I am SO GLAD, I waited for the drama to finish just so I could binge-watch it. This was such a ride!

Let's start off with the plot/storyline. Of course, there's a ML who is a big rich loser for the FL. There's obviously a cute FL, who is hated / irrelevant in her workplace. And obviously, there's some hospital scenes! Is it even a k-drama if there's not a single hospital scene?

And duh, her love life is related to her childhood! The FL and Hyun Woo were very close when they were young, but he vanishes one day and is never seen again. ofc she's been looking for him her whole life, basically. i mean, i wouldn't blame her, we got dozens of flashbacks and he was so sweet, nice and kind to her. if i was her, i'd be looking for him too. she even becomes a kid's content creator because of him! that was rlly cute to find out. but, there is a plot twist that we find out in like episode 6, but ofc the FL only finds out at the END of episode 13. so if you're not a fan of waiting for reveals, you will probably tear your hair out but i swear it's worth the wait.

the acting is superb. that's all i need to say.

the ML, our emperor penguin 🐧🐧, is WHIPPED for the FL. he's such a loser and binge watches her videos on her channel. the first few times they meet, the situation is so weird but i guess it adds to the comedy. usually, you'll catch me yelling through the screen at MLs for not confessing their feelings but emperor penguin looked genuinely confused, hurt and scared about confessing. his reasons were also so valid, i felt empathy for him. but be aware the confession takes until ep 10. for the actor, he did an amazing job. he portrayed every emotion so well and made it seem so real. if you watch interviews and other irl things of Uhm Tae Goo, you'll notice he is SO SHY. he barely speaks but he is very sweet when he does.

the FL, Eunha, isn't cringy, selfish or clingy. she's smart, makes up her mistakes, and stands firmly by the ML for majority of the show. ofc there are certain moments where she gets pissed off and they have their hard moments, but she would definitely choose him over any other guy. that's what makes her mature in my eyes. Han Sunhwa did a really good job too, her acting is amazing and not dull like many other actresses out there. :( I like that throughout the show, some of her outfits are repeated, making her seem like an actual ordinary/average person. idk if it was just my eyes, but i feel like her bangs look very different in episode 16, compared to episode 1. also, i think she has a few similarities in appearance to kim jiwon, just slightly.

Usually, I don't feel much during hard moments of couples in kdramas, but I definitely FELT for this couple. every bump they went on, it felt so real. you could intensely feel that they both care for eachother, it's just the problems that SJH faces.

NOW, the SML. This is one of my favourite topics from this drama. At first, i HATED HIM. especially in episode 6, like he was on my nerves... He's so obsessed with SJH and won't stop breathing down his back. he won't let the fact go that Thirsty Deer is made up of ex-cons who are just trying to live a normal life!! Instead of looking into the Cat Group, the real antagonists, he's hellbent on investigating SJH and thirsty deer, who have done nothing compared to the cat group. but then I started warming up to him in later episodes. he showed that he genuinely cares for the FL and just wants her to be happy. he doesn't try to manipulate his identity to her and make her believe false lies. AND he finds out who the real hyunwoo is and tells Eunha despite knowing he'll lose his chance with her. that's because he wants her to know the truth and not be manipulated. *cough cough, yoon eunseong from qot..* AND, he saves her and gets hit on the head by a BRICK. he even teams up with our ML to serve justice, so his morals are on point. and in the end, he supports the ML and FL's relationship and isnt a sour bitch. *cough cough, yoon eunseong from qot..* ultimately, he's genuinely a good guy.

now the SFL (she didn't have many scenes but shes basically the SFL), Kang Yena. Honestly, after I found out her motivations for "liking" the ML, she reminded me so much of Star Jin from my demon. they both have the sort of, loyalty to the ML and similar reasons for having that loyalty. but in the end, they're both good people even if they act like desperate bitches at first.

i think this is one of the dramas where i love the side characters (obv only the good ones). this drama did a GREAT job building on everyone's backstories and motivations for why they do the things they do. there's a huge sense of brother-hood in this. We witnessed Dong Hui's unfortunate history and the guilt he lives with. i'll mention that one because i found it quite interesting. also jae-soo and hong gi, any scene with them is never a dull moment. i was laughing so hard, i almost became ripped asf. and il young is like a smiley puppy, i love his smile omg.

the music used, especially in the intro, are quite catchy. i never skipped the intro for MSM because i love the music.

anyway, some people say this drama should've been 12 eps, i partially agree. certain bits felt drawn out, but overall it was paced really well imo.

also i was expecting the comedy to be cringe, but everything feels so natural. and its so funny.

BUT for the romance, there's not as much as there should've been. i wanted more kissing scenes and more heartfelt conversations so i was hoping the last few episodes would have more of that.

OVERALL:
this drama has minor flaws, but it really is great. the story is entertaining and the characters are built well. acting is on point and the comedy is just perfect and everyone lives happily ever after! i truly think this will be one of 2024's BEST. it might be a stretch to put it in the top 3 , just yet but its quite up there!

still, this is just all my opinion. you may think this drama is trash and that's fine because we are different people who are entitled to different opinions!

if you haven't watched yet and decide to, happy watching! :)