onceiwaskingofspain
A Beautiful, Meandering Journey to Make Peace with the Past
Good Things:
• The bromance. ML and SML share a close and complicated friendship that spans lifetimes. It's given equal weight to and at times overshadows the romance; one of few Kdramas that might give you second lead syndrome with both FL and ML.
• The genre/trope grab bag. Romcom? Check. Political thriller? Sure. Whodunit Mystery? Of course. Ghosts? Yep. Magic? You betcha. Time Travel? Why not? All of it is worked into the narrative, and none of it feels gimmicky or out of place.
• The metaphorical journey. Not only are the leads scarred by personal tragedy, they represent the shared trauma of a nation under occupation. In their struggle to understand and make peace with it, they personify the transition from war-torn past to more hopeful present.
• The red threads. While FL, ML and SML are the heart of the story, there's a tapestry of connection that touches the lives of other characters as well. They all have a part to play in how it all plays out again.
• The vintage fashion. Proof that three-piece suits are always in style.
Bad Things:
• The pacing. One of the most uneven starts in Kdrama, because of...
• The parallel plots. The past is an epic tragedy unfolding, the present is light-hearted romcom where FL, ML and SML all take turns being the third wheel. The two stories feel disconnected at first and take a while to reach equilibrium.
Interesting Things:
• Jin Soo Wan also wrote Moon Embracing the Sun (2012) and Kill Me, Heal Me (2015).
• Kim Chul Gyu also directed Mother (2018) and Flower of Evil (2020).
Recommended if you're a fan of Goblin, bromance, layered narratives or plot-driven romcoms and have the patience for very meandering start as the story gets all its ducks in a row.
• The bromance. ML and SML share a close and complicated friendship that spans lifetimes. It's given equal weight to and at times overshadows the romance; one of few Kdramas that might give you second lead syndrome with both FL and ML.
• The genre/trope grab bag. Romcom? Check. Political thriller? Sure. Whodunit Mystery? Of course. Ghosts? Yep. Magic? You betcha. Time Travel? Why not? All of it is worked into the narrative, and none of it feels gimmicky or out of place.
• The metaphorical journey. Not only are the leads scarred by personal tragedy, they represent the shared trauma of a nation under occupation. In their struggle to understand and make peace with it, they personify the transition from war-torn past to more hopeful present.
• The red threads. While FL, ML and SML are the heart of the story, there's a tapestry of connection that touches the lives of other characters as well. They all have a part to play in how it all plays out again.
• The vintage fashion. Proof that three-piece suits are always in style.
Bad Things:
• The pacing. One of the most uneven starts in Kdrama, because of...
• The parallel plots. The past is an epic tragedy unfolding, the present is light-hearted romcom where FL, ML and SML all take turns being the third wheel. The two stories feel disconnected at first and take a while to reach equilibrium.
Interesting Things:
• Jin Soo Wan also wrote Moon Embracing the Sun (2012) and Kill Me, Heal Me (2015).
• Kim Chul Gyu also directed Mother (2018) and Flower of Evil (2020).
Recommended if you're a fan of Goblin, bromance, layered narratives or plot-driven romcoms and have the patience for very meandering start as the story gets all its ducks in a row.
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