I have been low-key following Kim Se-jeong since her Uncanny Counters days and then her breakout role in Business Proposal. She has certainly been kept busy with starring roles ever since. To be honest, a couple of them are cash grabs by production companies while others are earnest attempt to recreate the magic of BP. However, none of them have the recipe for the special sauce.

From my perspective, BP works because it gathered all the romance tropes together and hit us with them, hard. We don't care if the A-plot doesn't make sense. Just fill our screen with the CP's. It is chemistry overload!

This one started promisingly. KSJ was given a strong role and she literally came out fighting (hwaiting!). Our OTP ticked all the boxes but it is a weird chemistry. It is like watching a commercial for Chinese herbal medicine. You know the one where they have the voice-over to tell you that this concoction will reduce your inner heat? Well, the ML is that personified. It is very nice to have a boyfriend that truly gets you but it is something else if all you do is cry together or meditate to gain inner peace. What about unbridled lust?! OBTW, there is a bit of skinship but other than a couple of nice kisses, it is all rated PG.

The 2CP is cute and they try to shoulder some of the workload. They do occasionally steal the scene but they need more spice as well. There are glimmers of hope but in the end, they are just mirages.

Once you put that in perspective, the rest of the show is just your typical backstabbing business shenanigans and standard village mischief. Bumbling village head meets loud and nosy ajummas. All done with workman like efficiency but nothing too angsty to disturb your karma.

The ending is sugar overload. Oprah Winfrey would be proud. My teeth are aching just thinking about it!

I did enjoy the show but I probably won't remember it in weeks to come. That is a shame as the cast did their best and the plot is decent. Good enough to be above average but that's a mighty crowded drama space.