I was totally unprepared for how much this drama touched me. And I am not sure if it was because of the issues it tackled in anger management, paranoia, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive, or if it was in how Jung Woo (truly a gem of an actor) and Oh Yeon-Seo each executed their roles. Either way, it worked and worked brilliantly, from the writing to the acting and directing, a pleasant surprise that hooked me from the first three episodes. I quickly both invested and rooted for Noh Hwi Oh and Lee Min Kyung to overcome the pain and heartbreak that appeared to be eating at them. I continually felt time stop when I watched this drama, with my rude awakening coming with each episode's abrupt ending (abrupt in my mind's eye). I never wanted the episodes to end.

When I started Mad For Each Other, I wasn't sure what I was getting, but before the end of the first week, I knew I wanted more, much more than the half-hour snippets three times a week. I like how fluid everything flows, graciously balancing the comedic, crazy, and serious moments. It's light with a somber undertone in how it tells the story of two people scarred by those around them, to the extent that they cannot live their daily lives without coming across something that triggers them emotionally or mentally. There is a lot to like here, but what I found most pleasing is how both Hwi Oh and Min Kyung recognized they weren't okay, be it emotionally or mentally, and seriously seek out and are committed to getting the help they need to better their former selves, and not just pout or play the blaming game. But that they do it in the same doctor's office sometimes brings on the laughs, craziness, and waterworks, as even the visits to the psychiatrists are marred with those moments that make the viewer laugh, cry, and be mesmerized by the fragility of it all.

Getting insight into both of our lead's past traumas was a disheartening experience, especially Min Kyung's. Not that Hwi Oh's is any less, on the contrary. In a way, their situations mirror each other. To be lied to and betrayed by the person (s) you trust the most, but not only that, to be threatened and used for that love is not an easy overcome, if even one can overcome something like that at all. So, Min Kyung's paranoia and traumatic disorders become even that much more understandable, but so does Hwi Oh's anger for being so easily slighted, accused, and shunned by the colleagues he swore an oath to protect and lay his life down for, including his family members and friends. It is easy to see how they and everything around him could readily trigger his anger. Yet, one can't help but empathize and rally behind them. And, boy, do they have chemistry; the moment they finally get together is golden; I love how tender and protective Hwi Oh gets of Min Kyung. I, of course, cannot get over how much I enjoy the association ladies from Hiwi and Ming Kyung's apartment building. I love how expressive they are all and so in tune, but more so that they were not too ashamed to admit their mistakes and take action when needed most.

But as much as I loved Hwi Oh and Min Kyung's bickering, fights, distrust, and even distress when they first met, I couldn't help but love how those fights and distresses enabled them to see each other's truths in each other. And before they even knew it, they were not only rooting for each other, but deeply caring for one another on their road to recovery, as the anger turns to laughter, and the fear and dark sunglasses turn rosy and trustworthy. But the show is also quick to remind us that recovery is a journey; it's not a straight, steady road. And that is the part that stands out the most for me with this drama. It takes its time to show us, the viewers, how fragile recovery is to those afflicted by mental and emotional issues. That there will always be ups and downs, discoveries, and setbacks. And in the case of Hiwi and Ming Kyung, it's the fragility of their trust that quickly crumbled just as quickly as it was developed at the resurfacing of ex-partners. On second thought, it's not even the ex-partners, but the painful memories and helplessness it drudged up. Luckily, despite the halting progress and discouragements, they can look back and see that those painful memories are just pieces of their lives and draw new strength from them, rather than have them be stumbling blocks.

I admire the matter-of-fact tone the drama takes to raise awareness and push acceptance of social taboos, whether it's through Samantha's transsexuality/transgender (Ahn Woo Yeon) or Min Kyung's presumed extramarital affair, physical and sexual abuse/assault, and mental health, and Hiwi's anger issues. But what's even more admirable is how everybody, from the part-time clerk (Lee Soo Hyun) to Hwi Oh, Min Kyung, the apartment association ladies (Baek Ji Won, Lee Hye Eun, Lee Yeon Du), handles and processes these taboos. Despite their initial shock or even disapproval, they can quickly work through whatever misgiving they have to acknowledge. Just because some people are different, it doesn’t mean they are inferior. And I think it's because they realized the crippling effect of fear and pain, giving them the capacity to be compassionate, loving, and understanding. That's the thing about pain; it brings people closer, because one cannot understand how people feel until they've experienced the same or equivalent kind of pain themselves.

As I already noted, there are many reasons why I loved this drama. Still, the biggest is the ease with which it articulates the overwhelmingness of mental and emotional health illnesses and the pain of being ostracized by society. And I cherish the messages it left me with, some of which were that the journey to full recovery takes time, and no matter how steep the road, maybe there is an end if one stays the course. Recovery includes getting better and achieving a full and satisfying life. And that people are often judged because of their differences, but the reality is that people will always be different. This doesn’t mean those who are different are “wrong”; on the contrary, it's those differences that make the world far more interesting.

A gem of a drama that you will not regret watching. As for the cast of the drama, brilliant, Jung Woo excelled at his role, as it was sometimes hard to watch how everything affected him, especially his helplessness in changing the awful ordeal the woman he loves went through. This leads him to resort to his fists, and as much as I am against violence, there comes a time when using one's words is just not enough. Jung Woo was great at making me feel his every being, but so was Oh Yeon-Seo -- I felt her confusion, fear, and stigma of living not only with a mental health illness, but also the accusation of having an extramarital affair. Kudos to the cast and production team for a drama that awakens the sense in every way possible.