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Absolutely stunning!
I started watching this drama when it started airing. From the beginning until the end, throughout the weeks, I stayed curious. This series is SO addictive.I want to talk about 3 main points in this story: The story itself, the characters and the music.
The story:
The story was so beautifully executed. It's about a woman haunted by her past and her family. The male lead and his brother are connected to her past. And it's mostly about overcoming your fears and growing to do what you want to do and not let the past ruin your future. The lessons in this story are so important and by adding different elements like illustrations, the autistic brother and a closed off, almost psychotic, woman.. you'll learn the lessons on the most beautiful and heartwarming way ever.
The mother of the female lead is absolutely haunting and psycho and the father of the female lead is someone you can somewhat have different feelings about.
The story kept me on my toes.. like constantly. It kept me wondering about the story and the story kept me guessing.
The story summarized in words: haunting, heartwarming, thrilling, heartwarming, stunning and funny.
The characters:
First of all, the actors are absolutely gorgeous! The male lead is so good in conveying the feelings of his character. You can sympathize with him and understand his actions which is important as a watcher. You can also understand why the male lead is so closed off with his feelings while watching the story evolve.
The female lead is freaking amazing! Not only is she gorgeous, snatched around the waist with an amazing style of fashion... She is absolutely hilarious and even though she's a bit crazy... She is also relatable. The actrice is very good at conveying the right emotions, loved it!
The brother of the male lead is autistic and haunted by his past. The actor does such a good job acting like an autistic person. Sometimes it was a bit too (with the stuttering.. I don't know if it's usually this much.. but I think they could've switched more between fluent sentences and stuttering or not finding the right words) but I guess they tried to show an heavily autistic person. However, the characteristics of an autistic person were well conveyed. The brother really added more to the sentiment. And I love that they are trying to show off more kinds of people. Everyone has their own struggles and things and that was so well portrayed in this drama.
The side characters were either funny, scary/creepy or just really sweet. Loved them all.
The music:
Absolutely amazing! I personally really like Puzzle from Yongzoo. All the music is either touching or well fitting into the story with a fantasy and mysterious kinda vibe. Which is logical since the female lead is a writer of fantasy children books. So well fitting!
I personally loved it. I would rewatch this story just to be able to watch it at once instead of waiting weekly. Also, the actors had such great chemistry.
Ps. I would honestly also just rewatch it for the female lead 'cause she is stunning, has amazing taste, she is funny and just... I could look at her face and fashion for hours.
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ONE OF ITS KIND,MENTALLY HEALING,BEST KDRAMA I HAVE EVER WATCHED
First of all, this drama being based on the topic of mental health might be criticised a lot but nothing is perfect . Now i have never faced any trauma except being in depression but in this quarantine this is maybe the best thing that has happened to me . Also i really don;t understand the ratings on korea maybe its just that it is airing on netflix too but damn do they need to open their eyes to mental health.Second of all lets get into the review !!
WOW . what pulled me into the drama even in the first episode is maybe the chemistry of the leads Kim Soo Hyun and Seo Ye Ji . i mean they were just looking but it was instant chemistry with them on screen which peaked my interest from the beginning.and obviously from then on the chemistry kept exploding . The story from beginning to the end was so well portrayed with beautiful morals in each episode that makes you cry sometimes of happy or sad tears and cliffhanger that makes you so eager to watch the next episode
Yes there is a childhood trope but in this story i think this just fits in without being a cliche ,i fact that is what carries the story.
The satisfying thing is the cinematic parallels of the leads which is really ironic and beautiful and the most satisfying thing would be the character development !!?? like it was so good to watch the change of the characters after understanding how to face their fears and attain happiness . i loved that.
There isn't an episode that does not contain beautiful quotes on life
And the ending was golden one of the best endings in kdrama history
At the end i would like to say the acting done by all the actors was outstanding and made the show all the more real
Kim Soo Hyun was really amazing with the emotions he showed and the way he cried he made me cry too and i love him for that'
Seo Ye Ji was phenomenal , lets agree a lot of us have now fallen for her and will look forward to more from her ,she was amazing in her portrayal of Ko Mun Young and aspd, i fell in love with her acting an crying . i felt irreversible pain she cried her soul out for something she didn't do and i look forward to more from her
Oh Jung Se playing Sang Tae was the best decision ever he did amazing , i have seen him in many dramas but this was the best i have seen of him. Acting autistic wouldn't have been easy for him but he did a very good job .
all of the actors deserve daesang for such performance!!
AT last i suggest everyone to watch this drama to help you heal a little or maybe provide comfort to the lonely souls out there so that they can take the step of courage to attain happiness in these hard times . i am really so attached to it i am probably gonna rewatch it again a lot .
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Grab a box of tissues and be prepared to be emotionally wrecked.
I may have cried non-stop from episodes nine to sixteen. I may be crying right now as I write this review. When I heard the plot of this show I was excited and nervous about what the outcome could be. It isn’t the first time that we have had healing romances in a Kdrama not to mention the backdrop being at a psychiatric hospital and people with mental illness. I was afraid that we would have “love” magically cure everything. I am proud to say that this drama did a really good job in its portrayal and the incorporation of these topics. This wasn’t a drama that glorified mental illnesses or romanticized it, but rather it explored how some mental illnesses you are born with and other can be a product of your environment. The intricacy of this story and they way they wove the tale made it worthwhile to watch the way our main trio evolved throughout these sixteen episodes. This drama may have one of the best story telling I have witnessed in a Kdrama in a long time. The little things always matter and connected so well. After every episode there were so many theories of what could and couldn’t be and I loved that this drama provided me with this because it really has been a long time since a Kdrama has done that for me.This drama was so beautifully shot and the cinematography and symbolism behind everything was very polished. I was especially fond of the animations for the fairytales that were told and I loved the way they all connected to the story or theme of the episode. I enjoyed that these fairytales were all twisted and dark in some senses because it provided the life lessons that we needed. I will never forget when Moonyoung said she always makes her witches beautiful, as it is so often we see in society that the prettiest/shiniest things are not always good. If I had to pick my favorite tale from the bunch that were told it would be Zombie Boy with a special nod to the story told during the Father and the Two Sisters.
It goes without saying that the acting in this was superb especially that of our three leads. I was able to connect with each of the leads in different ways. I have always talked about how outstanding I have found Seo Yeji to be ever since I saw her in Save Me, it is therefore no surprise that her portrayal of Ko Moon Young was magnificent. Now, I do not know on a personal level what someone with antisocial personality disorder behaves like, but I think she did a good job showing us her interpretation. This is also by far the most attractive Kim Soo Hyun has ever looked to me and I always wanted to cry whenever he did. The person who I have a new found appreciation for though is Oh Jung Se. This is now the second drama I have completed with him and he did a phenomenal job of portraying someone on the autism spectrum. It didn’t feel like a mockery or exaggerated in the least. I want to watch more of him tbqh.
The soundtrack for this drama was sensational. I am not familiar with the curated or distributor, but I do know is that they did great with gathering the voices. I haven’t enjoyed an OST this much since Hotel Del Luna’s which is funny as that is a drama that this drama is always being compared to. The songs amplified the scenes to a level that would not have been achieved otherwise.
I strongly believe that I could go on and on (and I probably will on my podcast) about this drama because it is truly something special. I have always enjoyed found family tales and this drama is no different. Yes, Yeji and Soohyun have AMAZING chemistry, but it was more than that for me. I truly felt like I was going on a healing journey myself. Please don’t miss out on this drama, it is very highly recommended.
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Omg. Best drama ever.
Wow. The acting was phenomenal. Every actor and actress deserves praise for their outstanding performance. The actors literally made all the characters in the story come to life. And wow, Oh Jung-se. His acting was so good. THIS MAN DESERVES A DAESANG. I literally bawled my eyes out in the last scene when Gang-tae and Sang-tae had their brother moment.The OSTs in this drama were also super fitting to this drama. My personal favourite was Breathe by Sam Kim. I don't know how much I replayed the song. Probably like over 10000x. The song is just so soothing and it just fits the drama perfectly. I feel HEALED when I listen to this song. Another OST favourite of mine was PUZZLE by Youngzoo. When I was watching re-watching the music video after the drama ended, I TEARED UP. Remembering all the hardships that all the characters went through just pulled on my heartstrings.
I've re-watched each episode at least 2x. Watching it once is not enough :P HECK I'll probably re-watch it next year and the year after that. lol. This drama made my heart feel so warm. This truly was a human healing drama <3
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The acting was wonderful. OJS did a wonderful job portraying a character with autism spectrum disorder. It's my first drama seeing SYJ in a main role so I wasn't sure about her acting and I have to say she did a great job as well. Her and KSH's chemistry was questionable at first, but later on I could feel it in their scenes. There were a few scenes near the end of the drama that teared me up a bit.
My first impression of Mun Yeong's character wasn't that great and thought I wouldn't feel anything regarding her character, but it changed later on. The supporting characters for the most part did a good job of fitting into the story and helping out the main characters to develop.
The one thing that does confuse me is MDL lists PGY as a main role character but she felt more like a support role character. Her character wasn't explored much and it seemed like the story mainly focused on KSH, OJS, and SYJ.
Story wise, I think the writer did a good job in showing these three characters develop their characters. They were able to heal and evolve. The relationship of the two brothers was fun to watch and how they both make better changes in their relationship. I'm glad that this drama focused on mental health as well and tried to give various messages to the audience with this story. However, this drama does become predictable eventually with the major events involving the main three characters. There was no anticipation left for me regarding these characters. The drama introduced the problems they were individually struggling with along with an unsolved mystery and near the end they revealed everything about that mystery. If you paid close attention to the details before the revelation, then you would have been able to solve the big mystery before they revealed it. So, I was not surprised at all. I was hoping they would answer the other minor questions people had while watching the drama. But I guess they didn't consider it important enough. They also left out a few things from some of the supporting characters which I wish I could know more about.
Overall, it's not a bad watch, interesting and funny as well.
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BREATHTAKING EMOTIONAL ROLLERCOASTER
It’s a great show. Amazing acting skills by everyone and a great story with plot twists. I cried at least ones in each episode, especially as the show progressed. I didn’t got tired at all and watched all episodes in three days, I truly didn’t want it to end. I will definitely miss it.It talks about important stuff like mental health, disability and abuse.
It’s not just a love story is about family, and that’s what makes it one of the best Kdramas I have watched yet.
I really believe that nothing will top this in my heart at least for the next couple of months or maybe years, because isn’t stereotypical, it’s a punch in the guts.
An emotional roller coaster that will blow your mind.
Recommend 100%
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Focus On More Than 1 Element In This Drama
Focus On More Than 1 Element: Romance, Healing, Mental Health, Novels Within a Novel, Mystery, Non-Traditional FamilyThe sum of the parts of this drama are just so good that regardless of the lapses of certain elements of the writing, it still deserves tons of praise.
My favorite part of this drama, hands down, was the 3-way relationship of the OTP and brother. The way they evolved had so much preciousness to it, it was unbelievable.
The 1 point deduction is for the part that everyone seems to be stuck on, that doesn't make sense in the *real* world but is fine for *la-la-land*, regarding the mystery. Plausible or not, this does not take away from all of the other parts that were done so well, to me, that I just cannot fathom deducting more than 1 point.
Lastly, you know a drama's story is well told when I bother to go to an online Korean marketplace to purchase the novels within this drama, that are written in Korean, to be sent to me here in the USA during a pandemic. Shelling out $170 for a fantasy author, Moonyoung & illustrator, Sang Tae's REAL work is nothing to sneeze at! I enjoyed them so much I was truly willing to invest.
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I don't often give a rating above 8.5/10 but...
OVERALLA drama about psychological healing that successfully combines comedy, drama, mystery and romance. Watch it, no ifs...but I guess keep it for later if you really, REALLY don't like characters with flaws.
THE STORY
I LOVE dramas that normalize mental health issues, so I was really hoping this one would be good. It did not disappoint. It's not really about psychiatric illnesses or psychiatric treatments per say. The drama is about accepting your psychological issues and thriving in live despite them. The Strengths: 1) the grabber in episode 1 is EPIC, probably the best start of a Korean drama I've ever seen, 2) the dip in gothic genre is extremely innovative for Kdramaland, and although the show doesn't completely go gothic, it's still cool, 3) there is literally NO loophole in this drama, it's so well-written everything that happens has a reason to be, 4) the clever use of fairy tales for symbolism and allegory is just AMAZING, 5) the characters have real and coherent character development, without going from 0 to 100 (they are imperfect from beginning to end, but still have improved), 6) the depiction of mental health issues was carefully researched and is appropriate (though not perfect), 7) the romance feels organic and natural (not forced by the plot at all). I feel like many Kdramas could learn from this one.
The Weaknesses: Really, the only thing that bothers me is that for around 2-3 episodes in the second half of the drama, things just feel a bit off. Maybe there's a slight decline in the overall coherence, maybe it's the acting (see below). It's very short-lived though! Another thing that may bother some (but not me): the romance isn't particularly fast-paced and there isn't a whole lot of skinship (aka kisses and more). It's still totally great!
THE ACTING
Great performance by the two leads, SYJ and KSH. I recently got to know Yeji through Save Me, and since then also watched Lawless Lawyer, and I got to say, she delivers every time. In this drama in particular, she blew my mind. She kind of overshadowed KSH's performance, and even the actor playing autistic Sang Tae (who was amazing too!). I think I have a girl crush haha The child actors were amazing (most of them are, don't know what they feed them), and some extras also grabbed my attention. The one downer in terms of acting comes in the second half of the drama. I won't say much more so I won't give anything away, but I feel like one person overacts WAY too much at the end of the drama, which almost ruined these 2-3 episodes for me.
THE MUSIC
Pretty cool, though nothing I felt compelled to add to my playlist by the end of the drama. I want to highlight the creepy tune that came in everytime our female lead did something psychopath-y. I loved it!
REWATCH VALUE
High, but I'm not sure it's very high? I shed too many tears in this drama to feel like watching it any time. It'll probably be for when I'm not too happy but not too sad - the perfect mood for it.
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I've a soft spot for Kim Soo Hyun since loving him as Sam Dong in Dream High so I'm a bit let down that he is the straight guy here as Moon Gang Tae, as compared to meaty roles of Seo Ye Ji as Ko Mun Yeong or Oh Jung Se as Sang Tae. But when a drama is produced so well, you know you're in good hands.
A healing drama with fairytale elements and mysterious gothic feels, how did it all work so well? And for those who are curious, the psychological issues are tackled thoughtfully and there's nothing too depressing or graphic.
This drama might have catapulted Kim Soo Hyun, esp. Seo Ye Ji to more fame. I wanted to fall head over heels over the OTP (they look so good though and those kisses!), but maybe I expected more fire from KSH in some acting aspects (he remains the best crier though), and SYJ in the comedic aspect.
It's probably a blasphemy for IOTNBO fans, but
Sang Tae is the runaway best part of the drama for me. Oh Jung Se is a gem. That bromance is so heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. That scene when Sang Tae confronted Gang Tae about a painful 'icy' encounter between the brothers from the past. Drama GOLD.
Aside from the OTP role reversal, the story might be nothing new from starcrossed lovers, to ill fated brothers. But Jo Yong's writing make you care for all her characters, even the supporting ones. It was so satisfying to go through their growth, with each tear and each laugh. It all came full circle. The whole ensemble cast is precious. Kim Joo Heon as CEO Lee Sang In is a great discovery!
This is another drama that will now fall easily as one of the kdrama romcom classics. 2020 has been tough for all of us, and IONTBO came at the the right place at the right time, like the Moon-Ko family, telling us it's ok to not be ok.
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HEALING IS A PROCESS!
For a 16 ep drama, everything tied together nicely. Sometimes you don't need to fully heal to keep moving forward. HEALING IS A PROCESS, not a magic trick where you suddenly feel all better just because a drama is ending etc.. What I liked about the ending was the "going seperate road" shot, because it did not mean it's the end, to me it meant they're just taking a different path, a different route to heal.Acting was superb! Especially Oh Jung Se's role, that's a very hard role to pull for an entire 16 (nearly 1 hour each) episodes. I also have to applause Kim Soo-Hyun and Seo Ye Ji. I first watched KSH from Dream High(2011) and SYJ from Potato Star(2013) and I must say they really improved so so so much. ALSO THEIR CHEMISTRY, OH MY LIFE! <3 The multiple staring scenes were a little bit awks as they lasted a lil bit too long for me but goodness me their chemistry was seeping through my laptop screen LOL. Don't even get me started on their kiss scenes, wow just wow.
Overall, I give this drama a 8.5/10, 1.5 point off as I hoped for more but that is just me hehehe. If you look beyond the romance, I am sure you'll see a much bigger picture in regards to mental health issues. Yes, the drama may have overly exaggerated KMY's personality in the beginning BUT this is where character development comes in and you will be surprised what people can do irl. Anywho, I will miss the cast for sure. I hope they work together again. Til the next one <3
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I loved it. Best series of year hands down!
The first thing I’m going to do is find out who the writer is and watch any other shows that he has written. This show is absolutely amazing. I have never watched anything like this that he has a vote such emotion. It literally had me crying and laughing at the same time. I don’t know who this person is that created it but they did it in such a way that the heartfelt moments are so touching and the cheerful moments are so natural and hilarious.This show definitely encompasses healing, forgiveness, family, love, acceptance, friendship, trials, and finding your own path. just amazing. This is easily the best series of the year. For me this was not a hard thing to say at all. I watch so many dramas a day and during the week but I absolutely feel that this one is untouchable. It gives you an opportunity to learn from not only the older people but younger as well.
It absolutely embodies what loves really means.
Serious around two male siblings and a female. They have all been somewhat affected by an event in their past. This event ultimately has an impact on their life choices in the present as well as in the past. What you will get here is “the fight to move forward and overcome it all” and it’s beautiful.
There is no crazy ex-girlfriend. There’s no ridiculous love triangle. There is no stupid make up break up that last 40 eternity. There is no nonsense in this series. I absolutely recommend this to anyone looking for a good Hartfield series to watch or a romantic series or a series I have some mystery and it may be a little bit of thrill. Either way this one will satisfy all those needs.
The story was great. The acting was perfect. The music was great. I’m even considering locating the song for my ringtone. The rewatch value is definitely a big plus because it has so many moments that I have already gone back to look at the part again, And this was while I was still watching the series. The ending was beautiful. It gave the feeling of a new beginning. Oh the possibilities. I was sad that it was over. Overall 10 for me.
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This drama shines like a black diamond
This drama is not your average K-drama with fluffy love, a rich alfa male that has some disease where the love of his life solves all his problems. No. This drama is touching, real and gives us an inside of a part of the world that most of us don't want to see.STORY
This story revolves around an underdog Moon Gang Tae that has always been caring for his mentally disabled, autistic brother Sang Tae. Because of that, he lived his life around his brother and always put his brother before him. His brother is traumatised by the murder of their mother, but he can't cope with it which is why they always have to move around. They meet up with the beautiful Ko Mun Yeong, a writer, who suffers from antisocial personality disorder. She can't hold herself back, curses and does whatever she wants without thinking about the consequences. She wants Gang Tae to be her safety pin as well, and they both find out that they have a history together.
The story turns dark when it appears that the murderer of the mother of the Moon brothers is still alive and she leaves hints for them. Mun Yeong turns out to have a small heart as she wants to protect Gang Tae and Sang Tae, even if she has to offer up her own happiness.
Within the psychiatric hospital where Gang Tae works, we get to see glimpses of people with mental issues. Someone that is suffering from a trauma from war, someone who combats alcoholism, but also someone with dementia and multiple personality disorder. This is a part that we often don't want to see in our perfect world, and especially in Asia is a taboo. This drama gives us an inside of a reality that we need to see, and we need to try to understand these people and learn to respect these people.
MUSIC
The music is done fantastically. They made a variation on Paganini's La Campanella, and even Beethoven's Für Elise if you listen closely. It is not easy to make good variations on these classical masterpieces, but as a classical musician, I approve. The darker moments were also enhanced by the music in a superb way. They really did their best and it paid off.
ACTING
Where do I start. First I want to start with the role that hit me the most. Moon Sang Tae was portrayed by Oh Jung Se, and he totally stole the spotlight. You might know him as the loser guy No Gyu Tae from When The Camellia Blooms (watch it! It's super good!). I know several people with severe autism, and he got it down. The way he walks with his head down, his hands and excessive scratching. I couldn't believe that I knew him from another drama and that he actually isn't autistic.
Seo Ye Ji is the actress that was perfect for this role. Her yelling, obsessiveness, everything was done in a way that made me believe that this was real. The way her eyes quivered, the pain in her heart, she portrayed her character like the queen that she is.
And lastly, Kim Soo Hyun. This role was made for him. Even when I watched You Who Came from the Stars, I felt like his roles shouldn't be the alfa male, but more like the soft underdog kind of roles. And I was right. I felt bad for him, I felt sad for him and I was frustrated that he didn't put himself first.
Overall, I don't write reviews often, but this was so beautiful that I had to write one. It was so beautiful, touching, realistic, and it just hit me that our society should start accepting people who are different. We help them, and don't judge them because we might not know their full story. And, we need to tell them that it's okay to not be okay.
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