This story does take awhile to build: characters, story arcs. I waited till at least half way before writing review.
Boy, Ji Chang Wook is back and giving it his all. Not that he doesn't in every project he does, sometimes his effort doesn't match with the story. We may not see it right away, but his character reminded me of a wonded rescue dog, healing and learning to trust. Everything from food to human companionship to interactions had to be re-wired for Gyoe Re. Its the people around him not giving up on him that makes it happen, Team Genie.
I'm not sure if the romance angle is needed. But I suspect we're about to see the toxic relationships Gyoe Re had to survive in the second half. The struggles he'll face to learn to let go.