out, I think in a different life, he could have been ma jin ju's first love.

I think the only con I can think of is the second couple. Although I liked their backstory (A very straightforward college love story) towards the ending, their charm ran low and so did their story, so it gave me the impression that they were being used only for filler. I know every drama has this, but the final episode made it blatantly obvious which is not ideal.

The track list for the drama was terrific. Confession by Choi Nakta has to be my favorite.

I wouldn’t rewatch it again. Although I was completely smitten, I got everything I could from it the first time. It’s a well-paced slice of life I'll remember fondly.

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Tears, not angst

Oct. 14, 2022

Waw GO BACK couple is that kdrama that will literally make you question and rethink about your life choices and perspectives. I did like the main plot regarding the couple.


However, the subplot that tug my heart string the most was with the FL's mom story. I am not gonna lie to you, I cried bucket of tears, I had the ugly crying. I was just sobbing so hard. I really feel like the writers did such a great job with this arc. I felt all the emotions I needed to feel. The line that goes "you can live without your parents but you can't live without your child." That hit me the hardest. Emotions just rushed through and I couldn't stop the tears. I guess the moral story of it, is to enjoy your time with your parents since once they aren't around. Then you'll really won't see them ever again. Just plain tears, I could not emphasize it enough.

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While I do find this drama to be extremely successful at warming your heart (especially the mother-daughter bonding), I find myself slightly underwhelmed by the setting that this story has largely decided to focus itself on.

To cut to the chase, it was established in the early episodes that the main relationship breaker of the main couple is a great deal lack of communication and NOT lack of love, like typically the cause of many divorces today. Nevertheless, after looking back at the core execution of the drama, it does feel like the writers were trying to remind the main characters as to the reasons they fell in love in the first place, which inevitably made me think that the writers have actually lost their main focus in the effort to tell the story.

I couldn't think of many instances where the main characters actually get to sit down together and talk through their issues, rather the built up was more centered on the unnecessary love quadruple that at the end of it all, was finally meant to wake the ML and FL in their heads that they in fact have always loved each other, and wouldn't have it any other way. A bit strange a proposition, don't you think?

There are obviously not a single villain in this drama since it's mainly about people trying to sort out their own issues in life having given a second chance, and every characters have the potential to tug warmly at your heartstrings though I was not particularly fond of the potential love triangle. The FL character is my favourite in this drama, since she's a mother before she went back 20 years and the pain of having a broken marriage and not having her child by her side was very brilliantly expressed by the actress, Jang Na Ra.

The OST by SoHyang is just the complete recipe to utterly break your heart at some scenes, and I'm really glad to have watched this drama given I'm a sucker for good songs accompanied by cleverly written contexts.

I read many comments in the viewing site that this drama is something that the viewers intend to rewatch when they get older, especially since the message of parent-child bonding, importance of communication in a marriage and love for your child is absolutely brilliantly expressed. I do agree, and I believe that if I rewatch this again at a more mature head space, it'd hit me differently and worse.

Thank you to all the actors and crew, an absolutely brilliant drama otherwise overall!

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A Heartfelt Journey Through Love and Regret

"Go Back Couple" is a touching and relatable K-drama that explores the complexities of love, marriage, and the power of second chances. While it may not be perfect, it certainly stands out as a memorable and heartwarming series that leaves a lasting impression.

The story revolves around a married couple, Ma Jin Joo (Jang Nara) and Choi Ban Do (Son Ho Jun), who find themselves trapped in a time-traveling twist of fate. They are given the opportunity to revisit their college days, allowing them to make different choices and potentially alter the course of their lives.

One of the strengths of "Go Back Couple" is its ability to capture the ups and downs of married life with honesty and humor. The chemistry between the lead actors, Jang Nara and Son Ho Jun, is palpable, and their performances breathe life into their characters. The emotional rollercoaster they go through as they rediscover their love for each other is both heartwrenching and heartwarming.

The supporting cast, including Lee Yi Kyung and Go Bo Gyeol, adds depth to the story with their compelling subplots. Each character brings something unique to the table, contributing to the overall richness of the narrative.

The time-traveling aspect adds an intriguing twist to the typical romantic comedy formula, and it's interesting to see how the characters' actions in the past affect their present-day lives. The exploration of regret, choices, and the pursuit of happiness is portrayed with sensitivity.

While "Go Back Couple" offers a compelling storyline, it does have some minor pacing issues, particularly in the middle episodes, where the plot meanders at times. Some viewers may also find the supporting characters' storylines less engaging compared to the main couple's journey.

Despite these shortcomings, "Go Back Couple" manages to deliver a heartfelt message about cherishing the people we love and the importance of communication in a relationship. It reminds us that even in the face of regrets and mistakes, it's never too late to make amends and rediscover the spark that brought two people together.

In conclusion, "Go Back Couple" is a heartwarming drama with its share of flaws, but its emotional depth and relatable themes make it a worthwhile watch. If you're a fan of romantic comedies with a unique twist and enjoy stories about second chances in love, this series is definitely worth your time. While it may not be a perfect 10, it's a solid 7-star drama that will tug at your heartstrings and leave you reflecting on your own relationships and life choices.

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This was such a lovely story about family and marriage and love. I really didn't know what I was getting into at first, but the characters just grew on you, like a mold on cheese. :) Sometimes they were not at their best, but you could always relate with them. Their choices made sense, but only when you saw it from their point of view. Which is kind of how all relationships work. If you can look at the situation from the other persons POV, then you can make it work.
I don't know if I would rewatch the whole drama because it was kind of silly sometimes, but I would definitely rewatch certain scenes. And I will be keeping an eye on all the actors in it. And Jang Na Ra is just as cute as a button, as usual. That woman just doesn't age, does she? In the drama A Korean Odyssey (Hangul: ???; RR: Hwayugi), they made a joke about how Jang Na Ra must have sold her soul or something like that because how else would she still look so young?

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I hated this show and I wanted to love it

After watching "18 again" and loving it, I thought I would enjoy this too... but I hate that they kept the "cuck" vibes for the whole show. I was so perplexed by it that there was a point or I had to start skipping when the love interest of the FL appeared. For such a amazing concept, of a couple finding love again, to be completely ruined by almost having no feelings other than old feelings from the past relationship or feelings of ownership of the partner. Their relationship was cold for the whole show, the FL only starting to actually care for the ML on the second to last episode.

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