Undeniably Good
This is a show that I had seen recommended on my Netflix list frequently so decided to finally give it a go. With Suzy in the show, I felt even if I didn't entirely enjoy it, she would always be a positive - and so she proved. Luckily, the show itself was more than good. This is an emotionally heavy show with an ending that you technically knew was coming but were still flattened by.
The flashbacks are integral to this story and lay the scene for what the show is about. The events that led to the lead characters separating before finding their way back into each other's lives are something typical of a kdrama story in demonstrating how lead characters are sometimes connected prior to meeting on the show. There is a sense of loss and foreboding separation that accompanies the lead characters as they try to rebuild a damaged relationship while the lead male reckons with his guilt for his part in the events that cleaved them apart.
The story is a motif for what we do and suffer because of family. Each character's suffering is tied to what they experience due to their loved ones. Suzy's character is beautifully realistic in her pragmatism because all she wants now in life is the very best for her brother. We have to talk about Kim Woo-Bin's acting. He was the heart, soul, rage, pain and joy of this show. From the moment it became clear what was going on with him, and his part in Suzy's childhood, there was just this yearning to see him make peace with himself. His relationship with those closest to him shaped the sense of pain that drove the show and constantly brought you to sympathy for him even when he was doing his best to show he didn't deserve it.
Some of the other characters in the show were not well-written enough to stand out as support characters. The mother of Kim Woo-Bin's acting was both incredible and frustrating, and your viewpoint of characters like her and others might change with each rewatch. There was also one problem with the flashbacks in using the same actors for them which I won't spoil for anyone, but it made some of present-day scenes implausible.
The show's final episode and final scenes were very quiet and that worked better than a spectacular, grandstand finish. Sometimes, what love relationships deserve aren't these massive gestures and fireworks but the beautiful quietness and simplicity done well. The show ended in a way that will leave you close to tears, and some might object to how it was written, but I think it worked for the best.
Overall, it's a great show!
The flashbacks are integral to this story and lay the scene for what the show is about. The events that led to the lead characters separating before finding their way back into each other's lives are something typical of a kdrama story in demonstrating how lead characters are sometimes connected prior to meeting on the show. There is a sense of loss and foreboding separation that accompanies the lead characters as they try to rebuild a damaged relationship while the lead male reckons with his guilt for his part in the events that cleaved them apart.
The story is a motif for what we do and suffer because of family. Each character's suffering is tied to what they experience due to their loved ones. Suzy's character is beautifully realistic in her pragmatism because all she wants now in life is the very best for her brother. We have to talk about Kim Woo-Bin's acting. He was the heart, soul, rage, pain and joy of this show. From the moment it became clear what was going on with him, and his part in Suzy's childhood, there was just this yearning to see him make peace with himself. His relationship with those closest to him shaped the sense of pain that drove the show and constantly brought you to sympathy for him even when he was doing his best to show he didn't deserve it.
Some of the other characters in the show were not well-written enough to stand out as support characters. The mother of Kim Woo-Bin's acting was both incredible and frustrating, and your viewpoint of characters like her and others might change with each rewatch. There was also one problem with the flashbacks in using the same actors for them which I won't spoil for anyone, but it made some of present-day scenes implausible.
The show's final episode and final scenes were very quiet and that worked better than a spectacular, grandstand finish. Sometimes, what love relationships deserve aren't these massive gestures and fireworks but the beautiful quietness and simplicity done well. The show ended in a way that will leave you close to tears, and some might object to how it was written, but I think it worked for the best.
Overall, it's a great show!
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