Beth Dewey

The characters in this Korean drama (K-Drama) are wonderfully created and acted. It has become clear to me after watching over 50 K-Dramas that many American romance writers and directors of screen plays and TV series often spend too much time on nonessential dialogue (frenzied misunderstandings) and action (taking off clothes and jumping into bed). There is a lot of “hot” in showing two characters being respectful to each other in the early stages of a relationship; I call it the slow burn. I become emotionally part of the relationship and think, “Hold her hand, hold her hand,” as if I can actually effect that action. In one K-Drama, I melted when the guy finally asked permission, “Can I hold your hand?” I thought, “Aw, he really respects her and doesn’t want to screw this up.” This drama shows ordinary people wanting happiness and a degree of success in both love and work within and outside the work environment. Asian males particularly have faces that are often hard for me to read. While trying to read these guys in this story I find myself feeling what I think they are feeling, and trying to think what they are thinking... which is a good thing. I have become completely immersed in all of the wonderfully cast characters. I felt a whole body reaction at the end of the fifteenth episode when I heard the male character’s words at the bus station; the final words of the episode. I felt the blood drain from my face, my heart ached and I let out a sign. I both do and don’t want this series to end. With this relationship story there may not be a happy ending, but then again, there might be; really can’t predict on this one; can only hope. The slow motion holding hands, hugs, and kissing are is an ingredient in relationship development that makes Korean romances addicting. Someone mentioned in another review that this series is a typical formula K-Romance Drama. That may be so in the strict sense, but that is not a bad thing when the story is fully developed and just show characters in their home and work environments but also includes the very actions of doing their jobs, cleaning their houses, getting to and from work daily, planning and carrying out a project, folding and putting away laundry. It is part of full character development and I learn something about the intrinsic micro and macro work in their careers without it feeling like I’m watching a documentary. I am hoping the last episode doesn’t simply go about tying up lose ends and glossing over some of the sub-stories, like a lot of the other dramas. Often last episodes feel like the writers, director and producers are tired and want it over and so crank out a “tie up loose ends” finish. Based on the end of Episode 15, there is promise that we’ll be given more than that. It feels like were going someplace new; as though another shoe will be dropping in tomorrow’s episode even though it is the last one.