Updated Review 2024:

I understand why I liked this drama so much the first time I watched it. One, it's a noona romance, and I love noona romances. Two, I really like Shinohara Ryoko as an actress, and she plays this character really well. Three, I find messy, awkward, insecure, goofy female leads charming. Four, it's a noona romance, lol. (And there are some legitimately swoon worthy moments in this noona romance.)

But...

There are elements of this noona romance that are problematic. I hate using that word, because it's been so overused the last so many years that I honestly hate the sound of it. But this romance...kind of fits the bill.

To start off, I'm much older now than when I first watched this, much closer in age to the female lead now, and that gives me a very different perspective. I understand the implications now of a much older woman dating someone as young as the male lead. I openly admit that one of my favorite dramas is High School King of Savvy which has a similar age gap, and I love that drama to pieces. But if that drama had cast an actually significantly younger male actor in the lead, I would feel very differently about it. Casting Seo In Guk is what saves Savvy for me.

When you step away from the age gap, however, you find other problems. Such as the dynamic between the male lead and his stepsister. They have a frankly bizarre and unhealthy dynamic, and there's one scene specifically that makes the whole thing feel super weird. I actually remember thinking during my first watch through that it might be indicating some degree of incest. After a rewatch, I understand what the scene was intended to convey, but...that was not the way to go about it. But even outside of that moment, the dysfunction definitely bleeds into the female lead's relationships with both male leads in somewhat uncomfortable ways.

Then there's the fact that so much of the male leads motivation for going after the female lead for so much of the drama is just pure selfishness. And then when he starts to develop feelings for her, you don't really know why. Why is he attracted to this much older woman who is honestly kind of a mess? A charming mess, but still a mess. At times, she almost felt like a maternal figure for him, which definitely felt weird.

The main complaint against the second male lead is that he rags on the female lead a lot. This turns a lot of viewers off. But it's obviously that 'I just like to give you a hard time, I don't actually dislike you' and 'I sort of have feelings for you that I don't really want to admit' kind of ragging, which I don't personally mind in dramas. He's that kind of friend you know so well that you just tell each other what you really think. And when he starts to realize his own feelings, it feels very natural and believable. Truthfully, in a better written drama, the female lead would have ended up with the second male lead. Given her desire for marriage and children, how open they are able to be with each other, and how they both have genuine feelings for one other, he really does make the most sense.

Now that I've rewatched it, I find this drama to be kind of meh. It does have its own charm in its own way, so if you're looking for something fluffy where you can turn your brain off and just have a good time, this is a decent drama to go to. But I would definitely recommend turning off your brain.


Original Review:
Ten out of Ten. 2 Thumbs up. All the stars in the sky. I really don't think there are enough superlatives in existence to describe how good this drama is. If it isn't on your must watch list, then Put It On There Right Now!