I’ve been in a drama slump lately after watching a number of disappointing dramas. Back in 2010 when I started watching Asian dramas there were so many great dramas to choose from that I didn’t know where to start. It was a veritable feast of top notch dramas and I stuffed myself near to bursting. Since then dramas have dramatically changed. Some changes were good and some were bad. But lately it’s been bad, or maybe I’ve just chosen the wrong dramas to watch. But I’ve especially disliked the trend to have ambiguous endings making you scratch your head in confusion wondering what exactly happened. Or having a sweet simple romantic comedy turn into an angst filled melodrama in the last few episodes. So I reluctantly started this drama with low expectations. I’d watched numerous dramas with glowing reviews like this one only to be sorely disappointed so I was prepared to be letdown yet again. So I was quite surprised to find myself binge watching this drama. It’s simply refreshing and quite entertaining.

The storyline:
The storyline has depth with a few unexpected twists and turns. I expected the whole going back in time plot to be predictable and unrealistic. But it was presented in a very interesting way that kept you hooked and coming back for more. There was angst but it wasn’t overdone or annoying. There were no plot holes and no questions were left unanswered either. I liked that each character, even the side characters, were well fleshed out with depth and their own unique backgrounds. I have no complaints about the storyline except that I wish the drama had been longer so they could go into more depth but they did well with just 12 episodes to work with.

The acting:
The acting was above average straight across the board for everyone. There weren’t any stiff actors that seemed unnatural nor were there any actors that overdid it and came across cheesy. I don’t understand why they keep giving Sung Hoon short dramas like this when he has such good acting skills. And his kisses in the romantic scenes were fire, but we’ll get to that later. But overall the acting in this drama was very good.

The Cinematography:
The special effects and camera angles were quite good. The lighting, music, and settings were all well done. The wardrobe and set locations were perfect. I have no complaints here.

The romance:
This drama has a number of good kissing scenes that will make you blush. When Sung Hoon told the female lead that he couldn’t wait any longer then devoured her I blushed. This isn’t a sweet cutesy drama with piggyback rides and princess carrying or anything like that so if that’s your vibe you may be disappointed. It’s more of an adult romance with some sweet moments but mostly a more mature more realistic romantic vibe. The romance was very touching and definitely worth the watch.

In the end I liked everything about this drama and was pleasantly surprised at how well written and how well acted it was. It had angst but not too much, it had an interesting storyline that made sense, there were no plot holes, it had a balanced and even flow, and the romance was swoonworthy. The only reason I took off one point and gave it a 9 was because of its length. More time was needed for such a deep complex storyline. But it’s definitely a drama worth watching so I highly recommend it.