It has been a long while since I sat to write something about a drama that touched the deepest part of my heart. Odd how a fantasy drama turned into something completely realistic. Hidden beneath the magic, fantasy, and musicality lay the yearnings of an innocent soul who tried to break all shackles of presumed social stigma. When aberrant from the usual flow, family, friends, and society express ambivalence toward a “different” person. In various scenes few dialogues caught my attention focusing mainly on incinerating the real self of a person. We all need validation and recognition for apprehending the “normalcy” of society. Why can children growing up not just be themselves? Why cannot they follow their own dreams? Why they cannot be just an average person? Why is it always necessary to have a dream? Why is it that being a little deviant earns you the title “abnormal”? What kind of race we are all after? At the end of the day, ninety percent of human beings are just engaged in modern-day slavery. We achieve big degrees to earn money, to gain acknowledgment from society, to impress them, and to satisfy our ends by meeting the ever-unquenchable thirst for materialism. In course of such superficiality, we lose our innocence - our true self.

When some people, do not accept insubstantiality being their pillar of existence, they fall victim to other people’s doubt and unnecessary resentment. Sometimes, prison is created by setting high expectations we attach to our own children without even realizing what harm it might cause them. It is alright to remain average, to remain free-spirited, to live in independence, to find peace in solitude – the message given by this beautiful story. Being an adult does not mean being an imposter or following the regular crowd; apparently, some people admire living in an unconventional world where they could unleash their full potential. However, the trivialities of life ultimately ensnare them to nothingness. The extreme competitions we put our children into eventually is futile, rather harm them physically and mentally.

Also, felt a strange attachment with the magician mainly with his 16 years old self. Could relate to the same stress, frustration and mental breakdown I was going through before the important board exam and like him, I was screaming inside for someone to at least hear me out. Alas, my parents who should be the closest were completely in oblivion. These parents could be so cruel sometimes, living in a delusional world of knowing, feeling and giving to their children everything at the same time without understanding their personality or nature, forcing them with their unhealthy greed of winning the rat race of this imbecilic societal system. Now as I realized this, a long time has already passed to mend anything. Still trying hard to fit into the “society’s standard”.

Ji Chang Wook, Choi Sung Eun and Hwang In Youp all played their part sufficiently well. Liked the fact that all three protagonists’ characters and individual stories were depicted properly without exaggerating. It was heart-wrenching to know more about Ji Chang Wook’s character as the story unraveled. The songs were all wonderful with meaningful, hopeful, and positive lyrics.

The story seemed unfinished, do not know whether there will be season 2 or not but I would personally like to watch more about the magician’s character. Yet this first season was well rounded and the makers successfully finished depicting what they intended within six episodes.

Overall, this drama is fantastic. Enjoyed it intensely.