The edifice upon which this show is built is a chaotic, disorganised and spiralling series of plot threads that often didn't receive enough attention to the point where the show should have suffered. And it did in the sense of I felt it could have been so much better. At times it was ridiculous how conflicts were invented randomly without any foreshadowing, and then clumsily resolved. But crazily, Fight For My Way somehow, insanely, made it work. The messiness of the story simply worked in enriching what was fantastic about this show - and that was the relationship between Ae-ra and Dongman. Their chemistry was superb and they genuinely imparted a feeling that we were watching two bickering, best friends realising that they were in love with each other.

The romantic subplots sometimes diverted from what was really interesting about the show, made worse by how cleanly they were resolved without a hint of a mention later on. Ae-ra's early dating fling being a prime example of poor writing that somehow worked out all right. Where the show prospered was on combination of strong dialogue and terrific acting. Give me a bad plot and I'll still enjoy it if the characters and acting are good. This show embodied that oxymoronic trait that sometimes accompanies shows. It could have been better if it focused more on the two main character's backstories and career pursuits. Where it concerned Ae-ra, the show told a good story about class inequality and meritocracy, about the difference of an empty CV and one built on scrapping to survive. Ae-ra's plight told the modern story of the financial constraints on ambition, on how the need to financially survive outweighed career pursuits. This arc was ultimately a satisfying one, but could have been so much more.

I'm less convinced by how Sul-He and Joongman's relationship unfolded. I don't agree with the way it ended, or at least I usually wouldn't have. Not respecting your partner should come with a price. And yet, the authenticity of the dialogues and the sincerity of the acting convinced me that it wasn't so bad. Again, the show was really good at that.

I'm giving this show a low 8.5 because I think it was ultimately a very enjoyable show but it was derailed by messy storylines built for conflicts and progression of arcs.