Finally, a kdrama where I’m not having heart palpitations in every episode because of scary situations, violence, or love triangles getting overly messy. I felt that this was a wonderful slow walk through the garden. It also highlighted the impact of domestic abuse. Clearly, if it is part of this series, it must be an issue in Korea, and I’ve read is an issue in Korea. Hopefully the series will help to bring the issue to people’s attention. However, like most kdramas, the problems of the main characters evolve from lack of communication. After I watched the scene at the high school reunion where they ask who liked whom in high school and ML (Im Eun Sub) says he liked FL (Mok Hae Won) and then he goes home and is totally embarrassed when she knocks on the door, I was actually laughing to myself. In the US, the scenario could have played out like this: Boy admits he likes girl. Girl texts him later and says something like, “So, did you really like me in HS or were you just saying that?” Boy replies, “I really did—didn’t you know?” She says “Hmmmm…well, that’s good to know, I thought that might have been the case.” He says, “Do you want to meet tomorrow?” She says, “OK, text me tomorrow.” They then proceed to date and either it works or it doesn’t! No weeks of trying to figure out feelings, etc. The American boy might have been a little embarrassed to admit that he liked her in high school but he might have also been a bit happy to admit this to everyone. I know--there are plenty of Americans with communication issues, etc. but almost every kdrama is based on buried feelings so just worth noting!

This brings up an issue for me which is really beginning to concern me about these kdramas (haha!) which is that people don’t seem to be able to identify their true feelings or understand how their lack of understanding emotions impact themselves or those around them. Of course, without these conflicts, then the kdramas wouldn't last as many episodes as they do! They'd probably be 4 episodes! Even so, why couldn't the mother see that she was destroying her daughter by not communicating? That made me so sad? Why didn’t Im Eun Sub ever talk to Mok Hae Won during high school? That was weird. Why did Aunt Shim Myung Yeo act cold to Mok Hae Won, even though she was warmer than mom was? Granted, she was willing to commit suicide with her niece in the river although we find out later that it was more to relieve her own guilt than to commiserate with Mok Hae Won. Why didn’t Mok Hae Won’s best friend apologize at school? Why, why, why? Too many repressed emotions!!!!!! There were two bright lights in terms of people who were strong mentally -- Im Hwi, ML's sister, and Lee Jan Woo--ML's friend. Im Hwi was a bit of a show stealer because she wore her emotions on her sleeve. Loved it! Lee Jan Woo was hilarious, even though he had a stammering/stuttering problem whenever he was flustered. In any case, in the US, both Mok Hae Won AND Im Eun Sub would have most likely been in therapy during high school. I guess therapy's not a thing in Korea,( according to some subber comments I saw when watching) which is really unfortunate. Even so, as per required by kdrama law, both Im Eun Sob and Mok Hae Won seemed to finally get their bearings and be on the road to healthier mental states. And, all in all, even though I have spent two paragraphs enumerating my concerns about mental health, the show really was beautiful--showing the bonds of community and the consistency of love.