This drama is NOT for everyone!!!
I have read so many bad reviews. If you hate and don't see the beauty of this drama then you are either immature, love cheesy and unrealistic love story or don't like slow dramas which its okay considering everyone has their opinion and preferences. Yes it has its flaws like every other drama. I cannot emphasis enough on how the drama is not for everyone, it is EXTREMELY slow paced and people complain about that. I believe that's how the story was intended to be, with the slow burn we get to see how the connection developed between the characters and it happened so naturally. The Irony is that you would expect the female lead to be mature considering her age but we all know who the real adult in their relationship was.Jin ah's (FL) mother is a hated character, she did the most to break them apart. For me that made it more realistic because some parents are very traditional, closed minded and want what they think is best for their children, (thus they can go to any extent to see that happen as we also see in the show) I could personally relate to this. If you are looking for something that would uplift your mood then this is not it.
Although I think it would have been better if it had been a movie or a mini series than having 16 episodes, not a huge problem though. Also I enjoyed the ost at first but then it got very repetitive and some scenes really did not match the songs. Nevertheless the songs are very calming (has a little vintage vibe to it) I still play it. It's the first kdrama I have seen with all english ost.
A lot of people complain about the ending but what more could have seriously happened, happy endings are not always guaranteed. After the mother begged for forgiveness, One can say that Jin ah did not need her mothers approval any longer and she can finally be with the person she loves without getting judged. It hurts me that the drama is underrated, it deserves more attention but what can I say the underrated ones are sometimes the best ones. If you hate this drama then it was personally not your cup of tea not that anything was wrong with it. I totally recommend this If you are looking for a very serious, mature and reflecting story. If not please pass rather than coming to degrade a remarkable drama.
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it was so good at first that i had super high expectation for it. Son Ye Jin acting was incredible and Jung Hae In was so damn cute. their chemistry was awesome. it was so good it kinda felt like a guilty pleasure watching it. the way they shoot this drama is something i have never seen in korean dramas. beautiful, slow paced and somewhat retro scenes which focus on the characters' feeling made me hold my breath many times.
but the plot kept getting pointless and disappointing. the last 5 episodes were really gloomy. i truly hoped things could be different, beating the stereotype in most dramas and making me believe in love again lol. but unfortunately it got into some cliché trope. the characters couldn't really figure anything out episode after episode and that makes watching them such a pain. oh and the sudden ending. it's like the writer tried to settle everything down in some last minutes and tried to convince the audience that everything was fine. but hey i'm not fine. it's just so unsatisfying.
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Cette critique peut contenir des spoilers
Congratulations to this drama for getting my lowest score yet.
The MVP of this series was really Netflix for letting me watch at 1.5x speed and the ten second fast forward feature for which this low review would not exist in the universe.It’s really a pity that the first eightish - nine episodes get completely squandered by the absolute Chernobyl disaster that is the second half of this show. The FL is a mid thirties almost forty year old human who possess ZERO communication skills. It’s really impressive how little communication skills one human woman can posses. I commend the writers for showing that forty year women can also have the same emotional maturity as a sixteen year old girl. Representation matters!
The other watchers of this show seemed to love the Male Lead for being the best boyfriend but if being a good boyfriend = being a complete doormat and running after your girlfriend whose idea of communication is crying, saying she’s sorry and promising never to do it again but then in the literal next scene doing it again *surprise pikachu face* and then whining about how she’s apologized. Her character reaches a point where it's not that she's unable to communicate, she willfully refuses and believes the best way to get ahead is to sit in misery and grind through but also to ask him to do the same. The way to progress forward is for them to simply be in abject misery together.
Let’s talk about the mother of the bride - the worst Asian mother portrayal I’ve seen on tv. If the FL wasn’t also such a doormat, she could have moved out before the season started and I wouldn’t have to watch this character for 12 hours. I have a new nemesis and it’s this Asian mother. She has NO redeemable qualities and yet the writers still put in a redemption scene in the last hour. I’ve never felt less moved by a mother-daughter scene in my entire life. It happens on the street and I was looking for truck-kan the entire time (why don’t you show up when I want you and only when I don’t???). I tried, I tried to look at this in an Asian centric culture mindset but alas I’m a lowly Asian-American and even with my knowledge of traditional Asian family roles, I cannot feel warmth/sympathy towards this mother.
The music: If an English lady crones “it’s hard to be a woman” at me one more time, I’ll end up in jail.
My final gripe: the plot. Writer-Nim. Come back here and explain to me wtf was the POINT of the last three episodes. Just really explain. There’s this whole plot about how she’s going to stick with it and make her big comeback and stand on her own - - for her to get another bf who doesn’t appreciate her, to learn zero communication skills and to STILL quit her job and become a waitress on juju island! Why did they even break up? They learn zero things from the breakup! Here I would like to compare my favorite end of drama breakup “Because this is my first life” where the breakup makes sense. It forces two characters who cannot communicate and have baggage to take the breakup as a reset and reevaluate their needs and goals before coming back together as a stronger and more cohesive couple. That does not happen in SITR. They still cannot communicate, or say full sentences or express emotion.
She just takes the time she could use to communicate to whine about how she’s kept herself miserable for three years to atone for making the best friend/boyfriend sad. Like my girl, no one, not ONE person asked for that. If you choose to live your life that way, that’s strictly a you problem. This whole romance exist on *vibes*. Which I mean I love a long walk in the rain and some coffee but my god.
Anyways there was great skinship in this show so cheers to the director for giving me legit butterflies in the handholding scene. I will look back at drama edits on tiktok of that one scene fondly.
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AFTER-TASTE
Rather than just walking through the plot, the scene lets us feel the after-taste of each scene. Every time the characters finish what they do, the scene doesn’t stop there. It shows how the characters deal with the previous things that happened. Some people might say that the OSTs are sickening but that’s this movie is all about. The repetitive music and mood portray a slice of life, the sequence of events in the characters’ daily life.
SLICE OF LIFE
It’s slow-paced to the point that many people don’t notice the character development but it’s what makes this movie realistic. The main characters had been influenced and will continue to adjust her and his circumstances in making certain actions. That’s what makes them hard to change. For that same reason, I’d rather say that their attitude and behavior are understandable than acceptable. They tried their best and we can feel the struggle they’ve been through to get there.
WARM BLANKET FOR THE COLD WEATHER
It’s raw yet aesthetically-pleasing though. What’s quite unusual is first, they don’t use any Korean song for their soundtrack and second, they visualize “rainy” feeling with a warm brownish color. This is my first time watching Korean drama using such a theme and it gets me super emotional. It wakes my senses up. I feel like I can hear, smell, taste touch and of course see whatever shown throughout the drama.
WHY IS IT WORTH A TRY
In the end, I know this isn’t everyone's cup of tea and it’s worth a try. Especially when you feel like giving up on your boring routine. This drama can be relatable for you but it gives you the hope of something better coming.
UNPOPULAR OPINION OF THE FL
I've seen a lot of complaints about the FL. I personally find that her character is very realistic considering all the things she went through. Some people might think that there is no character development but it's there. It's just that her character is complex and her circumstances don't give enough room for her, so it seems like she doesn't go anywhere. No need to spoil anything to say that from the beginning I've been so proud of her. To see how she does things she does, I want to give her a comforting hug.
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It's the kind of drama you will either love or hate, there is nothing in between.
I wanted to watch this drama for so long but was stopping myself because of some bad reviews i read. i have finally watched it and i don't regret!!So first of all I'd like to draw the flaws in this drama, 1) Yoon jin ah being not too young has been showed quite immature 2) Lack of communication between the main characters, being a mature couple, they sometimes didn’t talk about some matters that were needed too. 3) The ending was quite abrupt. 4) OST, "Sometimes it’s hard to be a woman..." i swear if i hear this again
Getting back to the story, it was quite refreshing and interesting. They showed few important topics like harassment of female employees in companies, and how when you start to get old your family pressures you to get married and sets blind dates out of nowhere. It felt so fresh to watch this drama, the chemistry between the characters was so good, they matched each other quite well. I totally loved this drama, specially joon hee, i liked him more then jin ah..and those cuddly scenes made me smile so much
I have read many bad reviews, but i liked this because It’s a real story with real people, this is what happens in real life.
---> about the ending, i think they tried to show how everyone around you will not necessarily accept what you want to do even though they love you, but even after that; you should follow what you love and do what your heart says. And sometimes you just need to let loose your life and breathe.
I really recommend this drama. but
people who won’t like it are most probably: in their teens, early 20's or who don’t like slow detailed shows.
people who will love it are most probably: fond of details or are in late 20's or 30's
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But 6 episodes in, I was left pleasantly surprised with its content.
It touches upon a lot of controversial topics like mistreatment/sexual abuse of women at their workplace and in general, romance between an older woman and a younger man, unhealthy/obsessive relationships, mother pressuring their children to only care about the background of people they hang out with and how they can benefit them, negative view on those without parents, on those who pursue an artistic career...
Main leads are absolutely adorable together, have amazing chemistry and make you die from happiness while watching them interact.
This is why for now, I recommend you to watch it. Just be ready to get extremely frustrated whenever her mother shows up. The actress portraying her did a great job.
*Update after ep 12
Unnecessary drama, conflicts around their love life are starting to get boring.
I did like how they brought up a topic on suicide.
Also, currently I'm curious the most about how will their movement against sexual harassment at work turn out.
*Update after finishing the drama
I would say this drama didn't fulfill my expectations. In the end they didn't resolve the problems they kept on dragging for over minimum of 8 episodes and just gave us a rushed, not so well thought-out ending.
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The Good:-The 1st and the most important thing about this, is the chemistry between the leads. It's so real you can't help for but root for them. They fall for each other slowly but strongly. They laugh ,cry and stand strong with each other. There are scenes that made my heart warm and smile so hard. And there are scenes that put a lump in my throat. But it was so worth it. This feeling stayed for me for about 10 or 11 episodes.
The bad:-
After the 1st half, i was only enjoying the moments where they were together. That was the only good thing in the second half. Everything else, such a drag. They tried to put so many things in to the plot it just took the life out of the drama. I will be honest, i skipped more than a little towards the end even though i don't like to skip. It was ruining the good memory really. Things get to the point where i started wondering too what IS exactly there obstacle. Is it there age gap?or they are like "family"? Or family status problems ? Or something else? It just made me frustrated.
The ending:-
Disappointing for me. I wanted so much for the ending to change my mind. But it didn't. I will not give away much spoiler, but let's just say neither one of them was completely right. Jin ha learned to be independent, then in the end she came back to square one.( when she said her stuck up bf is a good catch. Like what?! Didn't you learn anything by dating that psychopath earlier!)
My last hope was a happy ending and they rushed it too. (I mean seriously?! It was like 5 mins before the end they get together and then what? After all the dragging i made myself go through just to see them happy, we atleast deserved a future look into their lives.) The plot just ruined the most romantic couple for me. They deserved better than this story. It could have been way better.
I gave 7.5 stars to this only because of the 1st half. The 1st 8 episodes is so worth it i am ignoring the rest of the mess. You will know it when you see it. It may make you feel frustrated towards the end, but then you will find yourself recommending it to others and not even give a low rating. I am just happy that i have seen it.
I will probably rewatch the 1st half when i want to feel happy, but not the whole drama.
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Cette critique peut contenir des spoilers
Misery vs Happiness
This drama is a love story of two people with an age difference. At times that can be problematic, but not to the extent the writers went in this drawn-out drama. At first, it captured me with the sweetness of two people falling in love. Then I realized that all they were going to do is throw 18 hours of misery at a couple struggling in a relationship. 18 hours of suffering matched with 3 minutes of happiness at the end doesn’t work. It leaves the person watching with the misery of the 18 hours, not the 3 minutes of joy.However, I thought the acting was fantastic. Son Ye Jin was superb as always. So, I binge-watched the 18 hours and enjoyed the drama, but the story itself left me wanting more. The fact that I feel this way tells me that the foundation of the story was good. If only the writers understood the need of the viewer for a better ending. I loved the music.
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Painful.
I don't even know where to start with this review *sigh* I started this show for the noona ( 누나) romance. I do believe that the FL & ML had amazing chemistry and were so adorable together, but once the mum started nagging and actively trying to seperate them the show was instantly ruined for me. The mum really made finishing this drama feel like a chore. All her scenes were just painfully unbearable.I don't understand why this was made into a drama when it could've all been covered in a 2 hour movie?? A lot of episodes felt like filler eps.
The soundtrack was TERRIBLE. I never want to hear 'stand by your man' again in my life and despite previously loving 'save the last dance for me' -- I think I will now skip it whenever it comes on my shuffle playlist. I have nightmares about this soundtrack.
I thought the sexual harassment storyline was pointless since the resolution sucked and was super unsatisfying. The scenes with Ms Kang were annoying asf. How she was constantly throwing herself at Joon-hee and then the way she treated Jin-a when she heard they were together. I wanted to see some kinda growth with her character but there was nothing.
The saddest part of this drama for me (apart from the way the mum treated Joon-hee) was the fall out between Jin-a and Joon-hee's sister. I loved their friendship was much and to see that deteriorating throughout the mid to later half of the show made me so sad.
I'll never rewatch this drama again so I rated it quite low. I didn't HATE-hate it but I didn't love it either. I think the show was just meh overall to me. I'm kinda torn between whether I'm happy I watched/finished this or whether I'm upset I wasted my time?? Like I said it was painful to finish and probably would've been more enjoyable had it been a movie.
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It feels like a really adult romance since there aren’t scheming backstabbers and ridiculous pranks. The drama takes its time setting up the budding feelings and the dizzying joy of that initial honeymoon phase.
Of course there are obstacles in their way. Yes, a few characters are petty and one-dimsnional, but it’s more realistic than many dramas.
The two leads are terrific with lots of range and interest. She’s strong and flawed and weak. He’s an adorable puppy when he’s in love.
I didn’t expect a whole #MeToo subplot which was fascinating and tough to watch. Kudos for shinning a light on sexism and harassment in the workplace.
Overall, it’s a lovely serious and romantic drama.
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i do find it amazing of the cultural aspects, such as the devout loyalty to the parents to the point of giving up your life (figuratively speaking). you dont find that kind of commitment and devotion in the USA. its interesting to think about what will happen after the show ended...will she totally leave her mother for him?
Hope i keep finding gems like this one. Although i cant rave about the subplots, the love story was enough for me..i loved it.
also, even though i have read some say the repetitive music was too much, i loved when the songs would start at the most tender moments. i thought it was unique use of the songs.
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The one and only saving grace is the character growth of Yoon Jin Ah as Son Ye Jin and the chemistry she had with Jung Hae In as Seo Joon Hee. That relationship was so messed up though. I couldn't be in a relationship that I cant be honest about everything. They are so frustrating. There are some redeeming characters besides the main characters but they are few.
The music is exceptional.
I will never rewatch this.
I don't recommend this drama to anyone.
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